Forumites of Noblesse Oblige, I require an omake of Henrietta's POV to feed my schadenfreude!
Welp, I haven't written an omake in a while due to certain distractions (curse you Overwatch and your addicting gameplay!) and since Shade hasn't graced us with Henrietta's POV yet, I will use my meager writing skills to show the mind of everyone's least favorite Teenage Magical Scheming Queen.
Omake: The Other Side Of The Coin
Queen Henrietta let out a loud sigh, her fingers gently rubbing her eye corners. She completely ignored the fact that she breached more than a thousand rules of royal protocol and her teacher in manners was probably cursing her "unladylike" gesture, but after those news she could honestly shove them right in her unmentionables.
Louise Le Blanc de La Valliere had suddenly appeared out of nowhere yesterday and offered her assistance to the crown of Tristain.
That immediately got her suspicious. She had after all, made sure her messengers 'leaked' out the fact that the Heavy Wind would be joining the fight for Albion and the Prince reacted just as she expected, throwing a temper tantrum. Not that she could blame him, it was his own flesh and blood that would be taking the brunt of their 40k enemy.
Contrary to belief from her very gossipy nobles (note to self: she must perform an inspection to weed out the worse ones), she didn't bring their most powerful Square Mage to help with the fight, at least not exactly. She knew that the Prince-Consort had a soft spot for his family, despite his well-deserved runic name and the moment he found out his mother was in the front lines he would either stay out of the fight completely thus ensuring Tristain took all credit for the conquest of Albion or take his frustration out on Reconquista's army. He would not attack them as that would anger Germania and Tristain and as massive and powerful Gallia is, it can't fight a united front from three different countries and win.
Instead of doing all that however, he sends his little sister right into her hands without so much as a peep.
Honestly, she was quite scared right now.
Every plan she tried against him backfired horrifically. First, she decides to stage an 'unwarranted attack' by Albion to his side to spur him into war, she specifically chose the Windland because she knew it would shrug off anything less of a fully powered Elvish attack. Of course, she needed to scare them a bit, thus some weakened Spirit Magic by her new aquaintance was the spark that blew up any chance of peace. Her ships would arrive and open fire after Gallia did and show a united front against the evil tyrant. Unfortunately Henry was no fool and he had seen through her ruse completely, ruining any chances of a Gallian-Tristain alliance against Albion. Founder damnit, why couldn't have he inherited his loyalty from his mother!
She decided to try with his wife, hoping that she would see reason where her husband didn't. All she got were barbed words about her fiancee, her intelligence and rooms that got her dizzy every time she looked at them for more than a second (What kind of person uses different colors for the walls and pillows? Sick and twisted ones, that's who). At least, she got what she actually wanted to know: confirmation that Gallia would be invading Albion soon. Thus she bid her time, gathered her troops and raised the taxes for the upcoming war. They were in reach of the floating isle just in time to see Dardanes burning by the Gallian fleet. Truly, it was a sight from the Founder, as their timely rescue of his beloved men would make the Prince see them in a new and positive light, perhaps rethinking his earlier words.
In a way, it worked, this time he decided to let them have all the glory and fame of destroying Reconquista..... without the help of his experienced and massive army. He would spend the rest of the war in Rosais, pouting like a child whose brother broke his favorite toy. The thought that he was truly Louise's brother did make her giggle a bit, but now was not the time for him to sulk like a spoiled brat. Besides, it's not like he was going to have heavy casualties, between the broken parley and the attack on Rosais and Dardanes he barely lost 50 soldiers, which is astounding as the number should have been in the hundreds or even the thousands, counting only the attacks on the port cities.
She had no choice but to bring out her trump card: Karin the Heavy Wind. She was quite surprised how easy it was to get the old captain on board, just one word that the Prince was found on the front lines fighting a fully armored noble armed with nothing but a flag and she rushed like a demon was on her heels. Her mutterings about 'teaching her fool of a son about combat doctrines personally' made more of her soldiers than she wanted to admit shudder in fright.
In answer she gets the only person she could ever be herself with and her most loyal and best friend in the entire world.
What is he planning this time?
Spank her with a stick every time she does something and offer her a carrot when she leasts expects it, what is his angle? Is he trying to drive her insane or something? Make her low down her defenses, so she will be vulnerable for his final attack, she doesn't know and it pisses her off!
At least Louise is helping her frayed nerves somewhat, even if she refuses to drink any of the refreshments in her tent and checks every shadow as if something will jump out and grab her. Paranoia from her adventures, perhaps? She let her 'mysterious assistant' out of sight of the war camp so he won't attract attention and the wrath of Romalia in her country. Hell, she still doesn't know why he helps her, he doesn't want any money or titles in return claiming they are meaningless and his answer to what he desires is 'something very valuable to you' and that's all.
Grr, stupid handsome people with their enigmatic answers and odd decisions that make her confused, why can't everyone be like her Prince Valiant: honest, kind and so full of passion.
She choked a bit as she thought about her beloved cousin. Wales, Prince Wales.... was not happy with her. Despite the fact that she saved his life and gave him a chance to reclaim his homeland, he is still bitter that she took him away from his people and that every one believes he is an honorless coward. She remember the smile he gave her every time their eyes met, when they made their vows in the Ragdorian Lake under the pale moonlight, when he would call her his 'sweet Anna' and gently peck her forehead as if she was the most precious thing in the world.
Now he referred to her as 'Her Highness' while giving her a smile, not his warm one but the ones he reserved when he talked to nobles he couldn't stand and every time she tried to talk to him, he would say that he had urgent business and leave her alone, as if he couldn't stand the sight of her.
It was then that she realised what Henry wanted to teach her, what it meant to be an actual ruler. No matter how hard you tried, you could never keep everyone happy. Her childish ideals of a utopian Tristain and her marriage with Wales were shattered like cheap glass, because that's all they were worth. She knows and she doesn't like it on bit.
That doesn't mean that she will stop being a Queen.
She will conquer Albion, she will reinstate the Tudor line whether Wales likes it or not, she will marry Albrecht and make Tristain strong, she will make certain her child becomes the ruler she could never become and fulfill her dream of a utopia and if it kills her she will one way or another wipe that condensenting smirk of Henry and his holier-than-thou bitch of a wife. Founder give her strength she will prove to everyone in Halkeginia that Queen Henrietta De Tristain is not somewhat to be crossed with. As soon as Gallia arranges the cease-fire with Reconquista, she will gather all her officers and generals and make them win this damn war in her name, even if it has to be done in a pile of corpses. She will prove she does not need the help of anyone and surpass Henry in the eyes of everyone. Truly, what can he possibly do to turn this in his favor?
"Your Grace, I have important news for you. Reconquista just surrendered the entirety of Albion to the Prince-Consort without a fight. The war is over!"
She didn't know what a good ruler response to that would be, but bugged out eyes, a gaping mouth like a fish followed by a dead faint to the floor was certainly not it.
Gods, her etiquette teacher and Cardinal Mazarin would kill her when they saw her like that.
