Josephine hadn’t been queen for more than a few days, and already she felt as though the burdens were breaking her back. Her whole life she had sat through lesson after lesson on how to rule, yet they didn’t prepare her. Josephine only wished to be like her prettier, more sociable sister, Rina.

Her eyes darted between the arguing ministers, all the words being exchanged didn’t seem to make sense to her. From planning the funeral of her mother to the traditional gifts that would be offered to her. It’d take an awful lot of time before she’d be able to go back to her books and studies.

“Your majesty, we still have the matter of your father.” Fredrick, her senior advisor, said.

“What about him?” Josephine didn’t really care for her lunatic father.

“You are now free to do with him as you please.” Fredrick placed a letter in front of her. “I’ve drafted a letter we would send to Duaetive if you decide you no longer wish to keep him here.”

“I don’t, actually.” Josephine signed the letter. “Get rid of him. Quietly.”

“Of course.”  Fredrick passed the letter to his secretary. Who passed him back a different letter. “Bellayong will be sending us a new emissary, it seems.”

“Who?” Josephine cringed at the thought of the old man who was the current emissary.

“Her highness, grand princess Ravenna Mina of Bellayong. “

Josephine knew of Ravenna, the ‘sun’ of Bellayong, and the so-called most beautiful woman in the world. Though Josephine remembered a rather quiet and shy ten-year-old girl. But that was fifteen years ago, and if rumors were to be believed, now the beauty of the world would grace Thinlin with her presence.

“She was formerly emissary to Rayner and The high Desert, yes?” Josephine asked.

“Yes. She extended trade deals and set a marriage between Princess Irene and the lord of the High deserts.

“She will be a good emissary then.” Josephine nodded, before carrying on with the meeting

 ------

Josephine didn’t want to think about it but she had the matter of marriage to consider now. She was a queen now, and yet, not a single soul had sent any marriage proposals. None of any of the neighboring kingdoms. The Thinlinyte nobility wasn’t good enough for her.

She wanted someone who married her for her, not for the potential title of king consort. But she knew that compared to the neighboring kingdoms, who were rich in sources both natural and man-made, Thinlin was poor, not as highly regarded as Bellayong or Rayner.

But she would put Thinlin in the position it deserves. She vowed it to herself, she’d raise Thinlin to the very top.

 -----

Rina quickly pulled Lina and Sonia into her room. “Tell me everything.” The rumors of a Bellan princess had set the court on flames, but was it even true? Why would a princess of all people come here?

“The new emissary is a princess,” Sonia said.

“A princess? Is that what we call her?” Lina scoffed, “Please, the girl was born of wedlock. Her mother was a common courtesan I heard.”

“Really?” Rina asked.

“Yes! But apparently, she is oh so pretty. Men fall on their swords because she rejects them.” Sonia sighed. “Can a courtesan daughter be so beautiful?”

“Of course not,” Lina corrected her. “She is only considered pretty because Rina isn’t known around the world yet. You’ll see, Rina is far pretty than some baseborn princess.”

“But why would the queen of Bellayong let a child of wedlock rise so high?” Rina didn’t understand, normally bastard children are hidden far, far away from the high class.

“The courtesan holds the king’s heart in her palms.” Lina explained, “Any woman who managed to birth a child to a king would never let the opportunity go. She lives in Bellayong’s palaces, with her own host of servants.”

“She must have spoiled her daughter rotten.” Rina huffed. She wished her parents had paid her half that much attention. It was always Josephine.

Rina didn’t hold her family in high regards, none of them had cared about her, she wasn’t the heiress, even though she was prettier and more sociable then her sister.

“What do you know about her siblings? The actual children of the king?” Rina tried to look uncaring while asking. She didn’t need them knowing why she wanted to know that.

“Oh, I believe he has a son and a daughter. Taiskin and Irene, I think.” Lina replied, “why?”

“No reason, I was just curious.”