Coldness To Era

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CHAPTER 16

"She learnt and grew up with the late queen perfectly. So her judgment was still great and she became the head lady royals. She was one who could stand up to queens and still handle things no matter how difficult they proved to be,"

"I see. Where is she now?" Era asked, curious about the lady in question.

"I am afraid to say this but she is…" he paused, taking a deep breath and when he looked at her again, he dropped the bomb.

"Dead."

"Wow! I never knew." She looked down, unable to think carefully.

"It is alright, your majesty. I should not be the one you should be apologizing to. Rather, I should be the one apologizing to you that you did not meet her, where she could have taught you how to handle these crocodiles in guise as human beings."

Era's eyes widened from his description of some of the queens under them. Wow, that simply meant that those ladies in question were something else entirely.

"Forgive my words, your majesty, but believe me you, they are nothing but vicious overgrown lizards, looking to curry favour and abandon you in your time of need. Simply put, they are overgrown parasites."

"Wow. I thought you were apologizing but it turns out, you just worsened it."

"My apologies, your majesty, I …"

"Hahhahhaaa…" He did not even get to finish his sentence when Era's laughter interrupted him, causing him to stop and wonder what really was going on.

"I am sorry. Please pardon my manners but you are so funny, minister."

"I am?" I thought I could not crack jokes nor make people smile?"

"Please, please, please. Do you call this not cracking a joke? I would be damned if I said you weren't. You sure are one heck of a joker, Minister Styles."

"Thank you, your majesty. Happy to be of service. Now, I think it is time for us to proceed to the next order of business?"

Although he asked a question and waited but even after a minute he got no reply from Era and decided to look up to see what was happening.

He was shocked to see the Queen, seated on her seat with her gaze somewhere else. Following the line of his gaze, he saw what had made her speechless all of a sudden.

It was the King. He had stopped to talk to someone and did not even know that Era was watching him.

Well, it was either he did not know or he simply chose to turn a blind her to her obvious stare.

Regardless, she was still his wife and she wanted him close. Not really close, at least she was bored about it. And work wasn't entirely pleasing. She really could use a route or a means of escape now.

"I think, her majesty should go greet the king," Styles suggested, pulling her out of her thoughts.

"Huh?" Era who was so lost in thoughts did not grab what he said but she was sure enough that he spoke. "Pardon?"

"It is okay, your majesty. I only said it would be nice if you go to his majesty."

As if on cue, Era averted her gaze from Styles and looked at Vidor. Even when he was not trying to be, he still looked handsome.

Aside from the fact that he was annoying at times and his bad reputation, one could pass him off as a lovely king.

"Just show him some care, that's all. I believe in time that his majesty would warm his heart towards you," Styles advised again.

"Would he now?" She had not intended to voice that out. It was supposed to be her inner most thought but somehow, she ended up doing so.

Styles smiled at her. She was young at heart, he believed and did not really understand the ways of men, particularly, this man.

"I believe if you give him the chance, your majesty, he would finally open up. You know he lost both his parents at a very young age, so he had not really had anyone so close to him. Perhaps that was what got to him."

Era sighed, releasing her breath in one swift motion. "Fine." She finally resigned her fate. "I guess I can try."

"That is the spirit, my queen. Think of it this way, it would be a nice distraction and break from your work."

She wasn't particularly happy with him, but could she stay ad at him forever? And if she must succeed in her plans, she needed to curry his favour and find a way to change him first, then she could change the world through him.

She dipped her head lightly, agreeing to his suggestion. A simple greeting would not hurt now, would it?

Slowly, Era stood up from her chair and took the first step in approaching Vidor.

Just when she was about halfway through, he did what she had least expected.

Somehow he knew she was coming and at that instant, he looked up only for their gazes to meet.

Era froze in place, completely unable to take another step forward. She did not say anything even though her lips were parted a bit as though she wanted to voice out something.

They remained like that, unmoving for about a minute plus and then while she had willed herself in her mind to take another step forward to greet him, he peeled his gaze away from her.

That singular act had struck her and broken her heart. Still, Era did not move a muscle. He said some words to the man by his side and without looking up at her again, he raised his head and turned around, facing the hallway.

Era blinked as her brain tried to process what had just happened. At one point it did feel like he was going to actually come for her but he just ignored it and ignored her altogether as though his queen did not matter one bit.