Realm of Light

Blessing (3)

I slowly turn around my head to face the king. I look at the king, and the king looks at me. He elevates his gaze to my father's. 

"Your highness! A-" The King interrupts the treasurer.

"Viscount Marchetti, your daughter needs more strength than that to represent our kingdom." I let a sigh out by mistake. He takes back his gaze on me. "Hop hop, I want to see what you can do." He seats me back to my original position, and armed with my feather, I dip the quill in ink and start the last account, orphanages.

 I go back and forth to pages. I am under such pressure. If I fail, my family could be executed. 

The orphanage's management is given to the Da Silva family; each year, when the annual budgets are done, a sum is allowed to the family to administer orphanages. The money is assembled by charity work, and the rest is by the king. To have met the 'sun of the kingdom,' clearly, this is a political move made by the treasurer.

The difference between the money orphanages should have received and the money they indeed received is far too high. The more I compile the transactions. The Da Silvas have made something approaching knavery through the years.

I turn to face the king, and he only seems mesmerized by me, and he isn't paying attention to a single thing I've been doing. Wake up! You are being wronged, do something! Look!

I am disgusted by such a waste of beauty. Why would the gods give a man such beauty but forget to give him a brain?

"Viscount Marchetti, can you verify the calculus." That king really knows nothing about formalities or just being polite. 

Fearfully my father approaches us and takes the freshly written pages. As he goes through them, he frowns even more. The treasurer glares at him before slowly approaching to take a look at the book.

"Sweet lord." The man covers his mouth with his hand, and my father looks just as shock as him.

"Viscount Marchetti, you are relieved of your function for the day. You may return home." As he was speaking, he hands me back to Valor and starts walking to the door. " Take care of my child, viscount." My father and I look at each other in disbelief. Okay, I look at him in disbelief for the king's behaviour, but most likely, he looks at me that way because of my little performance. 

***

The ride back home was more awkward as he kept staring at me, confused. I guess my fun adventure took another turn. When we arrived an hour ago, he directly put me into my bedroom, and nobody came in since. 

"Etta, I beg you to believe me. Her intelligence is beyond anything seen. We have to take profit from it." What on land is this man blattering again.

My mother barge in rage in my bedroom and furiously approaches my cradle. She takes me into her arms and turns to face Valor.

"I cannot believe you would lie to me and put our lives in such danger!" Right! Tell him, Mother. I had so much pressure today! " Why are you so irresponsible!" I mean, she really is furious.

My mother kept expressing her furiousness at my father when a petrified maid entered the room. "Mada-" She immediately stops talking when the piercing eyes of my mother turn towards her.

"What is it, Amalia?" She calms her tone, and the trait of her face seem to loosen up.

"There is a man downstairs send by the king asking to speak with the viscounts." Etta gives the deadliest look to Valor before quickly running downstairs.

Valor didn't take long to surpass his wife and get to the door where a man was standing, firmly holding a letter in his hands. I suppose he must be a valet for taking care of the courier. Contrary to nobles, his skin is pretty pale, which confirms his low-class roots. 

Etta stands slightly behind Valor, which allows me to see the visitor. Apart from his pale skin, he isn't very tall. Even my mother is taller by an inch. Only his slate eyes fixed on me gave me goosebumps. 

"Greetings viscount and viscountess Marchetti. I am here on order of the Sun of the kingdom of Saffom to convey his highness' invitation to a brunch." Both of my parents started breathing again.

"You may transmit our acceptance to the king." Without further formalities, he closes the door and exchanges a curious look with Etta.

She snobs with and walks away towards the glass doors giving access to the garden.

"Amalia, prepare a quilt and an extra pillow. Somebody will be sleeping on the settee tonight." Waouh, that woman is sassy.

We pass the glass door, and a blanket was already installed on the grass for our comfort. Our garden is quite beautiful, filled with roses, and in the middle, a majestic fountain scatters crystal clear water. While my mother and I are enjoying the kisses of the sun, the maids cannot bear the heat produced by the sun and where send back inside quickly before they'd faint. Nobles tend to have a darker skin complexion and therefore tends to love the sun, whereas the lowest class tend to avoid it. Rare are the fair nobles. Etta has a beautiful tawny skin colour, which only sets out her eyes even more, and to complement her beauty, her long silky curls fall under her breast. 

We took our dinner outside and stayed until the sunsets. Enjoying our last meal before the king's reception.