Published at 29th of October 2020 06:32:54 PM
Chapter 3
Chapter 03: Honeymoon
"Berta Kasha is my name, the daughter of the head of the Kasha's family . It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty . "
The first conversation I had with the king who became my husband . . .
We didn't have much of a 'conversation' .
He took me in as his second wife for the good of the country .
A wife, nothing more, nothing less .
Even I knew it wasn't a love marriage nor I expected something like that, however, I was a little fed up with the king, who just looked pass me, like I wasn't there .
The preparations were successfully arranged and before two seasons had changed, Berta Kasha moved to the palace of the capital .
She was given the newly created title of Second Queen, and her palace residence was lavishly decorated .
Some noblewomen dared to make fun of her as a provincial girl with a lot of money, but her righteous vassals and maids treated her as good as she treated them .
Her Royal Residence was built without sparing money, since the gold came from the ample Kasha's funds obtained through trade .
Surrounded by elaborate works of art, Berta, the queen Berta, had a somber expression that cannot be hided, but the queen's appearance isn't important in this kind of marriages .
This marriage was certainly unexpected, but Berta was educated to anticipate all possibilities .
In the royal city, where a hundred flowers bloom, she was sure she would never be loved by the king .
But for her, that's fine .
The most important thing is that she, Berta, has been recognized as the heiress of the Kasha clan .
Everybody knew that the Royal Family wouldn't act disrespectfully towards Berta, because of the Kasha family .
The position of Second Queen was created to not confront the Kasha family, also, the act on its own, shows other that the Kasha family has the power be rulers if they want so .
Their predictions were more or less correct .
The king visited Berta's bedchamber for three nights, counting from the day she entered the palace .
By doing so, he was telling the country that the marriage was complete, thus, he really had taken Berta as his rightful wife .
This greatly pleased Kasha's clan, because it was an action that added weight to the meaning of the marriage itself .
Another predictable thing was that there was nothing but political intent in the king's actions .
He was clearly unenthusiastic and continued to attend the first night and three days in a row .
After the first three nights, any contact with the king was cut off suddenly .
It was expected for Berta, but not for her maids, who seemed disappointed .
Berta was tired of it, so she told her maids to stop preparing the bedchamber every night, as if the king would be coming again in the future, because he won't .
From then on, the king was sometimes seen, only from afar in the palace of the First Queen, and always surrounded by beautiful women .
One of them was the Queen Margarita, and the women near her were all noble daughters of the same bloodline of nobility, of course all of them were beautiful .
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It was a world that Berta felt had little to do with .
While the Queen's residence was near the King Palace, the Kasha's residence was far away, so if someone wants to go the 'local's residences' has to pass in front of the 'front court' first .
But Berta isn't the only reason for this arrangement of buildings .
In the more far away part of the Palace, there're many residences of many untouched Petranian daughters, the so called 'back court' .
Many of them spend their time being served by their maids and enjoying their free time at their convenience, especially without seeing the king .
Berta was forced to take a formal form of marriage due to circumstances where her family's authority was too great, but, well, her position after that is similar .
Surprisingly, those girls were quick to become friends of Berta .
Also, many of them looked to Berta, the daughter of Kasha's clan and the Second Queen, for protection .
Without even proposing so, the people around her created a faction with Berta in the center, and her position became more and more solid in the Palace .
She thought it was good, as long as it didn't affect her final goal of returning to her birthplace, she would help as much as possible to improve the relationship between the King and the natives families .
It was something easy to do, or so her father told her, just staying there the natives power in the Kingdom will be recognized and accepted .
When that happens, the King won't need her anymore, and she will be able to return home and live peacefully from there on .
Her father agreed to it, that was the equal exchange for Berta to accept that marriage .
Berta already planned everything, after returning home, she will look for a suitable nobleman's second son, or someone from a branch of the family, remarry, and then work on managing the fiefdom on the land she would inherit .
By that time, her younger brother, who is still young at the moment, would be an adult .
It is a pity that she can no longer watch her lovely younger brother and sisters grow up from close, but there are plenty of excellent tutors and relatives over there to take care of them, even without Berta present .
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And many of her father's consorts too, including the first official wife of the Kasha's clan, Berta's birth mother .
Berta herself was not particularly uncomfortable with polygamy, having grown up in the culture of the frontier, the Petra's people .
It was normal for a man of certain rank and power to have more than one wife, and wives should work together to protect their homes .
She understands the nature of that marriage form better than anyone else in the royal palace .
That's why the king and the nobles of the royal court would have welcomed Berta without any attempt to explain to her the meaning of a second queen at all .
Since the beginning of their royal lineage, the nobility allowed only one wife for each husband .
Even though the Kingdom have formally abandoned that religion, people don't change their minds so easily .
But the reason of the King's behavior is another, for him Berta isn't one of his wives, but a mere hostage, to be kept in the palace by his retainers .
And even worst, for the Queen, Berta is nothing more than a natural disaster that came to destroy her marriage .
"Even though I married for the Kasha's clan interests, I desire to work for the royal family too . If His Majesty decides to give me a job, I had every intention of fulfilling my role as queen . But not like this . "
She has more than enough free time, so she went to ask the Queen, if there would something she can do while living there .
However, as a matter of fact, the Queen Margarita refuses to meet Berta, she ignores even the official requests Berta sends .
(It's clear that the relationship is doomed . She acts like the lady of the house saying hatefully to a lover, "How dare a mistress appear in front of the wife of the house?")
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"Really . . . I heard rumors that His Majesty was a great monarch, so I was still having a bit of hope . But it seems that the concept of a good monarch for our country is different between natives and royal aristocrats"
The maidservants of the Kasha's clan, that came with Berta were accompanying her outside, in her walk to relax .
Berta found out that the situation in the Palace was even more hostile to natives than what she and her father imagined .
"There's no need for you to be concerned about this, my Lady . "
"Yes, we did have some expectations, but it seems the King isn't worthy of your heart . And if he isn't even capable of separating the life inside and outside the house, and give you a proper job to fulfill with your position of Queen . I think it's better to just enjoy a life of retirement instead of trying to do more for this Palace . "
Just like their master, the maidservants were also too direct with their opinions .
"Sigh . I can't wait to get out of the palace . "
"That's going to take a while, my Lady . . . Another five to ten years, you already know that . "
"Yes . . . I will live comfortably in my own estate . Also, since my father will give me my inheritance to manage, I'll hire you all! And I'll give each one of you, or your husbands, an important title and your own castle!"
The maids chuckled .
"Oh dear, it's something of corrupt lords to give important positions to people because they are his friends . "
"You will get what each of you deserve! Think of it as a reward for your loyalty, for accompanying me inside this lions cave . "
Having to endure the life in that palace every day, after she said so, all of them started to hope for that peacefully future .