The Queen's Ambassador

[wren-rowle-blog]

Wren laughs. “He must be with his cousins now then. I think they hope if they stand there long enough the Erucians will let them ride them,” she says with a grin as she steps out of Matt’s hug. “Congratulations, by the way, I guess in a way this whole festival is for you as well.”

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

He waves off her comment. "Hardly. If you asked half the people here who Franklin's father was they'd probably answer the stork." He jokes. It's never really bothered him. He'd prefer to blend into the background. "But I can't wait to be a father again. Frannie says that she's been ensured that it's a girl."

[wren-rowle-blog]

"I can’t seem to pull the children away from the animals," she explains as she stands to the side, her guard standing behind her. "Morgana has already asked me why Roewyn did not have a zoo."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"Wren," he says with a smile. "It's good to see you." He pulls her into a hug. "I am sorry for the situation but it is good to see you back in Varaveth. Franklin has been talking nonstop about how much time he has been spending with his cousins, I think I lost him somewhere around the mammoths."

[tucker-russo]

His eyes widen at the coins, not seeing so much in his hand at once before and for a moment stared, as if unsure before he extends his hand forward again. “Thank you sir - but you’re too generous. It doesn’t feel right considering I was just trying to help.”

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt shakes his head, refusing the returned coins. "If you don't want them, I am sure you can find better use for them than me." His guards make an appearance, telling him that he's wanted by the queen. He turns back towards Tucker. "Hopefully we'll meet again," he says with a smile before following the guards towards the throne room.

[tucker-russo]

"S’pose you’re right." Tuck shrugged as he shifted the weight. "Not sayin’ I have an issue with authority just… The way some folks use it. Guess that’s still probably true about wherever you go though."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt smiles, understanding the feeling completely. "Yes, I suppose it is." He waves over the guards as they make it inside the castle who take his luggage from both their hands. "I must thank you for your help." He takes five gold coins out of his bag and hands them to the man.

[tucker-russo]

"I s’pose you’re right, but all in all - have none of us a say?" Tuck asked curiously. "Mean we’re all supposed to do what we’re told - but look where that got us?" Feeling suddenly out of place he swallows. "Sorry sire - uh not that this isn’t a lovely sort of place."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt observes the man for a moment. "No matter where in the world you go, you will be under the authority of others," he says. "It is something that is easier to swallow once it is accepted."

[macfustys]

"Yes." Frannie said, feelingly childishly that this was beside the point, although the adult part of her brain knew that she shouldn’t be so petty. As well meaning as she was, she was still complacently used to getting her own way. "He would love it, wouldn’t he." she sighed, "I will have to ask my Mother."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt grins. "This is all I can ask for," he says before kissing Frannie on the cheek. "Now, let's go inside and I can show you what I got Franklin on my travels. I wish I had known the news earlier and I would have gotten the new baby something as well."

[tucker-russo]

"No… I s’pose it isn’t. But still that hardly seems fair, why does tradition need to mean more than fair?" Tuck wonders naively out loud before shaking his head. "Guess it doesn’t matter when that’s just the way it is."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"How could it be more fair though? No matter what, only one can rule," Matt says with a shrug. "I can give them both equal piece of my and, but I can't give them equal share of the throne."

[macfustys]

Frannie hesitated. She was reluctant to let Franklin go anywhere for so long - she knew how much she would miss him - but… “I suppose… it is now not so many years until he becomes a squire, if that is what he chooses. It may be good for him to see the world and gain a little knowledge before he does so.” she sighed, “But perhaps selfishly… I would miss him, and I would worry about him.” she bit her lip, “You are quite aware that I could have you beheaded if anything were to happen to him?”

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"I miss him when I am away, I know how you feel," Matt offers kindly. "But it would be good for him to see the world, to know a bit more than Varaveth." He laughs. "You could, but I think my head may be too thick to hang," he jokes. "Nothing will happen to him. We would travel with Queen's Guard and I would never take my eyes off of him."

[tucker-russo]

"I don’t understand why it has to be one or the other. Why not just who comes first? Or maybe who’d be best?’ Tuck asked before his brow furrowed even deeper, not finding it all together overly different than he did back home.

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"You would think they'd want who would be best for the land, no matter what gender or when they were born, but that is not the way tradition works, at least not in either of our lands."

[tucker-russo]

Tuck smiles. “Be real good for him though I bet, I’ve never known a parent who wouldn’ miss their child, but couldn’ you argue about missin’ him too?” 

"You don’t think you treat em’ fair?"

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt shakes his head. "My son would not be able to inherit, only if I have a daughter." It's then that he realise that Tucker would not know who he was and that he could not yet talk about Frannie's impending pregnancy. "I'm sorry, my son is Princess Francesca's son."

[macfustys]

Frannie frowned, “Take him with you? Where to? And for how long? There could be a war coming Matthew, I am not so sure that is wise.”

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"Where the queen next sends me," Matt explains. "It would not be long, but it may be good for him to see the world. I don't think the queen would send me where war was a worry."

[tucker-russo]

"Many travels indeed." Tuck wonders. "You think his Mother will approve? He’ll be a grown man before she sees him again."

"That sounds incredibly fair." He says, pleasantly surprised.

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt shakes his head. "I would not take him away for that long, six months at most. She'd miss him too dearly if it were longer. Even then I think she may have issues with it to be honest."

"My parents always were. I just wish I could be the same way with my own children."

[macfustys]

"We are." Frannie agreed, "That is quite true. I suppose I am just concerned that it will not quite seem the same through the eyes of a nine year old. I am quite sure that Franklin will love his brother or sister though, he is a good boy."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt nods and looks forward to where Franklin has stopped, finally noticing that Matt and Frannie were no longer following him. "We will have to talk to him," he says to Frannie while smiling encouragingly at Franklin. "Perhaps I can take him with me when I next leave for a short trip? It will get his mind off of things."

[tucker-russo]

His parents never mentioned their own - though Tuck could vaguely recall the name of his father’s mother. Kieran told him it once or twice.  ”Where would you take him? I’ve heard of many distant lands and well… To be honest they sound a bit frightening.”

"Sounds fine indeed, will the titles be yours someday?" Tuck asked, not sure how things worked in Varaveth, but land always going to the first born son in Roewyn.

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"Everywhere," Matt answers, "I am ambassador for the queen, I travel everywhere in her name. I can't say I face them alone though, usually I have members of the legion, even a queen's guard or two with me."

"Oh, my parents are going to split the land between myself and my sister."

[macfustys]

"No, I do not think he would either." Frannie agreed, "But I do not think it will escape his notice that he is the first born son and yet he is not afforded the same opportunities as Robin." she sighed, "But I suppose it is the same as Morgana’s situation, just reversed. Franklin has a kind nature, I hope he will adjust to the knowledge in time."

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt thinks for a minute. "It's never fair though, is it? No matter what somebody loses, first born, second born, boy, girl," he says after a second. "You and your sisters are still close and it's no different because your all woman is it? They still don't get the throne while their sibling does."

[tucker-russo]

He smiles, feeling slighted as he thinks suddenly of his mother but is quick to push the thoughts away. “Im sure he’ll ‘ppreciate it, an adventure with his father sounds like any young boy’s dream.”

"Really? Thank you mi’lord, truly you are… Too kind.  Where does your families’ land lie?"

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

"I would hope so. I actually think it comes down to more of what his grandmother thinks of the arrangement, but it's good for a boy to see the world."

"Oh, a ways out of the city. Outside of a village down the coast a bit."

[macfustys]

"Soon, I think. It is Mother’s decision and not mine, but I think very soon." her smile fell a little at the mention of Franklin, "I am a little worried, actually. With Robin here he has begun to realize that he does not quite have the same status, and if the child is a girl…"

[matthew-rutherford-blog]

Matt's smile drops a bit, thinking of Wren's children. "But, Franklin..." He doesn't know know how to say that Franklin is growing up with a much different family than Robin. "Franklin is happy with other ventures. He would not like being king."