Chapter 177: The Calm Before The Storm
Many noble ladies shared my vision. I was glad to know that I could reach out to them on a much deeper level. Celia explained to them passionately about my desires for their future, and they all resonated with them perfectly.
And then the official meeting came. I had invited them to another tea party, but Sloane had yet to get the memo.
Laughter filled the long table, and several snacks were displayed.
We talked about many things, and having their input on a more intelligent level made me realize they had one thing or the other to say. I pondered if Sloane had given them a chance to speak for themselves.
But seeing how lively they were and engaging, I realized they had never done this with Sloane.
"This is far more interesting than I thought, it’s almost as if we’re seeing them on a whole new level than in their profiles."
"True."
"Only because you saw their potential after merely taking a glance at their profiles. You’re really something, Eloise."
"Why, thank you, Diana."
"Tch! This is only the compliment you will get from me, so enjoy it as much as you can."
I chuckled before taking a sip from my tea.
"I saw you last night."
I froze.
I moved my gaze to Diana, who pinned me with a serious expression.
"I—"
"You went to see Damon, didn’t you? Why?"
I dropped my teacup. "Can we talk about this later?"
"We’d better talk about this."
She was angry at me. At the mention of Damon, I was mentally brought back to our encounter last night, but I was snapped out of it when I spotted Sloane coming with a company of a few ladies.
Murmurs filled the table from the other ladies.
"Hush now..." I commanded, and they stayed silent.
"Here she comes," Diana whispered to me. "It could go sideways any moment."
I hope it does.
"Your Majesty," she curtseyed as well as the ladies. "Forgive us for being late, for we weren’t informed of another tea party."
"It was my mistake; I should have extended my invitation more broadly."
She forced a smile. "I should have been told by my ladies, too, but it seems like they were busy."
"Can you elaborate?"
"I’m aware of your visions, it’s quite big, Your Majesty, and to think there are others who share them. Breaking the system." I could sense the mockery in her tone. "It’s something."
"As it should be, what kind of queen would I be if I didn’t have great visions? The rest of the ladies agree. Breaking the system or, in a more subtle tone, changing the system will be great for Valkanor."
"Great for Valkanor? Is the monarch aware of such a drastic change? I do not mean any offense, but just a few weeks as queen and already such reforms are—"
"The monarch is very supportive of his queen. As you know, they love each other very much, as well as they love the empire," Diana spoke on my behalf. "Whatever wishes the queen has for the empire are only for the good of it. A future unlike any we have ever seen."
"Spoken wisely, your highness," she deadpanned.
"The ladies are very glad the queen has shared her visions," Celia expressed, grabbing Sloane’s attention. "She is the first queen to consider the noble ladies far more than as bodies to be given for marriages."
The others nodded in agreement. Even those who followed Sloane were taken aback, mostly in disbelief about my change.
"Lady Celia," Sloane said disdainfully. "House Everest is such a shrewd house. I urge the queen to be mindful. She swore her loyalty to me, and yet she has jumped ship so soon." She flickered her gaze to me. "I mean this as no disrespect, but as a lady who understands the gravity of loyalty."
"If you had offered that amount of understanding to the ladies who followed you, then I’m sure you’d have had much more than simple followers. Maybe I’d be standing by you right now." She glanced at the ladies behind Sloane. "Think wisely, ladies. Spots are still open if you wish to have a voice."
Sloane clenched her teeth, unable to make her comeback.
I smiled. "Please sit, we have more room and too many snacks."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
They took their seats. Sloane was surprisingly calmer than expected. I was hoping to pull out a wild reaction from her to get to the next stage of my plan, but it seems like I’d have to work harder for it.
"A drink, Your Majesty?" One of the ladies offered. "House Rose has always had the best teas."
"It’s true, Your Majesty. Perhaps take this as an apology for speaking out of place," Sloane urged.
"Thank you, Lady Aria of House Rose. I’d love to taste your tea."
Aria nodded and went down to the mixture in our presence. Everything needed to make tea was already on the table.
"We grew our own tea, and recently we got plants from Beloria. I heard harvests have flourished many times over, and their lands have expanded."
Seems like Father got what he wanted. The human kingdom will no longer be one settlement. The war that had broken the realm was finally healing. It’s funny how one choice can affect the course of balance.
We watched in amazement as Aria turned it into a teacup. She rose to her feet gracefully and walked to me.
The aroma alone was pleasing, and everyone asked for theirs after I had taken mine.
I stretched to take the teacup, but a hand shot out and stopped Aria from giving me the tea.
I gasped, glancing at Damon, who came out of nowhere.
"Damon?" I said in shock.
Damon kept his dark gaze on Lady Aria.
"You’re hurting me, let me go!" Aria shoved her hand away, and the contents of the tea spilled, but he caught the cup before it got to the floor.