Breakfast the next morning is tame. I'm up early. Jessica seems to be the first who truly knows me to show up. I was greeted by several as 'your highness', but not by name.
"I really grasp the 'just Thomas' request you made first thing." Jessica watches as the most recent 'your highness' passes. She's getting them too now.
"You knew why when I made the comment."
"Not your title only that you needed to hide from it." Jessica poke at her plate. "My parents have been thrilled I am crown princess now." The exhaustion in her face has me denying my laughter.
I need to consider this. The nobles try to have a child the same age as the crown so that a relationship will protect them. It has me thinking of Ryan. A sigh comes to me. "I... Our relationship wouldn't stop me from confronting them. I hope they're not going to use this moment for treasonous actions."
"Me too." Jessica fidgets. "I can give you a brief review on everything that can be treasonous, but it's not at a level I would think concerns you."
Yeah. I look aside. "I may accept that. Part of their problem is taking more guards for their house. We need more knights."
"I can ask them to send some here. You'll have to promise they get reevaluated though. Many should be blue knights."
"I'm going to chat with my parents. I noticed that concern while we were trying to collect knights. They can help fill in the knighthood. We need support." And really we need more blue knights. Everyone we asked to join would be trainees. Even when they pass the graduation, they are only white knights. Experienced knights would be hard to find. "I assume they have a list of all old retired knights."
"Going to make sure it's not gender biased?" Jessica asks.
I nod. "Remove parents of under ten and include anyone else who qualifies."
"Under ten?" Jessica eyes me.
"Did you really need your parents between ten and fifteen? They're helpful, but if you had an uncle or cousin supporting you, it would be fine."
Jessica shivers. "I... Understand..."
"Mom shouldn't be marked, but as I mentioned before... She doesn't act like a mother. We know her. And I do trust her, but... She's queen far more than Mom."
"Same with your father."
"Yeah. If I want to be crown prince, they are great for support. But really... I cannot imagine having a normal family relationship. Part of it has to do with them having work twelve hours a day. It leaves little time for other matters."
"Twelve hours?" Jessica shivers. "Make me regret this even more."
I laugh. "See why I keep having thoughts to leave?" I sigh. Jessica didn't like my comment by her shocked face. "I'm not going anywhere. This is the life I was handed."
"You can give more work to your nobles or ministers." Jessica has a point.
"And what do we end up getting?" I lean on my elbow. "My great aunt in Telligence? She was given more allowance. And decided she wanted all of it. She was trying to become the queen. I know she was born a princess, but..."
"Do you know what exactly happened?"
"It was a bunch of little things, but when you start compiling it... Clearly something was up." I think of the stories as written. "Like why is my father without any siblings? It's common for the royals to have a pair of kids. At least."
"A spare." Jessica nods.
"Xavier is not a spare." I growl out. "I'd rather be the spare if anything."
Jessica reaches out to grab my hand. "I didn't mean it like that."
I huff. But that is the way of things. The crown and the spare. Two kids is desired. My father doesn't have a sibling. "He was made on the wedding night. The spells enacted for that night can make someone even infertile capable."
"Truly? I thought that was a joke." Jessica stiffens.
"Grandfather... May have been infertile. His sister... Used a specific spell and curse on him. Others believe it was a magic mishap. That's possible too."
"Couldn't reverse it?"
"Tried." I think of my grandfather. He died when I was really little. Which would've made him quite young. He did transfer titles first. But... "It was a bunch of things beyond that too. That was the biggest."
"Was your father kidnapped?"
"Yeah. A lot. More than me, even. Although... I may have less because of the guards." Once Odin showed up... Things became stable for me. More so anyway. Kidnapping attempts were limited. And Odin was always good at saving me. "And we knew the attempts stemmed from a noble. And it wasn't through Swifting. We get all their requests and know the full list of their staff. Including those most don't know."
Jessica shivers. "So... You knew about..."
"There was real treason afoot. And I was lucky to have lived this long. Just as my father was lucky. There was a reason they accepted my mother even if she wasn't born a noble."
"She couldn't be part of the plot."
I nod. And I know how the Wartons are a threat to the country. I won't say that is completely safe, but they weren't be part of my kidnappings. There were several houses we were certain weren't included. "Why did you get to see the queen when you were little? Why was William at my side much of my life? Those who ended up visiting the castle were part of houses safe."
Jessica sinks. "Sorry if my family is still capable of being destroyed."
"It'll be let slide. As long as they don't fight the needs of current. We need to boost our knights. It is a better prospect to join the knights after all."
"But... Death is..."
"Higher, I know." Even more so with the waning numbers. "Maybe we should get a revive curse going. Mom probably can create it." It would match similarly to those given at birth. "It'll have limitations, though."
"And it'll only be offered once. And it wouldn't take much for someone to give a second kill."
I lean back letting the ideas settle in me. The curse even under limitations would be useful. Mom should manage something. And that would be a big enough reason for the more trained guards from the different houses to jump for knighthood. We need the support. "Yeah. I'll still suggest it to Mom. I need to chat with my parents about the goblin situation."
"What is your plan?"
"See if they agree to goblins as citizens." I think of it. "They'd be under Raida and be given more lenience around the country."
"Language barrier?"
"That's the biggest question. And how my parents really feel about non-humans. We've made decent headways with elves. Why not goblins? They speak other languages, too."
Jessica watches me. "You know... I don't know anything about you. I keep questioning if I am comfortable here as your crown princess. But then you make a comment like this. You aren't fearful of taking lives, but you are trying to be your best version of king."
Playing with my food gives me a distraction. What am I supposed to say to that? "When the option is accept my death or take another's... I think everyone makes the same choice."
Jessica grabs my hand again. She's here with me. Supporting my path. Her strength will help. "I assumed things when you took his life before. I knew about your first kills... I didn't think you could trace it back to... Or that..."
Yeah. I stand up. "Thanks. I... I think I'll practice the cross bow for a bit. My parents wouldn't be ready for me yet." Jessica frowns at me.