Just Like This Field

"Congratulations, your highness." The woman who was standing in front of the small elevated seats, said, as she bowed and handed a gift tray to the nearest maid.

Queen Elvira gave a small, yet noticeable nod to answer the woman, then let her eyes follow her as she went to the next seat, where Hector was.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty."

He lifted his eyes to the woman, then turned to Queen Elvira who encouraged him to reply. He then gave a small smile and nodded his acknowledgement of her greeting. She smiled back and turned away, letting the remaining guests take turns in presenting their gifts to the royal couple.

"Let the ceremony continue after a short while." Queen Elvira suddenly whispered to a maid, who nodded and walked away to stop the remaining guests and ask them to wait.

Queen Elvira stood and went to Hector's seat.

"Come with me," She told him, her hand outstretched.

He did not hold her hand, but he stood to follow her. She swallowed, clenching her hands into fists, then smiled.

He would get used to holding her hand. It does not matter how long he took.

They walked out of the smaller palace hall where the gifting ceremony was taking place, and she quietly led hin to her chambers.

"Your highness, I..."

"Wait, Hector. Do not be impatient." She told him, then opened the stone door to the library.

He watched as she went in, then followed her, the scent of the books forcing him to remember details about the night when all of this had started. When she has kissed him for the first time. And when she had told him she would risk her dignity as a queen.

"Your highness..."

"Shh.." She shushed him, this time with a long beautifully adorned finger placed on her lips.

He nodded and calmly watched as Queen Elvira walked to the astronomy shelf, then picked a book from it. Did she want to read to him?

He watched calmly, unwilling to be silenced again, and slowly, before his eyes, the shelf started to open up slowly.

"What is..."

"It is a secret door. The ultimate secret."

He looked at her. "Does it, perhaps lead to another library?"

She shook her head, just as the door finally opened, revealing a vast field of lush green grass, with the sun high up and bright right in the middle of the sky.

It was picturesque, perfect, and Hector could not stop the gasp that escpaed his lips.

"It leads to a utopia, Hector. Untouched by anything else."

"It is beautiful," He said, forgetting for a moment that she was the queen, and that he had just gotten married to her against his will.

"Not as beautiful as the little garden I have carefully tended to over the years. Come."

She sounded like an excited child, like she was seeing it too for the first time. His expression mirrored hers greatly, and he followed immediately.

"It was created first to serve as an escape during revolts and war. But then when peace started to reign, my grandfather started to cultivate it. At first, it was a field of flowers. But then yet, another war came and it was burnt down bt a fire canon and now only these grasses can survive here."

He nodded in awe as he stepped into the grass. It felt a little lacking with the heavy shoes he was wearing, and when he made sure Queen Elvira was not watching, he bent and removed the shoes.

"So, the grass are only here because...nothing else wants to be. Because nothing else can survive. But you do not even notice because...it is just as beautiful, Hector." She paused, and looked at him. "Just like us, Hector."

He lifted his eyes to her, surpeise written in them.

"I just want to say...you must have envisioned flowers everywhere...with Lana. I appeared like the war to destroy everything and set it all ablaze...but then, Hector..."

"You highness..." He said, interrupting her.

"Yes?"

"Have you ever thought...that what if one day, you wake up and it is not me you want beside you? I will not have anyone to go back to. I will not have anything to return to, or anyone waiting for me."

She watched him, her breathing slow, as if she did not want to breathe. As if breathing would cause him to go the other way and it was the last thing she wanted.

"I have not. I did not think of it at all."

"It would probably not matter to you. But ever since, It is all I have thought of."

She studied his face,then his eyes. His face was calm, his eyes the exact opposite. He seemed to be fighting all the demos he had against her.

"Apart from that, hector...what is it you believe in?"

He shook his hesd. "I am not sure."

She took a step to him, her lips pursed. "I wish you would believe in the reasons it had to be you. I wish you would believe in the reason I risked everything to have you."

"The arrows, you highness. Earlier, those arrows...the maid that got injured, the terrified people..."

"And I expect more."

"And you are willing to go through all of that?"

She nodded, then shrugged. "Think of Lana when you ever have any doubts. But I would rather you erase her from your memory."

He said nothing and she turned away, her step small and she wadee through the grass.

He watched her, a little resentful, a little angry. This morning was the last few hours he had as a normal man. Once the ball tonight was done...he looked up.

The first night. Would he have to stay for the first night?