Contest Winner. Or is it?

Queen Elvira took a deep breath, her joy obvious. There was no one close enough to hear it but, it was there.

"Of course. We need all the contestants around in order for one to win, do you not think so?" She said, and her eyes focused on Hector, as his lifted to meet hers.

Weirdly enough, even through the veil and Notwithstanding the distance between them, he still felt like he could see her eyes. Feel her eyes on him. Feel her excitement. She had barely controlled it in her words, and if you heard well enough, you could hear it brewing behind her words.

"Yes, your highness." He said, just as Lana brought in refreshments, along with a train of other servants.

His eyes drifted to her, but she passed by him without looking up. He knew Adrian has to have done something to her for her to sell him out like that. It is not possible for her to do that on her own.

"Servant Hector." The announcer started...then stopped. "I meant...contestant. Contestant Hector. This is the Question. What is the Queen's Name?"

Hector stopped. That was a name he couldn't forget. Elvira.

"Call me Elvira." "My name is Elvira. Queen Elvira."

He swallowed. If he says this...he will be king. King with the Queen. A kingdom. But not Lana. If he does not, he would probably be the most hated servant. And probably the most foolish.

"Wait." The Queen said, noticing that he was clutching his sides. "I noticed that contestant Hector is injured. Before he answers, I want him to be treated by the royal physician."

"Lana? Are you not looking at me because of what you did?"

He was back in the servant's quarters shirtless, as Lana attended to his wounds. He had asked her to do it for him, since Queen Elvira had asked hin to take a servant with him. He was sure she knew he would go with Lana, and he saw her eyes squint a little through her veil when he actually did.

She continued the dabbing, and said nothing to him. It was mostly wounds he had gotren from the constant beating he'd gotten from Adrian, and then wounds on his hands and feet from the shackles, then the rigors of his escape. He had escaped for Lana. But now...

"Lana." He said again, supporting her slightly tilted head with his palm. He moved the fingers slowly, so they felt very much like a caress. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes.

"I am sorry." She said, then stood up straight. "You should go back and win your Queen over. That's why you fought so hard to come back, is it not so?"

Lana said, then dropped the ointment.

"Where is Hector?"

"He is in the servant's Quarters, your Highness."

Without saying another word, she dropped the veil down her face and walked out.

"I came back for you, Lana. Do you not realize?"

"But you are going to win the competition. She already told you her name."

"Lana." He stood and cupped her cheeks. She looked about to cry.

"I do not want to lose you. Look at the Queen. She has everything. Everything anyone would want to have. I bet she is beautiful behind that veil too. And she wants to have you too? Is that not selfish? What of me? And yes. I brought those people to abduct you myself. As long It would keep you with me, I do not care if it kills you." Tears were running down her cheeks, as she blinked.

"Lana...I am all yours. Soul, heart, body. Please believe it."

"Then what will happen to us when you get married to her? Will the Queen sneak out of bed to visit this servant? Will the King keep a servant as his concubine?" She yelled, snd he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck.

"I am sorry, I am sorry, Lana. I have no choice. I do not. She is...she is so pitiful..."

"Pitiful? Am I not pitiful enough? I have nothing except you. And I can not...now I can not even have you. Not just have...I can not even want you...." She finally broke into tears, and went down, covering her face in her palms.

He went down with her, holding her shoulders. Weirdly, it reminded him of the Queen, but he would rather not share his attention right now.

He pulled her into his arms and lightly patted her back. "It will be fine."

"It will not." She said and shook her head. "I will do it again. It will not be fine, and I will go to any lengths to make it fine. I can be anything as long as I have you."

He shook his head. "It will be fine, I promise."

He pulled her face closer in a gentle, soft, inviting way, and slowky tilted his head to the right and leaned to her, then took her lips slowly. It was the I am sorry, please forgive me kind of kiss, but he had her melting in his arms in no time.

"Let us go back to the contest. I think he has rested enough." Queen Elvira said, her own eyes filled with pained tears of her own, droplets of the pitiful child she thought she had buried deep inside of her seeping into her eyes. She walked away from the door of the servant's quarters and walked away.

"We will resume now." The announcer said, and the bells were rung. The gathering came back, regaining volume and Queen Elvira took her seat. She watched Hector as he sat, his mind seemingly far away. Probably with Lana. She Presumed. She looked away.

"Contestant Hector. You can answer now. What is the Queen's name?"

Hector stood, his face sure. "The Queen's name is.." He stopped, then lifted his eyes to her.

She was not expectant, she was not waiting. She looked calm.

"El..."

"Finish it, Hector. Just say it." She mumbled, her hands clenching into fists. She leaned a little forward. Her eyes wide with expectation.

"Please say it," She begged, even though she knew he would not hear her.

"The Queen's name is El..Eleanor."

Queen Elvira blinked. El...what? "I did not quite hear that. Do repeat yourself."

I am giving you one more chance, Hector. Say the correct thing.

He lowered his head. "Eleanor. Queen Eleanor."

The Queen fell back on her chair as Adrian broke into a wide smile.

Two different answers, one correct one.

The announcer bowed to Queen Elvira. "Please, do tell us who the winner is."

"Is this how much you love her?" She asked herself, her face scrunched up into a sad one.

She stood and stepped out of her enclosure, then took a deep breath.

"Indeed, One of the contestants have said my name. So, put together a banquet. A banquet befitting for a king. Because he has spoken my name." She said, and loud drums followed her announcement.

Hector took in a breath of relief. She would acknowledge Adrian's answer, and all of this will become what it used to be. A tear escaped from her eyes as she said it, and she shook her head.

"Which one of them, Your Highness?"

She swallowed. "Servant Hector. Servant Hector has spoken my name."