Chapter 38

"Your majesty?" George stepped into my office, voice that of concern, "You've been hiding away in your office more often than not these days?"

I wanted to laugh at his words. As if he thought I hadn't noticed that I was like this. But I had no choice. Not if I didn't want to become the feral being many thought me of.

I took a deep breath, heart pounding as I recalled the scent. No- not recall- I can still smell it. Even though I was floors and a whole mile away. I could still smell the sweetness and it made it hard to do anything at all.

I couldn't shake the image of her lovely face. Her long lashes, her eyes that seemed to portray both the green of nature and emeralds. Her soft lips which simply looked so inviting I could barely hear a single word she uttered.

"I'm fine".

Even though I read with the most concentration I could muster, it was simply impossible to take my mind off her. I thought of her small hands as the lifted each shard of glass, they must be soft too…

"There's been rumours you've had interest in the Lady from the Colter family. Do you wish me to blacken them?"

I thought about it. I have no intention of hiding the fact that I held affections for her. Even if it meant playing this game of cat and mouse. A game with such an obvious outcome, it was silly to play, but she played so desperately it was adorable.

"How far have they reached?" I asked, finally glancing away from the report about the military funds.

"Her brothers have come to investigate the matter" George informed me.

"Her brothers, the famous Colter brothers?" I mused, dipping my pen in ink. "This is getting quite serious. I suppose I should welcome them with open arms if they are to visit".

"Your majesty- do you thinks it's wise to marry Lady Colter?" George seemed to want to say more. The protest on his lips echoing in his words.

"What do you mean?" I asked, knowing full well what he meant.

"With your lack of attraction to either sex, I thought you would try to settle for the best option of the ladies. Politically. " his words made my brow twitch.

"The best option is Lady Colter. Which is why we should remove any pesky bugs surrounding her".

He understood my tone.

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Madelines POV

The results were apparently settled and we were all requested to go to the throne room at noon.

"If would have been nicer if they just cancelled this whole thing altogether…" I stared at my dress for the occasion, trailing along the lace with a bitter sweet expression.

"That's beautiful…" Sarah commented, eyes comparing her own dress to mine.

"It's a store original so stop by when you have time. I'll keep you on a VIP tab" I winked at her and she gave a grateful laugh.

Crystal also wore a store original. Her expression much less frightened than before and she finally seemed comfortable.

The throne room was a place I had never entered before, but I assumed it was simply a hall with… well, a throne? I wasn't far off, but I couldn't have prepared myself for how it looked. The inside of the room had no walls. To explain, the outside was clearly surrounded by walls, but the inside had no walls at all. Or rather the walls were a window to a place I had never seen before.

It was as if the room was thousands of metres up in the blue sky. Above the clouds where the sky was both vividly blue and as you looked up, pure black. It was marvelling.

"Haven't you heard that the king can see the entire city from his throne room?" Angela remarked as she saw my star-struck expression.

"Who in their right mind would take that literally?" I replied, voice full of wonder.

There was a gaping hole before the throne room, where a rug would normally be placed and low and behold, below it lay what was evidently the capital city.

There was no king on the throne of course and though the crown prince did duties as a king would, he could not ascend without his queen. So he sat in the heirs seat beside the large throne and on the other side sat an aged woman. Expression colder than ice on a summer day.

The queen dowager, that late kings mother eyed all of us as we entered. And we all curtsied when we were at the appropriate distance.

"So you are the ladies who have come this far?" She didn't sound pleased, but she didn't unhappy either. "Then I shall announce the names of those who shall commence to the next task. If your name is not called then leave".

I couldn't help but compare her to a blizzard I had once witnessed in the Elven village. If the prince was a war monger, she was the war.

She began reciting names and as expected I heard mine. Crystal had passed too. And it was only when I heard a hushed squeal did I realised Anastasia's name had not been called. I frowned, displeased at the fact.

After the ladies who hadn't been called left in anguish silenced by respect. The dowager queen lifted her cane, embedded with a range of jewels that were all the same blue as the sky around us. For a moment I contemplated they were mirrors, but I didn't have enough time to comment.

Her voice rang out with the authority of a lion among its pride.

"Now, let the next task commence!"