The Wicked Queen's Retirement Cottage - Cecelia Alyce Speaks Up

Feh!  I object to the soubriquet ‘Wicked Queen’!  I am no such thing.  I am Cecelia Alyce wife to the king, may God rest his soul, and step mother to his daughter Elianora.  She may call me wicked, hating that her father loved me after her mother died too young, but saying it does not make it so. 

Truly, Elianora might call me a Wicked Queen, or when she was feeling unkind, a Wicked Witch, but she had no idea what she was saying.  I do have a few small talents, enough to keep my work flowing smoothly.  An extra pair of hands can be very helpful, and I am always careful to never let any of the town’s folk see the pease pottage stirring itself or the kettle and carafe pouring out of their own volition.

Spinning and weaving are far safer past times for my neighbors to witness, or gardening.  My stillroom always smells of apples in the fall, when I make my cider.  The apples come from my tree, still bearing fruit even so late in the season. 

I have a bountiful harvest and my kitchen is rather messy at the moment.  And no thanks to that wily rabbit who still attempts to steal my lettuces.  My sweet little friends, Boadicea, a lovely black cat, Bathsheba, a regal black and white feline and Cleopatra, my adorable little calico do their best to keep the rodents from rampaging through my garden and household.  Arthur is my hedgehog, he’s a bit shy but he enjoys the warmth of the fireplace and pays for his lodging by eating worms and bugs to keep them from eating my stores.

Elianora was a sweet child when she was young, if a bit spoilt, but as she grew older she became more and more angry with me.  And more demanding of her father.  I did my best to be a good mother to her, out of love for her father, hoping she could love me as a daughter would.  Alas it was not to be.  And when my beloved died, she grew angry and resentful for he had named me regent until such a time as she reached her majority. 

Feh! Wicked!  Who was it kept the country from war?  Who was it dealt with trade and sickness and a bad harvest and kept the people of our land from starving?  Certainly not my silly little step daughter who had no interest in the practicalities of being a princess and soon to be queen.  She was more interested in her music and needlework and gowns.  Not running a household and from there learning to run a kingdom.

The foolish girl, truly she has more hair than wit, ran off and met some wandering fop who claims to be a prince of a land of which I have never heard.  He’s a handsome fellow, and practical, thank God, so likely now that they’re married he’ll keep her from running the kingdom to ruin with balls and tournaments and hiring minstrels.

But once she married Elianora was insistent that I leave the palace.  Truthfully, I longed for my simpler life, my cottage where I’d lived as my town’s wisewoman, providing them poultices and tinctures, salves and potions, and acting as their midwife and healer.  T’was how my beloved and I met in fact.  Elianora had grown ill on their journey from the capital into the country and his majesty had heard from my townsmen that I was an accomplished healer.

I was able to help Elianora recover, truly it was no great feat, she had a terrible cold, settling in her chest and needed rest and warmth and a few potions to speed her humors to proper balance.

As thanks for saving his only child my beloved offered to build a second floor onto my humble two room cottage.  I was able to have a proper stillroom and workroom for my weaving thanks to his generosity, and lived at the town inn nursing Elianora while the rooms were built.  My love even had the chimney pots specially made, with dragons, since I made up tales of them to entertain his child while she was ill. 

During the time I cared for Elianora his majesty began to court me.  I’m no great beauty, though I’m fair enough, but my king grew to love me for my plain speaking and thoughtful nature as well as my ability to listen without judgement.  It was the most joyous day of my life, the day he asked me to wed.

While Elianora was making plans for her wedding, something that very well might have bankrupted the kingdom had I not had a firm word with her and the merchants selling her cloth of gold and ruby studded slippers, I knew it would soon come time for me to leave the capital and palace. 

I had a tower constructed and attached to the back of my cottage, with a lovely stone winding stair and a room at the top from where I might look at the stars.  My love educated me in the study of the heavens and gifted me with one of the most wonderful telescopes, newly invented in Southern Europe.  We had no such things where I had lived and I was astounded by the knowledge my king possessed.  He gifted me also with a lovely orrey to mimic the planets of the heavens and a armillary sphere as well as the tellurion.  I have installed all of his wonderful gifts in the tower that I might continue my studies.

I miss my beloved greatly and brought with me from the palace a few things I could not bear to part with.  The bed with its draperies and lace was the one we shared, and while it makes the bedroom of the cottage feel small, there is a comfort to it.  The lute was another gift, as was the mirror on my mantle. 

I also brought with me the crown my love placed upon my head when he named me his queen.  It is mine by right and certainly doesn’t suit my stepdaughter so she may use her own, or the one belonging to her mother, kept safe in the treasury.

Now I live simply again, and keep my eye upon the wind for change will come upon us whether we will it or no.  No one can gainsay the Almighty after all.  And Wicked Queen she might call me, but I am Cecelia Alyce of Cornwall and I am content with the life I’ve been given.  Have some tea, and tell me what troubles you this fine day.