Fourth Arc: Seventh Chapter

"I don't know much about Lumelica's succession, I'm sorry."

"No, sorry. That was an odd thing to ask. The succession itself isn't so different from Altria's. It's just that things are a little complicated in Lumelica right now."

"Complicated, meaning...?"

Michael gave a shrug and went on.

"As you know, I have no spouse, let alone children."

"Yes."

"Now that Elliot has given up his claim to the throne, first in line has moved up to Gabriella."

"Right."

The claim passing to the King's little sister is probably normal. Or rather, common enough, I'd think. Well, I only really know about Altria, but.

"So if something happens to me and I can no longer go on as king, Gabriella's spouse would take the throne."

"Mm-hm... hmmm?"

Carried along by Michael's easy talk, I nearly let it slide by, but. In other words, does this mean a woman can't take the throne? The spouse of the princess who holds the claim becomes king. If there's no queen-regnant system, maybe that can't be helped. But then it's odd that Gabriella holds the claim at all. Still, I recall that in ancient Egypt the woman held the claim and her spouse became king. Something like that, maybe.

"In Lumelica, a reigning queen isn't allowed, is she."

"A queen?... I see, I never even thought of it. I'd simply assumed a man takes the throne."

At my words, Michael's eyes went wide and he blinked over and over. There's no record of a reigning queen in Altria either, so maybe it's an uncommon thing in this world.

"A queen, huh... it might be worth thinking about! Cosette, thank you! Haha!"

"Huh? Y-you're welcome?"

Thanking me oddly happily, Michael rose smartly from his seat.

"Oh, you're leaving already?"

"Yeah, sorry! I'll come again. I know you'll be lonely, but don't cry."

"I won't cry!"

Laughing brightly, Michael tossed me a wink and left the room.

---

"A queen, is it... Cosette, you do come up with flexible ideas. I hadn't considered it either."

"Yeah! But a queen might be interesting too!"

Gathered around a table in the sunny inner garden of Lumelica Castle were Remias, Georg, and me. Worried about my friends, I'd been about to visit their room when an invitation to tea came from Remias and the others at just the right moment.

I'd really wanted to talk with the prince too, but he seems busy. Unlike us, with our carefree standing, the prince, who came to Lumelica to look in on the ailing Michael, has official duties piling up. We finally got to meet again after so long, and it's a bit lone... ahem, cough!

"But truly, if a reigning queen came to be allowed, things around the little princess might settle down too."

Remias nodded gravely, mm-hm, but Georg and I, not following at all, tilted our heads together.

"Settle down? Did something happen to Lady Gabriella?"

"If you ask whether something happened, it did, and if you ask whether it didn't, it didn't."

"Aargh! So roundabout! Remias! Just say it plainly!"

"Ah... my apologies. Well then, put plainly, the little princess, Princess Gabriella, is in a very delicate position."

"You mean a power struggle?"

At my words, brows knit, Remias nodded with a serious face.

"Yes. Even if only by marrying in, she's someone the nobles who want the throne would give anything to win. But at the same time, to the nobles who revere the royal house, she's an eyesore."

"Why? If they revere the royal house, aren't they on the side of Gabriella, who's a princess?"

"An ally in a sense, I suppose. But more than that, many nobles balk at anyone not of royal blood taking the throne. Though the ones shouting about it loudly are only a handful of radicals."

"Radicals, huh... are they dangerous?"

Georg, who'd been listening to Remias in silence, tightened his expression at the word "radicals."

"Nothing out in the open yet. But it wouldn't be strange if they were plotting assassination behind the scenes."

"Wha...!"

Color draining from my face at Remias's words, I stood up with a clatter despite myself.