Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Six
Isabella had recovered enough to hold court once more, and even as she boringly went through the dalliances, it was clear her eyes were set on the crib by her side. It was a beautifully golden and silver crib, and the baby within was sleeping soundly more often than not, but at the same time Isabella had no intentions of letting him out of her sights.
"So, I'm planning an expedition," I said quite calmly after the court affairs were over, and I had followed my dear wife into her office where the pile of documents on her desk seemed to have increased tenfold.
"Oh? To your fief?" Isabella asked, her fingers gingerly playing with Pierre's chin, much to the kid's enjoyment judging by the giggling.
"Actually..." I took a small breath, "I was thinking somewhere more exotic."
"Ah! Albion? It must be lovely this time of the year," Isabella said with a smile on her lips, "But little Pierre is too young for such a trip. We can definitely go next year though, husband dear-but I suppose you wish to see how the reconstruction is going? I guess it is just like you..."
"Even more exotic, Isabella dear," I said, gritting my teeth and straining a smile.
Isabella blinked, "This game does tire us, but let us see...ah, Romalia? Perhaps you wish to buy a holy relic? Oh, that's thoughtful of you Henry, but you shouldn't bother-I have already ordered their most holy-"
"More exotic yet," I said, clasping my hands together behind my back and taking a deep breath.
Isabella's eyes narrowed as she slowly stood up from the side of Pierre's crib, her arm propped around her chest with her hand holding up the elbow of her other hand, which was gently tapping against the side of her cheek. "Uhm...Alhambra? I suppose there might be quite the exotic things to be found in that den of sweat and heat...but the weather is quite horrible. And what if you encounter an elf?"
I chuckled gently. Isabella's eyes narrowed even further. "It's not even Alhambra, is it? Well...I am at a loss, Henry. This game truly isn't one of your best." She drew nearer, coming to a halt right in front of me and fluttering her eyelashes. "Or is it one of those games were I would rather enjoy being punished for failing, my dear husband? The healers said it might still be too soon for anything too exciting, but-"
I gingerly clapped both of Isabella's shoulders, smiled brightly, and then said without a care in the world, "I'm going to Adiir, the capital of the elfish kingdom to discuss commercial accords with the elves!"
"Ah! Something of the sorts, then we understand it-" Isabella nodded, smiling at first. Then she stopped. Her brain began to connect the dots. Her eyes snapped back up to stare right into mine. "It's a joke? It's a joke! Of course it's a joke," Isabella made a sudden high-pitched and extremely fake laugh, and then huffed, "To scare your wife in such a way! Henry, have some shame! Really! Such a thing-into a den of soulless monsters..." she turned around and made to return towards the crib of Pierre, only for my hands to hold on to her shoulders. "Henry?" she turned her head, frowning.
"I am serious," I said with a small tight smile. "I wish to speak with the elves and try to find a diplomatic solution, to-"
Isabella's palm stopped over my forehead for a moment, and I narrowed my eyes in turn. "Dear, I am not feverish."
"This latest decision of yours, dear husband," Isabella said carefully, eyeing me warily. "Why? Is it still because of the Baton? I can leave you in charge of administering a few more cities-I am sure you would enjoy that much more than going...anywhere near an elf."
"Dear," I smiled, "There is something I've kept secret from you for a while," I clutched her hands and brought them together, "It's...well," I took a deep breath. "It's hard to explain properly, but I'll try my best. You might not know much about my childhood, but my friend Jean-Jacques' parents-"
And then I added in a good dose of by digging man-caves all across the continent I realized it with my own eyes coupled with a Louise being a bearer of the Void and so forth. By the time I was done, Isabella was still calm. She was staring intently at me, and humming thoughtfully, but otherwise did not seem peculiarly surprised.
"Dear?" I hazarded.
"My Henry," Isabella said. "You plan to make some form of dispassionate speech of friendship to the elves, hoping to get them to help us in our time of need...and expecting them to do so. You really are naive beyond belief," she sighed. "I suppose we should prepare for war and have the elves exterminated. Maybe when they're all as good as dead-"
"Dear! I am sure I can-" Isabella's right hand came forth lightning-quick, actually slapping me. Ouch. It stung!
"No, you must definitely can not," she hissed. "I have had to deal with the problems of your ideas since the very beginning. Nobles who clamored against your idea of an army were killed, those who opposed the reforms were bribed, those who lied about them found and brought to justice-every single spy that tried to worm its way into your heart I have found, gripped and had its spine shattered and bend as it screamed the names of its owner so that I could punish them too," her hands gripped onto my chest, "I have protected you against assassins, plots, poisons, and dangers-I have spent more in a single month than in a whole decade just to keep you safe-and this..." she hiccuped, "This is how...you repay me? By going to the heart of the elves' kingdom? By going to speak with them about peace, and treaties, and-and...things that I cannot protect you from, all so they can come here and do their bogus magic to prevent a catastrophe from happening?!"
She was not screaming merely out of self-control lessons, etiquette, and a lot of various mantras she was probably reciting in the back of her head at the same time.
"Without this, there is no future," I whispered. "I will put into place contingencies, my dear," I gave her a kiss on the forehead. "Trust me. I have prepared my whole life for this moment. Demons run when a good man goes to war...so think what elves will do, when a good man goes to talk to them."
She kissed me back roughly, and then took a deep breath. "Come on now, a marriage is all about trust," I whispered. "You need to start trusting in me to do the right thing in the right way."
Isabella, in answer, giggled.
She had tears in her eyes, but she was giggling.
Clearly, this meant she trusted me.
Right?
Right.
