[Several hours later]
The sun had set, the cool breeze of the night making itself known and Esme found herself once again within the walls of the royal palace. She hadn't been so stupid as to believe she'd never set foot on its floors ever again however she hadn't expected it to be so soon.
It hadn't even been a full month yet and here she was walking on its marble floors, dreading the possibility of running into her sisters, as if she were still the young girl who had to strategically avoid most of her family throughout her life.
The palace never truly inspired a sense of safety in her, even when her mother had been alive. Perhaps it was her instinct telling her she was welcomed in its walls, it was a place where she'd have to always watch her step
With a slight deep inhale, she made attempts to dispel any thoughts of her life here and began to shift focus to the reason she was here to begin with.
The issue with Bulat was handled rather swiftly, her Uncle, Duke Leonheart, was the one tasked with handling it, thanks to several statements from all of her neighbors, Bulat along with his men, Charlie, Gus, and Mike, were put in prison for several years.
The only people who seemed to escape being incarcerated were his wife Charlotte, Baron Wolfram, and Luke Witherspoon as they somehow managed to worm their way out of it.
Esme hadn't even thought Bulat had a wife, finding out something like that was more than a little shocking and now she couldn't help but feel her stomach churn, wondering about the fate of Charlotte.
In any case after that, Esme and Arthur were told there was going to be a meeting regarding what to do with the slums and what safety measures were going to be put in place to prevent a repeat of Bulat.
Esme didn't believe they were needed for that, however according to Duke Leonheart, his majesty had ordered that they be present, as only the most esteemed of nobles would be allowed to attend.
And now the young couple made their way to said meeting, which was going to be held in a room adjacent to the throne room.
"Are you nervous?"
Arthur gave her a sideways glance, noticing the pensive expression she wore on her face, not only that but the way she clung to his arm, gripping his forearm with a vice grip, nails almost digging into his dress shirt, told him she was far from relaxed.
She only gave him a curt nod and spoke no words. She couldn't really trust herself not to stutter should she speak.
Arthur had no words of encouragement to give as he unfortunately didn't know what to say, the only thing he could do was give her a gentle pat on her hand, imparting her some reassurance.
Esme kept her mouth shut, heart beating against her chest, her palms feeling cold and clammy.
She did not look forward to seeing her father, not because she hated him but because she couldn't truly tell how she felt about him.
Both reached the door to the meeting room, and the knights standing guard readily opened the doors allowing them entry.
There was a warmth that wafted through them as they entered, the kind of stuffy warmth that lay present in a room full of people but no windows were open. It was then followed by a strong smell of perfume that took Arthur by surprise nearly forcing a cough out of him.
Arthur thought it an odd choice to have the windows closed with so many guests within its walls. Whatever reason they had for keeping the windows closed was not worth it.
At the center of the room, he could spot several noblemen seated around a wooden table, varnished to an almost reflective sheen of brown.
The first person he noticed was the king's crown, gold with three cobalt gems encrusted on its front. At first glance, just by their sheen he would have thought they were magical and thus making the crown a magic item but it was just their polish that made them shine so brightly.
Plus the chandelier above probably helped.
Off to the side of the room, several paces away from the men, several women were seated on two couches that flanked a coffee table, they enjoyed what looked to be tea, while having their own conversation.
Under normal circumstances, women wouldn't be present for such a meeting, however in order to make an exception for Esme to be present, they were needed.
His majesty had issued the order that she be present in the meeting, for what reason it wasn't disclosed however in the interest of fairness and proper decorum, it was necessary to have the noble lords bring their wives to the gathering.
A single woman in a room full of men would certainly be odd, plus Esme wasn't necessarily going to participate in the meeting and thus would need her own company.
The king's order, was that she be present, not that she was going to provide valuable incite to the meeting.
The downside being that now it looked less like a serious meeting and more like a social gathering.
Esme glanced at the women, either out of curiosity or perhaps out of the desire to confirm that her sisters weren't present. unfortunately
Her eyes scanned each of their faces, recognizing several of them.
Lady Lynn, a dark skinned, short-statured, and slender woman the wife of Marquis Bearheart was present, she sat close to the tall brown skinned, and amber-eyed Queen Victoria Eloise Lionheart.
Directly across from the queen, were two other women, a pale-skinned and blonde-haired woman, Lady Elisabeth Margaret Leonheart, wife to Duke Leonheart.
Esme's heart nearly stopped as right beside Duke Leonheart's wife was her eldest sister Judith, the first princess.
The second princess felt her stomach churn as she gazed at her half sister, the urge to bolt out of the room would have overwhelmed her if she had not taken a breath or had Arthur on her arm, she quickly averted her gaze, focusing back on the men in the room.
Her mind immediately retreated to the depths of her imagination as she laid eyes on her father.
Trying every internal distraction possible to keep herself from feeling the complicated feelings that came with seeing the man who sired her.
Her opinion regarding her siblings was obvious, she did not like them, Judith always made it a point to insult her whenever possible, Marrianne while not outwardly hostile, often made it clear that she didn't belong in the palace and Howard was physically abusive.
The King on the other was complicated, she wanted to believe he didn't hate her the same way her siblings did, however even if he didn't, he never bothered to speak to her, he never bothered to defend her or send someone to defend her on his behalf.
He was silent, as if trying to convince himself that she didn't exist. She couldn't tell if that was better or worse than the outward hatred she received from her siblings.
"Pardon the tardiness, this was a bit of an abrupt meeting after all."
Arthur spoke first as they reached the table, while they were getting ready Esme had essentially begged him to follow proper etiquette. He had been made aware that it was already odd that she would be attending, the King having requested that, and thus it was important he follow custom.
Arthur looked at the table once more, his gaze counting all the nobles present, aside from the king himself there were only four nobles present.
From the small rundown Esme had given him, the Lionheart kingdom was essentially ruled by the King along with four noble families with the oldest lineages dating back to the founding of the kingdom.
All other nobles were subordinate to the older nobles, meaning the younger the noble family, the less power it held. This meant even if a family has the title of Baron, if their lineage dates back far enough they might have more power than a Marquis.
"Think nothing of it, had it not been for your actions Sir Bright, I would not be aware of the rot corrupting my capital"
The king's gold pupils focused on the Explorer, brows creased into a discerning scowl, it was as if he was trying to figure out Arthur's deepest secrets.
It was a gaze Arthur didn't appreciate, its probing nature reminded him of the Wyverns from the western mountains in Wessonia. It was a gaze that recognized his strength yet still undeterred from its plans to attack.
"My thanks Your Majesty"
With a bow of his head, he offered his gratitude as he directed Esme to take a seat and without much resistance she took it. Common practice dictated that one offer their seat to a lady after all a man is resilient enough to stand however in this current situation that wasn't the case.
A woman wasn't even supposed to be present, let alone sit amongst men as if she had any insight to offer.
"Wh-"
The shock died in her throat, too late to correct the mistake and the room had suddenly gone quiet, the chatter of the women in the background screeching to a halt as their attention was caught by such a gross transgression.
The meeting was going to be a discussion of what to do with the slums, who to appoint to manage them since the crime had begun to spill over to the edge of the capital.
A woman wasn't needed, and they certainly were never going to be allowed to sit amongst men and discuss matters of leadership like she were an equal. Hence why all the lords were at a loss for words when Esme took a seat instead of Arthur.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
Marquis Bearheart was the first to recover, his seat being closest to the King. He pointed an accusatory finger at Esme, demanding answers.
"Oh! Pardon me, lords, I'm unfamiliar with this kingdom's customs"
With another bow of his head, Arthur apologized.
'He's testing boundaries, daring'
The king was the first to notice, his brows creasing, eyes scrutinising with a gaze that no longer sought understanding but grasped something about Arthur. His foreign origins became abundantly clear.
What reason would he have to test boundaries like this? Did he wish to see the extent to which he was valued as an asset?
Was it truly a mistake born of his ignorance or was it a blatant rejection of the social norms and practices within the Lionheart kingdom?
Regardless of whatever it may be, King Harold saw no reason to react, his actions were insulting but the longer the Explorer stayed within the kingdom's borders, the closer the royal family would be to their goal.
"This is unacceptable!! The crown will not tolerate such blatant disrespect…"
Marquis Stillhead stood from his chair, a frown etched on his face, and a furious gaze locked onto Arthur. Unlike Bearheart, Stillhead's frame was small, shorter than average, with a bald head and a thick ginger beard.
"No, wom–"
A raised hand from the king, forced the Marquis to pause mid-sentence. Everyone's attention turned to their ruler, eyes anticipating his next words.
"Sir Arthur, your ignorance on the kingdom's customs is excusable, I implore you to make an attempt to be familiar with them. Now please have your wife stand so you may take the seat"
While Arthur contemplated the fact, he just referred to Esme in such a distant way, Esme seized that opportunity to stand up and take a bow.
"Forgive my husband, your Grace, As his wife, I should have been diligent in my duties and made him familiar with our customs"
The King waved her off, letting her step aside as Arthur took a seat and a sigh left the Explorer's mouth.
Arcthur let out a disappointed breath, he was hoping they'd let the transgression slide and have Esme remain seated but he supposed that was far too much to ask.
In any case, now he has a clear picture of how things operate and he found it to be a bit insane, a whole group of heads, told to sit to the side and contribute nothing aside from being background noise.
Even if he didn't disagree with this kingdom's customs or norms, it seemed utterly impractical to discount a whole set of heads, two heads are better than one after all.
With a shrug of his shoulders, he turned his attention to the King.
"I apologize for that disturbance Your Majesty, please let's begin"
"Sir Arthur, please inform your wife that she may be excused and join the other women, she is unnecessary at this table"
Arthur glanced at Esme, and their eyes met, he saw the pensive look on her face, his eyes traveled to the woman's table on the far end of the room, he saw that their eyes were focused on what transpired at the men's table.
His gaze turned back to Esme once again, it was obvious she would rather be here than over there and he couldn't in good conscious tell her to go where she doesn't want to go.
There was also the fact, she wasn't being insistent on following social norms and excusing herself. which led Arthur to believe in this instance it was completely up to him to decide if she should leave or not.
'This fuck ass kingdom'
He groaned internally, this was the first time he's ever had to actually care about something like this, usually as long as he followed the laws of whatever kingdom he was in, he was free to do whatever, he's never had to consider social norms before, at least not any he wasn't already aware of.
"I apologize your highness and to you esteemed gentleman however without my Wife, the "rot" as you referred to it would have never been found out, it was thanks to her efforts that we managed to uproot the criminal from the slums."
Arthur expected some protests, some shouting, or perhaps someone taking offense however his assumptions were incorrect.
"Very well, any objections?"
The King let his gaze wander to all the present noble lords.
"I have none, your highness, I am no stranger to my wife offering me sound advice from time to time,"
Marquis Bearheart admitted, surprising Arthur in the process.
"I have no wife to speak of, thus cannot offer an opinion, however I have no objections"
Duke Lionmane gave Arthur a smirk, while the Explorer quirked a brow at that odd gesture mind mind-wondering what that was about, However, his wife was quick to understand that the Duke was stacking his favors. Now Arthur owes him again, making it two favors.
She felt like grumbling, realising she should have left to join other women, as now all the nobles present could use this to gain favors from Arthur.
"I have no qualms with it, as long as his majesty allows it"
Duke Leonheart held the king's gaze, for what felt like a complete minute, both men staring into each other's eyes, almost as if having a silent conversation with each other.
"None from me, your Majesty"
Marquis Stillhead's response came off more as a grumble than a proper sentence, it was obvious the man had issues with it but chose to keep them to himself, plus he was outnumbered.
"With no objections, then let us begin."
Arthur felt as though he missed something however he tossed that concern aside.
"Sir Arthur, if you would please explain how things transpired."
The meeting began, Esme standing beside Arthur, as he was tasked with explaining everything regarding what happened and the Explorer obliged.
.....
A/N: I apologize if I disappointed you guys regarding how Bulat was handled, truthfully I debated whether or not to write out his trial and everything but eventually decided against it, mostly due to fatigue, and wanted to get things over with. he wasn't really supposed to last this long.