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Félix sneered at his driver, as their carriage hit another water-filled hole in the rocky path. This had once been called a road, but it was clear that the locals had not upkept the route to the castle, nor did it seem many people traveled down this path anymore. Grassy weeds had already overtaken sections, and low-lying limbs were a hazard.
It had been ten years since he had traveled to the kingdom, and that was to attend the wedding of his cousin, Adrien. Now, he was returning to pay his respects, albeit much later than was appropriate. Six years ago, word had reached him of the death of his cousin. Félix had been overseas, attending to foreign affairs and unable to return. Now, with the treaties settled, he had returned to offer condolences to the young widow, his cousin-in-law, Marinette.
He had heard rumors about the Ice Queen, but they were just that. Rumors. He had met Marinette when she married his cousin. The sweet and beautiful Princess was a perfect match for his kind and tender-hearted cousin. The rumors that had begun to reach his ears the last few years did not match up with the woman he had met, so Félix took caution and decided to see for himself what the rumors were about.
The gloomy overcast that hovered around the castle and surrounding countryside was ominous, and Félix felt a chill run down his spine. He wasn't superstitious, but it was difficult to deny the dread that filled him. Even so, he told his driver to press on.
Arriving at the castle gates, Félix was made to wait far longer than he was typical, and his patience began to wane as the guards finally gestured him through.
"If you will please follow me, sir." The servant that greeted him did not look at him, nor did he say anything further. His tone held disinterest.
Félix followed the servant, noting the lack of other servants in the halls. The servants he passed quickly turned their gaze from him as he glanced their way, obviously staring but not wishing to be caught. He arrived at a single door which led to a study of sorts. He was led into a room full of bookshelves and a singular desk covered in papers. No one was at the desk, and Félix briefly wondered if the servant had taken him to the wrong room.
“Félix Graham de Vanily is here to see you, Your Majesty.” The servant said simply, voice formal and uncaring.
“Yes. That will be all.” A quiet voice from above answered. “You may take your leave of us.”
Félix looked up to see his cousin-in-law, Queen Marinette Agreste standing on a ladder to the bookshelves, placing several books on the shelves and then retrieving two more. She did not turn to look at him, and all he could see was her backside. She wore a simple dress, especially for a Queen. Dark in color and lacking any obvious embellishments. The material, cut, and embroidery around the hem and sleeves gave away that this was the dress of a Queen. Not suited for balls, but for daily life within her own castle. The color made her pale skin look even paler, and he frowned at how thin she looked. Ten years ago, she had been a strong, healthy young woman. Meat on her bones and hair shining. Now her hair seemed to fall almost flat, and lacked the natural gleen it once had.
After a minute, she was still perusing book, and Félix remained in his place by the door. “You are late.” She finally said. “I expected you three days ago.”
Félix had expected this, so he gave his prepared answer. “I was delayed at port. The storms at sea were dangerous, and the ship I was set to travel on would not set sail until word reached the Captain that waters were safe once more. I apologize, Your Majesty, for my tardiness.”
“Very well.” She dismissed his answer in an uncaring tone. “You may sit do–”
The next moment happened quickly, and Félix reacted on instinct. Marinette turned to look at Félix, eyes widening briefly in shock. A small gasp escaped her lips, and her foot slipped from the ladder. Books flew out of her arms, and she tumbled from the ladder towards the floor. Félix, quick on his feet, moved to catch the young Queen. Marinette landed in his arms. Her eyes were closed tight, and her arms flailed to the side. Félix briefly noted that she was very light – perhaps in an unhealthy way.
It took her several seconds to realize that she had not hit the floor, and she opened her eyes and her expression paled as she stared at him. “A-Adrien…” She breathed out in a soft, broken voice, and then as if something clicked into place, she tensed. “Félix. Set me down.”
Her tone was cold and commanding, and he did as he was told without a word. He took a small step out of her personal space, his hands lingering around her waist. He noted that he could touch his fingertips to each other… and she wasn’t wearing a corset.
“As I was saying, you may have a seat.” She gestured to a pair of chairs under a window. A table sat between the chairs with several books stacked.
Félix didn’t move, instead offering an arm to lead her to her own seat. She glanced at him, then moved past him with her nose upturned. Her face was stony, but he could see in her eyes a storm of emotion. With the grace her stature required, she sat smoothly in a chair then looked at him expectantly.
With a nod of his head, he followed and sat, keeping his gaze on her face, analyzing every movement and nuance of her face. “You are not well.” He finally stated, simply and without any hint of emotion.
The Queen frowned at him again, “Watch yourself, Félix, you are a guest in my house.”
Félix didn’t back down. “I am also family, and I will not dishonor my cousin’s memory by allowing his widow to live in this condition.”
“And what condition is that?” She looked away, and he realized he’d caught her in a moment of weakness.
“Pardon me, Your Highness,” he didn’t sound the least bit remorseful, “It’s clear you are not eating. How do you plan to rule a kingdom if you are dead? You are not taking care of yourself.”
Marinette stared at him, surprised by his observation and bluntness. “Watch your tone.”
“Or you will do what?” He sat, calmly watching her. “You will punish me for being concerned for your health? For wishing you well? For wanting to protect my family…”
Two stubborn gazes locked, and eventually Marinette sighed and looked away.
Félix felt a moment of satisfaction as he won the battle of wills. “I have had a long journey. I would appreciate the pleasure of your company for dinner.”
The glare she gave him lacked any real fire, and so he picked up one of the books on the table and headed towards the door, nose already in the book as he began to flip through pages.and started reading it. “Félix, I did not dismiss you.”
He gave a little wave, but not a word and then he was out the door. This was the same Marinette from ten years ago. Sad. Lonely. Depressed. But the same Marinette. The same kind, sweet, and beautiful creature that had won his cousin’s heart.
—---
It was quiet in the castle, and Félix could count the number of servants he saw on one hand. When dinner time came, he was summoned by the same servant who had greeted him at the entrance to the castle.
“Prince Félix, dinner is served.”
He nodded, “Very well.”
Setting down the book he had taken from the Queen’s study, he was led through the castle to a large dining room. A long table stretched across the center of the room. A plate was set on each end of the table, and Félix scoffed at the obvious attempt to separate them. The Queen was already seated, and she refused to look at him. As the servant pulled his chair out for him to sit, Félix picked up his plate and moved towards the Queen’s side of the table.
The servant made a flustered sound and Félix turned to address him. “Bring the chair, and then gather the rest of my things.”
“B-but sir! The Queen instructed–”
“--And I am instructing you to bring the chair. If you do not, I will simply stand.” He said, continuing towards the Queen. He placed his plate to her left, glancing back to see the servant bringing the chair quickly behind him. He felt a small smirk form on his lips before he could stifle it, and turned to see Marinette looking at him with shock.
He raised a brow at her, satisfaction filling him. “Your highness, it seems the servants made a mistake and placed us on opposite ends of the table. I have rectified the situation.”
The look on Marinette’s face betrayed her annoyance, and, instead of responding to him, reached out to take a sip of her wine. Félix sat down and waited patiently for his own dinnerware to arrive. Once placed in front of him, he waited for the servant to fill his glass.
“The castle looks very different from when I was last here.” He finally said, deciding that a forward approach may be best, but still edged around the subject until he figured out the best way to breach the topic of his cousin.
“I would assume. Ten years is a long time, Félix.” She responded mechanically, not giving him a hint of her feelings.
A small pause, and he continued. “I apologize for not visiting more–”
“--your duties overseas were important to our kingdom. Without your work and loyalty, our kingdom would have become susceptible to attack years ago.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He said formally. “It was an honor to do what I could to protect our people from outside forces.”
Marinette seemed satisfied with his answer, because she gave him a small, slightly more friendly smile. A nod, and she moved to begin eating the meal the kitchen had prepared them. Small bites. Barely touched. Félix noted that she seemed to take her time with every bite.
“There are rumors.” He said as he finished a bite.
“Rumors?” Marinette responded, her tone giving away nothing.
“Yes. About a Queen who has turned her back on the kingdom. The people are afraid to come to her castle… and even her own servants are abandoning her.” He said matter-of-factly.
She gave a small noise of acknowledgement but didn’t say anything else. She continued to pick at her food, and only her pause to sip wine broke the endless fiddling of her utensils.
“Marinette…” He said, hesitating briefly as he reached out to touch her arm. The moment his hand made contact, she jerked back, head flying up to gaze at him. Her expression was startled, and he realized that she must not be used to anyone not backing down from her authority. “You need help.”
She swallowed hard, and he could almost feel the tremble coming off of her. Marinette took a breath, and he could hear the shallow sound as it didn’t completely fill her lungs. She was holding back strong emotion. How long had it been since she allowed herself to cry.
They sat in silence as she composed herself. When she spoke, her voice was tender and raw. “You… you look like him.”
He nodded, even though she wasn’t looking at him. “Yes. A trait that we took advantage of often when we were younger.”
She nodded in return. “He told me.” A whisper, and a stray tear could be seen sliding down her cheek. “He admired your courage. Your ability to tell people exactly what you thought and how you felt. To not care what others think about you…”
Félix remained silent.
“He wished there had been a way for you to visit more. When he became sick, he wanted to send word and ask you to come home early, but the onset was too quick.” Marinette bit her lip. “We decided it was best to hold off sending any correspondence. If word reached our adversaries that he was sick, we would have been vulnerable to attack.”
“Yes. That was a delicate time.” He confirmed, but did not say anything further.
“I wasn’t born to lead. I was never meant to be Queen.” She glanced to the side, and he noted that a servant was approaching. Instantly, it was as if a shadow passed over her, and she sat a bit straighter. Her eyes were darker and cold.
This was the Ice Queen people spoke of. A woman who had forced herself to find a way to survive her grief and still run a country. A woman who didn’t know how to survive without her husband.
Their drinks were refilled. A dessert sat before them. The servant left.
“Your Majesty. It is my duty to serve this kingdom in any capacity necessary. It is my honor to serve you. It is my privilege to be your family… and be here for you now.” This time when Félix reached out and touched her hand, she didn’t pull away. “I will remain here. My estate has taken care of itself for ten years. It can continue to survive without my hovering over it. I am here at your disposal, Marinette. Whatever you need of me, I will do.”
She held in her response, even though the could feel her hand trembling with emotion. “Very well. I will have the servants arrange a more permanent room for you.”
He nodded. “Then, as my first duty… as advisor to the queen.” Félix paused long enough to give her a chance to protest, and when none came he continued, “I must advise you to finish your meal. Your body is not yours. It belongs to the kingdom. You serve as ruler. If you cannot lead, then all else will crumble. So, please, Your Majesty, do not neglect yourself.”
It was with great satisfaction that he watched her slowly clear her plate of all its contents. His place was here. He was not able to be there for his cousin, but he could be there for Marinette.