Life After Death

Guinevere: those strange Guerre boys

{Guinevere}

I was always bored in the afternoons. Leovian was done with our lessons at noon, provided I did my work and showed up on time. Nimue and Tristan were always fighting too much to finish on time. I could go to my room or the library, but this was what I did every day. I wanted to do something else.

Maybe, someone on the Cabinet was still here and would let me read in their office or just talk for a while. I needed friends, I thought. I had no one my age at Vercyne, just my brother and sister. Mikaela's family was all boys, but at this point, I'd rather play with boys than by myself.

So, I crept down the halls, peering into offices and other rooms, looking for people. no one was there. A little bit farther down the hall, I could hear yelling, and very stern voices.

It sounded like Mother; I thought and decided to eavesdrop.

"Blaise, I am Queen and it is my duty to keep..."

"And, as Queen, you need to be above this," Blaise interrupted. "These men are hundreds of years older than you. You've been Queen only ten years. You were the one that approved of having a Prime Minster anyway. Let me do my job."

"I don't think you should be eavesdropping," a voice said quietly behind me.

I jumped and then turned around guiltily. My father looked amused, not angry. That was a good sign.

"It's boring here," I told him. "Father, can we do something? Go somewhere?"

He patted my shoulder. "I have to stay here," he told me. "I'm supposed to be in that room, actually."

"Can I do something, then?" I begged. "Please."

My father laughed, and pulled out two transport spells from his pocket. "You can go to the Torninc," he said, handing me them. "Please go only there, and then come back tonight, I want to trust you, Guinevere."

"Don't worry, Father," I said, trying to hold my excitement. "I will. Thank you!"

He smiled and opened the door. For a moment, the argument was deafening, but then it was quiet again in the hall.

"The Torninc Manor," I grinned, and the room swirled to be a dining room. I was at the foot of the table, and the whole Guerre family was staring back at me. Their dining room was much smaller, and warmer. All of the boys were at the table. I couldn't remember a time when my whole family was at the dinner table together. Mother was always working, and Father was usually in a country far away. My brother, sister, and I didn't like each other that much.

"Hello," I said, smiling. "Can I stay for dinner?"

Mikaela nodded, smiling back. "Let me go tell Ryon we need another plate," she replied, and rose from her chair. "Arthur, Lancelot, scoot on down so Guinevere is not stuck at the end of the table."

Mikaela left the room for a moment as the twins grumbled about moving at all.

"Here, I don't need a seat," the ghost sitting by Gawain said. He stood and floated through the chair. "She can have this one."

"Thank you," I moved to sit by Gawain.

"So what brings you to the Torninc?" Quinn asked me.

"Vercyne is boring," I admitted.

Dagonet and Lionel both scoffed.

"Vercyne where everything is happening?" Lionel said. "So you're joking, right?"

"That's if you're an adult," I replied. "I only have lessons, and then nothing to do."

"Well, Dagonet and Gawain here like class so much they have more of them," Parsifal said.