An Affair of State

Part One: https://steemit.com/writing/@bardbarian/he-who-will-not-be-tamed
Part Two: https://steemit.com/writing/@bardbarian/the-lies-we-hope-for
Part Three: https://steemit.com/writing/@bardbarian/one-way-and-another
Part Four: https://steemit.com/writing/@bardbarian/dealing-with-freedom-fire-in-a-wet-place-and-the-limits-of-what-knowledge-may-say
Part Five: https://steemit.com/writing/@bardbarian/to-where-the-people-labor-chained

Part Six:

Daniel presented himself to the Queen. He hesitated at the door, stumbled through his hello, tried to apologize for something he wasn’t sure if he had done wrong. Sara sat in silence. She listened. He wandered through what he had been up to, why he had turned away, how he...loved her, yes, that was why he was here now, to say he loved her and that he was sorry. It did not matter what he had done. It only matter that it had hurt her. He stopped talking and studied her face. He could see the hurt he had caused. He did not have the gall to ask for forgiveness. He looked around: their were a few Senators, he recognized Greenwood and Hellsmith, and of course Clare. He hadn’t seen them, why hadn’t he seen them. He looked back to Sara. She seemed frozen. She was in the middle of correcting his own father’s sin, and Daniel had abandoned her. So he turned away. But Sara was more gracious than he, or more merciful, or less proud, or maybe she just loved him too. She leapt up and stood in his way and held him tightly. She would not let him go again.

They were together running the affairs of state, and they were happy. Some in the senate may have had reservations about the tall man with yellow eyes, but Sara’s allies assuaged them, and Daniel’s eyes turned back to brown as he remained apart from the dream. But the book lay open, and the whispers were just quieter, not gone. Never gone.

“Are you sure you want to come? You can stay.”

“No, I do want to come, I just-”

“It’s the shirt.”

“Why so many frills?”

“It’s the fashion, now, for dour young men bedding Queens.”

“Sara, you make me blush.”

“And you make me-”

“Ahem.”

“Oh, Clare, I was just-”

“Daniel, I’m neither of your mothers. But I am here to let you know the rest of us are ready for our trip to the outskirts.”

Sara’s eyes danced as she watched Daniel squirm just a little. “Thank you Clare, we will both be out soon.” Clare bowed, winked at Daniel, and then was out the door. The pale young man turned beat red, and Sara burst into laughter. “Daniel, my love, you are allowed to be happy, allowed to be a little ridiculous.”

Daniel sat to tie his boots, and then watched as Sara finished setting herself in order, reading over this report, responding to that message. She seemed so much more now that she was so much more connected to the affairs of the city. Daniel could not help but feel he had lost her, if only a little bit.

She will die, and you will watch helplessly.

Daniel started, Sara looked up concerned.

“Mm, sorry, nothing. I must have dozed off.”

The Queen’s cabinet sat together as the train whizzed out from under the capitol building. Lady Greenwood and the Queen spent a good deal of time speaking about the rising sea levels: the junior Senator was pleased to be in Sara’s company, let alone to have her concerns heard. Sara explained all she had done personally to address the issue, and Gwen was satisfied, although later she would struggle to remember the details of this conversation.

“I must say, dear Queen, I think this to be too hasty.”

“Is that the Confederation talking, Carlton?”

“Well, no, sir Daniel, in fact this has all been so hastily down that the Confederation has not had time to put forth a report-”

“Envoy, since when does the Confederation put forward reports on it’s members?”

“Well, Lord Hellsmith, when there has been a rather sudden change, politically speaking, we grow concerned.”

“You mean you grow inquisitive.”

“Lady Greenwood, I assure you, I am merely acting within my role as the Confederation’s eyes and ears.”

“Carlton, we all know it. You are revoking our standing, aren’t you.”

“Well, I-sir Daniel, how improper...Such a thing is not in my power, sir.”

Sara leaned forward in her seat as the train came around the last bend before it left the city. They were enroute to meet the Captain of the Farms at factory 432 to officially close down the first of the farm factories. It was to be a bit of a show, to let the people know that things were different now. “Tell us true, Envoy, have you submitted the paperwork as detailed in the expulsion clause?”

Carlton squirmed, Sara’s knowledge of the law was as strong as the power in her words. “Yes. Dear Queen, I merely asked for a review-”

“Damn you pig of a man-”

“Lady Greenwood, we must ask you to comport yourself as an esteemed member of the Senate should, if you should wish to remain in our cabinet. Envoy, We do appreciate your candor, and we trust you will find our activities today reassuring. We embark on this great transition not lightly.”

Daniel stiffened as the train got within eyesight of the western wall.

I told you. Told you. You can smell it, can’t you. There is magic on the air.

“Quiet, begone,” He whispered through clenched teeth.

Lione is back, and you have not prepared.

“Not playing your game anymore,” Daniel murmured. Sara was a few seats away, deep in discussion about yet another very important matter, but she looked over to see Daniel’s face in agony, and there was nothing she felt she could do.