I Loathe You

Chapter Seven

Everyone had been asking about the ball at Lady Antoinette's estate as the rumour was spreading about the Queen and King Michele having what looked like an intense conversation. What concerned them even more was how handsome King Sebastian is and that he might make a great suitor for the Queen. Of course, this bothered Queen Cara as she was having her morning brunch. (Queen Cara): "Lord Harlow, what are the recent findings on Riley Warp?" (Lord Harlow): "She has been hiding under the radar for quite some time, your majesty. It is possible that she might not be the mastermind behind what happened to the Stone family" (Queen Cara): "So, we have no leads as to where she is or what she is planning next? Do we at least have some sort of idea of the organization she is a part of?" (Lord Harlow): "She seems to be working for a private organization that has been hidden very well but we are getting closer to finding out who she is working for, your grace. As far as we know, the organization is not within Aureum" That was somewhat good news as the Queen would have killed her on the spot if she were in her kingdom. Once Lord Harlow was dismissed, the Steward came into the dining room to do another check that the staff had brought everything necessary for brunch. (Lord Anderson): "Is the French toast to your liking, your majesty? Maple syrup or tomato sauce?" (Queen Cara): "Tomato sauce. No, Lord Anderson, leave the bottle. This coffee is cold" (Lord Anderson): "I shall bring you some hot coffee, your grace. My deepest apologies" (Queen Cara): "A small glass of lemonade as well, and I saw some spinach and feta quiches in the kitchen as I was walking by. Bring those too" Lord Anderson was used to the Queen changing her mind about what would be brought to the dining table. Although, he was upset with the cooking staff for bringing her cold coffee. This was not an every day occurrence, which made him give them quite a talking to. After bringing what was asked, Mrs Jenson asked to speak with the Queen for a while. She did not object to speaking to her as she was curious to find out whether she had better luck as to finding out something about Riley Warp or the Stone family's tragic loss. Mrs Jenson knew better than to beat around the bush when it comes to the Queen and went right for the gold - pun intended. (Mrs Jenson): "Riley Warp most certainly is operating outside of Aureum, your majesty. I found out that she is working to turn people into those of royal blood" (Queen Cara): "What? She would need royal blood and doing that has the risk of turning innocent people into zombies left for dead if unsuccessful" (Mrs Jenson): "Which is why whoever she is working for is operating in secret, your grace. They seem to be building an army. I assume the army might not be huge, considering the huge percentage of a risk it is to attempt what they have been" Riley must have some access to royal blood and have serious people around her in order to gain the necessary knowledge on how to turn people. She would not be stupid enough to turn herself as the risk is too high. Unless they have a full one hundred percent risk-free solution, I doubt she would get her hands dirty in the mess as well. Lord Anderson walks back into the dining room and announces that there is a caller here to see the Queen. She dismisses Mrs Jenson and waits for the caller to enter. (King Sebastian): "Good afternoon, Queen Cara. I hope I'm not interrupting" (Queen Cara): "Good afternoon, King Sebastian. Not at all. Welcome to Aureum. Have a seat" (King Sebastian): "Thank you. How have you been? You seemed upset at the ball. I felt that it was not the right time to ask if you were okay" (Queen Cara): "How kind of you to ask, your majesty. I am doing better. Although there is something brewing that I might not be able to stop if I cannot get ahead of it" (King Sebastian): "What is it? If you don't mind me asking" (Queen Cara): "Some demented woman covered by even worse people is threatening the lives of not only others but my people of Aureum as well. It seems to be much bigger than I anticipated and I am not sure if I will be able to protect my people on my own" (King Sebastian): "You seem much stronger than you believe. I undoubtedly feel like you can conquer whatever it is that troubles you and your people. I can understand the feeling of worrying that everything is too overwhelming in your new role" (Queen Cara): "I apologize. My parents recently passed and being dumped with the responsibility of being Queen has not left me with any time to grieve or process" (King Sebastian): "My deepest condolences on your loss, your grace. Lady Antoinette mentioned something about it but she did not want to gossip about your family. I was actually handed the throne at nineteen years old" (Queen Cara): "Nineteen? You were practically a child. How do you manage?" As if they had known each other their entire lives, the conversation just kept flowing all the way through brunch, and dinner. Somewhere into their meal courses, the subject of dating came up. Despite her walls being up, the Queen was open to the idea of them dating. She would not give her heart over so easily but that does not mean her curiosity was dead. If they ended up deciding to marry, their kingdoms would unite and be powerful enough to take on the organization that Riley Warp works for. Although, they both knew this very well. They were just too shy to admit it to one another as they were still busy getting to know each other. You can't exactly bring up marriage when you are still in the beginning stages of learning about someone. That only breeds disaster. Instead of a marriage proposal, the Queen had another proposal in mind. She asked King Sebastian if he would accompany her to the last celebratory ball as her date. This would not only turn heads but also announce that they were starting their courtship together.