Chapter 4: The Fight

Things have been going well in the kingdom.  Johanna has been able to affect many of the changes she desired in how the kingdom was run without much push from the council. Everyone seemed happy with the way things were going, rarely was anyone coming to her with complaints.

Except her dear mother, who has made it her mission to see her daughter married, preferably to Prince Henricus, a second son from the kingdom she came from Erstonia.  Nearly daily, once the coronation was completed, Johanna was forced to smile and make small talk with the silent prince.  She was exhausted from trying to find something to get him animated.  She was also exhausted from her mother not hearing her when she said she desired to find her true goddess sent mate before marrying. This was the best way to ensure a strong lineage to follow her.

A month after she first wore her crown, the became very frustrated with her mother's insistence over seeing Henricus as a potential mate. "Mother, please!  I have repeatedly told you I am waiting for my true mate from the goddess!  I will not marry Henricus simply to please you, for that is all that will be done if we are married!  I simply cannot afford to not wait for my mate no matter what!  I beg you, please stop this nonsense of throwing him in my path, he is not my mate and I will not marry him!"

Muriel pursed her lips, "Johanna, do not speak to me in such a manner I am your mother!  You have been searching for years for your goddess blessed mate, and have found nothing but heartbreak each time you think you might be close.  Do you think I do not see your disappointment!  This kingdom needs a strong alliance and a strong king, Henricus will be that for the kingdom!"

Johanna straightened up and arched an eyebrow at her mother's words, "I beg your pardon mother?  What does the kingdom need with a strong king when they have a strong monarch in myself already?  Are you implying that I do not measure up simply because I am not a man?  I certainly hope not.  As for you being my mother, I respect you for that, but Mother, I am the queen. I alone rule this kingdom.  I am doing well so far, I see no need to hurry into marriage. There is time still for me to find my true mate, something I have been longing for since I was a child.  Please stop this nonsense at once, I will not consider Henricus for my husband.  I hope you will hear me now."

Muriel grudgingly agreed, apologizing to her daughter.  She had no intention of stopping trying to get her to agree to marry Henricus, her life depended on it.

~~~~~

After her lunch with her mother, she was still very frustrated.  She couldn't understand her mother's insistence that she consider Henricus as her husband.  She knew that if she married, she would no longer hold as much power as she did without a spouse.  Simply because the kingdom was so used to having a male leading them.  No one alive even recalled the last queen that ruled the kingdom, though the stories told of a fierce warrior queen that lead the kingdom in battles and to a great and prosperous time.  She was someone to admire and try to emulate.  She studied the books regarding those days, and a great many of the changes she was effecting came from journals Queen Ermina kept in her own writing.  

Cecily found Johanna pacing her room.  "How was lunch with your darling mother, your majesty?" She asked, smirking.

Johanna sighed, "As frustrating as ever.  I once again asked her to stop throwing Henricus at me.  I doubt she will listen.  Soon I'll have to ask you to turn one of them into a frog."

They laughed together. 

"Come, let us go train.  That has always helped to settle your mind," Cecily said.

Johanna's eyes lit up, "Yes!  Swinging a sword around will help calm me down."

The changed their clothes and met out in the courtyard with their swords strapped to their hips.  When Johanna began her training as a young girl, she insisted that Cecily be allowed to train with her.  The way that she argued her case for the girl to train with her amazed her father, he knew without a doubt she would be a great emissary if the time came when she was older.  He foresaw great things from his Johanna.  

From day one, the girls trained together.  They both did well with their training.  So well, that occasionally, all other training would stop to watch them. It was like they were one body together, their trust in each other was that strong they almost felt what the other was going to do and answered with their own moves. It was like watching a dance. They would be fierce on the battlefield if it came down to that.

As the years wore on, they only became better.  When Cecily left to complete her training as a witch, Johanna lost a little of her fire. No one was able to match her like Cecily did. She still was a fierce warrior, but her heart seemed less in the training than it had when she had Ceciliy to train alongside her. 

Seeing the two beautiful women approach with their swords on, Ranulf excused himself from the soldiers he was speaking to and went to them. He bowed, grinning, "Your majesty, will you fight today?" He always enjoyed watching the two girls swing their swords together.

Johanna grinned back at him, "Yes, Sir Ranulf, I wish to see if Cecily is still as fearsome a creature as she was before she left us."

Ranulf bowed and turned to clear the area.  Everything stopped to watch the two women spar. It was a sight to behold the way they moved together, as though they hadn't been apart for any time at all. Usually, when they sparred together, it was called a draw. Today, though, since she was the queen, Cecily didn't really have it in her heart to not let her friend win.

After Johanna was declared the victor and cheers rang out amongst the crowd, she smiled ruefully at her friend.  "You gave up, you cheat!"

Cecily smiled sheepishly, as she did the day Johanna saved her when they met.  "Perhaps.  You'll never know."

Johanna pushed her friend, "I know YOU.  You did.  That's alright, though.  You made me look good."