11 A Presumption Of The Queen

Rosalyn would take a hot bath and then change into a new set of garments, afterwards she plopped down her bed and sighed in contentment. That was until her thoughts flitted back to the Knight's words. "Gain favor with the King."

Even saying it alone was enough to make a smile form on her face.

How ridiculous of a thought it was—even the King himself had said earlier that he had offered his heart to her. Although she wasn't sure if he had actually been sincere, still it was remarkable that he had the nerve to say such things to her. Rosalyn Lockhart sighed and clutched a pillow to her chest. She would bother with it no longer. Instead she took a deep breath and recounted the events that transpired differently.

Instead of breaking off her friendship with Catherine Duke. She retained it.

Despite her habit of ordering servants and people to be beheaded. She had restrained herself from it.

And instead of spending her time fooling around with a certain Knight, preparing the paper works and documents that she often did—she had gone ahead and met the Royal Delegates for the Gathering of Suits.

The chandelier and snakes event was quite new as well, she hadn't recounted any attempts for her life during this period. Nobody would even dare to do so. So who in their right mind would do such a thing? Should she bother with them when there was an impending doom that was awaiting her in the near future.

 But there's not much I can do at the moment." She muttered to herself with irritation.

Would it really be better to try and get along with His Majesty?

The thought of it alone wanted to make her vomit. She could live her days in peace despite the changes that she did to this timeline. Actually her actions might even prove beneficial. She knew that Catherine Duke soon allied with Alice in the future so by staying as friends, that was one less foe—but wouldn't that spat earlier with the King make it more plausible that he would betray her for Alice?

Hadn't that been something that she was trying to evade?

"It's not like I can simply pretend that I like and tolerate his presence." Additionally  the King wasn't the only one she had to worry about. The vixen had rallied her people. "Maybe I really should order some people to be beheaded." If not the King himself, then perhaps some of the key residents of her kingdom who had allied themselves to the girl? Sir Julius Ginevelle did remark that she had begun to act strangely. 

She recounted that even His Majesty had noticed her lack of anger in but one day. "If I were to do what I always did then that would at least make the King be at ease to some extent? He'd no longer wonder about my apparent lack of rage as of late. Instead I would be doing what I always did and I can really get away with it this time due to his busyness."

It was a brilliant plan.

Her shoulders hunched for a moment, "Ah, but I still can't help but feel lazy about this. Wait." She stood up from her bed and made her way to the door, she peeked out a little and there she found that Sir Julius Ginellevé was still standing guard.

She fully opened the door and eyed him with a frown, "You're soaking the carpet, go ahead and get changed before you get sick and infect me."

"O-Oh, of course, Your Majesty!" Sir Julius Ginellevé was quick to bow his head. "Your Majesty, would it be possible for you to stay in your room until my return—my frets are still present and I fear I'd get a heart attack if I were to find you missing."

She gave him a raised brow, "When did I ever accommodate my desires to your whims?"

"Ah… a salient point, Rosalyn." Sir Julius Ginellevé remarked with a fond shake of his head before he left for his own room.

She watched him walk away before she headed into the opposite direction. 

There was no one to stop her!

. . .

Rosalyn Lockhart found herself following the familiar path to a certain location. That was where she found her prey. Mary Ann was about to leave the kitchen when she had arrived.

She immediately eyed them with a frown, "Make me tarts."

"Y-Your Majesty—" The young woman paused for a few seconds. "At once your Majesty!" Until she finally bowed low and then scurrying back to the kitchen.

The Queen of Hearts barely managed to stop herself from clutching her chest, she had been almost shell-shocked that this Mary Ann even took three seconds to respond to her command. Maybe she should have waited for Sir Julius Ginellevé to get dressed and then accompany her to this?

But he would try to steal her tarts.

"It's much better to come here alone." She looked around the corridor and was satisfied that she saw no other servant in the area. Coming to this part of the castle was embarrassing but the chefs in the Royal Kitchen could not even replicate what this young woman could. She walked into the kitchen.

And there she saw the young woman was hard at work.

She was kneading the dough, until the young woman noticed her presence and squeaked, "Forgive this dishonorable servant, Your Majesty. I wish I had known that you were coming and I would have prepared them in advance."

Rosalyn Lockhart tried not to balk at the suggestion, "Premade tarts? What am I? Some commoner buying at a bakery? I can wait for it."

Why would she want some crumbly and cold tarts? What an insane thing to consider.

"Of course, Your Majesty!" Mary Ann squeaked and began to knead the dough even faster, she began pouring her entire self to work on the dough. "Only the freshest tarts for Her Majesty the Queen of Hearts!"

Even Rosalyn had enough bootlicking that she could tolerate from one person—she waved dismissively at Mary Ann. "Alright, get on with your work." She looked around for a chair and found… a wooden stool to sit on. Plopping herself down, she began to idly watch the young woman prepare her tarts.

And it was actually taking a longer time than she was used to. Perhaps the difference was that she was a lot more hungrier before but now she was simply bored. She wanted to eat and think about her situation. Time ticked by and it was enough for her to sigh aloud and look at the young woman, "So why do you do this?"

"Your Majesty?" Mary Ann looked up for a moment, her hair and face slick with flour.

Rosalyn Lockhart failed to stifle her laugh, she motioned to the girl.  "Work. Why work when a young woman like yourself could probably marry and have a good life?" Sometimes, it really was amusing to watch servants actually do things instead of having their heads simply roll down the floor.

"...If I could speak so boldly to Her Majesty, I don't trust men."

"Huh?"

Mary Ann ducked her head as she brought the pastries to an oven, "It would be wonderful if I were to marry someone like His Majesty." She immediately waved and looked worriedly at her as she profusely bowed her head, "I mean, not your husband, Your Majesty! But someone who would wholeheartedly take care of me—but I don't think that's possible for someone like this servant of yours."

"So you are going to live your life all alone then?" Rosalyn Lockhart's fingers twitched in reflex. She began to study the walls around them, bare and empty. "If you don't trust anybody then you must learn how to face these challenges by yourself. Wouldn't it be better to find a partner, someone you don't wholly trust but both of you benefit from being with each other? Then it simply wouldn't be relying on them but an agreement."

Mary Ann stared at her.

Rosalyn Lockhart's brows furrowed as she waved at them, "A hypothetical question, just answer my question before I get my Knight to lop your head off." Why did she even bother asking this? What could possibly someone like her provide?

A fresh perspective?

Everybody around her was a fool for thinking the tale between her and the King to be true. But then again, she had been the one who had skillfully crafted—it made sense that they wouldn't even comprehend it. 

She gave Mary Ann another look and she squeaked.

"Ah, of course, Your Majesty!" The young woman bowed her head again. "This servant's opinion is clearly lacking but I would like to think that even if I do not find a partner, this servant of yours has friends that she can rely and trust on."

"Friends?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! Even if I were not blessed with a pure love like Her Majesty shares with His Majesty, I consider myself lucky to have friends and family at my side." Mary Ann gave her a small sheepish smile.

Rosalyn Lockhart stared back a moment at the happy expression before she looked away, "It is quite intolerable to stare at your visage full of flour—get away from my sight and clean yourself."

"O-Of course, Your Majesty!" Mary Ann quickly scurried away like a mouse.