The First Queen

14 - The Chilling Bite of the Lion

I woke up in the morning with the suns rays cascading down the walls, casting a divine glow over the room... Although the moment was shortlived due to a certain countess and courtesan barging into my room unannounced.

"Dallin! I simply cannot with you right now!" Aliana howled, throwing her arms in the air and tossing herself into the chair at my desk in the most dramatic way possible.

"Hush, Aliana! Her Royal Highness is sleeping!" Dallin growled, his voice somehow even louder than Lady Aliana's.

"Not anymore," I grumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

"Ah, good! Elia can settle this once and for all!" Aliana sassed, getting to her feet and planting her hands on her hips.

"What am I settling?" I questioned, eyeing both Dallin and Aliana.

"The value of Aliana's curtsy over Dallin's," Xanthe informed me, emerging from the shadows like a spider in the corner of a room.

I jumped at her words but quickly composed myself for I've become accustomed to Xanthe's arbitrary appearances.

"Is it that big of a deal?" I asked, getting to my feet and wrapping a coat over my body.

"Oh, Your Highness, I hope the Captain hasn't distracted you from your propriety as much as you let on..." Aliana sighed, looking at me with hopeful eyes and I groaned in response. "Actually, don't answer that."

I narrowed my eyes at her and she shrugged.

"Back to the matter at hand, Your Highness," Dallin cut in, "Whose curtsy is of higher rank? We all know it's mine but just so Aliana can get it in her thick skull."

Aliana rolled her eyes before shuffling one foot behind the other, flicking her wrists and bowing somewhat lower than how she normally stands.

Dallin repeated her step-for-step and I couldn't find the difference.

"Uh... You're both good." I declared and Aliana groaned.

"Your Highness, can't you see that when Dallin bows lower, that he's submitting to you and admitting that he's of low rank?" Aliana scoffed, waving a hand at Dallin who was rolling his eyes.

"Aliana, didn't your grandmother request to see you in the Whitemane Hall?" Xanthe questioned, tilting her head at Aliana whose eyes had widened.

"She did!?" Aliana paled and gasped, "I'm coming, Lady Grandmother!"

Aliana dashed out of the door and her screams had echoed through the whole palace so loud that I'm sure even The Western World could hear her wailing which had ended after a good five minutes.

"Smart maneuver, Mistress," Dallin smirked and Xanthe shrugged.

"It's my duty to know things others do not." She replied with a proud grin on her lips and I bumped her shoulder with my own, earning a confused glare sent in my direction from the grey-skinned dracaenae.

"Dallin, have you got any plans for today?" I inquired with a mischievous tilt of my head and his lips quirked up with intrigue.

"...Not anymore... My courtesan senses are telling me that you have a plan of sorts?" He asked and I cocked a brow in agreement.

"I recall you saying that you've 'been with' Julius before. Could I persuade you to spend some more time with him?" I continued and Dallin's grin turned into a wide, toothy beam.

"What did you have in mind?" Dallin pressed and I shrugged, sidling up against him.

"I need you to get some information from him," I confessed and Dallin nodded, seemingly already loving this idea.