Anastasia worked through her papers as quickly as she could while still reading them thoroughly. Once they were done, she stood and left the room without another word to Samsul. She felt bad for yelling at him but he deserved it. It wasn't like she managed to hurt him in anyway when she hit him. He was a Lost Elf and practically twice her size. Her hitting his chest wasn't going to hurt him physically. She walked out of the garden, not bothering to grab a guard, wanting for once to be alone. She walked over to the bench that was closest to the entrance and sat down. She took a deep breath and looked down at her stomach, "It's going to be okay, honeys... Mama and Dada love you... Love each other... Mama's just a little... angry."
Once Anastasia left the room, Samsul sighed to himself and looked down at his desk now clear if papers. He hoped that this didn't go on for long. He felt absolutely horrible for what he had done and he didn't know if any way to make it better. Since she left without a word, it seemed to him that she just wanted to be alone for the time being, so he didn't bother to send a guard to look after her.
GM
Anastasia sat out in the garden, rubbing her belly. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm down. The babies were moving and kicking like mad, they just weren't comfortable. Every once in a while, their kick might hurt but the pain faded quickly. She felt like it was because of her. Surely, they could hear them. So, they had also just heard her yelling at their father and sobbing for however long. She sighed, "I'm sorry, babies."
She stood it was around noon. She walked to the dining hall alone and sat in her normal seat. It was strange, her and Samsul hadn't enjoyed lunch in the dining hall in a while.
She stood it was around noon. She walked to the dining hall alone and sat in her normal seat. It was strange, her and Samsul hadn't enjoyed lunch in the dining hall in a while.
Slowly, Samsul rose from his seat and left the office quietly. He wondered where Anastasia went off too, but at the moment he was hungry and wanted to see if Eric had any food ready for them. Another thought popped into Samsul's head and the Lost Elf stopped. He considered the thought for a moment before turning the other way and heading back down to the room where Elana was. Hopefully, she would be awake by then, but he needed to talk to her about something important that involved Anastasia.Since she already knew that Anastasia was pregnant, then she probably wouldn't be expecting for Samsul to say what he had to say to her.
As he reached the room, Samsul stepped inside quietly and saw that Elana was only half awake, with half lidded eyes and a lazy smile on her face. Slowly, her head turned to Samsul. "Hello there.." She spoke quietly.
As he reached the room, Samsul stepped inside quietly and saw that Elana was only half awake, with half lidded eyes and a lazy smile on her face. Slowly, her head turned to Samsul. "Hello there.." She spoke quietly.
GM
Eric walked out in the dining hall and looked at Anastasia. He sighed little, when noticed her cheeks were stained with tears. Walking over to her, he handed her a handkerchief, "What's wrong, Anastasia?"
Anastasia took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes as she whimpered, "My mother... isn't dead... She's here and she's injured and Samsul knew... since she left he knew and then he forgot that she was even alive... and I don't know what or who I'm angrier at..."
Eric looked at her in shock, "The Queen's alive?"
Anastasia nodded, "Gerald and Samsul knew... I can understand that Gerald didn't tell me... But Samsul... we're married and we are going to have kids and he told me he loves me... He was the one that told me my mother was there.... I cried into him for hours.... And he knew it took a toll on me when he let me go on the tour. The entire time... he was lying to me..."
Eric placed his hand on her shoulder, "Yes... He was lying to you... about your mother. Nothing else. He loves you unconditionally. I'll going to go and grab you some soup."
Anastasia smiled at him slightly, "Thank you, Eric."
Anastasia took the handkerchief and wiped her eyes as she whimpered, "My mother... isn't dead... She's here and she's injured and Samsul knew... since she left he knew and then he forgot that she was even alive... and I don't know what or who I'm angrier at..."
Eric looked at her in shock, "The Queen's alive?"
Anastasia nodded, "Gerald and Samsul knew... I can understand that Gerald didn't tell me... But Samsul... we're married and we are going to have kids and he told me he loves me... He was the one that told me my mother was there.... I cried into him for hours.... And he knew it took a toll on me when he let me go on the tour. The entire time... he was lying to me..."
Eric placed his hand on her shoulder, "Yes... He was lying to you... about your mother. Nothing else. He loves you unconditionally. I'll going to go and grab you some soup."
Anastasia smiled at him slightly, "Thank you, Eric."
"Hello, Elana." Samsul said in an equally quiet voice, unsure of why she was as quiet as she was. Closing the door behind him, Samsul stepped inside fully and kept his eyes on the former queen. With a soft sigh he looked down at the ground. "Why did we do this, Elana?" He asked her simply. "Why did we go through all of this trouble just to sign papers? Anastasia is furious with us, and probably more furious with me since I've been lying to her since out marriage.." Elana sighed as well, but kept her eyes on Samsul as she lay there, becoming more awake after every moment. "Samsul... The risks that we could have taken by doing something else were far too great. both my and Anastasia could have died if I simply left and toured around before signing those treaties. I understand her hate, but the only thing we can do is simply deal with it and try to make things better. You're her husband. Give her some time to relax and show her that you'll be honest with her completely. A marriage relies on trust, Samsul."
GM
Anastasia thanked Eric as he placed the soup in front of her. He walked away, leaving Anastasia to sip at her soup. She tried not to think about the events of that morning. It only upset or angered her. When she finished, she sighed and placed her spoon in the bowl. Standing, she decided to go to their room, the babies were still moving and although it maybe her smile, it was starting to become uncomfortable. She figured maybe if she read to them again, they would calm down. She drag the chair that sat in their room out onto the balcony and grabbed 'The Secret Garden' and sat down, slowly starting to pick up from where they left off.
Samsul nodded and sighed once again. "If I tell her the truth about everything then she'll have me even more, Elana.. I don't know what to do.." He said as he found a chair to sit down on and held his head in his hands. Elana laughed a little and shook her head. "You need to know when to tell the truth. I can't tell you how to do everything, Samsul, you know that. I understand that Anastasia is mad. Just let her recover a bit before doing anything." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "I'm sure that you didn't come here to point out the obvious about telling her everything. What else is on your mind." Samsul looked at her and smiled a little. "I'd like to plan a surprise for her."
GM
Anastasia closed the book, they were a few chapters further but she was done with reading. The babies had calmed, no longer tumbling in her stomach. She placed the book on her lap and sighed a little. She looked out on the scenery beyond the balcony. She looked at field and sighed. She missed her old life. Being able to do whatever it was that she wanted. Being able to see her parents every day. Being able to trust what it was that they said to her. She sobbed, feeling horrible again. She couldn't think of how she could say that. Despite everything that Samsul did... She loved him and without him the little ones in her stomach, wouldn't be possible. She stood and walked over to the bed and lay down under the blankets. It wasn't long after mid day and yet, she was so drained that she managed to fall asleep.
Samsul was sure that his plan would be great. Elana nodded in approval with a smile as she looked at her son-in-law with a little pride. It might not make Anastasia forget everything that happened recently, but they hoped that it would make her feel better. With a quiet "Thank you" Samsul left the room and made his way over to the dining hall, where he originally planned to go before going to Elana's room. As he made it there, Alex was currently picking up what seemed to have been a soup bowl. he young man looked at Samsul with surprise before quickly going to the kitchen to dispose of the bowl. As he returned, Samsul was already sitting down at his usual seat looking a little uncomfortable. It felt odd not to have Anastasia sitting with him, but he would have to get through it for the day.
GM
Anastasia woke up later in the day, feeling better. She was still upset but she felt better. The wee ones were still in her stomach as she rose out of bed. She rubbed her eyes and placed her feet on the ground. She pushed herself off the bed and stood. She left the door to the balcony open, so the room was slightly frigid. She walked over them and closed them slowly. She didn't really know what to do. She wasn't hungry, so there was no need to go back to the dining hall. Nor was there work to be done. She finally decided that it was probably wise to go see her mother again and began to walk to the room.
Samsul woke up slowly as he surveyed his surroundings. He didn't remember going back to the room and sleeping on the couch, but the memory returned to him and he sighed as he got off of the couch. He remembered how he stopped himself from sleeping on the bed the night before, and how Anastasia told him to sleep on the couch. He did just that and woke up still feeling horrible about the previous day. He looked around slowly only to see that Anastasia wasn't in the room with him. He wondered where she was, and got changed before going out to find her.
GM
Anastasia sat down next to her mother's bed and looked at the sleeping woman. She took her hand again and waited for her to wake. She rubbed the bridge on her nose, trying to calm down again. When she noticed that Elana was awake, she looked at her. She bit her lip, trying to think of what it was that she wanted to say to her... if anything at all. She placed her free hand in her lap and looked down at it. After a moment, she spoke, not looking at her mother, "Why did you do it? Have Samsul tell me you were dead?"
"Although it would have been easier on you to hear my say that I would be leaving for a while, I couldn't do that..." Elana said quietly as he looked at her daughter with a calm smile. "I was planning back up plans with other nations in case that the war didn't lean towards us.. If people found out that I was doing that, they would be after me to insure that the invaders would win, and then they would go after you to bring Greenspring to the ground... I couldn't let that happen, Anastasia. I coulnd't go about knowing that youe life was at risk. That's why I assigned Samsul to guard you, and for Gerald to give you lessons so that you would have the royals on your side."
GM
Anastasia shook her head slightly, still not looking up at her mother, "I was.... scared... I could hardly get to sleep at night because I was scared that someone was going to come into my room and kill me... just like they did to you... It only got worse when I let the castle... It was more common for me not to sleep that to get a couple hours of shut eye.... When I came back and Samsul purposed... I immediately offered for him to sleep in my bed." She sniffled, wiping tears away, "Because I thought if he was there it wouldn't be as scary.... and it wasn't....."
She released her mother's hand and buried her face in her own, "Is that why you wanted me here? So that you could pretend to die?"
She released her mother's hand and buried her face in her own, "Is that why you wanted me here? So that you could pretend to die?"
Elana shook her head with an angered expression and looked at her daughter. "No! I was going to pretend to die no matter what. I wasn't going to simply die, but fade out of existence until the treaties were signed and everything was ready. Many people had advised my to bring you back here before I left, so I did because I wanted to see you before I left.. My original plan didn't count on me coming back. I have a small list of people that would have been possible candidates for the next ruler."
GM
Anastasia looked at her mother, a broken expression on her face, "You... didn't plan on coming back..... You met me... and told me that... you loved me.... and never planned on coming back!" She felt numb as she stared at her mother. How could she do that? Be alive and choose to never see her again. Anastasia was heart broken and she stood from her seat and turned and left the room, sobbing. She didn't get far before she had to stop and lean against a wall. She slid to the ground and sat there. As mad as she was at her mother for pretending to die, it hurt worse knowing that she was fine with just leaving her behind.
"No Anastasia!" She called out to her daughter. She didn't mean that she was going to abandon her daughter. Elana cursed her choice of words as she slowly and shakily got off of her bed. She needed to explain to Anastasia what she meant, so she followed her daughter and begged her to stop. After her daughter stopped, she caught up to her and looked at her daughter. "Anastasia please listen to me. Before I thought of bringing you here, my plan was to not return. When you came to the castle and I saw your face, I knew that I couldn't stay out of your life any longer. I made changes to my plans to return to the castle."
GM
Anastasia looked at her and the anger that she had been bottling up for the last day exploded, "But you did!" She yelled, "You left me here alone and you missed everything. You chose to leave me. I don't care why or what for because it doesn't change the fact that you did. You left me after two months to become a Queen... I had three months to deal with my mother dying and becoming a Queen. It drained me and I doubted everything I did. And all along the people I trusted most... Were lying to me... I'm a commoner... not Princess... Not a Queen. I'm Commonfolk... I don't belong here...."
She let out another sob and buried her face in her arms.
She let out another sob and buried her face in her arms.
Elana simply looked at her daughter with a calm face as she let everything out. She could feel that Anastasia was releasing all of the feelings that she had, as she reacted much to calmly to not have bottled up feelings. The older woman placed her hand on her daughters shoulder and looked down at her with a calm smile. "You may have doubted yourself, but I know that Samsul would always be there for you no matter what. Yes he didn't tell you the truth, I understand that, but you shouldn't blame him. I was the one to tell him that he couldn't let you know no matter what.. You do belong here, Anastasia. How would Eric, or Millie, or Gerald... or even Samsul, react to having you suddenly leave?"
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