In Her Waking [Formerly Breathe . . .]

Chapter 8

Some days later,after Theadoress,Elmonde and I went on our outing,queen Mañana had sent for me. I draped myself in one of those stupid white clothes and left the room.

I headed for the throne room where queen Mañana just happened to be. Elmonde was already bowed infront of her. I did same.

"Get up,peasants." She acknowledged in the most kindest of manners.
I got up first and when I did, I almost gasped.

Queen Mañana was not wearing white!

It was the most shocking of things I had seen all week. Mañana looked disdainfully at me in her black dress as though she was questioning my sanity.

"What is that? On your head?" Her forehead became a gleaming red colour and her grey eyes stared ever so deeply into my soul.

I quickly shifted my gaze from her. I did not want to end up like those people.

Mañana looked clearly infuriated. Her currently red forehead agreed with me.

I looked at Elmonde in that kind of what did I do? way.

Elmonde gestured quietly at my hair which was currently housing a pretty pink carnation.

I did not get what Elmonde was referring to at first but that was until I felt ashes falling from my head.

The little carnation that had once been on my head was now the grey bits of flower petals on the ground.

I gulped and looked down.
Mañana had just destroyed that pretty flower with just her gaze.

Let that be a warning to all those who were looking for competitors in a staring contest.

Mañana 's forehead was still red. She was absolutely furious.
"Apart from the colour immaculate white, grey or silver nothing else should walk into this castle." She said.

Elmonde decided to be a little brat. "So... then why is her majesty on a black lace?"

Mañana smiled. "Ah,yes! The reason I called you in."
Elmonde rolled her eyes, careful enough that the she-demon did not see it.

"We will be hosting a soiree this evening." Mañana said. "And Araya won't be coming."

"Who?" I could not stop myself from asking.

"My daughter. Araya." Mañana said.
"Oh."

"And I needed Elmonde to represent her father."

I watched Elmonde silently mouth the word. "Step!"

I nodded.

"Araya needs to be kept company and Elmonde here nominated you to stay as Araya 's personal maid till we are done."

I flashed Elmonde a look.

She responded with a look that said. "Hey,you said you would like to see her sometime."

"My queen,I would love to." I said, unsure if it were a lie or not.

Mañana smiled. "A responsible answer."

My curiosity made be blurt. "What is the soiree for?"

"We are welcoming the Lion king to El Amores in a sweet way." She replied.

The lion king?

I could not stop myself from laughing.

"Haha! The lion king?" I raised both my hands in the air. "Nants ingonyama, bagithi baba..." I recited the intro of the song and laughed.

Elmonde waved her hands in the air and mouthed. "No...abort mission. I repeat abort what you are doing!"

I saw the look on Mañana 's face and the red on her forehead grew.

"Oh...you're not joking..."

"I. Don't. Joke." Mañana said.

I was honestly surprised that she let me live after how I had annoyed her.
I bowed. "I'm sorry my queen."

"Do not mess up the task I've given you. Araya gets very intense and wild at times."

I nodded.
"Both of you may leave." She added.

I was the one to quickly leave the room first. I wasn't going to take any chances.