Claims Part 2
Over the years, many people have come to the castle with claims about their identity
Part 1
Eugene and the queen peered into the sitting room to stare at the back of their visitor’s head, careful to stay concealed on either side of the door frame, careful to keep their voices low.
“I swear I’ve never seen that woman before in my life,” Eugene said.
The queen offered him a noncommittal hum, sizing up the girl’s features the same way she would appreciate a rather distasteful painting.
“You can’t believe this,” he hissed.
“No, I don’t believe it. But I do find it distressing.”
“Distressing,” he nodded. “That’s a good word.”
“Are you sure you’ve never seen her before?”
“Yeeees,” he whined, rolling his eyes, trying to hide the hint of hysteria that crept into his voice.
“But… is that even something you can know with certainty? I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to remember the names and faces of all your… acquaintances.”
He stared at her for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. “Great. It’s nice to know what you really think of me.”
“I didn’t mean any insult,” she said with a shrug. “I’m just being realistic.”
“I’m not that much of a slut,” he snapped. “I mean I wasn’t. Before. Even less so now. And the stories of my escapades have been greatly exaggerated.”
She turned from her inspection to raise an eyebrow at him, which made him shift a bit in discomfort.
“They have. A little bit.”
“A little bit?”
“Ok. Fine. They haven’t. But that’s beside the point. I haven’t seen that girl before and I definitely didn’t have some Flynn Jr. love child with her.”
“I believe you.”
“Good,” he huffed.
“But what are you going to say when someone you do recognize shows up?”
He stared at her, his mouth hanging open, aghast that the queen could even consider the possibility. He thought that they’d become friends, that she knew him better than that.
He snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
The defiance in his words was immediately waved away by her flippant response.
“Oh, I’m sure it will eventually.”
Eugene made an odd, strangled noise in disbelief and denial, but the queen just kept talking as if nothing was wrong.
“They’ll be lying, but they’ll come anyway. These things happen when you rise to a level of importance in the community. When you have money and power, the distant relations and people you’ve wronged, the old lovers and childhood friends magically appear out of your past.”
“Oh.”
“It’s inevitable. The only question is how you’ll deal with it. Are you the kind of person to deny their allegations without even considering their proof, or are you the kind of person who will take in an adorable, bastard child, with whom you have no connection, for the simple reason that you have a kind heart and feel guilty for your past transgressions?”
He looked confused. “That happens?”
She smiled. “You know the kitchen hand with the scraggly hair? The one that’s all thumbs?”
“Wish I didn’t.”
“He’s supposedly my nephew.”
“Really?”
The queen shrugged. “I felt sorry for him. I feel sorry for this girl too.” She nodded towards the sitting room, causing Eugene to blanch.
“You can’t be serious.”
“She’s in a difficult position, looking for help. In a way it’s our job to help her, to help everyone, to make sure all our citizens are fed and sheltered and happy.”
“She’s just looking for a hand out.”
“Yes. But you learn to start pitying them. Either you pity them and try to be of assistance, or your heart becomes bitter and you scorn the people you’ve sworn to protect. That’s dangerous in our line of work.”
“I haven’t sworn to protect anyone,” he muttered, a grumble in his voice and a softness in his eyes that betrayed how much her words had affected him.
She scoffed in the most refined way possible and waved a hand at him dismissively. “You will.”
She strolled into the sitting room, prepared to find a solution to the girl’s problem, leaving Eugene behind in the shadows, feeling unsettled.
Part 1
Eugene and the queen peered into the sitting room to stare at the back of their visitor’s head, careful to stay concealed on either side of the door frame, careful to keep their voices low.
“I swear I’ve never seen that woman before in my life,” Eugene said.
The queen offered him a noncommittal hum, sizing up the girl’s features the same way she would appreciate a rather distasteful painting.
“You can’t believe this,” he hissed.
“No, I don’t believe it. But I do find it distressing.”
“Distressing,” he nodded. “That’s a good word.”
“Are you sure you’ve never seen her before?”
“Yeeees,” he whined, rolling his eyes, trying to hide the hint of hysteria that crept into his voice.
“But… is that even something you can know with certainty? I mean, I wouldn’t expect you to remember the names and faces of all your… acquaintances.”
He stared at her for a moment before crossing his arms over his chest and scowling. “Great. It’s nice to know what you really think of me.”
“I didn’t mean any insult,” she said with a shrug. “I’m just being realistic.”
“I’m not that much of a slut,” he snapped. “I mean I wasn’t. Before. Even less so now. And the stories of my escapades have been greatly exaggerated.”
She turned from her inspection to raise an eyebrow at him, which made him shift a bit in discomfort.
“They have. A little bit.”
“A little bit?”
“Ok. Fine. They haven’t. But that’s beside the point. I haven’t seen that girl before and I definitely didn’t have some Flynn Jr. love child with her.”
“I believe you.”
“Good,” he huffed.
“But what are you going to say when someone you do recognize shows up?”
He stared at her, his mouth hanging open, aghast that the queen could even consider the possibility. He thought that they’d become friends, that she knew him better than that.
He snapped his mouth shut and shook his head. “That’s not going to happen.”
The defiance in his words was immediately waved away by her flippant response.
“Oh, I’m sure it will eventually.”
Eugene made an odd, strangled noise in disbelief and denial, but the queen just kept talking as if nothing was wrong.
“They’ll be lying, but they’ll come anyway. These things happen when you rise to a level of importance in the community. When you have money and power, the distant relations and people you’ve wronged, the old lovers and childhood friends magically appear out of your past.”
“Oh.”
“It’s inevitable. The only question is how you’ll deal with it. Are you the kind of person to deny their allegations without even considering their proof, or are you the kind of person who will take in an adorable, bastard child, with whom you have no connection, for the simple reason that you have a kind heart and feel guilty for your past transgressions?”
He looked confused. “That happens?”
She smiled. “You know the kitchen hand with the scraggly hair? The one that’s all thumbs?”
“Wish I didn’t.”
“He’s supposedly my nephew.”
“Really?”
The queen shrugged. “I felt sorry for him. I feel sorry for this girl too.” She nodded towards the sitting room, causing Eugene to blanch.
“You can’t be serious.”
“She’s in a difficult position, looking for help. In a way it’s our job to help her, to help everyone, to make sure all our citizens are fed and sheltered and happy.”
“She’s just looking for a hand out.”
“Yes. But you learn to start pitying them. Either you pity them and try to be of assistance, or your heart becomes bitter and you scorn the people you’ve sworn to protect. That’s dangerous in our line of work.”
“I haven’t sworn to protect anyone,” he muttered, a grumble in his voice and a softness in his eyes that betrayed how much her words had affected him.
She scoffed in the most refined way possible and waved a hand at him dismissively. “You will.”
She strolled into the sitting room, prepared to find a solution to the girl’s problem, leaving Eugene behind in the shadows, feeling unsettled.