3 1.2

"I bear a message from Her Majesty, Queen Olivia of the Central Plains..."

"Yes, yes, what's the message?" I quickly cut him off before he could continue droning on, mindlessly adding on all of my stepmother's titles. With all of the times I had heard them recited, I could probably say them backward if the situation warranted. Unless she had had another one recently piled on for some accomplishment or another when I wasn't looking, I was fairly sure I knew them all. I was foolishly hopeful that I could get rid of him after he told me whatever she wanted me to know this time. My book was calling me, clearly waiting for me to find it once again.

He responded to my abruptness with a sharp, reproachful look- that probably violated at least three rules of etiquette- and moved on to his message.

"Her Majesty requests your presence to accompany an envoy from Baron Elkazar, sent in place of his second stepdaughter for the ball tonight, as she is currently ill."

Oh, she was ill? I'm ever so sure that that was absolute truth. It wasn't that she didn't want to waste her time on a prince with poor social skills and no prospects of power or future authority.

All the refusals never seemed to deter her majesty, though. She told me that she wanted me to 'improve my social skills', likely so that I had a chance of finding an intended. She tried to hide it, but I knew that it was one of her fondest hopes for me to get married, hopefully soon. Likely, she thought marriage would help me become more responsible. Or, at the very least, she would get some grandchildren to spoil out of the deal.

Probably Joseph cleared his throat noisily and continued. "Her Majesty requires that at the very least, you appear in clothes indicative of your station, and treat the envoy with all of the respect and courtesy she inherently deserves. Should you fail to attempt either of those goals, the queen wants me to inform you that she already knows where all of your secret reading places are and is not afraid to tell your father where they are as well.

Well. That sounded like my stepmother, all right. Ruthless to the core, and informed of every single thing that occurred in the palace down to the actions of the youngest chambermaids. I thought I had thrown everyone off my scent by staying relatively visible in the library most of the day. With her skills in prying it was a waste to keep her as the queen. If we made her into a spymaster instead, no kingdom would be safe from her prying eyes.

Message delivered, Probably Joseph bowed with infuriating perfection and left the room, his shoes clicking rhythmically as he marched out. I rolled my eyes at his back and prepared myself mentally for the night.

I wondered how long it takes to train one of these stewards. It was doubtful that perfect court skills come naturally to anyone of natural creation, so someone must have taught him. Alternatively, it may simply be something you have to pick up on your own if you want to advance in the servant's ranks. Somehow, I couldn't imagine him in a lesser position like one of the footmen. Maybe they found a way to birth fully grown stewards from the ground like vegetables, already implanted with the instinctive knowledge of how to bow perfectly while being aggravating in a perfectly polite way...

I stood up from my corner and stretched, wrestling my unruly thoughts back to the present. As far as I could remember, the ball was due to start sometime before sunset, and it would take me a while to get ready according to Her Majesty's specifications. Walking up to my rooms as slowly as I could justify without someone getting on my case for it, I prepared my soul for the eternal torment that was socialization.