She kept staring at her for a while as the sudden silence surrounded them, with only the wind howling and their hairs dancing to it.
Acine couldn't understand why she was receiving such attitude from her when she haven't even began her game yet.
She knitted her brows and opened her mouth to speak, she just couldn't keep quiet any longer "Is something wrong my Queen?". Audrey quickly snapped from her daze, she placed the piece of paper inside ger dress pocket just beside her hips, carefully not to drop it.
And once she lifted her head to face her again ..... the sudden anger was replaced with a widest smile ever, her green eyes sparkling making her look even more beautiful under the daylight.
"Of course not! What can ever be wrong? now now let's proceed ..... we don't wanna drink cold tea do we?" her change of emotions left all of them awed, just now she was fuming and with just a bat of an eye .....she is the happiest person amongst them. How could she switch so quickly?
"Indeed your ladyship..... this way please" said Acine leading the way for her, deep inside she wondered what the hell was written in that piece of paper that made Audrey stare at her.
She might be a concubine but she isn't dumb not to know what she saw meant. She just wished she could get it and see with her own eyes.
They all settled down at the metallic patio within the garden, the one that Audrey usually sits at. There was a lion head fountain at the front and beautiful flowers surrounding the reeling of the patio, it was such an amazing and calming view.
Sitted on their respective seats facing each other, a tea table in the middle, their maids stood behind them with their heads lowered after serving the tea to them.
The two knights stood meters away giving them the privacy they needed.
An utter silence came again, one could only hear the boiling sounds of the tea beside them. Audrey took a sip after a long thoughtful silence, she decided to break the silence.
"So ..... lady Acine tell me about the castle life here, its quite boring isn't it?" she taking another sip elegantly she remembered Xara had told her 'A lady shouldn't be clumsy when it comes to drinking and make weird sounds, they are supposed to worship the cup/glad drink slowly at a time' she shook her head at the memory, that lady is leaving rent free in her memories.
Acine placed down her cup "Well, I'll tell you what my Queen .... it is the best place if you are smart enough to survive the boredom, but ...." she lifted her head facing Audrey with a cajoling smile "I'm afraid not many vould survive that, and it can be quite dangerous for a dunces, they won't survive even an air here let alone boredom" she chukled and took up her cup again.
Audrey's eyes still looking at her, she huffed sarcastically inside. What? A dunce? Was that supposed to be a threat? More like an insult to her!
Taking her time, she closed her eyes smelling the aroma of the tea, it was so good compared to the one who prepared it, taking a sip she opened her eyes placing the cup down on the table.
On the other hand Acine was dying to wait for her comeback because she was no different to a turtle right now! She was cursing inside but kept her cool to the outside, smiling constantly. Audrey wondered if her jaws ever gets tired of it.
"I guess so, Acine..... I'll tell you a quite interesting story" she said with a glint of excitement in her voice. Acine didn't answer and just sat calmly mentioning for her to continue.
"In a far land, there was a jungle kingdom, the lion King had his sweetheart but then .... the so called sweetheart was of a different race, a hyena. His kingdom denied him their relative and urged him to marry one of their own, poor her isn't it?" she paused feeding her eyes with satisfaction by seeing how tensed Acine has become just because of her story, but then she wasn't done yet .... she just began
"So the lion King married one of his own kind who was a very beautiful lioness and ..... the rightful Queen to his kingdom. But you know what happened?" she paused questioning her innocently, Acine swallowed nad spoke "W... what?" she uttered feeling the volcano eruptions within her.
The maids were overwhelmed by the story too but still stood quietly leaving the two in their own battlefield.
"Well, the sweetheart hyena got jealous of the lioness and plotted against her, she instigated to murder her so she could have the lion King and Queen tittle for herself. What a selfish hyena!" Audrey sipped her tea slowly.
Acine clenched her dress at the sides knowing exactly what the story was about. Today this stupid woman has crossed her limits! she thought.
"So what the dock hyena failed to know is that the lioness Queen wasn't just a beauty but a strong warrior too! And so she was able to defeat her plot. I would say the dock hyena was stupid to underestimate the lioness Queen." With that her attitude went back to that of an anger.
The two had a glaring competition, the air around them becoming thick. "Tell the docky hyena, her secret is safe with me but I can't guarantee not repaying her" her tone was deadly serious.
Acine who was fuming with anger had no reason to keep staying there, just not after revealing her true face to her after a very long time of pretending before her. She was sick of acting friendly with her!
She stood up abruptly causing her tea cup to fall down and crushed to the ground. Her maids and her Knight came to her side quickly, she didn't even spare a glance at Audrey and started to move. However she couldn't even reach on meter came a voice stopping her.
"Acine!!!" The Queen called her, she snarled turning back to her with pure hatred on her face, Okay that face suits you better! why hide it! thought Audrey and got up walking to her fearlessly, glaring back at her with same intensity.
"Nice try but try again! that's the best you can do? Mmmm?" she pouted sarcastically before continuing "I'm afraid so, but I would like to see where do we go from here, so don't dissapoint me next time" she smiled.
Acine chuckled with sarcasicsm "Thank you, I don't always receive a praise for my intelligence" she smirked before turning to leave, with her maids and Knight jogging behind her to keep up with her pace like some obedient puppies.
Audrey heaved a long sigh and staggered back, her body slamming down on the chair she was sitting on. Her maids and Vincy rashly came to her side with worried looks.
"My Queen!!" "Your highness! Are you okay!!" "Good heaven! my Queen!!" theyball blurted together running out of patience.
Audrey closed her eyes, her hairs suddenly became red. Celine and Chika gasped in shock covering their mouth. Vincent's eyes widened in surprise too, its their first time he witnessed the famous shifting hairs.
Annie on the other hand had a pale face, she knew exactly what was going on with her at the moment. "My Queen, please calm down" she said patting her back to relax her boiling anger, there was no guarantee to what she could do in such state. She can control herself but it's quite risky.
The Queen of Dillonia, her mother personally told her to avoid angering her because she unpredictable in that state, she could be dangerous or worse. She let out a deep breath praying for her to calm down.
After couple of seconds, Audrey's breathing was back to normal but her hairs were still red color, she opened her eyes slowly. They were deadly serious, she let out a silence breath as if she was meditating.
"Vincent" she called out weakly, the man bowed ready to receive the order , however what she said next was what he prayed she would never ask someday. "Where does your loyalty lies to?" she questioned facing the water fountain in front of them with a serious look.
Without wasting time Vincy went down to his knees not wanting to stir up her anger, the King wouldn't spare him.
"My loyalty belongs to you My Queen, until death do us apart" he said in a soldier tone, at that moment he vowed vowed himself that he belongs to this woman because he felt like to, when he was given a post to be her knight, he wasn't specifically told if it would be forever but now he just decided that for himself, this is where he wants to be, by the Queen's side.
Audrey nodded and motioned him to get up, she took out the piece of paper from her pocket, which everyone was curious of and read it out loud for them to hear.
She then got up and burnt it at the stove, where the tea was still boiling. "I expected worse form her, I just never thought that it has already started, she instigated to kill me before I came here! I survived! so this only means one thing .... its a war! All of you be careful with anything that you do, we don't wanna give her an advantage do we?" her voice was firm and authoritative as she talked. Acine has picked a wrong number because she wasn't going to spare her from now on, she may not disclose this to anybody else but she would make sure she pays for it .... ransomly.
Vincy hid a grin and bowed, "Yes my Queen!" they all said in unison. The Queen was indeed underestimated! thought Vincy in his mind.
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