For the Queen
In our world places and people exist, there are also mirrors of our world, or perhaps we are a mirror of some other world. But whatever the truth is there are analogs of people, analogs of places…the names change from world to world. Some are wildly different, some almost exactly the same.
In the kingdom of Albion things are happening, things that will have repercussions over many mirrors.
Chapter 1 All I Ever Wanted
Princess Evangeline was irritated. There were rumours around the residence that her father was to become king, whispers that quickly ended when she or her sister entered a room.
Tossing a pillow at the mirror solved nothing...reaching for a teacup on her side table for a more satisfying throw there was a knock on her door. “Come in’ she called. The door opened and her sister Theodora marched in and flung herself on the bed. Dressed nearly identically to Evangeline she was in a simple white summer dress, hair the same style with a little more curl but now red faced with indignation. With tears running down her cheeks she said ”they said no no no, mind your place, she will be queen...not you...you’re the spare.”.
“What did you expect” asked Evangeline “you knew what they would say”. She was trying not to show what she was feeling but it was hard not to let it all out. “When father becomes king I will be his successor and thats just the way it is.” Showing her own frustration with how her life had changed she tried to tell her sister one more time. Standing and pacing around the room....”the only way things could change is if Uncle changed his mind or if parliament changed the law to accept Her”. She looked over at Theodora and continued “or if I died.”. Still no response from her sister who was picking at a loose thread on the bed quilt.
Deciding that this conversation had reached its end she put on her house slippers...checked in the mirror that her hair was not too amok and told Theodora “its nearly dinner time, perhaps you can quiz mother and father about why you can’t be queen”. Laughing as she left the room she heard a teacup shatter on the door behind her, poor Theodora never had much self control.
Theodora caught up to Evangeline and they walked to the family sitting room to wait for the dinner gong. Even though this was a family only meal there was still nearly stifling formality, and Evangeline chafed through these dinners. Mother made sure only certain events could be discussed, certain topics remarked upon, only proper behaviour. Never self expression, or opinions held forth. Always prim and proper. She had talked to father in one of their meetings about the duties of the heir-apparent , but he always told her to do what she was told, don’t rock the boat. That she was the figurehead and to let the men of the government do the actual job of ruling the empire.
This did not sit well at all.
Their comfortable life had been turned upside down when uncle Arthur abdicated in favour of her father. Robert had no aspirations to be king and shunned public speaking as often as he could, a terrible stutter made those few occasions a trial for the entire family. Being the man he was though, he had done his duty and continued to do his best in every way he could. The coronation was soon and his title would be formalized.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
But as they were called to dinner by the head butler Evangeline could tell that this dinner might be a little different because of two additional guests. The newly created head of the Royal Science department Sir Dr. Anthony Crowley and his second Dr Lucius Grawffe. The former was an older man in his late 60’s, Dr Grawffe was much younger though, 20 something. Apparently a prodigy in his field, theoretical physics….whatever that was.
As the family sat in their usual places around the massive dining table, footmen entered with their first course. As it was placed in front of him Dr Grawffe thanked the young server, a faux pas that everyone noticed but no one deigned to correct him. Theodora had laughed but Evangeline quickly shushed her…”Be polite.” she hissed. Feeling her fathers gaze Theodora quieted and began to eat.
As the meal progressed and dish after dish was brought in the young Doctor seemed to get the hint and kept his thanks to himself. Instead he and Sir Anthony were engaged with king Robert and what their latest experiments were. Apparently, from what Evangeline could glean, something had been found in an archaeological site in the Fariff isles, off the coast of Pictland. On the main island, while digging for relics near Skara Brae, something major had been found. This find had been brought to Londinum, to Herford university to be precise.
There the relic had done something that relics didn’t usually do, Evangeline couldn’t quite grasp what but her fathers reaction was extreme. “I believe this experiment was done with, deemed too dangerous by the university..why are you convinced we need to continue?”. The queen also added “Is this the artifact brought here by that abominable Wolesly?, horrible man”. Evangeline remembered her mother mentioning this person before, but didn’t know why her mother despised him so.
Sir Anthony answered “Yes your majesty, Dr Wolesly found the object and managed to decipher the inscriptions, at least some of them. He realized how important it was and shipped it to us at Herford.”. “But the experiment was stopped” the king asked. “On our end yes, all power was removed and the item was crated for deep storage at the university.” said Sir Anthony. “Then I don’t see what the confounded problem is…”started the king. “The problem is that the artifact turned on by itself and activated”, interrupted Dr Grawffe. “Another contact was made”.
Evangeline could tell tempers were beginning to rise, her mother had two pink spots on her cheeks, a sign of an impending eruption. The king recognized this and abruptly stood…this was a sign that dinner was over, footmen and under butlers began to remove dishes from the table.
Of course the men were going to the smoking room for cigars and brandy while the queen and her daughters were going to their sitting room to sew, play piano and so on. However Evangeline was startled when her father bade her wait and asked if she would join them. The queen was in the doorway leaving the dining room, hearing the kings word she spun in place, “I forbid this, not my daughter!”she shouted. Robert , who was normally a mild gentle man, rarely showing his temper, looked at his wife “ You forbid this? I am the king of the Albion empire, you have my leave to retire…now.”.
The queen was furious but gave in to her husband…no…to the king and left in a huff, Theodora in tow. Evangeline was startled but knew when to keep quiet, following her father and the two Drs through the residence to the kings private office. She had never been in here before, no reason to. But here she was, being seated beside the king at his huge desk, the scientists seated across from them. Ringing a bell Robert ordered tea and a selection of chocolate biscuits, knowing his daughter enjoyed them immensely.
“Mother thinks you are too young for this discussion, perhaps you are but we must talk.”. said the king. “Doctor Grawffe, would you be so kind as to explain exactly what has happened so far?”. The younger man nodded, cleared his throat and began.
“As fantastic as this might sound…we have been contacted by beings not of this planet.”. he said. “These beings are in dire need of something we have, a princess.”. Evangeline sank back in her chair, they couldn’t mean…. Her father looked at her, seeming to age in front of her. “They want you Evangeline, and I don’t know if we can stop them.”.
Well, she thought, that’s not how I expected this day to go. Maybe Theodora would get her way after all.