Queen's Adviser

Chapter 54

*Zelene's P.O.V*

Standing there, I just kind of watch Lady Euphemia and her Majesty, and feel very awkward while doing it. It's just very quiet now and they are just lightly swaying back and forth, as Lady Euphemia holds her Majesty close while she's in her arms. Eventually, I swear I even see Lady Euphemia wipe tears from her eyes as she quietly clears her throat, only slightly disturbing her Majesty in the process.

"Ask it already..." Lady Euphemia says, not even bothering to look at me as she does so.

"I can feel you staring at us, Zelene, so just ask your question..." She continues when I hesitate to say anything. Seeing as I can't exactly deny what I have been doing this whole time, I ask my questions carefully.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask, making her pause and consider my question longer than I would think necessary.

"Why... Why... I'm not really sure, honestly. I'm not even sure what we are doing, besides spoiling my daughter. What do you think we are doing that you need to ask with such concern?" Lady Euphemia asks, throwing the question right back at me. This also makes me pause for longer than I would think necessary before I answer her too.

"You... are treating her Ma... Her like a toddler, at best. I just want to know why. I noticed she seemed to act a bit immature at times while around you but this seems a bit... excessive." I point out, watching her carefully for any signs my words are crossing a line. When she doesn't react to them in a negative way, I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm kind of surprised you noticed that too. Was it really so obvious? Was I truly so ignorant of her behavior? It doesn't matter, yes, she has acted immature in some ways. Yes, we are being a bit excessive. You are mistaken on our intent though." She says, pausing to let that sink in before continuing.

"We are not doing this for her though. Not exactly, at least. We are buying this stuff mainly for ourselves, even though the stuff is for her." She says, stunning me into silence for a couple seconds!

"What... what do you mean not for her? How is the stuff for her, but not for her?" I ask in total confusion.

"It's quite simple... She doesn't need any of it. It's not even going to her directly but with us. Well, most of it at least is going with us. The things we came in for that are more her normal wear are going with her, obviously, but the other stuff is going to mine and Grey's places in case we ever need it. I don't know if we ever will and I doubt either of us really care if we do or don't. It's just a incase we do purchase." She says, leaving me lost for words!

"What's so surprising about that? We aren't exactly tight on money, Zelene, and this stuff is just too cute to pass up. If we use it, great! If we don't, we wasted some of our spending money, and that's it. Don't get me wrong, we would love to see her in any of this because it would be absolutely adorable but we know better than to force it. Beth will have full control over what... age? Is age the right word here? It doesn't matter... Beth will have full control over how she behaves and is treated, and this is simply us giving her the options to make those choices because we want to and can." She says, giving her daughter a light kiss after she finishes, smirking at her daughter's annoyed sleeping expression after.

"So her current... outfit wasn't your doing?" I ask, being very careful of my word choices.

"You don't need to be so cautious, Zelene. I'm not that easily offended and defensive of this situation. I know it looks weird to most people, and it only gets worse when they realize who we are. But to answer your question, yes, her outfit is my doing. She wouldn't be in it if it wasn't for me. Did I force her into it? No, not really. I didn't give her much of a choice but she actually decided to wear them with very little fuss on her own. All it took was a little bribery of new dresses and here we are." She says and I don't miss the satisfied grin that briefly crosses her face!

"But to answer why I assume you are asking such a question, as I said before, this will be her choice. We might give some nudges in a certain direction or put our foot down if she for instance decides to, how did you put it again? Act a bit immaturely, was it? Close enough, at least. My point is that if she is going to act this way, from either wanting to or needing to, we are allowed and now able to help her fully embrace it at whatever "immaturity" level she decides on by getting her these things to match that "immaturity"." She says, pausing to take a breath.

"This isn't us trying to turn her into a baby again, despite how much it probably looks that way. She still is the Queen and is expected to act like she is when it matters. When it doesn't matter, like when she is away and staying with Grey or I, then we are free to embrace this behavior and this... these items are how we have decided to do it. She clearly is trying to tell us some things of what she wants and this is our way of trying to listen to that." Lady Euphemia tells me and I almost believe her, expect one issue.

"It feels like you are trying to get me to believe that you and Grey aren't excited and encouraging this type of behavior but that's clearly not true. You want her to act this way and are doing everything in your power to encourage it! This isn't just for her, like you are claiming!" I point out, earning an annoyed eye roll from Lady Euphemia.

"Of course we are! Do you have any idea how quickly children grow up? Of course not, you aren't a parent... well they do, Zelene. They grow up far too quickly and if you aren't careful, you miss far too much. I'm not so arrogant as to claim I was a perfect mother or there for her whenever she needed me. I missed a lot and now I miss those times more than anything. Grey didn't miss as much as me, as she took more of my responsibilities of raising her after I focused more on running the kingdom but even she clearly misses Beth as a little girl. There is just something so special about that time that you would only understand once you experience it. When you do, come have this conversation with me again and then and only then can you make the argument that you wouldn't have your little girl back if you could!" Lady Euphemia tells me and I want to refute her words but find I'm unable to speak them to her while under her passionate gaze.