II. The Impact of Her

~ Nineteen ~

"Is it a custom in your kingdom to make your guests wait for an incredibly long time?"

A disappointed voice came from the main hall as I rushed down to Queen Marta.

"Your Majesty," I spoke as I walked down the stairs with my hands behind my back.

"Ugh! Finally!" she sighed, closing her fan as she walked towards me whilst our guards a death stare. "I supposed that time runs rather slower here than what's in the norm," she snarked.

"I do apologise for the delay, Your Majesty. We're currently in the middle of an emergency–"

"Emergency or not, you and your people should value the worth of time! You and your mother should've greeted me by the door in the same manner that I did for you when you came to our kingdom," she complained. She continued with, "I didn't expect a grandiose welcome. But the least that you can do for me is a warm and friendly hello. But what happened? I endured such a long journey, just to be greeted by no one."

She added, "This meeting must be dealt with as soon as possible in order for it to be a success."

"But does a simple meeting hold a higher importance than taking care of a mother who is ill and currently bed-ridden?" a voice suddenly spoke from the top of the stairs. I turned around and watched as James approached us.

"Well, certainly not," Queen Marta stuttered because of James' sudden presence. "But, your queen gave me her word–"

"A promise is a promise. But when a family member needs immediate care and attention, they deserve all the proper care and attention possible," James replied, interrupting Queen Marta. He stood beside me and continued, "If your family has this kind of situation, we will humbly understand and move the meeting to another day."

"In doing so, it shows you and your family don't value time at all," she smirked as she opened her fan, trying to cower James with her insensitive remarks.

"On the contrary, we do value time in this kingdom," James stepped forward with a confident smile. He continued, "We value the time for people important to us. Meetings can wait. They can be done at any time. But when our family is in some kind of emergency, family comes first before anything."

"Well... your son could've taken care of this meeting on his own," she stuttered, trying to think of an excuse to go against James' argument. "He should've been the one who took the journey to discuss important matters with me. He's well-capable of taking care of himself."

"Robert has been taking care of the queen ever since she fell ill. He never left her side even though he hasn't got enough rest," James explained. "He knows what to value in life. He values time with his mother. You, of all people, shall understand that the most. Am I right?"

Queen Marta cleared her throat, looking down to the ground after being embarrassed by the situation. She was a ruling monarch. She was a mother, too. And she did mention that she missed the time when her children were by her side. She should've understood this situation from the very beginning.

"Well, if you say that this is an emergency, I guess I have to... reconsider. My apologies for being inconsiderate," she bowed her head as she closed her fan, grasping them tightly.

"There's no need to apologise, Your Majesty. We understand where your point is coming from," James nodded.

"But, we have to start immediately. I still have a lot to take care of back at home," she quickly returned back to her queen state of mind.

"This way, Your Majesty," James answered with a smile as he led the way to the accepting room.

~*~*~*~