They were stripped of their lands and titles, received lashings, and were to be castrated for their cris. The latter caused quite a stir amongst the spectators of the sentencing.
So of the accused attempted to beg Sierra for a lighter sentence, claiming that it was unfair.
Annoyed by their groveling and claims of inequality, Sierra got up to her feet. Silence washed over the room instantly as she walked up closer to the accused.
"How dare you talk to about fairness? Do you not know of the cris you’ve committed? You should count your lucky stars for if it was up to , the punishnt you received would be a hell lot worse."
That silenced them imdiately.
After the court session was over, the criminals were taken out of the courtroom before the other guests were allowed to leave. Sierra remained in the courtroom to speak to a few of the nobles who were present.
Amongst them was her father, General Leon. He had since made a full recovery and now took a more active role in the royal court at Sierra’s request.
"Seems like everything is going well," Sierra remarked with a smile.
Leon chuckled, "If you ask , it’s still too light of punishnt for the cris they’ve committed. But it was a fair judgnt, which is what we need now."
"Shall we take a walk, father?" Sierra asked as she interlocked her arm with his, not giving him a second to respond or protest as she dragged him out of the courtroom.
There were many prying eyes and lots of gossip around the castle. It was inescapable and she had learned to ignore most of it. But from ti to ti, it still got under her skin.
"Your Majesty, you shouldn’t-"
"General Leon, as your soon-to-be crowned Queen, I forbid you from ever using formal titles between us," Sierra said as they continued to walk down the hallway.
Leon grinned, "Already learning to use your authority I see."
Sierra chuckled, "Well it’s not like you’ve left with much of a choice, father."
They made their way into the Royal Gardens, admiring the flowers in bloom and the nature around them. It had been quite so ti since the father and daughter got a mont to themselves. They’d been busy ensuring the citizens of Cair were looked after, while the royal court got back on its feet.
"Sierra."
"Yes, father?"
"About the succession of the Bancroft Family..."
"While you live and breathe and are still able to wield a sword into battle, I am not taking that position," Sierra replied sharply before Leon even had a chance to finish speaking.
They stopped in their tracks as Leon turned to face his daughter. He reached his hand out to cup her face. He was so proud of her, of her accomplishnts. Though he’d rather things happen under different circumstances, he was still filled with pride.
"Does that an you agree to be my successor as the future head of the Bancroft Family?" He asked again.
Sierra sighed as she gave him a nod in response.
"It would be an honor for to take up that role. But only when the ti is right. After all, I also have a kingdom to run," she mused.
"That you do," he replied with a smile as they continued on their walk.
While they enjoyed the silence between them, it soon beca clear that Sierra had a lot on her mind. Leon looked over at the ring she had on her right hand. The diamond glistened and sparkled under the sunlight.
He recalled how shy she was when he first took notice of it. He recalled how happy she looked as she told him what King Alistair had done.
"Has King Alistair sent word if he would be attending the coronation?"
The smile she had disappeared as she shook her head. Though she was upset, she remained hopeful. Her beloved had the tendency of surprising her every so often. Hence, she would not be surprised if he simply turned up in front of her right there in the gardens while she took a stroll with her father.
But as the day ca to a close and the sunset on the horizon, Sierra could not help but sigh miserably. It was lonely being a monarch. She reminisced about the carefree days she had in Drakin during the concubine selection.
She rembered the tis she had spent with Myra. Eventually, she’d made friends with Princess Taita too. She also struck up a friendship with Roxine too.
"If only I could turn back ti," she muttered to herself.
"Turn back ti? Why would you want to do that, Your Majesty?" Ida wondered as she handed Sierra a fresh cup of tea.
"I miss the carefree days, Ida. The days where I don’t have the burdens of running a Kingdom."
"It doesn’t have to be a burden, Your Majesty," Ida mused, "Delegate the work well and you would never need to be burdened ever again."
"I can’t delegate all of it," Sierra protested as she took a sip of the tea, "Although, having my friends with every so often would be nice."
She got Ida to remind her to invite Princess Myra and Princess Taita to visit whenever they could. Sierra had been exchanging letters with them, keeping their friendship alive. With a bit of luck, they might want to visit.
What she truly wondered was how Roxine was doing. She had no way to reach the formal queen of Drakin.
’With Diane by her side, she should be doing swimmingly well,’ Sierra thought to herself.
A knock on the door drew her out of her thoughts once more. A ssenger entered shortly after, bringing news of a mysterious visitor who wished to see the queen to be.
"At this hour?" Sierra asked as she furrowed her eyebrows wondering who it might be.
She knew there had to be more to it. The ssenger looked more flustered than usual if it had just been a normal guest. It couldn’t be Alistair either, that she knew for certain.
If he were to co to her, he wouldn’t have announced his arrival like that. He preferred to surprise her. Shortly after, another ssenger arrived.
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