Lunchti finally arrived, and I eagerly made my way toward the royal dining hall, with Alice following dutifully in tow.
In the past, the burden of expectations and my own self-loathing had kept from truly enjoying these als. But now, unburdened, I found the fare more exquisite than ever before. It was precisely what one would expect of the lavish banquets reserved for royalty. There was simply nothing that could top it.
As I entered the grand dining hall, I saw my mother and Lenora already seated, engaged in quiet conversation. The mont they heard my approach, they both turned to level stern, scrutinizing glares at .
I had seen this coming.
"A very good morning to you, Mother, Sister," I said, offering a bright smile as I took my seat in the high-backed kingly chair.
Unfastening Hyperion, I carefully leaned the heavy blade against the armrest. Instantly, a flurry of servants moved in, quickly plating my food and pouring my wine. A few of the maids offered flirtatious, lingering smiles; they were, honestly, quite lovely. But compared to Regina, their charms felt entirely lackluster. It wasn’t that they lacked beauty or allure. Any man on Earth would have been thrilled by such attention but Regina was simply different. She must have been a succubus in a past life.
I reached for my silver goblet of wine, but my mother’s hand suddenly grasped my wrist. She offered a tight smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"Lumiel, would you care to explain what transpired this morning?" She asked, her voice calm but very stern.
"This morning... well, I took a long bath, and then I assisted Regina with hers—"
"N—Not about that, Brother!" Lenora interrupted, her face flushing crimson.
"Lumiel... Arges. You simply relieved him of his duties?" Mother asked, her stern expression giving way to sheer disbelief.
"I did, Mother. He has served Father tirelessly for years, and I deed it necessary for him to finally rest," I said.
"Nonsense!" Mother retorted sharply. "Arges is still more than capable! How could you treat him with such disregard, my son? There is no man more fiercely loyal to our family than he, and you simply cast him aside!"
She was genuinely frustrated and angry, understandably so. It would have been actually weird if she wasn’t.
"Mother, I understand your displeasure, but I am the King now. I have made my decision, and you must respect it," I said, my tone hardening slightly.
"I cannot condone such a foolish decision, Lumiel! Your father would never have done such a thing!"
"And Father is dead," I replied, pulling my wrist free and taking a sip of wine.
The blunt statent shocked her into silence. Even Lenora stared at , wide-eyed.
Lowering my glass, I let out a soft sigh.
"And what of the engagent?" Mother asked, recovering her composure.
"What engagent?" I asked, feigning utter ignorance.
"With Morgana? The match your father personally arranged," she said.
"I am calling it off. You should have seen how brazenly arrogant she acted in my presence. She would never make a suitable Queen, let alone a dependable bodyguard. I have freed the position, and I shall find soone far more worthy of it than Morgana. It certainly will not be difficult to find a better replacent."
"Brother, did you truly dismiss Uncle Arges simply because Morgana angered you?" Lenora asked, her voice tinged with incredulity.
I offered her a knowing smile. "You are very astute, Sister."
"I have heard quite enough," Mother said, abruptly rising from her chair.
"Where are you going, Mother?" I asked.
"I am going to speak with Arges. I will bring him back and inform him that my foolish son made a rash decision born of re pettiness," she said, delivering a sharp, reprimanding glare.
"Mother, you cannot overrule a decree issued by the King," I sighed, leaning back in my chair.
"I am your mother," she said.
I looked at her, a retort on the tip of my tongue, but I forced myself to keep my mouth shut. I rely watched in silence as she swept out of the hall, her skirts rustling with indignation.
"Well, knowing Arges, he will never defy my orders unless I rescind them myself. I am the King, after all," I said aloud, offering a nonchalant shrug.
That man’s loyalty was that absolute.
He would never disobey his King.
"Brother... what are you doing?" Lenora gave a deeply confused gaze.
"I told you, I am making sure I am respected. Morgana will think twice before raising her voice and acting so arrogantly in my presence from now on," I said.
"That is just stupid, big brother!" Lenora retorted, her voice rising. "I know Morgana has been quite a bully toward you in the past, but it wasn’t that bad! And you know how she is! If you wished to punish her, you should have just punished her, not Uncle Arges... We need him now more than ever," she insisted, leaning forward.
"You do not need him, Sister. I told you I will be the one protecting you," I said confidently.
Lenora was at loss of words at my smooth retort that clearly softened her expression. "And who will protect you? It was supposed to be Arges, but you sent him away."
"I am plenty capable of protecting myself," I replied, eting her gaze squarely.
"You are acting too arrogant now, Brother," Lenora said with a pointed look.
"A King must be arrogant, Sister," I said, calmly pouring more wine into her glass.
"But you are being stupidly arrogant, Brother," she shot back, tearing a piece of bread before tearing into the roasted chicken supper.
"You think so?" I asked her, mildly amused.
"Yes. Perhaps you thought demoting Uncle Arges in front of the entire court was a grand show of strength, but it wasn’t. You only gave them more reasons to conspire against you," she said pointedly.
I smiled at her.
"Why are you smiling now? That was not a complint, Brother," Lenora said, her face scrunching up in confusion.
"No, I was rely thinking that you would have made an excellent Queen if I had truly died. These old n have no idea what you are truly capable of," I said sincerely.
Lenora’s cheeks flushed a bit pink in embarrassnt at the unexpected praise.
"Complints will not change the fact that I am angry and annoyed by what you did to Arges, Brother," she said, trying to regain her stern composure.
"Offer my apologies to Arges if you see him, then," I said lightly.
"Are you changing your mind, then?!" She asked, her eyes lighting up with sudden hope.
"No."
She glared at , pushing her chair back and standing up abruptly.
"Wait, Lenora," I called after her.
"What is it?" She asked, turning back with an impatient huff.
"Take Alice with you. From now on, Alice will serve as your personal maid," I said, shocking both her and Alice, who was standing dutifully behind .
"W—What?" Lenora stuttered, looking back and forth between and Alice. "But she has always been your maid."
"I have found a new one," I replied simply.
"You an Regina? You never even looked at her until now," she said, her face twisting in disapproval.
"I hadn’t even looked properly at my own reflection before," I replied.
"Whatever, Brother," she rolled her eyes again. "But I already have Anna with ," she added, gesturing toward her dark-haired maid.
"Well, replace her. Alice is far more capable, I can certainly attest to that," I said.
"If she is so capable, why not keep her?" Lenora asked, her brow furrowed as she glanced at Alice, who was visibly trembling from shock and hurt.
"I told you, I have found a new maid. Now, Sister, do not force to make it a royal decree. Or do you dislike Alice? She was originally supposed to be your maid, to begin with," I reminded her.
Plans had changed when my mother assigned Alice to as moral support, a very smart decision, as expected of her. She knew too well.
Lenora glared at one last ti, her jaw clenched tight, before finally looking at Alice.
"Co, Alice," she said softly.
"Y—Your Majesty?"
Alice stepped forward until she stood hesitantly beside .
"Have I... in so unknown way, insulted or offended you?" She demanded, her voice trembling slightly.
"You have not," I replied, keeping my gaze fixed on my plate as I took a bite of the roasted chicken.
"Then why am I being dismissed?" She asked, distressed.
I sighed softly and finally looked up at her.
"Must I repeat myself, Alice? I told you, I have found Regina now. I do not yet know the full extent of her capabilities, but she is certainly far more interesting and... entertaining," I added, a slight smirk spreading across my lips.
Alice stared at , completely speechless for a mont, before she offered a weak, defeated nod. "I see..."
Bowing her head deeply, she turned and walked swiftly to stand dutifully by Lenora’s side.
Lenora shot a scolding glare.
"Have you changed your mind, Sister? Do you wish to resu our family supper? You have not finished your plate," I pointed out.
She scoffed.
"The Ritual has simply made you insufferable," she spat.
"I am your King, Lenora. You will show the respect my title commands," I said.
"And I am your little sister," she snorted dismissively, turning on her heel and striding out of the hall.
I sighed, watching their retreating backs until they disappeared from sight.
"Like mother, like daughter."
User Comments
0 comments from readers