I Don't Want to Be Loved

Looking at Basil’s perplexed expression, Mrs. Cessly patter her chest, frustrated.

“Her Majesty the queen wants to move her residency to the Queen Mother’s Palace! This time she said she’ll never come back!”

“What does that mean… why does Her Majesty suddenly want to…”

“There’s no time to lose. His Majesty the king can’t do anything about it. It’s all useless. The problem is, she cannot be in the Queen Mother’s Palace. I’m sure you are aware of this, Grand Chamberlain”.

“Of course! That’s because the Queen Mother would shoot you an arrow the second she hears you say a word of even if she s-…”

Basil then realized… this all happened because of what he’d said to Rihannan. It seemed like it wasn’t embarrassment, but a more profound reason why Igor had hidden that incident from her.

“I… it looks like I’ve made a terrible mistake”.

Basil immediately took off, sprinting.

***

When he arrived at the main palace, Basil saw Rihannan leaving the building towards a carriage, ready to depart.

“My queen!”

Basil barely made it in time. He was panting unevenly.

Rihannan didn’t even greet him properly. Her blue eyes were staring at him coldly.

“Your Majesty… you can’t leave like this”. Basil pleaded.

“Basil, stand aside”.

“Please, at least consider changing your mind, I beg you”.

“If you don’t stand aside right this instance, I’ll have your head cut off”.

Mrs. Cessly, who’d had just arrived, was startled at Rihannan’s words, even though she knew she didn’t really mean them.

Basil looked at Rihannan, perplexed.

Basil had a farmer’s background, so many people in the Palace kept their distance from him. The queen, however, had always shown him respect, heading to his words. This was the first time she behaved like that with him.

“You think I won’t dare? Who do you think you are?”

Basil made a firm decision in that instant, and immediately bowed to the ground. “Then, alright, Your Majesty. Cut off my head”.

“Basil!”

“I’ve said this before, haven’t I, my queen? You may take my life”.

Upon hearing his melancholic words, Rihannan grew furious.

“Yes, that’s right. You said that if you lied to me, I had the right to end your life. Then, I’ll exercise that right”.

Swing! Rihannan grabbed the sword from the guard closest to her.

“Your Majesty!”

The servants screamed, surprised, and run to Rihannan in an attempt to stop her, but Mrs. Cessly quickly blocked their way before they could do anything.

“Stay behind. Do not anger Her Majesty any further. Stay back”.

Hearing Mrs. Cessly’s soft voice, the servants backed away from Rihannan.

Mrs. Cessly anxiously analyzed the situation. She knew Rihannan would never kill Basil, but she was getting nervous nonetheless. Mrs. Cessly prayed over and over again so that the worst may not happen.

The sword reached Basil’s neck. For someone without experience, the sword would be quite heavy, but Rihannan held it without showing any signs of tremor.

“This is your last chance. Stand aside, Basil”.

“I can’t do that, Your Majesty”.

“Are you underestimating me as queen because you are the king’s servant?!”

“No, Your Majesty! Not at all, that’s not true!”

Basil looked at her. Tears started welling in his deep green eyes.

“I never thought of you like that, Your Majesty. Both the king and the queen are precious to me. That’s the truth…”

The sword that was resting on Basil’s neck shook for a moment. Rihannan innerly bit her tongue, without showing any emotion on the exterior.

When she spent her days in that cold prison cell, Basil was the one who smiled at her, talking to her warmly during those depressing days of her life.

“That’s why… if what I’ve said a moment ago turned into a problem, you should chastise me instead, Your Majesty. If I let you go like this, I’d never forgive myself. If that were to happen… I’d rather die here and now!”

Tears were falling down Basil’s cheeks. Many people would find it absurd that a grown up man was crying like that, but no one thought that of Basil. People were looking at him with pity.

Rihannan let out a sigh.

“That’s why I shouldn’t have allowed myself to get close to you”. She whispered, letting go of the sword.

The sword fell to the floor with a heavy thump.

Mrs. Cessly let out a relieved sigh and looked at Basil for a moment before walking quickly to Rihannan’s side.

“My queen…”

Hearing Mrs. Cessly cautious tone, Rihannan started moving her feet. “I’ll stay in the Queen’s Palace. I do not wish to stay in the Main Palace any longer”.

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Mrs. Cessly quickly followed behind her. The fact that the queen did not move into the Queen Mother’s Palace was the best outcome Mrs. Cessly could have hoped for.

***

“I’ve committed a capital offense, Your Majesty. Please, punish me as you see fit!”

Basil kneeled down before a huge sword.

Igor furrowed his brow, holding his forehead with his palm. “Enough. Get up”.

“No… I dared go against your orders and chitchatted to much when I shouldn’t have… that’s why…”

“It wasn’t your fault. It was mine… stop crying!”

When Basil’s eyes starting welling up, Igor quickly rose from his seat. Basil cried, tears falling to the ground.

Unable to stand Basil’s pitiful look, Igor turned his head to avoid looking at him.

“Basil, if you don’t stop crying this instance, I’ll cut your head off”,

“But…”

Seeing that Basil’s tears wouldn’t dry up any soon, Igor sighed.

“You must have suffered many difficulties because of me in the past. Think of this as me paying you back for all I’ve caused you in the past”.

Basil realized what Igor was talking about. Six years ago, he was almost beaten to death for protecting Igor’s secret.

“How did you know? I didn’t think you cared at all…”

“Enough. Just tell me what you found out about Count Clovis and his lover”.

As Igor sat down again, Basil regained his composure and stood up. Holding back his tears, he took a paper from his pocket and talked. “The reason why that woman became Count Clovis’ lover is because he is Viscount Olbach’s distant relative. The viscount remarried some years ago and Leticia served his wife as a servant”.

Basil stopped for a moment to wipe his tears.

“It is rumored that Leticia was the viscount’s lover even when his wife was still alive. The wife was so pain struck that she committed suicide with poison”.

“You mean the Viscount’s wife killed herself with poison?”

Basil nodded. “Yes. As Your Majesty knows, Count Alessin, Leticia’s father, also committed suicide with poison.”

“So, two people had died from poison…”

Igor let out a twisted laugh.

Actually, Leticia had murdered one more person with poison, but the people in this world would never know*.