Queen Issabella clutched the edge of her throne tightly. Barely Queen for a week, the weight of the crown already felt heavy, but she knew her greatest test was yet to come. Struggling to come to grips with her loss and her new found responsibility, she also had to deal with the dyfunctional family she belonged to.
She glances down the long oak tables lining the throne room especially for this caucus meeting. The tables filled with hundreds of varieties of food. Turkey, duck and goose fresh from Eswich, as well as fruit and wine from the south, and tobacco from the east.
To the right of the throne stands Issabella's loyal protector, Hedgar Zetlan. Hedgar stood tall and proud, his huge body taking up a large amount of the room. With his large silver sword, the size of a man at his side, it was impossible to tell that he too was concerned for this day. Hedgar was not from McMasterdonia, he came from the distant land of Revanbora, where customs and responsibilities were quite different. It was there, that he met Issabella in the fire of war. Fighting her Father's war, Issabella defeated Hedgar on the battlefield, and in doing so he pledged himself in her debt. He knew that the Queen could fall victim to the trickery and ambition of her family, if he let his guard down.
Every day since taking the throne the Queen has had to deal with unscrupulous ambitious nobles, incompetent bureaucrats, and weak and idiotic advisers. Every one with his own agenda, trying to win the ear of the Queen for their own cause or benefit. One would be assassin had already met his death at the tip of Hedgar's sword. Unfortunately the Queen would not let him deal with those responsible for the attacks on her sanity. Well, not yet at least. He was certain of who the assassin was working for. The Queen had refused to allow him to act on his fears, stating that if it was true they would find out for certain on the evening of the meeting of caucus.
*The throne room door swings ajar, in strolling the Butler of the Palace*
“If it pleases your majesty, your guests are here”
“Of course Wolfred, send them in” commanded the Queen as she rises from her throne,
Wolfred carried out all the typical pleasantries designed specifically to keep the pompous satisfied. King Johnslo had said it kept them thinking that the title before their name meant something of importance, even if they themselves had become as irrelevant or uninfluential as the town drunk or local sewer rat.
In strolled Prince Edmund, Duke of Canning, Lady Agatha of Capel and the flamboyant Marquis Bambo of Castello. Duke Edmund the brother of the late King, and his children Agatha and Bambo, had always been close to Issabella and deeply respected her father’s decision to place Issabella on the throne of Eswich.
Then came Prince Ferdinand, the Queens brother, followed by his protector Sharifa Samrajra an outlander from the Middle east. Followed by Baron Cole of Wellington, cousin of King Johnslo and Archduchess Matilda of Berfarlia, elder sister of King Johnslo. These two were known to have been outraged at the King’s decision to allow his daughter to sit on the throne.
Finally in came dowager Queen Elissa, widow of King Johnslo and mother to Issabella and Ferdinand. She smiled sweetly at Issabella and Hedgar as she took her seat at the table.
*Queen Issabella sits, her guests follow*
“Ladies and Gentlemen, brother, cousins, Uncles, Aunt, Mother, welcome to Eswich Palace. The caucus of the House of McMaster is called to order”
--------------to be continued---------------
