The chancellor led Fie into the castle and guided her into an antechamber. “Wait here, please,” he told her. “I will go call for the king.”
The antechamber was made up with a neat little couch and table, but to Fie, it felt like a jail cell. What’s going to happen to me? she thought. Left alone here to think, she understood that no matter what happened, she would be returned to her consort’s chambers once more. But no, she had escaped once before, so perhaps this time her living quarters would be even more cruel. Maybe she truly would be confined to a jail cell. This was the end of her great escape and the death of her chance at walking a second path in life as a squire.
Fie hugged her knees to herself as she sat on the couch. She mourned the return of her former life of solitude and no future prospects, but more than anything, she mourned not being able to see Captain Yore, Crow, the rest of her platoon, Queen, Gormus, and every single one of her fellow squires ever again. In a single year, Fie’s life, which had once only had her sister and Lynette in it, was colored with whole heaps of wonderful people she felt close to.
The sound of footsteps and three people talking back and forth reached Fie’s ears as she sat slumped over.
“The princess Fie has escaped? What is the meaning of this, uncle?” one voice said.
“That is what I hoped to ask, Your Majesty,” another replied. “It is not my place, so I shall refrain from chastising you, but what in the world were you doing to let it come to this?”
“I mean, you ordered for any problems to be reported to you, right?” said a third voice.
“That I did,” said the second. “And no news is good news in my book, uncle. More importantly, is this really so pressing?”
“Absolutely, Your Majesty. She is your lady wife. Now do please come this way. She is waiting for you in this room.”
“Seriously? This has to be the first time you’ve met her, huh?”
“It is.”
“My goodness, what in the world have you been doing? Your Majesty, you are giving me a headache.”
Upon hearing the last two voices, Fie flew up from the sofa. She recognized who they belonged to, and not only that, but these people were also the two she respected most: her captain and Sir Crow.
The moment the door opened, Fie launched herself at both of them. “Captain! Sir Crow!” she wailed. King Roy and Crow jolted as a sobbing Heath hurtled into them.
“Huh? What’s Heath doing here?” Crow asked.
“What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” said Roy with concern.
The chancellor looked utterly done with all of them. “Well, it appears you are already all acquainted with one another. This young lady, Your Majesty, is your lady wife, Her Royal Majesty Princess Fie.”
“Huh?” said Crow.
“What are you talking about?” Roy asked.
Fie fidgeted self-consciously under their flabbergasted stares. She and the chancellor, followed by the other two, sat down on the couch. Fie felt too awkward in the wake of her secret being revealed to say anything, and Crow and Roy were too surprised to speak.
Only the chancellor spoke with perfect ease. “First, I believe Her Majesty has a duty to explain herself.”
Fie glanced at Crow and Roy. She guessed she really did have no choice but to tell them everything and so, as they were her two most trusted people in all the world, she told them her life story.