Chapter Text
Sun kept an eye on her excitable counterparts as she folded her pile of laundry. They were gossiping - indeed when did they stop? - but were also prone to throwing smallclothes or dish rags at each other so Sun wanted enough warning to duck.
Perhaps she was also interested in the gossip - she was as starved for entertainment as everyone else in the castle after all.
“No way in Hell will he put his name forward!” Rachel exclaimed. “He is by far too young and too far down the pecking order!”
“The Queen is young too!” Vishanti pointed out. “And when has rank stopped a man from trying? He is right here in the castle! He might as well try!”
Rachel scoffed. As she countered with her own argument, Sun reflected they were both wrong. Or at least it did not matter if Sir Thomas - another castle guard - tried his hand. Neither maid was considering the Queen would probably not countenance any more romantic proposals for a while. It had only been a week since the conspirators had been sentenced. Though when the shock had faded, the speculation had sprung up like spring buds. Seemingly the names of every male staff member, council member and knight had been thrown around as possible contenders, some of them - such as married Lords - were downright inappropriate.
Among the castle staff there was also speculation about Tadius’ role that night. Out of respect for the man and his position, the gossip had been deliberately contained to the servants, yet none had refrained from offering an opinion on how much he had ‘assisted’ Yinko cure the Queen of her Redbush ailment.
As the Queen’s personal maid, Sun had the greatest opportunity of all the low-born castle staff to get more intimate details of the Queen’s life and yet had the least inclination to do so. The irony made Sun smile when none could see her.
“Oh.” A new voice interrupted the spirited debate.
Sun, already knowing who it was, turned and curtseyed. She heard Rachel and Vishanti gasp and hurry to do the same.
“Your Grace.” Sun greeted.
“Do pardon me, oh, rise!” Queen Ella insisted. “I was only trying to find the seamstress.”
Sun saw the shift in her queen’s hands, and the tears in the material.
“Oh, your grace!” Rachel saw them too. “How…?”
Mind putting together the pieces faster, Sun intervened. “The seamstress is at her prayers at this hour but Vishanti is skilled at sewing.”
Rachel sent her an annoyed look but Sun ignored it with ease.
Vishanti brightened. “Of course I could take a look if you like, your Grace!”
“If it is no trouble,” the Queen said, “I would not want to keep you from your work.”
“They were mostly discussing how pleasing Sir Thomas is to look at.” Sun drawled.
Rachel and Vishanti glared but the Queen smiled.
“Well, please do not let me stop you.” She waved a hand.
Vishanti took the shift with a curtsey and went to the sewing table.
“I still say that he is too young.” Rachel could not help but say.
Vishanti rolled her eyes from where she sat but her expression morphed into concern as she examined the tears.
The Queen noted that and her shoulders hunched awkwardly. “Truly I do not know if it is salvageable.”
Rachel looked over and her face darkened, finally comprehending. “I hope Sir Hop beat the hell out of him.”
“Nothing worse than a knight with wandering hands.” Vishanti said sharply.
Sun glanced over. She was not skilled at comforting people, so said. “The frog knight does not tolerate such behaviour.”
“Was it a problem before?” The Queen asked.
Rachel answered. “Sometimes. But we travelled in pairs then and Miss Han intervened where she could.”
“And Master Tadius found us that powder.” Vishanti added, shoulders relaxing slightly. “Do you remember?”
“Oh yes!” Rachel nodded.
Seeing the Queen’s confused frown, Vishanti explained quietly. “It is a kind of dye. If we were ever accosted we would throw it in the knight’s face to stain it.”
“To mark them for everyone to see.” Sun added.
“Only I ever had to use it!” Rachel claimed. “On Sir Hans, the pig.” She glanced at Vishanti as she continued. “After that Master Tadius convinced the Prince to dismiss him, finally.”
The Queen obviously discerned the implication, saying questioningly. “But that is no longer an issue.”
“No, your Grace. Both due to Sir Hop-A-Lot and yourself.” Rachel explained.
“Me?”
With a small shrug, Rachel said. “Well, Master Tadius told us to report any problem immediately and you would believe us.” She smiled. “It is good to have a Queen again.”
The Queen took a moment to think over that before looking up and saying with a full heart. “I am glad you have not needed to.”
“And we are saddened by that.” Sun said quietly, nodding to the shift.
Queen Ella shifted on her feet, gaze darting over to the door. “Yes, well. I have Sir Hop to defend me.”
“When you’re cornered you can always knee them in the balls.” Rachel suggested helpfully.
Vishanti choked and Sun hid a smirk. The Queen’s eyebrow raised.
“Oh!” Rachel held up a hand. “I mean…”
Queen Ella shook her head with a smile. “I’ll have to note that for next time.”
Vishanti piped up. “If they’re wearing plate you’ll have to poke them in the eyes.”
“Oh, your Grace, you should practice!” Rachel exclaimed. “It is harder than you would think.”
“Jon let us practice on him.” Vishanti mentioned.
Sun spared a moment to silently thank poor Jon the meat cook for taking a beating for the sake of their practicing those years ago. Then she listened to the maids and the Queen discussing how best to injure a man. She was pleased to see the tension melt out of the Queen’s frame. When the conversation petered out, Rachel plucked up the courage to ask.
“Do you think you would take a lover from the castle guard?”
“Rachel!” Vishanti breathed.
While taken aback, Queen Ella did not seem offended.
Instead she tilted her head. “I had not thought of it, in truth.”
“If hypothetically, Sir Thomas-”
Vishanti huffed loudly, cutting off Rachel’s words and earning herself a glare.
Queen Ella smiled goodnaturedly. “I would hear out his proposal, though I do not believe he would be successful.” Her eyes twinkled. “So do not feel restrained from claiming him for yourself, Rachel.”
Vishanti hooted in laughter as Rachel blushed and demurred. Sun smirked in her corner, finishing her pile and moving on to finish Vishanti’s.
Like everyone in the realm, Sun had heard the ballad of how their Queen had defeated the usurping trolls and claimed her crown. Everyone knew how many souls were lost to the evil schemes and yet, Sun reflected, sometimes even the castle staff were too blinded by the Queen’s light to remember she was still young, and had lost her dearest friends.
Recalling a comment the Steward had made about ladies-in-waiting, Sun wondered if she should mention anything to the Queen. It had been one year since she had lost her highborn friends and the woman did seem to take to female company. She certainly would benefit from having close confidants.
Sun watched Vishanti explain to Queen Ella how she was repairing one particularly long tear and thought; perhaps tomorrow.
…
As a mouse, Crumb struggled to get around the castle some days. While he could scamper quickly between rooms and up flights of stairs just fine, it was entering the rooms that was sometimes a problem. Door knobs were the bane of his existence.
One advantage of his height, however, was his ability to go unnoticed. Especially as he had learned all of the nooks and crannies, the cracks in the walls that let voices carry between rooms. He could hear better than humans anyway, often catching whispers across rooms, so he observed a lot of small moments of the castle inhabitants.
One day, about a week after the Queen had passed judgement, he was taking a nap in a small crawl space behind the wall of the Queen’s Privy Chamber. Crumb had been training hard all morning so had decided to grab some rest where he could.
Laughter woke him. Rubbing sleep from his eyes, he looked out of the spyhole and saw the Queen with a hand to her chest - her lips pulled wide with mirth.
Master Tadius stood across the desk from her and while Crumb couldn’t see his expression, he seemed relaxed.
Tadius shrugged and said. “It is true! You cannot deny it!”
“I had never thought of that before but you are right.” Queen Ella agreed through chuckles.
Then for some reason she took off her crown, placing it carefully on the desk. Crumb didn’t recognise her expression but Tadius seemed to, straightening as his left hand unclasped his right wrist to bring his hands in front of him. The Queen began to walk around the desk and Tadius met her and…
Crumb’s eyes widened as the humans kissed, arms wrapping around each other. He gasped then covered his mouth. Luckily neither of them seemed to have heard him. They pulled apart, staring at each other, and Crumb realised it was not the first time they had kissed.
With a small laugh, Queen Ella turned back to the desk, reaching for her crown. She changed her mind however, and twisted around; her hand grabbing Tadius’ tunic to pull him in for another kiss. He stumbled slightly but did not seem about to complain, hands going to the Queen’s back and shoulder.
Crumb slipped away, mind turning.
How long had that arrangement been going on? Who had started it? What exactly was it?
If Tadius wished to court the Queen he was not going about it in the usual way. Though Crumb supposed the rules could be different if you worked for the lady. Certainly Queen Ella did not seem to mind - in fact, she was the one who had kissed Tadius in the first place! Perhaps the usual customs did not need to be followed.
Would Sir Hop-A-Lot agree?
Crumb’s little heart lurched. His master would insist on duelling Master Tadius to test his skills at arms. Had Tadius ever even held a sword?
It could be a disaster!
Crumb set his mind to the task: how to prepare the advisor before Sir Hop found out about the courtship. Crumb did not feel skilled enough to train the man himself but who else…?
Aha!
Crumb was struck by a brilliant idea and scampered off to find his master.
“Arms training for the castle staff?” Sir Hop asked rhetorically.
He stroked his beard as Crumb tried to refrain from wringing his hands nervously.
“Yes, in the most dire of circumstances it might be useful. Especially for those who are always close to the Queen,” Crumb explained and then dared to say, “for example Miss Sun or Master Tadius.”
Sir Hop hummed in thought. Crumb held his breath. He wondered briefly if he should play on the frog knight’s lingering guilt over his faith in Sir Michael but Sir Hop interrupted the thought.
“Despite the irregularity of such a scheme I cannot see any harm in its execution.” He decided. “If the Queen agrees of course.”
Stage one: complete.
To Crumb’s relief, stage two was also simple to accomplish.
The Queen nodded along readily to Sir Hop’s suggestion and Master Tadius mentioned he had trained with a sword in his youth.
“Whatever the Prince did, I did also.” He drawled.
Crumb had been unable to control his relief but managed to pretend it was a sigh of tiredness when the Queen, Sir Hop and Tadius had glanced at him.
“I am also interested in learning a little about physical defence.” Queen Ella said.
“But…well, that will not be necessary!” Sir Hop declared. “You should not be expected-”
“And yet,” the Queen cut in, “it would please me.”
Crumb’s master hesitated, evidently torn. As she watched him, the Queen’s smile deepened. To no one’s surprise, the frog knight bowed deeply.
“It shall be done.”
Thus a few days later, Crumb helped Master Tadius and other male castle staff to practise basic sword stances but also how to evade sword blows when unarmed - as most of them usually were. There were cooks, gardeners, the biggest stable boy, the blacksmith and his apprentice and even a few clerks.
Crumb was pleased to see Master Tadius seemed to quickly recall the lessons of his youth: his confidence grew rapidly, strikes against the dummy becoming stronger and more purposeful.
The group had been practising for about an hour when the Queen came into the practice yard.
As keenly attuned to her presence as Crumb was, he sensed her immediately, as did Sir Hop, but the human men were focused on their practice. Crumb glanced at the Queen to see her looking over the group. Another observer might not have seen how her eyes lingered on Master Tadius, particularly the neckline of his tunic, because it was quite subtle. But Crumb noticed.
He split his concentration between the efforts of the men striking the dummies and the Queen conversing with Sir Hop.
Although too far away to hear their words over the noisy yard, Crumb understood the gist through the magic bond: Sir Hop-A-Lot did not consider the endeavour a waste of time and the Queen was pleased. She was also eager to know when it would be the women’s turn. Sir Hop did not have a ready answer.
Crumb stepped forward to correct Jon in his technique. The man thanked him with a rueful grin.
“Cease!” Sir Hop called. “That is enough for one day! Return the practice swords and go back to your duties!”
The men stopped, bending over and panting - or in the case of Master Tadius, putting one hand on their hip and panting.
Crumb went around to collect the practice swords and offer words of encouragement, earning himself some tired smiles. As he took Master Tadius’ sword, the Queen sidled up.
“Very impressive.” She said.
Master Tadius shook his head with a huff. “I’m sure!”
Crumb noticed the man’s cheeks reddened even more as he hurriedly wiped his sweaty brow.
“Well, I am sorry to pounce on you,” the Queen continued, “but there is an urgent matter with which I request your assistance.”
Tadius straightened and followed. “Of course.”
The mouse noted the pair were heading not for the castle proper but the Captain’s rooms almost adjacent to the training yard. It must be an urgent problem indeed if there was not even time to return to the courtier rooms.
He put his collected swords away and ran up to listen to more of Sir Hop’s pearls of wisdom, feeling proud of his efforts.
The courtship would be successful if Squire Crumb had anything to do with it!