The Rival Queen

Chapter 16| The Queen Dowager's Tea Party of Uncertainity

I looked at the picture, slightly gaping. They all look so...different. Minus step-mother, since I have never met her before, my parents look like they were so happy, so comfortable to be next to each other that I even went to the family portrait that was hanging on the wall to compare the two pictures. My father looked solemn at our portrait and my mother ragged with a seven year old me on her lap. All of us looked at the painter with emotions we wanted to express but failed.

On the picture on my hand, my mother was glowing with pride whilst my father draping his arm on the ladies next to him. The woman also known as step-mother was shyly smiling. I almost couldn't believe that the woman and man who looked so void of emotion at our family portrait was smiling brightly at the photo on my hand.

I was about to go back when my mother came in the exact moment I was about to leave. What was she even doing here ?

"Rein ?" Her voice sounded curious as she called my name. I laughed nervously, hiding the photo on my pocket.

"Yes, mother ?" I replied. Her hair was quite disheveled but a smile on her face was evident. It was my turn to look at her curiously and she looked at me gladly for doing so.

"I have someone I want you to meet" she said excitedly like a child. It made me even more curious. Who possibly could this person be for her to be acting like this ? With a sigh and one last look at the pocket hiding the photo for some unknown reason I could not comprehend, I looked at her questioning face and nodded.

She took my hand, which she doesn't do often unless she really wants me to see it, and brought me outside. It was a little different than usual though, since the servants were outside and the tables and chairs were out. My mother, on the other hand, was smiling that seem to get brighter every second.

After a few minutes of walking, we reached the destination. There, sitting on one of the chairs, was an old woman and a young man. My eyes widen like saucers after realizing who the woman was. The Queen Dowager. She looked so stiff and prim when I was looking at her at the back that I was shell shocked when her tight smile turned to a large lop-sided smile when her eyes met my mother's.

"Dear Elizabeth, a pleasure as always" sincerity was obvious on her tone as she used her yes to scan my face, "and you must be Rein, am I right ?"

I nodded respectfully and the young man laughed. I raised my head as I turn it towards the man. He was holding a large grin that resembled my mother's that I almost thought they were siblings. But can't be, since my servants told me my mother was an only child...

Right ?

I rose an eyebrow at my mother, to which was received by a gleam of mischief. I swear, if this was some sort of joke or prank, I was going to laugh and become a maniac soon after. My mother noticed my disbelief and laughed before beginning to start whatever she was planning.

"I think it's time to put your etiquette lessons to the test" she said before going to the chair at the middle, signifying that she was the hostess for today. I sighed before following the servant who was going to show where I sit. The maid pulled a chair and I sat on it with much poise and elegance my tutor push-ups within me. It worked since the Queen Dowager was smiling lightly at me while nodding once at my mother.

Things went off with a great start. We ate the main dishes for the tea party (as my mother like to call it a 'meeting') and started small chat. Things were doing great when the man suddenly brought the topic of my scores in the ceremony. I flinched as the man smugly smiled at me. Whoever he was, I realize too soon he might not be someone I want to meet in the future.

The Queen Dowager stopped all flow of casual talk and directly asked me about it. As everyone knows, the results from the Mana Ceremony will be given to the test takers two weeks before actually publicly showing it to the kingdom. And the man who was sitting with me and my mother was aiming for the right moment to strike this opportunity to gain the Queen Dowager's curiosity.

"It isn't a secret now, is it ?" The man 'innocently' said as the two older women agreed with him. I sighed as I pulled out the letter from my pocket. I did not notice the picture I stuffed in my pocket fell on the grass and before I picked it up, a servant took it from my grasp. He didn't seem to notice since it was his job to clean the gardens while we talk but right now, I just wanted to wring the man's neck for taking something so valuable.

Alarmed but did not want to cause a commotion, I went back to the subject at hand and gave the results to the three adults in front of me. The Queen Dowager looked at it for some time before gasping, to which I didn't understand.

"What is it ?" I said, questions arising in my head. What could the problem be ?

"Did you not read this throughly ?!" The retired queen's voice sounded like she just read something ridiculous, "It says right here that you were invited to join the Septimius School of the Arts and Academics ! At the age of mere seven ! How could you not be excited about got this ?!" She said with such excitement I almost thought she was going to squeal herself to the sky.

"Your results are fantastic, you were invited to be part of one of the most prestigious schools in the kingdom and you, even though your quite lazy in your studies, have high scores in your subjects, plus the fact the that you have a large amount of strength and stamina.. Yes, I think your ready" she said with confidence.

"Ready for what ?"

"To become my apprentice, of course" she said with a large smile.

What ?