"Hold my heels?"
Katelyn's eyes are disapproving when I reach down and slip a heel off my foot. Grass crutches under my foot when it stands flat. I reach for the other shoe, holding them out for her.
"Your Majesty, this is ludicrous," she says, trying to force logic onto me. I simply hold my hand up to her, preventing her from saying more. However, it's Katelyn, and she always tries to convince me to think about my actions. "What will His Majesty think?"
"They're children," I tell her, rolling my eyes. Frankly, I'm still highly annoyed with Garroth at the current moment. He can reprimand me all he wants, and it'll only add onto my anger. "We're wading in water. It's not as if I'm stripping as a show."
Her expression turns into one of a grimace at my words. She gives in eventually and takes a step back to a nearby tree. Jeffory follows after her. I hear a bit of a conversation between them as he tries and calms her down. I chuckle, lifting up my skirts and walking into the water with the other children.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
The bottom of my skirts dripped water by the time I returned. I was thrown into a bath and forced into a new dress once I was dried. My legs had sand slowly climbing up my pale skin, never once reaching above my ankles. My ladies fretted about my appearance. I allowed myself to look "disheveled," but I simply allowed for the bottom of my skirts to become damp and the inevitable perspiration across my forehead.
"You actually played with those children?"
Kandi's dumbfounded face mirrors Katelyn's attitude regarding the entire engagement.
"I couldn't help it. They wanted to play, and I found it to be quite exhilarating. Don't age us, Kandi."
"There's a difference between us and them," she says. Kandi's eyes widen at her words and quickly tries to justify what she said. "Age. They're children, Alex. You're married, and you rule beside my brother. This will be published in the papers."
I roll my eyes. "I don't see how I did anything wrong. I bonded with the children. I simply took off my shoes. When they began to play in the water, I watched them from afar and spoke to the caregivers."
"It's just so out of character for you," she says. "When you first arrived, you were so afraid of making the wrong move. You were timid and watched my mother with a careful eye."
The doors behind us open, and a messenger walks in. He announces that Garroth wishes to see me, and I set my teacup down against the saucer. Kandi stares up at me from the brim of her cup.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
I admitted to Jeffory on the ride back how I liked the idea of children. Maybe it's because I was a child not so long ago, but I enjoy having them around. They're so full of energy and life. Full of hope. There's little they have to worry about.
In my engagement book, it spoke about going to one of the local orphanages and observing and engaging. It's been wickedly hot today, and I was unable to detect if it was warmer inside or outside.
I suggested we wade in the water.
"I've been informed you acted like a child today?"
My eyes want to roll into the back of my head from annoyance. "Was it Katelyn that tattled?"
"I will not disclose that information. But Alex, you know your wellbeing is reported to me after your engagements."
Jeffory reminded me that if I adored children so much that I should invest in creating an heir. He received a cold glare as a response.
"Funny Katelyn exaggerated. I went to an orphanage today, and the children looked miserable. I simply suggested we waded in the water while they talked to me about their life and what was going on. While they played, I spoke with their caregivers. I didn't splash alongside them. If anything, I bonded with the children of your country. I have notes regarding their conditions and ideas for improvement. Did Katelyn forget to mention that?"
He frowns at this. "There's nothing in your engagement book tomorrow. Would you. . . um, mind accompanying my sister and I to Falcon Claw? She has a dress fitting in the morning, but she has a public appearance with Aaron in the afternoon. It's so they are more accustomed to one another before their wedding. To build chemistry."
I sigh and nod my head. "I suppose so."
He doesn't have anything else to say to me. I want him sheepishly look back down at his paperwork. Never once doesn't he excuse me to leave, so I excuse myself.
°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°
Zianna catches me when I walk out of his study. She asks about how my engagement went, but she doesn't agree when I try to dismiss it. I've grown tired of explaining it.
Eventually I give in. The only thing she does is laugh at me and insists we sit for tea. I tell her I've already had tea with Kandi only an hour earlier, but she insists nonetheless.
"I did something similar when I was a young queen," she laughs. Zianna sips from her tea cup, but she struggles from her giggling. "Except I fell in."
I look up at her. "Really? You fell in?"
She nods. "I fell into a pit of mud. Garte was furious, but the children were thrilled."
