Plotting
The next day, the queen was in her bedroom, being attended by Aurora and Sandra. While one was putting on her shoes and fixing her dress, the other was styling her silver hair in braids. Sandra did a beautiful job, intertwining turquoise blue ribbons between the strands, then lifting them up and forming slings with them. And as the final touch, she placed the diamond crown with sapphires. This crown is one of the queen's more beloved possessions. It belonged to her late mother, which was one of the few memories she had of her.
Amberjill looked at herself in the mirror, and her reflection was immaculate. She really was beautiful, but the person she most wanted to notice was blind at the moment. “You look wonderful, my queen,” Sandra said with a sincere smile, Amberjill nodded her head, not feeling it.
The two servants finished assisting the queen and began to tidy up the room, but not before having prepared a hearty breakfast for her.
While Amberjill was having the food, she noticed the strange behaviour of the two. From time to time, when they thought Amberjill wasn’t looking at them, they gave each other suspicious glances. The queen knew them well, and she knew something was up.
“Sandra, Aurora, if I find out by other means something that you already know, I will confine you to the laundry room for a week.”
The two maids looked at each other briefly, worried about her majesty. They knew well that they couldn’t cover the sun with a finger, and that the queen would find out sooner or later. The only problem was that they did not want the words that would hurt their mistress to come out of their mouths.
The two nodded, and Sandra was the one who spoke, “There are no words to describe what I have seen and heard, but I pray that your heart can handle this information with gentleness.”
With just a shake of her head, Amberjill urged them to proceed, regardless of how serious the matter was. “As I went to the kitchen to prepare your breakfast, I noticed that the castle was bustling, there were servants and pages running errands everywhere.” Amberjill raised her eyebrows in an effort to imagine the situation.
“A short time later,” Sandra swallowed, and looked to Aurora for support, but she only nodded, telling her to continue. “The point is, my queen, that the castle is preparing for the banquet that Lady Abba is hosting to be introduced to the members of the Mahala nobility.”
The queen froze, unable to make any movement. Her brain couldn’t process what she had just heard. It just wasn’t possible. But the moist eyes of her servants confirmed everything.
The banquet that Lady Abba asked the queen to organize yesterday, and although she rejected it, it is being planned at this very moment and without her consent. The queen got up and headed for the door. Amberjill was determined to put a stop to all that.
“Lady Abba crossed the line, how dare she disobey my orders?”
And when the queen was about to open the door, Aurora, with a sorrowful voice, stopped her, “There is still more, my queen.” Amberjill turned to face them, but her heart was beating in a desperate rhythm. That ominous word was wreaking havoc on her being.
“Yesterday, Sandra was leaving the laundry basket in the royal laundry, when she crossed paths with Lady Abba, but that was not all, Mm!” Aurora hesitated, but the queen’s devastated look led her to reveal the terrible news.
“Lady Abba came out of the king’s bed-chamber, in undignified clothing. Her appearance was not that of a lady. I am afraid, your majesty, that Lady Abba convinced the king to allow this banquet.” The two maids lowered their heads, unable to see the desolate face of their queen.
Amberjill, after she was able to react to the heavy blow she had been dealt, walked over to her favourite chair where she usually does her embroideries and sat down. She grabbed the embroidery that she urgently needed to finish for the king, and started working on it.
Sandra and Aurora didn’t know what to do either. Furthermore, the king was taking away the queen’s authority, to his new wife’s benefit, in direct opposition to the queen’s wishes and instructions.
The three women who were in that room were experiencing a terrible reality together. The king of Mahala had removed the sole responsibility as queen from Amberjill.
∞∞∞
Later that day, Shadow was contacted by the cook Archibald, urging that they meet in person. Shadow, without hesitation, appeared in the kitchen and led him to the observation Tower.
As they climbed the spiral stairs that lead to the room where the cook had been interrogated, he was still thinking about how terrified he had been the first time. He wasn’t calm now, but he was sure that his king needed him, and he was almost sure that he was not going to kill him.
Upon reaching the last door, Shadow entered first, making sure they were alone. The two of them sat down at the table and the cook Archibald began with his story, “My Lord, I was contacted yesterday, and very precise instructions were given to me.” Archibald, seeing Shadow’s gloomy expression, hesitated a bit, “The point is, that, Mm! King Soto ordered me to administer the tea to my queen again. I told him that it was not possible, since Her Majesty was delicate, and her servants were preparing a special meal for her every day. B-but you have to imagine what he told me, and well, the banquet that is being organized will be the perfect moment to do it. Unfortunately, he did not tell me who or how he would do it. That’s all I have to report.”
Shadow hit the table with his fist, making the cook jump in fright, then he stood up. Pacing back and forth, Shadow tried to think of the best action to take. The queen was in danger, and under no circumstances was she going to allow anything to happen to her. But at the same time, he had to be careful, nothing should alert the enemy.
