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Merida bit her tongue and counted to ten. If she had learned anything since the bear incident, as she called it in her head, it was a bit of patience. Only a small bit, not enough to fill even half of one of her father’s mugs, but she was trying with her mother. Right now, it was hearing about how there should be a ball with her coronation and how she was trying to nix the idea. She was fine with the ceremony that would happen for taking over father but she was not about to try to find a husband through a ball. No matter how much her mother wanted children from her, even though she had one apiece from her brothers. “Mum, I do not need a ball. I am perfectly fine and happy on my own.”
“It is more about being happy. It’s about the future of the kingdom too,” Elinor replied, moving a silver piece of hair that used to be brown. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but, traditionally, our lands are ruled by two, even if it only seems like one.”
Merida held in the groan about tradition, if only because it would lead to bigger arguments. That was something she else she learned. Listen to her mother, agree outside while disagreeing within, and actually talk through the problems. Even if this one seemed to be more of a mountain. “Did you and father marry before or after he took over as leader?”
The question was enough to take the wind out of Elinor’s sails about how her daughter needed to find a husband. She smiled and sat down. “It was in the middle, actually. We had been courting for such a long time…. In the end, though, we knew that coming together, in marriage, would only make the both of us stronger.”
Merida groaned. “That didn’t answer anything at all!”
“It did with what you needed to hear,” Elinor said and yawned. “We’ll continue this in the morning, dear.” She got up and went over to her daughter, giving her a hug, and was happy when it was returned. “Think about what I said.”
Merida nodded, keeping her sigh in until her mother left the room. She heard chuckling and turned to see her father had heard about everything. “Da, mum wasn’t always like this, right?”
“Right,” he said, coming and sitting down in the chair that, in a few short weeks, would be Merida’s. “You know the thing that first drew me to her? Not her beauty, not her voice, but her pranks. She was so different back then. She laughed more, not that she doesn’t laugh enough now, but then… it was musical. To see her back to that again, craftily stealing from the baker to have an extra sweet – I would like nothing else. But we all grow up, Merida. You too. You’ve come a long way from doing what you think is right and now give voice to your opinions.”
“Da, this isn’t about me. I wanted to hear about mum. About how she was and what changed. Was it the bear, when I was little?”
“Aye,” he said. “That camping trip scared her the most. After that, she was happy in the castle and going for small trips where we didn’t go too far away. Until what happened and then she started adventuring again. And living. But, now, instead of fear, it’s age that keeps us where we are.
“We should do one last ride together, before the coronation,” she said and smiled as her father nodded. “Either all of us or just you and me if mum doesn’t want to. She shouldn’t be forced into it.”
He grinned and ruffled her hair. “You’re going to be a magnificent queen.”
“Da!” she said, smoothing down her hair but grinning. “Thanks.” She helped her father get up, making sure he had his legs before letting him walk on his own, and watched him leave. She looked around, making sure that nobody else was there, before she slowly sat down in her father’s chair. She knew that she would need to stop thinking of it as his, but, right now, the worry for her parents were fresh in her mind. She knew, deep down, that her mum was right. She could rule, justly and like her father before her, but there would always be something missing. And probably not peace in the kingdom because of it too… was her next thought. She sighed, getting up from the chair and making her way to her own bed. She got to her room and smiled at seeing her mum there.
They both started to talk at the same time, laughing as Merida came to sit down next to her mum on the bed. Elinor smiled. “Go first.”
“I think you’re right. I need to find someone, if not for myself, for the rest of the kingdom. The clans won’t stand for an unmarried woman on the throne, father’s daughter or not.”
Elinor smiled. “You realize that, due to the new traditions, you don’t have to choose from only the three clan leaders. And there doesn’t have to be a ball if you don’t want one. I would like it, but if you are completely against it, then it isn’t needed.” She smiled and watched her daughter look happy and a small bit disappointed at the same time. “Unless there is someone and you only want to dance with him?” she watched her daughter blush.
“There might or might not be someone who has been coming to court that I’ve been speaking with who… well, I would have never considered him back at the archery contest, but he’s forgiven me for that.”
“Well, yes, young MacGuffin has grown into a strong and handsome man. We should thank his mother for that,” Elinor said. Merida went nearly as red as her hair before dissolving into giggles. “You forget that I see everything.”
“Didn’t forget, mum, just… I’m not even sure.” She looked over at the tapestry. “I’m just glad we’re better than we were.”
“I am too darling.” She kissed her daughter’s cheek, smiling as she got a hug in return. They spent a bit more time talking, figuring out a way to tell Fergus, before both eventually went to sleep, happy and content for what lay ahead in their futures.