A Tale of One Deviant (Book One)

Chapter 173: Briefly Appeasing People

They...really knew how to waste someone's time. Or, forgive me, "spend" time, since spending time with your grandparents really couldn't be a waste could it?

     No...not in their eyes...

     No...

     But I eventually did escape, though I forgot that they had Asoko coming over for the portal thing. I also forgot to teach Grandfather how to use the globe I'd put in the room, which had a call feature, but when remembering later as I began my chores, I was kind of glad. I knew that he would've been calling me every once in a while out of curiosity, or once a day to check and see if it really worked and that I was still alive, if he knew how.

     And...sorry, Asoko.

     I told him to contact my grandparents if he wanted to learn because I knew I was going to give them that globe to contact me. Little did I know I'd forget to teach them how to use it.

     So, I was free from the scrutiny of those two for a while, able to ride free on the winds wherever they took me-

     Meaning, Chardrent. They took me to Chardrent.

     "That little brat-"

     "Calm yourself, Your Majesty," I sighed, massaging the bridge of my nose and supporting that elbow with my other hand. "You know she is reckless, but she can take care of herself. She is your daughter, after all."

     The queen of Chardrent fumed as I'd clearly touched a nerve. It was like she'd waited all that time for me to show up, in order for her to show her true fury. Paperwork, as was common for every monarch I encountered, went flying as she stormed about her study, mana stirring up a storm. I caught every paper that came drifting back down, stacking them on the appropriate piles.

     "She dares to run away not long after a civil war!"

     Ah, that's right. Kiki did say something like that, didn't she.

     "Perhaps the duties of the princess were becoming too much for her."

     Her tongue clicked while swinging to a stop, turning vibrant yellow eyes on me with ashen gray hair swinging around. It flowed freely from her head, tumbling past her waist. The change was nice, compared to the modest, meek style she'd sported the first time I encountered mother and daughter in the slums of the capital city.

     "Even I dealt with them when I was princess, and now I am queen. I cannot merely run away when I please."

     The dutiful Sioroth, patient, and calm, advised slowly to calm the raging queen and mother. The other aides had departed, bowing their heads to me multiple times and almost losing their little hats, grateful that I had arrived. A certain captain of the guard twirled his mustache as I came up, smirking as if he knew what was coming for me.

     Should've left you all to suffer...

     "I will inquire of her presence elsewhere and endeavor to bring her home, Your Majesty. Please be assured of her good health and safety in the meantime."

     "You." The queen's head jerked up, eyes glimmering. I'd have sworn she was related to the king of Bytriste if I didn't know there wasn't a drop of blood in their generation that was shared. Sure, sometimes the royal families of the two countries had married into one another, but it hadn't happened in quite a while. Civil war had been long in Chardrent, and so an ally in the Demon War in the form of supplies had to come from somewhere else. It just so happened to be that the source was a certain other country I was going to visit next. Or - empire. "You know where she is?"