Queensmen

Chapter 64

~The Great Hall~

"The Lady Of Inqa and her lady-in-waiting, Lady Varehir," two eunuchs announced Oris' arrival, their voices overlapping perfectly so that the sound was amplified and carried through the thick grand doors of the Great Hall.

This was the first time Oris had been announced since arriving in Heshera but she did not dwell on it. Instead, she turned to Andrea—her lady-in-waiting—a fact the girl had glossed over all this while.

All the changes to Andrea's wardrobe now made sense; she was no longer a maid.

If a lady-in-waiting had been needed to be picked urgently she would have been the most suitable choice. Out of all the four girls, she had the highest level of training and the best qualifications, being of a noble family.

The fact that Oris now needed one for whatever reason was even more baffling. She was happy that Andrea had risen to her former status but wondered how Mayree, Keziah and Seline had taken the news when they found out.

In the end, she decided that it didn't matter. She was going to make them all her ladies-in-waiting no matter what it took.

They were all more than her maids, they were companions, friends, and deserved to be treated as such regardless of how they were born, more so now after everything they had risked to get her out of the dungeons.

The moment the doors to the Great Hall peeled open, Andrea grabbed Oris' hand in a gentle hold and supported her as she walked.

It was hardly necessary this time around—they had both decided that she would not wear those impossibly high shoes even if it got her punished—but it was comforting to cling to each other in a merciless place like this.

The last time they were summoned here, things had gone terribly.

They had been accused of being traitors and almost died as a result.

Back then, they had been the topic of discussion among all the women in selection, and even worse, Oris had been thrown into the dungeon because of it.

Now, they were dressed prettily with freshly polished titles to match, but that didn't change who sat on the dais above them—the Emperor and his mother, the two royals who could have them killed if they wished.

Oris and Andrea strode to the center of the hall and curtsied.

"This lowly servant servant greets The Emperor, greets The Empress Dowager, wishing for them to live for tens and thousands of years," Oris said while Andrea kept her head bowed.

Till now, she had not gotten to 'learn' palace customs so she let her knees drop to the ground and kowtowed. Andrea followed suit.

Faeradaigh made a disgruntled sound and ran to their side. When he extended his hand to help Oris rise she shifted away and bowed her head to him as well.

"Head Eunuch, I am greeting the Emperor and Empress Dowager. Please do not interfere."

He pulled away awkwardly. "Yes. Yes."

"Rise," Hermes commanded, his voice deep yet soft. "Forgo the formalities."

"Thank you, Your Majesties." Oris got to her feet again, Andrea's hand still in hers.

Oris allowed herself to stare at Hermes. He looked much better than he did when he had been bleeding from Bren's blade and much more calm since she last saw him on his throne.

He still wore a white so pure that it made his skin stand out, and because of it, everyone else was merely a backdrop of paleness.

The ministers still wore black robes embroidered with gold thread, and had their hair up in top knots secured with red ribbons that fell down their waists.