194: The paths to queenship

The paths to queenship

"My lady... My beautiful, courageous lady,"0

Soft sobs continued as Baroness Frieda gently applied ointment to Adela's hands. It was the Baroness who instilled a passion for herbal medicine in Adela's heart, and the scent of the Aloe Vera and Chamomile blend she used to soothe her skin as a child was deeply nostalgic.

The ointment brought relief to the bruises, and Frieda's tender, maternal touch brought company to Adela's lonely heart.

How long will I remain trapped within myself like this? Adela wondered, struggling to open her eyelids or move her lips to offer words of comfort to her lady-in-waiting. She vividly recalled feeling this drained after being in Aldric's carriage, but at that time, she had actually slept, awakening with no memory gaps.

The last thing she remembered was Egon drawing the curtains in the carriage... But what happened during the journey back to her father's estate?

"Won't you wake up and allow me to give you a refreshing shower, hmm?" Frieda's voice trembled with emotion. 

I want to wake up too.

Adela heard a long sigh.

"I will wipe you with a damp towel and change your clothes so you can awaken refreshed in the morning," Frieda continued.

As the Baroness began unbuttoning Adela's dress, she suddenly gasped sharply. "My Lady!" she exclaimed, her eyes must have fallen on the bruises that Adela had overheard Egon mention earlier.

"Y-You know, My Lady?" Baroness Frieda stuttered, her voice quivering. "Lady Larissa went to Destan with the Archduchess just before your return. P-Perhaps you could join them for a while? Hm? I, for one, need a change of scenery..." Her voice trembled with a mix of sorrow and anger. "No one should dare harm the Ladies of House de Lanak."

There was a brief pause as Adela heard the sound of water being squeezed in the basin, followed by the gentle touch of the compassionate woman who remained by her side, tenderly wiping her skin.

"Destan is beautiful in the summer," Frieda sniffled, "Once they hear that you and Lady Larissa are there, all the royal gentlemen from near and far will flock there for the social season."

Conspiring against Uncle and then seeking refuge behind his cloak? I don't understand my family anymore...

To the outside world, Emanuel may be associated with many negative attributes. However, to Adela, he was simply another member of a certain group that had been rapidly growing in numbers lately.

They all desired her as their queen.

Determined not to squander her time in this incapacitated state, Adela made a firm decision to utilize it for introspection and mental organization. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something crucial she had overlooked. To unravel the mystery, she knew she had to start by identifying the common thread among those who had offered her the throne and analyzing the methods by which it had been extended to her.

Emanuel de Lanark's desire was for her to marry Claude, even going as far as to threaten the exile of his own son if he failed to win Adela's affection. It became evident that he not only wanted her to be queen but also aspired for her to become empress alongside Claude.

Adela questioned whether it was truly her that Emanuel sought to secure, particularly considering Claude's lack of Emorian royal blood and his origin from Kolhis. Was marrying Adela the only legitimate path for Claude to lay claim to the throne?

Her head throbbed.

Rauul offered his oath of fealty and professed Latora's alliance to Adela. He demonstrated his commitment by openly signing the deeds to the auctioned lands and then gifting them back to her. However, his true desire for her ascension to the throne was questionable.

No.

Rauul couldn't be considered alone; he was part of a package deal with Egon von Conradie who clearly wanted her to remain in Lanark. Egon had gone so far as to repurchase all the lands and return them to her to further his objective. His approach differed from the beginning, cautioning Adela about being manipulated by her family's schemes right from their initial encounters when her indebtedness to him began.

My debt...

That unnecessary debt was shared by her and her father, the Archduke was another member of the first group seeking to change the monarchy. If revising the kingdom's constitution wasn't a direct implication of the second ruler's identity, then she truly knew nothing about politics.

Undoubtedly, Kaiser de Lanark wanted her to rule as well.

The loyal Archduke, known as the Shield of the King, potentially led the mercenaries who, on occasion, faced infiltration by spies as per accounts from the Archduke's close friend. Although Aldric had not revealed the identities of the infiltrators, Claude strongly implied that Emanuel was responsible for poisoning the waters. Did this suggest that the King of Emoria himself was behind the spies within the mercenaries? And if those spies were affiliated with the King, did it mean that Emanuel was already aware of the treasonous activities taking place?

It felt as if her insides stiffened with the sudden realization, yet her entire body remained completely relaxed.

It wouldn't be entirely surprising if the King and the Archduke were engaged in a subtle game of chess behind the scenes. Their desires aligned when it came to appointing Adela as queen, but diverged when it came to the fate of Emoria itself. One held a deep disdain for their ancestral lands, while the other embraced the soil wholeheartedly.

It would make perfect sense if they left it to Adela to decide on the matter they disagreed upon, while simultaneously setting the stage for a profound transformation within the kingdom. Adela could ascend to the throne by marrying Claude, or she could become queen through a coup that wouldn't claim her uncle's life, but merely his title.

Although her theory remained unproven, it carried a significant amount of logical reasoning.

And then there was Aldric, the final person who desired Adela to become queen, either as his own queen or as the ruler of Emoria, insisting that her ascension was crucial for her own survival.

Aldric, with his deceptive nature, should not be readily trusted, but it seemed that deceit was a common trait among those surrounding Adela. If she had to rely on her instincts and consider the fact that Aldric spared her life and offered her choices, it would mean that he had lied about her father's involvement in the Oracle's death.

Aldric must be supporting Father's coup...

For the weapon factory to come to fruition, it would undoubtedly have to be Adela's idea, as Kaiser de Lanark would want to keep another king out of House de Lanark's internal affairs. Such an explanation would align perfectly with her father's character. However, couldn't Aldric have conveyed things to her differently? What was the true meaning behind his talk of forcibly kidnapping her and making her his wife?

"There, you are all fresh and dressed comfortably. Sleep well, my dear. Tomorrow, you shall awaken feeling much improved," the Baroness said, regaining her own composure.

The notion of sleeping while in her current state didn't seem like a bad idea, especially now that things were becoming clearer to her. Adela found herself at a crossroads: one path led to Destan, where she would fulfill her family's wishes and become a ruler, while the other path would keep her in Lanark, defying her family's desires. But what would be the fate of Emanuel if she chose to remain in Lanark?

Why was Egon von Conradie supportive of Latora becoming an ally to Adela if there shouldn't be any conflict with Emanuel over the throne?

...Whom did Egon von Conradie envision sitting on the throne of Emoria if not her?

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