“Maria?” Roland was surprised at my sudden appearance as I had just left thirty minutes prior. He looked down at himself and the floor and shook his head as he was carrying a bowl of pure white baking flour.

“So…sorry.” I stammered as I stepped aside from him.

“Is everything alright?” He brushed himself off as he had spilled a bit of flour on himself.

“Yeah…” I was quick to grab a broom and a dustpan to help clean up any white baking flour that had split.

“Then why the rush?” He pulled over the trash can so I wouldn’t risk spilling the flour everywhere and placed the now empty bowl on the counter.

I whispered, “I was leaving his room…”

It clicked in Roland’s mind why I was rushing. “Ah, you know it’s safe with me.” He crossed his fingers over his heart.

I smiled softly, “Thanks.”

After I dumped the flour in the trash can I went to the pantry and refilled the bowl for Roland. “I’d stay and help but I need to change before I go out with Marcel.”

“Marcel?” He arched his eyebrow in surprise.

“Yeah, he wants to explore the inner rings.”

“Huh. Kinda strange with Théoden being on bed rest for a day, he wants you to explore the more dangerous parts of the kingdom.”

“Kind of what I thought but I don’t have much of a choice.” I shrugged as I let out a deep sigh, “Speaking of bed rest, could you check on him while I am out?”

“Sure. I can do that between baking and cooking.”

“Thanks.”

I moved to the other archway in the kitchen and left soon after. I headed up the grand staircase to my room and quickly changed out of my dress and slipped on a black pair of plants and a blue blouse. I slipped on my black rain coat and my wedge boots and left my room soon after, locking the door behind me.

I waited around the grand hall for roughly twenty minutes before Marcel arrived.

“Ready my darling?” Marcel’s echoing voice pulled me to his attention as he descended the stairs himself. To my surprise he was wearing a black leather jacket and had on normalish looking black pants.

Guess the devil doesn’t want to get wet. I was amused by his appearance as the only other time I had seen him in more proper clothing was the Festival and the Formal Celebration.

“Sure. Why did you want to go in the rain?”

He shrugged as his heavy footsteps echoed through the grand hall. He approached me with a smile and held his arm out for me to loop mine in his.

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I sighed and complied, “If my hair gets ruined from the rain…”

He chuckled, “Can I put it up?”

“No.” I was firm with my response as I did not want him to touch my hair.

“Alrighty, let’s get goin then.”

We fell into a smooth transition with our walking as we walked out of the castle. Our steps fell in tangent as if we were one. It was weird to me as this only happened with Théoden as he could determine my movement through the bond.

The rain, thankfully made his scent more subtle than normal making it a much more enjoyable stride through the kingdom. People did look at me, look at us, point and whisper.

Stupid gossip. I muttered through the bond. I tried not to let the gossip bother me. As for most of my life, I had been apart of almost every single rumor. Sometimes, it was overbearing but I had to push past that if I wanted to be Queen. But that didn’t make the rumors any easier.

It’ll be alright. Théoden whispered to me through the bond as he soothed my nerves. Sometimes I wondered how he dealt with rumors. As there have been a handful that involved him over the years. Patients and focus. He told me. I have gotten pretty good at tuning them out.

If only if I could… That would be a miracle in itself. Let alone people stop spreading them.

“Maria, dear what’s wrong?” Marcel had stopped marching forward and was staring into my eyes as I had fixed myself on Théoden's conversation.

I shook my head pulling me back into reality. “Sorry. I’m fine.” I uttered as I began to move once again.

Marcel, I could tell he was hesitant but sighed in defeat and moved along with me. Within fifteen minutes we reached the third ring of the kingdom. A ring mixed of middle and lower class citizens. A ring with shabby looking housing mixed with humble homes. A ring where crime started to spike and be more violent. A ring with a mix of homeless and those who had homes. This was the ring where it started to go down hill. This would be the first ring I would pull a good amount of my focus into and make better. Followed by the second and first ring.

“Well, are there known families in this ring? Or businesses?”

I thought about it. There was one family that I was aware of that was more of the noble scale that lived in the third ring. “Yeah, the Payne family. A well blended family mixed of Nobles, middle, and lower class. They provide financial need to those around them if they can and help build and rebuild homes for those in need. A very caring family indeed.”

Marcel made a choking noise as if he displeased kindness. “Interesting.”

“For business wise, probably the bakeries and potion shops in this district. Nothing really too special about them as those that run them can’t afford the better material, however, I still occasionally will have a request from them and am always pleased with the results. There is also a school and a few temples here as well. The school is for basic learning as the magic schools are in the outer rings.”

“Got it.” Marcel looked around the ring and I watched as his expression shifted from eager to disappointment as he must have realized that not every part in the kingdom was as well-developed as he thought.

“Well, if you want to see a building like the other rings…” He shook his head before I even finished my sentence. “Alright, follow me then, just don’t get your hopes up for the remaining two rings.”

“Hump.” He held out his arm once more and we began to walk arm in hand once more.

For him to future rule over my kingdom… him being disappointed in the lower class rings sickens me.

Remember Maria, our goal is to eliminate him. He won’t become the ruler if we are successful. Our kingdom will change. It will change for the better with you as Queen and I as King.

What he said made my heart melt and made me feel ten times better. I was getting stronger and stronger every day. I just hoped our vision of a beautiful and budding kingdom will come full circle.