Status: hiatus
Love, and Other Torture Devices
Sleep, love.
Almira feels her eyes slowly open. Gently, she raises her head and looks around. Her tired gaze stops on the figure in the chair, vigorously dragging a quill across a piece of parchment paper. "Edmund," she whispers.
The man looks up, immediately depositing of his quill in its ink jar. "Almira," he smiles. "Did you sleep well?"
"How long was I asleep?" She smiles, stretching her back slightly as she sits up on her legs.
"A while. You need your rest, though."
She shakes her head, tucking a large chunk of her loose, brown curls behind her ears. "I believe it is you that needs some rest."
The young man smiles, allowing the lines around his eyes to form. "I will be fine. I'll have plenty of time to rest after next week."
"I want you to rest, Edmund," Almira whispers, slowly leaning her upper body over the arm of the couch. "I do not like to see you so fatigued."
He nods, "I will work on getting my rest."
The sides of the young woman's lips stretch, as she extends her arms and flexes her thin, petite hands. "I need some company."
Laughing, Edmund slowly gets out of his chair and crosses the room. The Prince moves swiftly, wrapping his arms around the thin waist of his soon-to-be wife and pulling her body onto his as he collapses onto the overstuffed couch.
Almira giggles, resting her head on Edmund's shoulder. She feels her cheeks grow warm, "If someone sees this, they will surely get the wrong idea."
"The door is locked," Edmund says quietly, stroking the curly brown hair out of Almira's warm face. "You've nothing to worry for."
Not picking her head up, Almira tilts her face toward Edmund. His hand does not stop stroking her hair, even though his eyes remain closed. "Rest, Edmund."
"I could not be more rested if I tried, Almira," he whispers, allowing his hand to continue to move her thick locks. "Sleep, love."
"What in the world happened?" Cassandra gasped, standing up at the view of Almira walking into her room.
Today was the day. Cassandra waited for hours, only to be disappointed that the woman who would be soon crowned Queen had not returned to the bedchamber. Instead, she walked in as the sun rose. In the same nightgown she had left the bedchamber in the day before.
"We have to bath you, and get you ready. There's hardly enough time--"
Almira nods, "We have plenty of time, Cassandra. Please, relax."
"You must tell me what happened first," the Lady-in-Waiting smirks. "Did you...?"
"For Heaven's Sake, Cassandra!" The younger woman exclaims, crossing her arms. "What kind of woman do you take me for?"
The blonde woman smiles, "A smart one."
Almira shakes her head. "Let us get this over with, please."
"You know, you should've come back last night," Cassandra says. "It is said to be bad luck to spend the night before your wedding with your husband."
Almira shrugs lightly.
"My father once told me it brings bad fortune to spend the night before your wedding with your bride," James says, smirking at Edmund.
Edmund straightens his Military jacket. It is heavily decorated, and fits his physique perfectly. "James," he says, "what would you say if I told you that I don't believe in fortune?"
James shrugs lightly.
"What if I told you, that I don't need to believe in fortune? Good or bad? Because I am King now. I determine what is good and what is bad. And no one can tell me otherwise."
“Spoken like a true ruler, Edmund,” James smirks.
“If my father taught me anything during his reign it is that you must believe in yourself before other people will believe in you.” Edmund says, slowly buttoning the large buttons at the front of his jacket. “Would you not agree with that sentiment, James?”
“I agree wholeheartedly,” James nods.
“Are you just saying that, or do you truly agree, James?” Edmund casually calls the other man’s bluff.
James sighs.
“Do not become one of those Gentlemen, James,” Edmund chuckles. “I’d hate to have to replace you.”
"How do I look?" Almira asks, running her soft hands down the front of her large dress.
Cassandra nods, "Don't. You look perfect. The King is going to love you. The people of Latovia will fall in love with their Queen."
A smile slowly tugs at the edge of Almira's painted lips. “How many people are going to be there, Cassandra?”
“Many. All of the citizens who are considered worthy – nobles and knights; their families. They will all be here. And all of the citizens who support Edmund have gathered outside of the palace gates, Almira, to show their support.”
“Why?” Almira scoffs. “It is simply a waste of time, if you ask me.”
“They feel as if,” Cassandra adjusts the train of Almira’s dress, “they must show their support of their new King and Queen. Many of Latovia’s people have believed, since Edmund was a boy, he would save this Kingdom of the corruption that his father brought upon us.”
Almira shakes her head, “Edmund is—”
“Edmund will be the greatest King that Latovia has ever known, Almira.” Cassandra says, with a firm tone. “You must believe that.”
The young woman makes eye contact with the older, blonde woman in the dim mirror. She slowly tilts her head, “What do you mean?”
“You must believe in your husband’s ability to be King. Everything you do from now on, Almira, must make him a better man. A better King. For Latovia.”
The man looks up, immediately depositing of his quill in its ink jar. "Almira," he smiles. "Did you sleep well?"
"How long was I asleep?" She smiles, stretching her back slightly as she sits up on her legs.
"A while. You need your rest, though."
She shakes her head, tucking a large chunk of her loose, brown curls behind her ears. "I believe it is you that needs some rest."
The young man smiles, allowing the lines around his eyes to form. "I will be fine. I'll have plenty of time to rest after next week."
"I want you to rest, Edmund," Almira whispers, slowly leaning her upper body over the arm of the couch. "I do not like to see you so fatigued."
He nods, "I will work on getting my rest."
The sides of the young woman's lips stretch, as she extends her arms and flexes her thin, petite hands. "I need some company."
Laughing, Edmund slowly gets out of his chair and crosses the room. The Prince moves swiftly, wrapping his arms around the thin waist of his soon-to-be wife and pulling her body onto his as he collapses onto the overstuffed couch.
Almira giggles, resting her head on Edmund's shoulder. She feels her cheeks grow warm, "If someone sees this, they will surely get the wrong idea."
"The door is locked," Edmund says quietly, stroking the curly brown hair out of Almira's warm face. "You've nothing to worry for."
Not picking her head up, Almira tilts her face toward Edmund. His hand does not stop stroking her hair, even though his eyes remain closed. "Rest, Edmund."
"I could not be more rested if I tried, Almira," he whispers, allowing his hand to continue to move her thick locks. "Sleep, love."
"What in the world happened?" Cassandra gasped, standing up at the view of Almira walking into her room.
Today was the day. Cassandra waited for hours, only to be disappointed that the woman who would be soon crowned Queen had not returned to the bedchamber. Instead, she walked in as the sun rose. In the same nightgown she had left the bedchamber in the day before.
"We have to bath you, and get you ready. There's hardly enough time--"
Almira nods, "We have plenty of time, Cassandra. Please, relax."
"You must tell me what happened first," the Lady-in-Waiting smirks. "Did you...?"
"For Heaven's Sake, Cassandra!" The younger woman exclaims, crossing her arms. "What kind of woman do you take me for?"
The blonde woman smiles, "A smart one."
Almira shakes her head. "Let us get this over with, please."
"You know, you should've come back last night," Cassandra says. "It is said to be bad luck to spend the night before your wedding with your husband."
Almira shrugs lightly.
"My father once told me it brings bad fortune to spend the night before your wedding with your bride," James says, smirking at Edmund.
Edmund straightens his Military jacket. It is heavily decorated, and fits his physique perfectly. "James," he says, "what would you say if I told you that I don't believe in fortune?"
James shrugs lightly.
"What if I told you, that I don't need to believe in fortune? Good or bad? Because I am King now. I determine what is good and what is bad. And no one can tell me otherwise."
“Spoken like a true ruler, Edmund,” James smirks.
“If my father taught me anything during his reign it is that you must believe in yourself before other people will believe in you.” Edmund says, slowly buttoning the large buttons at the front of his jacket. “Would you not agree with that sentiment, James?”
“I agree wholeheartedly,” James nods.
“Are you just saying that, or do you truly agree, James?” Edmund casually calls the other man’s bluff.
James sighs.
“Do not become one of those Gentlemen, James,” Edmund chuckles. “I’d hate to have to replace you.”
"How do I look?" Almira asks, running her soft hands down the front of her large dress.
Cassandra nods, "Don't. You look perfect. The King is going to love you. The people of Latovia will fall in love with their Queen."
A smile slowly tugs at the edge of Almira's painted lips. “How many people are going to be there, Cassandra?”
“Many. All of the citizens who are considered worthy – nobles and knights; their families. They will all be here. And all of the citizens who support Edmund have gathered outside of the palace gates, Almira, to show their support.”
“Why?” Almira scoffs. “It is simply a waste of time, if you ask me.”
“They feel as if,” Cassandra adjusts the train of Almira’s dress, “they must show their support of their new King and Queen. Many of Latovia’s people have believed, since Edmund was a boy, he would save this Kingdom of the corruption that his father brought upon us.”
Almira shakes her head, “Edmund is—”
“Edmund will be the greatest King that Latovia has ever known, Almira.” Cassandra says, with a firm tone. “You must believe that.”
The young woman makes eye contact with the older, blonde woman in the dim mirror. She slowly tilts her head, “What do you mean?”
“You must believe in your husband’s ability to be King. Everything you do from now on, Almira, must make him a better man. A better King. For Latovia.”