The Queen's Choice by Emilie Jacobsen

Author:Emilie Jacobsen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Medieval, Fantasy, Queen, Women, Love, Dilemma, Pregnancy, In-fertility, Arranged marriage, King, War, Sibling relationship
Publisher: Emilie Jacobsen
Published: 2022-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

Jonathan's silence was so intense that Maria felt it like a coolness against her right arm and shoulder as she sat next to him at the dinner table. She stroked her arm to get it warm and shook her head. It had to be something that she imagined.

She looked at the food on her plate. She had barely touched it. She really didn’t have that much of an appetite these days. She felt sick that Jonathan wasn’t talking to her. Sometimes she would even vomit. She had no idea how she was going to get him to forgive her.

Jonathan's bad mood had leaked out to the entire court. The conversation was muffled, and Maria couldn’t hear what they were talking about at the nearby table as she was usually able to. Everyone seemed afraid that Jonathan's wrath would affect them. Maria wasn’t sure how many people knew why he was mad at her, although she assumed that everyone could see that things had changed between them.

Jonathan was sitting in complete silence. He had been talking to Valdemar who was usually on his right side, but he had been called away. Maria glanced at him. He didn’t eat much either. His plate was still half full, and he was breaking tiny bites of his bread and eating them slowly while staring into nothingness. She just wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Maria’s attention was drawn away by Valdemar, who hastily walked down the aisle between the tables towards the podium they were sitting on. His face was completely stripped of emotions. Maria cast a quick look at Anna and saw that she had noticed it too. They had barely talked since Gustaf had sent the letters.

“You have to come now,” Valdemar whispered in Jonathan's ear, although still loud enough for Maria to hear.

Jonathan looked at him questioningly but didn’t say anything.

“A messenger has just arrived. Lord Helmholdt is gathering an army,” Valdemar whispered.

Jonathan's eyes widened and he quickly rose from the table and followed Valdemar. Maria looked at them until the doors to the dining hall had closed behind them. Then she looked down at her plate again.

The truce hadn’t even lasted a year, and everyone seemed tired of fighting. Everyone except Gustaf, apparently. The country needed a break. The people needed time to sow, harvest and regain their strength. When the men kept having to go away to fight, it was impossible for them to keep the farms running. As a result, many had starved this winter. But Gustaf didn’t seem to mind. Maria couldn’t believe it. Was her brother really that cruel?

Jonathan reentered and called upon his commander-in-chief and several other high-ranking men. He looked at Maria.

“I guess you knew?” he said to her in a loud voice in front of the entire court.

Maria didn’t say anything.

“Lord Helmholdt has hired foreign mercenary soldiers. There will be war soon,” Jonathan announced. Then he turned around and walked out again, leaving the door open.

Maria looked after him. She felt people’s gazes on her but couldn’t face any of them.

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