Sorton Quentin still wasn't happy with the queen's sudden arrival and hadn't bought the excuse that the queen's written letter had been lost in his territory. It was such a weak explanation that the Marquis immediately understood the reason for the regent and the princess's arrival. They wanted to test the enemy's territory themselves, but he wouldn't give up.
He certainly couldn't show open hostility or offend the queen, but he had a plan in mind, something that would corner the two women and divert their attention. Sorton had sent a letter to the Council, demanding an explanation of the changes regarding the winter event. The marquis had a way with words, and the message received from the other nobles seemed like a request for confirmation of their arrival in Terran, so that he could be ready to accommodate them as best he could. Furthermore, preparations for the Hunt would keep many workers in the province busy; soldiers would have to scout the hunting grounds, servants would have to prepare the nobles' rooms... in short, there was much to do.
The Council's reaction was not long in coming, and a letter arrived in the queen's hands after a few days at the Marquis's mansion.
"Predictable. Almost naive in its method." She said, looking at the paper.
"Sorton Quentin knows well that nobles don't like to lose the control they possess. I assume there will be complaints from our dear duke." The princess poured tea into the queen's cup, then took care of her own, before putting the teapot away. The fragrance of the red berries was delicious.
"Should I expect assassination attempts before the nobles arrive? Or perhaps afterward? He might exploit the confusion to blame someone else."
"The Marquis likes to do things in style... he wouldn't rely on such subterfuge." Grimilde thanked Snow White with a smile, taking a sip from her cup of tea. At that time of afternoon, when the sun began its journey down from the sky, the two women usually met in the gazebo in the garden to talk and spend time together, so it appeared to the palace servants. In reality, the two young women were intent on giving the impression of being harmless creatures, incapable of strategy, as the Marquis had come to believe. Grimilde knew, however, that Sorton wasn't interested in the princess at the moment.
This put some of her worries to rest, though not all of it.
"Aren't you worried that someone will hear you?"
"That's why you are here, Astrael, to keep away anyone who would disturb us." The queen commented sharply. She gave the demon an annoyed look, but said nothing else. Snow White remained silent, watching them with curious eyes.
"Icy as always, Your Majesty."
"Not with everyone..." Snow White whispered, hiding the blush on her cheeks by turning her face toward the garden. Astrael shot her a withering look and then sat down at the table with them. "Before you tell me I wasn't invited to your pleasant tea party, I have a few things to report." Both women listened attentively.
"No suspicious activity in the woods or the servants' dormitories so far, but I did discover something very interesting while wandering around." Astrael's smile widened in that demonic way he always did when he wanted to inspire terror. "Apparently, there's a cult around here that prays and lives for a demon. They call themselves theHeirs."
"What kind of cult? Isn't it forbidden in the kingdom to worship demons?"
"Not just in the kingdom, but on the entire continent," the queen commented, her eyes fixed on the demon before her. "How serious is the situation?"
"I don't know anything else for now. I'm curious to find out if they also engage in sacrifices, blood rituals, orgies, and—"
"That's enough for now. You may go." Grimilde pushed him away before he traumatized Snow White and remained silent for the rest of the day. Even when she reached the princess's room at night, she didn't utter a word unless urged by the princess.
"I worry when you don't talk to me..." Snow White was combing her long blonde hair, stroking it lovingly.
and every lock, devoting her undivided attention to her beloved queen. Grimilde had immediately complied when the girl had asked to be the object of her care.
"Sometimes I undermine who I am. It's a flaw of mine: I'm certainly ambitious, but I'm a perfectionist, and I can't tolerate being unprepared or vulnerable. When I'm pushed, I become impulsive, I don't think clearly..."
"Do you think you can reach the limits of humanity and surpass them? No one's perfect, Ilde..." The girl whispered in the queen's ear, her voice imbued with sweetness and compassion.
"Being the queen of Arran is like having chains around my neck and wrists that tighten ever more, trying to suffocate me... at the slightest mistake, they will."
Iwon't allow it, thought Snow White, and tried to convey it with her actions. She put down the comb and wrapped her arms around Grimilde's shoulders, resting her head against hers. Listening to the queen's confessions, the princess began to realize how inexperienced she was in the political world and how much she longed to be strong and responsible to save Grimilde from duties and commitments she hadn't sought. She knew that the marriage to the king had been forced upon her, and she imagined little Grimilde's emotions on her wedding day, and she was saddened.
She loved her father, but women's fate had always been in the hands of men, and she couldn't bear that. She was disgusted by the idea of marrying a stranger, an unhappy relationship from the start, except by some lucky chance. She wanted to find her own path, not be a commodity exchanged between noble families. And so she wanted to change things, even knowing how difficult and long the road would be.
"With you by my side, it's not so heavy anymore." The queen's words were whispered after a few minutes of reflection. The princess was surprised and smiled lovingly. Her grip on the regent tightened.
~•~•~•~•
What do think so far?