Queens and Kings
By: Sara Rutherford
Tags: Empowerment, Science Fiction, Romance, Women, Fiction

The Arrival

My white dress falls around my crossed legs. The dress isn’t as fancy as my wedding dress will be tomorrow but still proper enough. I am sitting tall and perfect. My handmaid, Aria, adjusts one of the flowers clipped in my hair. My blonde hair knows her touch through many years of care. She smiles at me and I turn to her. She wears a simple white shirt and pants, the traditional wear of a handmaiden. We sit buckled into a grey ship moving at light speed across the galaxy. In the cockpit sits my guard. He doesn’t need a copilot but Aria knows how. My guard has dark brown hair and wears a dark black uniform.

“Queen Shantal Ophelia, we will arrive in 5 minutes.” The guard calls from the cockpit. I feel us leave light speed and kick at the plain grey floor. I know I shouldn’t do that.

“Thank you kind sir.” I respond respectfully. I close my eyes to compose myself. I can’t start falling apart now.

“Are you ready, my Queen?” Aria asks. I think about how to respond while she puts her hand on my arm. “You are about to meet King Ellis Reese of the western galactic empire and your future husband. Together you will lead the whole galaxy,” She reminds me.

“As long as he doesn’t hate me.” I say opening my eyes. Aria looks to the floor. “He can have me killed and nobody would be able to do anything about it.”

“He won’t.” She says. In the distance I hear the pilot say the docking codes. I straighten out my dress and prepare to meet him.

“We are here and it is safe to unbuckle.” The pilot announces. I unbuckle myself and stand up. Aria gathers up my things while the pilot opens the ship door. Light streams in blinding me for a second. My eyes adjust and I look at the welcoming band in front of me. A lord stands there with a few guards and servants around him.

“Lord Owen Frazier, second to the King himself.” The Lord introduces himself with an outstretched hand.

“Queen Shantal Ophelia.” I respond, offering my hand to him. He gently kisses my hand as I curtsy. We both stand up. “The King didn’t want to greet me himself?” I ask.

“He wanted to greet you somewhere more private.” The Lord motions around the open garage we are in. Bystanders are watching us but turn away as I scan the room. “Follow me, we will have your things taken to your room while you meet him.” He leads me onto a platform that starts moving. It looks like we are in an indoor city and this is how they travel. A platform of citizens marvel at me and I wave politely.

“What is this place?” I ask the Lord as we approach the collection of tall buildings in the center of the city.

“This is the capital city that the King rules from. We build our cities like this with agriculture on top of them.” He points up to the ceiling. “I know this is nothing like what you are used to,” He looks at me while my mind goes to the endless forest and rolling hills I grew up in. My family had ruled over elves, goblins, humans, fairies, mermaids, and much more all in their natural habitat. This is way different. Almost wrong. “But this is much more efficient. I am sure you will come to understand.” A transportation platform of elves pass as we approach the biggest building of them all. “Here we are, the castle itself.” The Lord says stepping off the platform. I follow him into the castle that just looks like a skyscraper to me. We step into a glass elevator that rises us up. From here I can see the whole city as it stretches across miles to walls. The glass elevator keeps going up and up. The ceiling gets closer and closer to us until we reach the top floor. With a beep the elevator doors open to reveal a lobby with hallways going off in different directions. The Lord steps out and turns to the right hallway. I follow him down a hallway past many turns until he stops at a door. At this point I am completely lost but it doesn’t matter. It’s time and I am ready.

The King

“The King is in here. Your handmaid will be sent to get you when he is done speaking with you.” The Lord says. He walks away leaving me to stare at this door. I slowly open the door to see a small study. The King stops pacing with a tablet in his hands. Slowly he turns to face me. He has blonde hair and bright blue eyes. I can tell he is in control of every movement he makes but that isn’t unique. He sets down the tablet on the desk.

“Come in and shut the door.” He instructs. His voice commands the whole room to obey without being loud. I follow his request and curtsy.

“Queen — ” I begin to introduce myself.

“I know who you are.” He interrupts. I stand up and look at him. He moves towards me and my heart skips a beat. “We do things a little differently than you did things back home. Your handmaid will teach you the basics. She will stay to give you comfort. The pilot however will be sent back after the wedding tomorrow.” He looks at me waiting for a response. I know that once my pilot leaves I am trapped here far away from anyone I know.

“Thank you. That sounds perfect.” I say. He is still looking at me like I am an alien. I start to wonder if my hair is out of place or my makeup is smeared. I move past him to the window and look at the city he has built. He watches my every move so I perform every step gracefully. Somehow the Lord must have taken me to the opposite corner of the skyscraper from the elevator. “Do you have any questions about me?” I break the silence. He comes up behind me and picks up a lock of my hair to inspect it. He sets it back down after a moment.

“Yes, but there will be plenty of time for that. The wedding has been planned out in respect to your requests. I will see you then. You are excused.” He says. I turn around and he is directly in front of me. I have to step to the side to move towards the door. I place my hand on the door and wait for him to say something at all. When he doesn’t I leave quietly. That wasn’t what I expected.

Right outside the door Aria stands there. Her face looks scared and I am about to ask about it but her eyes say someone is listening.

“Right this way, my Queen.” She says leading me down the hallway. I silently follow her. Silence seems like the best option in this strange world with strange ways. She takes me to a double door somewhere on the floor. She opens the door leading me into a grand bedroom. I look around at the showy room. Everything is grand from the chandelier to the king sized bed and perfect threaded sheats. Off to the side is the bathroom and closet. This room has no windows to let me see the outside world though. Instead there is a wall that changes images. Currently it is set on a forest scene. I stare at it in an attempt to see myself at home.

“Ophelia.” Aria’s voice wakes me up as she shakes me. I open my eyes to a golden room. The same chandelier hangs over my head but the lighting is different. I look at her.

“Today is the day.” I sit upright and she backs off giving me space.

“Let’s get you ready.” She says. Aria is the only person that calls me Ophelia and talks to me so casually. I guess that happens when she was assigned to you when you were both 8 and never leaves. That is why I love her. She isn’t afraid of me but she still believes in my abilities. Everyone else tried to push me down or ran away when I didn’t go quietly. Not Aria. Aria will always be by my side no matter what happens.

The Wedding

I am ready for the ceremony after a few hours. I stand outside the door waiting for my cue. A guard holds the door handle and waits. He is carefully listening for something. Nobody else is around me but the hall isn’t empty. Guards and servants are always watching. At home I am used to it. Here they don’t know me. I can bet that they all whisper about me and beg Aria to spill about me. How I like my tea or how long I have them bow to me. The door finally opens.

In front of me is a room full of fake plants instead of what I wanted. It was supposed to smell like a forest. I start walking towards my groom elegantly. He smiles at me and I take a deep breath. The room stinks of plastic. This doesn’t actually matter but if he doesn’t respect me on wedding choices will he respect me in any decisions?

I move through a crowd of people that are in awe of me. I wave at them but keep my focus on going forward. The priest seems impatient as I make the last few steps. King Reese roughly moves me into my spot for the ceremony. I watch him carefully as the priest starts talking.

“I do.” King Reese says on cue. He looks happy but not towards me. He glances at the priest and then the crowd. Over his shoulder I can see Lords with everything from curiosity to approval on their faces. It doesn’t seem like anyone actually cares. It is my wedding day and everything feels forced.

“I do.” I say on my cue without hesitation. This is for the safety of my world not my own satisfaction.

“You may now kiss the bride.” The priest says. He pulls me in for a kiss and our lips touch. It doesn’t feel like I imagined. I hear the crowd cheering and pull away. I have to put my hands on his chest for him to let me go. I see the priest rushing out of the room like he is avoiding something. Then I remember something. I was talking to my mom. She said some men don’t think women have the right to lead a people. I look to King Reese while he addresses the crowd. He is telling them about the party later tonight and free food. I wave Aria over from the line of bridesmaids.

“When is the first council meeting?” I whisper to her over the noise of everything else.

“I am not supposed to let you go.” She whispers back. I glance angrily at King Reese. When I look back I see the same fear from yesterday.

“When?” I ask. She knows she has to answer my questions.

“Tonight. After the banquet.” She responds looking at the floor. I pull her close to my body for a hug. Her body relaxes as she hugs me back.

“I will take care of everything.” I say knowing that I will have to change King Reese’s mind in order to be anything other than a puppet. As soon as the hug ends King Reese grabs my hand turning me to face the crowd. He lifts up our hands in victory. I smile at the crowd the best I can.

“To the royal couple!” I hear someone shout. Shouts of agreement and cheers fill the room. Large doors at the other end of the room open and the crowd turns to funnel through them. I pull my hand back down violently but keep a bright smile on my face. King Reese waives over a group of handmaidens.

“Get her ready for the banquet.” He commands. He turns and walks away. The handmaid’s grab my arms.

“Come on. We wouldn’t want to upset him.” The one on my right pipes up. I decide right then to save my fight for the council. I relax my body and go with them. I check to make sure Aria is behind me. She is the only person I trust in this whole kingdom. My mother’s words echo in my mind. This isn’t the first time I have dealt with someone who sees me and asks who is actually in charge. This is just the first time that this person has been more powerful than me.

After the Banquet

I set down my fork after having my last bite of the cake that was prepared in our honor. I watch as guests start to find their way out. A few of the nobles came to thank us earlier and introduce themselves to me. They are all done by now. I turn to King Reese.

“I overheard some of the servants talking about a council meeting tonight. I was wondering if I could follow you in,” I say to him.

“Those meetings aren’t for a sweet woman like yourself.” He says, studying me.

“I just want to stay with you on our wedding day.” I respond. He nods giving me permission.

“Just this once,” He says standing up. I follow him through the castle to where the meeting is happening.

“She is only here for the one time,” I hear him whisper to another Lord.

“I am Queen Shantal Ophelia of Niaki and I am going to rule over my kingdom just as much as the King. So let us begin. Tell me the latest problems.” I say loud enough that all eyes turn to me. I immediately find that there are no women in this room. This is wrong. All eyes turn to the King as I sit down at the table. “Don’t look at him. I am your Queen and I am asking you to tell me the state of my kingdom.” I say.

“I am here so we may begin.” King Reese says like I didn’t say anything at all. Does he think I am playing around?

“We are having some border troubles with the elves. Mostly misunderstandings because nobody can understand them.” A lord pipes up.

“If they can’t speak our language then they shouldn’t be here.” King Reese says moving on.

“Why don’t we try implementing inclusive practices. Have signs in both languages, teach elf in schools and require all border crossings to have a translator on sight at all times.” I offer a real solution. Everyone looks at me shocked. “Is there a problem with that?” I ask.

“We would want an elf to head up this program and make sure that everything is done properly but we don’t have any educated elves over here.” The Lord responds slowly.

“Transfer over Chalia Ercyne from the eastern division. She did perfectly over there and I trust her.” I say.

“That is a unique idea but I will get right on it.” The Lord says. The meeting continues with the King staying silent. I glance over at him but he is lost in thought.

The end of the night

The meeting wraps up and everyone leaves the room. The door shuts behind the last person and King Reese stands up.

“King Reese……” I begin to find something to say.

“My name is Ellis. Call me Ellis because you are my wife.” He commands.

“Ellis, did I overstep?” I ask.

“Did you overstep? I have never seen a woman want to be in that room let alone follow the conversation or provide solutions.” He takes a deep breath and I can’t tell if he is angry with me. I hear indistinct voices and something peaks my curiosity. I move towards the wall to hear the voices.

“What did she think she was doing in there?” A voice growls.

“Probably missing her beauty sleep.” Another voice jokes. Both voices make quiet laughter at that.

“Seriously the King should get her under control.” The first voice reiterates.

“You on the other hand do better than anyone else I have seen. I wondered how you kept your country thriving since the death of your father.” The King pulls my attention back to him and I move off the wall. I don’t want to hear anymore from them.

“Where I am from women are equals. We lead just the same as men.” I respond.

“Of course. I never would say that a woman is less than. I just have never seen a woman so equipped for that space. I don’t know what to do with you.” He stops pacing around the room. Fear fills my body. What side is he on?

“What do you mean by that?” I move in front of him. He stops pacing and looks at me. I can’t tell what he is thinking. He grabs my waist. He kisses my cheek and stares into my eyes.

“You are amazing. How I have ruled without someone like you around is beyond me.” He says, looking down. I blush and look down. He opens the door without letting his other hand leave my waist. “Make sure the queen is at every meeting possible.” He says to a servant outside the door. “You will be the most powerful Queen this galaxy has ever seen.” He declares looking back at me. I smile up at him.

Nothing will be easy. It will be okay. I will show the whole nation that I am just as influential as any King this galaxy has seen.