I Became The Extra King With Seven Wives

Chapter 65: Eleanor and The Concerned Eliana

Eleanor stood just outside the grand polished doors of her private chambers within the royal wing of the castle.

The double doors were propped wide open, revealing two flustered maids frantically packing her baggage for the journey with Lumiel, which was scheduled to commence in mere hours.

She was not taking an excessive amount of luggage, but she meticulously ensured that everything required for a multi-day excursion, fine dresses, traveling cloaks, essential hygiene products, and various other delicate necessities was properly secured.

"I trust the horses have been treated exceptionally well today? The journey could prove exceedingly long. The faster and stronger the team is, the safer and more comfortable the travel will be for His Majesty. He is the King, after all, and I will tolerate no delays," Eleanor said, reminding the seasoned coachman standing at attention before her.

Alan was her personal coachman, a fiercely man she had handpicked from her father’s merchant company. He had flawlessly managed her extensive travels for the past three years. Though he was in his late forties, he possessed an unparalleled mastery of his trade and an encyclopedic knowledge of the continent’s winding roads, which was arguably the most vital asset a royal coachman could possess.

Naturally, Lumiel had delegated every logistical detail of the trip entirely to Eleanor, saving only the final destination for himself. And as anyone acquainted with Eleanor’s sharp, mercantile mind would expect, she was vey thorough in her preparations.

"There is nothing to worry about, My Lady. The horses are of the finest breeding, as always. They have been fed a premium diet and properly rested. I have been personally tending to them since yesterday specifically for tonight’s departure; they are fully prepared to run for long, continuous hours without tiring," he assured her confidently.

"The carriage’s interior must also be impeccably comfortable for His Majesty. We shall be confined within it for several hours, after all," Eleanor pressed.

"Yes, My Lady, I have personally seen to it. Exactly as you requested, the exterior of the carriage is entirely inconspicuous, appearing perfectly ordinary to avoid drawing unwanted eyes. However, the interior has been lavishly outfitted to ensure comfort for both you and His Majesty," he confirmed.

Eleanor offered a brief, satisfied nod.

"And what of the second carriage?" she asked.

As much as Lumiel had wished to travel as incognito as possible, taking only a single cart, Eleanor had convinced him of how logistically complicated and dangerous such an endeavor would be. They simply could not travel so lightly without sacrificing vital necessities.

Though highly reluctant, Lumiel had ultimately conceded to allowing a second carriage to trail them.

In truth, it served as a dummy carriage to distract potential highwaymen, but it was essential for transporting their bulkier supplies, food rations, and heavy clothing. Moreover, in the disastrous event that their carriage suffered a broken axle or a lame horse, the secondary cart would immediately be available to secure their continued travel.

Since they were going to be on the road for several days, Eleanor was ensuring that every conceivable variable had been accounted for, guaranteeing the journey would proceed smoothly without attracting the attention of enemies, especially the Black Sun.

"I have prepared that one myself as well, My Lady. It is fully loaded and ready to depart. The wheels and axles are in shape; barring an act of the gods, nothing untoward should occur," Alan promised.

Having served Eleanor for three years, he was intimately familiar with just how painstakingly thorough and careful the young lady could be. Over the past year, she had generally relaxed her grip, allowing him to manage the stables independently as she came to trust his competence. But now that King Lumiel of Helios was personally accompanying her, Eleanor simply could not afford to be complacent, regardless of how deeply she trusted her coachman. She had to interrogate every detail to ensure perfection.

After interrogating him regarding the specific routes and supply rations for a few more minutes, Eleanor finally dismissed him.

She turned around, intending to retreat into her chambers and rest her eyes before their arduous journey south began, but she suddenly paused. Down the sweeping corridor, her sharp emerald eyes fell upon the figure of Queen Mother Eliana walking toward her.

"My Queen," Eleanor greeted her immediately, dropping into a graceful bow.

"Eleanor. If you are not presently occupied, I wish to speak with you," Eliana said.

"Of course, Your Majesty," Eleanor replied, mildly bewildered by the sudden visit. She turned her gaze back inside her quarters. "That will be all for now," she instructed the working maids.

They nodded hurriedly, dropping into deep curtsies to greet the Queen Mother before hastily filing out of the room.

Eleanor stepped aside, allowing Eliana to enter the luxurious chambers, before softly clicking the double doors shut.

Eliana walked slowly into the room, her movements lacking their usual regal energy, before sinking into the plush cushions of the main couch.

"May I pour you something to drink, Your Majesty?" Eleanor asked, ready to accommodate any request.

However, Eliana merely offered a tired smile and shook her head.

"That is quite alright, Eleanor. Come, please take a seat beside me," she requested gently.

Eleanor nodded, smoothing her skirts as she took a seat on the couch next to the Queen Mother.

"Is something specific bothering you, Your Majesty?" Eleanor asked politely. Although she already knew with certainty that this concerned Lumiel’s sudden departure, court etiquette demanded she ask.

It took only a single glance at the older woman’s face to see that Eliana was perturbed and consumed by maternal anxiety.

"Yes. Of course I am bothered," Eliana sighed heavily, rubbing her temples. "My son, the newly crowned King of Helios, is abruptly departing the capital on a sudden honeymoon because he is apparently ’eager to consummate his wedding night’ with you as he announced so incredibly loudly during our family lunch."

Though Eleanor fought valiantly to maintain her aristocratic composure, her cheeks instantly flared pink.

What on earth was she supposed to retort to that?

"I—I deeply apologize..." She offered awkwardly, staring down at her folded hands.

Eliana smiled softly, reaching out to gently pat Eleanor’s hand.

"It is perfectly fine. If my son truly requires a few days away from the crushing burdens of the capital and his royal duties to spend time alone with his new wife, I would support it, and I would never utter a word of complaint," she assured her. "But..."

She slowly raised her gaze, meeting Eleanor’s emerald eyes.

"I am not a stupid woman, Eleanor," she said quietly, her look heavily laden with meaning.

Eleanor merely offered a small, knowing smile.

Obviously, she was not. Eliana had ruled alongside King Marconius for decades. But her sharp intuition was precisely why she was so deeply worried; she knew Lumiel was plotting something dangerous, yet she had no idea what it was.

"I unfortunately cannot offer you much clarity on the matter either, Your Majesty..." Eleanor confessed, gently shaking her head. "His Majesty has revealed very little to me, save for the fact that he wishes to investigate a few... interesting matters, beginning with a journey to Helianth."

Eliana offered a quiet, contemplative nod.

Lumiel had indeed informed her that his destination was Helianth. It was a sacred site within the center of Helios, known throughout the continent as the hallowed birthplace of Apollina, the founding Queen of Helios.

But Eliana could not stop wondering what earthly business Lumiel could possibly have there right now.

Was he embarking on a spiritual pilgrimage? Was there some sacred ritual he needed to perform in relation to his recent, explosive awakening? That was the most logical conclusion her mind had initially drawn.

It would also perfectly explain his intense secrecy. After all, her late husband Marconius had never spoken a single word regarding the mysteries of his own awakening, nor had he ever revealed what truly transpired within the blinding light of the Flame during the sacred rites.

But was that truly the full extent of his plans?

Given his sudden, terrifying shift in personality, Eliana was having a difficult time believing that a mere spiritual pilgrimage was his only objective.

"Everything will be perfectly fine, Your Majesty. Lord Arges has secretly assigned his finest, most elite knights to guard our carriage. I swear to you, I will personally bring His Majesty back to your side safe and sound," Eleanor promised, offering a reassuring, confident smile.

Eliana chuckled softly, some of the tension finally bleeding from her shoulders.

"You are a remarkably good girl, Eleanor. I am glad my late husband managed to secure your hand for my son before any of the other noble houses could attempt it. I can only imagine you had already received countless marriage proposals before our betrothal was announced," she said warmly.

Eleanor nodded, a wry smile touching her lips.

Naturally, every single ambitious nobleman in the continent wished to bind their bloodline to the only daughter and heir of Gabriel Goldwyn’s unimaginably vast mercantile empire.

Yet, every single suitor had been politely rejected by her father. Eleanor often wondered if, even back then, her father had secretly been harboring the plan of marrying her to Lumiel perhaps intending for her to serve as the King’s Second Wife, just beneath Asthenia?

Given how extensively the late King Marconius had aided her father in expanding his mercantile empire from the ground up, such a covert, long-standing arrangement would hardly be surprising.

"His Majesty will be fine," Eleanor repeated, offering Eliana another warm, steadfast smile. "His recent actions may appear somewhat rash or reckless from the outside, in truth, even I briefly harbored such thoughts. But I can assure you, Your Majesty, he is taking his role as King far more seriously than anyone in this court truly realizes."

"I simply do not want him to be completely crushed by the burden of the crown," Eliana whispered, a fleeting flash of maternal guilt crossing her features.

"He will not be crushed. I will be right there beside him to help carry that burden. After all, I am one of his Queens," Eleanor said softly, her emerald eyes shining with quiet seriousness.

Eliana looked deeply into Eleanor’s eyes, finding herself a bit surprised by an expression she hadn’t seen in Eleanor until now.

More than duty, there was something else clearly.

Her expression softened soon into a grateful smile.

"Yes. Yes, you are."