Chapter 6: The Queen Mother’s Game

On Derek’s third day at his new post, word came that he’d been punished by the Queen Mother—forced to kneel at the mansion gates. I paced the floor, heart in my throat, too afraid to leave the house or even call.

That night, Derek limped home. I burst into tears, but he wiped them away, trying to smile through the pain. He handed me a warm paper bag, the scent of May’s cobbler filling the air.

"Natalie, don’t cry. See? I’m back safe! I brought you May’s cobbler!"

He tried to comfort me, even though he was the one hurting.

"Why did the Queen Mother punish you?"

In my memory, she never lost her temper—she just made people disappear, quietly and completely.

That kind of threat always came with a smile or a favor you couldn’t refuse. The mansion thrived on whispered danger.

When I asked, Derek just hugged me tighter. "Natalie, I won’t let you down. I won’t let you down!"

The next day, I learned why. Amanda had asked King Caleb to grant her marriage to Derek, but Derek refused.

Rumors flew through town. Some said Amanda had made her feelings known at the Governor’s Ball, right in front of half the city council.

"I am already engaged, and we are deeply in love. I understand the Princess’s feelings, but I can’t accept. Please, Your Majesty, forgive me. I am willing to serve outside the city for life, never to return, to appease the Princess’s anger."

It was a scandal straight out of a soap opera. The Princess had always gotten what she wanted. Now she wanted Derek.

Gossip churned through every diner and church pew. Some pitied me, some blamed Derek. But the mansion’s rules always bent for power.

The Queen Mother wanted Derek fired, but Amanda intervened. In the end, King Caleb decided to demote me from wife to "girlfriend," Amanda as the official partner and me as the sidepiece. It was a twisted solution—the kind you’d expect in old Southern melodramas.

On the surface, everything seemed calm, but Derek was furious. He resigned after just three days. His public declaration made waves.

"I do not agree to Natalie being a sidepiece! I am willing to resign and go home. Please, Your Majesty, approve!"

His voice, usually so calm, rang out with a defiance that stunned me. He was willing to give up everything—his job, his future—just to keep his promise.

After a long silence, Caleb finally relented. "Your wife’s name is Natalie?"

"Yes."

Caleb paused, then said, "I don’t want to break up a fated couple. Since you are unwilling, I won’t force you. This matter is over."

It was mercy, but the kind that leaves you wary.

When Derek told me, he sighed. "If His Majesty had forced me, I’d have caused a scene at city hall. I can’t betray you. Luckily, he spared my job and kept you safe. I owe him."

But when I heard Caleb ask for my name, my heart twisted. I poked Derek in the ribs. "You still want to cause a scene at city hall? If you do, I’ll go with you and yell at you all the way to the afterlife!"

He laughed, taking my hand. "Natalie, don’t be mad. It’s my fault. But life is tough. Maybe I’ll leave before you. I don’t believe in lifelong mourning—don’t die for me. If you meet someone you like, remarry. Life’s too long to be lonely."

His voice was soft, but it hit me like a cold wind. The lamp flickered, his eyes shining with that stubborn, honest light.

I choked out, "Fool, where else in the world could I find another fool like you?"

We sat there, hands twined, the world outside fading to silence.