44 Tea

'Yeah, I might start a little Victoria Secret business in here.'

Siv looks at her reflection admiring the sport's bra she designed. Veda did the sewing of course, but she is still proud of how it turned out.

She puts on her training clothes and heads to the training grounds. She has been training for the past two weeks, although 'training' is an understatement. Erling has gone beast mode on her and it doesn't look like she will stop any time soon.

When Siv arrives, though, she finds an unusual scene. A table with all five oh her rivals sitting around it having tea and cookies.

'What the.'

She takes angry steps toward Erling.

"Why is there an audience of five hyenas watching today?"

"I am afraid I can't just send them away."

"Why not?" Siv is really annoyed. "How are they even awake and dressed this early in the morning?"

"I hope this will not distract you. I have an intense training session planned for you this morning, Lady Siv."

Siv sighs.

'It's not like any of the training has been easy over the past two weeks.'

"Let's start with thirty laps around the grounds."

"Thirty? It was twenty for the past two weeks." Siv complains. She usually feels like she is dying after the eighth lap. Thirty times is going to kill her for sure.

"Yes, and your point is?" Erling stares at her calmly for a moment.

"No point, Captain."

"Good, don't forget to put on your leg weights."

Siv starts running reluctantly, she shoots darts at the ladies enjoying their tea. She curses at them under her breath, jealous that they are sitting right now.

'I wonder what they're scheming.'

After she is done running, she stops for a moment to catch her breath. Sweat is dripping from every inch of her body.

"You know Lady Siv, the queen has soldiers and guards to protect her, so you don't have to perspire as much." Lady Gunvor mocks.

"Or is it because you don't think you can win that position." Princess Hella adds. "Maybe you are training to become a knight, in case you have to make a living." A few chuckles are heard.

"I heard her family disowned her." Lady Runa comments.

'Ok, that's pushing it a bit.'

"Lady Siv." Erling calls when she sees Siv ready to argue back. "It is time for your sword training."

"Do we have to stay till the end?" Siv hears Gunvor complain as she walks toward the captain.

Since Siv had stolen that rapier blade from the armory, Erling has changed her sword training routine. She just makes her do drills for hours just watching her form and correcting it when needed. She hasn't crossed swords since the incident in town, which seems odd to Siv with all the training she has been doing.

After Erling is satisfied with the amount of torture she puts Siv through for a few hours, she finally sends her away with a promise of more pain the next morning. But as she drags her feet to her room, she is stopped by Princess Helga.

"Good day, Lady Siv." She greets.

"Hello, Your Highness. I am afraid I am not presentable at the moment." Siv gets ready to excuse herself when the princess interrupts.

"I would like to invite you to tea this afternoon, Lady Siv." She says with sparkling eyes. "I believe we can be friends." she adds.

Siv is taken aback by the invitation and the declaration. The whole situation piques her curiosity, and she ends up accepting.

***

"I am so happy you have accepted my invitation, Lady Siv." Helga smiles at her sweetly.

"To be honest, I was intrigued by your… unusual invitation." The princess chuckles.

"My apologies if I seemed a bit forward, but I meant what I said, I do wish to become friends." The maid serves both of them tea.

"I am afraid our unique situation is not ideal for forming any friendships, Your Highness." Siv takes a sip of the delicious hibiscus tea.

"Oh, you mean both of us being Rouvas? You have nothing to fear from me, Lady Siv." The princess inches closer to Siv. "I am in love with another man back in my kingdom." She whispers. "My father is forcing me to go through this in hopes of stronger relations with Pyama."

"Oh?" Is all Siv can utter.

"Trust me, you have nothing to worry about." Helga sits back on the sofa. "I would rather gain a friendship from this whole ordeal."

Siv contemplates the young woman sitting across from her. It is moments like these that confuse her a bit. Princess Helga from the game would have been all over Brandt already. It is a good reminder that this is definitely not the game she played and that each character in different and has different motivations. Siv actually feels a little relieved, one less Rouva means a little better chance of winning.

'Maybe we can even team up against the others. Since she is not interested in Brandt, she is not a threat to me.'

"Then, it would be an honor to be friends with you, Your Highness." Siv finally says, making the princess smile.

"I do apologize if I don't challenge the other ladies when they are teasing you, though, my father is very strict and would punish me if I did such a thing."

"Don't worry about that, Your Highness, I can stand up for myself." They both take a few sips of their tea in silence. It is the first time Siv visits the guest palace. The rooms are larger and fancier, Helga has a whole sitting room attached to her bedroom.

"I will be honest with you, I am a bit nervous about the tea party evaluation." The princess breaks the silence. "I heard that they choose guests that will make the task harder on the Rouva."

"Oh really?" Lord Benson didn't get this far in his lessons on that night.

"Yes, I was told each one of us will have six guests that we will have to please." She explains. "Can you believe that we have to make the tea ourselves. It is a bit far-fetched in my opinion. Even a Baroness would never make tea herself, why do princesses and the future queen need to?"

"You are right." Siv says even though she disagrees with the princess's logic.

"I asked my maid to show me, but I either put too much water or I don't let it brew long enough." Helga sighs. "I just don't know what to do, I don't even want to be here, but on he other hand I can't embarrass my father and my country." Siv feels the young woman's dilemma.

'Sometimes we have to do things even if we don't want to.

"Just do your best, princess. I am sure this will end sooner than you think, and you can go back to… the man you love." She whispers the last part with suggestive grin.

"I can't wait to go back home." Helga smiles sweetly, lost in thought as she stares at her cup of tea.

When Siv goes back to her room, she finds Veda and Tove a little agitated.

"Oh my lady, I fear you have quite the misfortune." Veda comments with a sorrowful expression.

"What is it, Veda, what do you have there?"

"It is the list of the ladies you will be entertaining for your tea party, my lady."

"Oh, do you know of any of them?"

"Unfortunately, I know about all of them. Lady Siv, they are the most fastidious, most hard to please, and biggest gossipers in the kingdom."

"Oh my."

'Seems like someone might be targeting me with a new approach.'