Aadi-8

A soft padding of footsteps caused Aadi to release his mother's hands swiftly.

'My Queen, you called for me.' Dahlia answered.

Dahlia gave a low curtsy, low enough for Aadi to see what he didn't want to see. He eyed her with disdain; his contempt went unnoticed by her.

Dale, with a grand wave, beckoned Dahlia close. Her white teeth gleamed in a tired smile. Although close to Queen Dale, Dahlia always felt inferior to the three main inhabitants of that palace, she would always feel inferior, she thought.

A common maid, she was. Nothing less, at least she was the Queen's personal maid.

'Dahlia, get me Johannsen, and six guards of 'Imperials' ranking, Aadi and I are embarking on a walk, today. Greet the people. Make sure you call for the cleaning of the ground floor, my dress measurements, business meetings with Vera W...' she continued to issue a list of commands, all to Aadi's joy. He enjoyed seeing Dahlia suffer.

'Yes, my lady.' She cast a shy look at Aadi, and winced at his grimace in return.

'Also see to it that Aadi's room is attended to, we will be late-' she was cut short by Aadi's interjection.

'I can clean my room myself.'

'Yes, but-'

'I can clean my room myself, mother.' Aadi repeated firmly.

'You will not argue with me on this one, there are places we have to be!' she exclaimed.

Aadi dropped the matter, and reclined back into the chair, fists clenching as Dahlia gave a victorious smirk. He'd deal with that later, he thought. Now, his major concern was getting through the day alive. Or sane. There was no sugar coating it, his mom could be heinous most times.

'Queen Dale, I'll see to Prince Aditya's room. '

'You do that, Dahlia. Aditya, let's go.'

Dahlia left the room without another word, for she saw Aadi's clenched fist when she opened her mouth to speak.

Satisfied, he folded his napkin and set it to the corners of his mouth, dabbing at the mild stains of his nearly unfinished meal. Aadi reluctantly stood at the mention of his name, relishing in how he looked down at everyone. I'm not even that tall, he muttered, as he drew back his chair. He really felt that the people he lived with were too dramatic, they could even star in broadways if they felt like.

He walked over to his mom's side and drew her chair back, as he was taught from adolescence. Offering his right hand, he muttered deeply, as his mother took his hand,

'Don't call me Aditya.' This was accompanied by a warm smile from Queen Dale.

Aadi hated his full name, for his father gave it to him. 'Zaire' and 'Romanovs' were his mother's idea.

The two left the hall, with Dale's left arm hooked around Aadi's right; as manners demanded. Sharply, Dale turned to face him, and Aadi shifted back in surprise, staring down at her.

'Let me see your teeth.' Dale mimicked a mouth opening motion, and a clenching of the teeth gesture.

Aadi, for the umpteenth time that day, rolled his eyes. He wasn't a baby anymore. She didn't need to check his bloody teeth! But he did so nonetheless. He was already mentally exhausted.

'Ahh.' In a monotone voice.

Happy, Dale fluffed his hair and ran her fingers over the rim of Aadi's eyebrows, she was proud of herself, for she had created a 'masterpiece'. Her friends applauded for everything except Aadi's dark behavior, even her perfect relationship with Xoel, they were supportive, Queens by day and crackheads by night, anyways.

Aadi always thought that they wouldn't think the marriage his mom had so perfect if they knew the secret that had been embedded in his parents' marriage. Queen Munisha Bhatirata, Exasia Lunaris and Polis Embediine were the wives to the Kings of neighboring kingdoms. They were also the friends to Queen of Ardenia, Dale.

He liked his mother's friends because they were actual friends. They weren't 'rocking with his mom' for money, or her status in the world of monarchy. They were there to be sole best friends, with each other for 18 years.

Any time his mom was feeling down, or not herself, to say a relative died for example, he would hear the heavy security step back at the gates, the doors open, the three of them would troop in with gift baskets and their maids would bring in food; they would go the extra mile to fly in from their different palaces across the count.

She'd also do the same for them, Aadi thought.

There was no envy whatsoever, they were all content with their positions, as friends should be. Queen Polis, a beautiful brown skinned lady, once told him that they were long lost sisters; they were that close. Exasia, the hot-headed one, gave and adjusted to their calm characters, understanding that not everyone liked hot-tempered people.

Munisha, the finest of the group, spent her time focusing on her health, rather than flaunting her beauty around. Respectful and as dainty as a Queen should be, on any one of the Queen's retreats, tips would be given by her on new diet plans and smoothies she had just invented, gyms just opened in her area.

Queen Dale was their thread, the thread of a dainty knitting work that was the four friends, seeing as she was the oldest and most mature. They, in a way, answered to her, advice mostly on their marriages, because they had married young. She remembered the day they met, at monarchy for maiden's class prep for graduation many years ago. She was 17.

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'And we curtsy, ladies.'

The princesses and maidens in the room copied Madam Lafayette in the curtsy, after having learnt how to do so for months. It was a year before their graduation, before they passed into the stage for suitors and lived away from their governesses for a while. Dale was the brightest in the class, having surpassed her classmates in every class. An interruption caused the girls to straighten, looking to the front of the class.

Three girls, about Dale's age, had stumbled into the room because of the failure to adhere to the 'Push' or 'Pull' signs on the doors, one even toppling over. They had worn simple but elegant attire, cream blouses and white dress pants, with black flats. Their hair was in the same up do, sock buns. After the girl was helped up with minimal difficulty, she announced,

'Good morning, Madame,' with a perfect curtsy. The girls at the back muttered their disdain in harsh whispers, seeing as they had been trying to perfect theirs for a while.

'Good morning, dear. How may I be of help? Have you lost your way?' Madam Lafayette crossed her arms over her lap as she stood, not at all of fazed by the interruption. With a welcoming smile, she urged the girl to continue; class relaxing.

'No, Madame. I am Polis Embediine, Princess of West Hurlshire, daughter of King and Queen Embediine of West Hurlshire. My friends and I were informed by our parents of the nationwide notice of Monarchy for Maiden's classes in Ardenia, and decided it would be an educating experience, for we surely need the etiquette, Madame.' She finished off with a smirk as chirrups of laughter could be heard around the class at her little joke.

'Well, you found me, I am Madame Lafayette, welcome. If you would follow me, dears, for registration. Class, continue. Your governesses, where are they...' She led them out of the classroom with an elegant, tall stride, her voice trailing off as the doors slammed shut behind her.

Dale, amused, returned to practicing her curtsy...

About an hour later, Madame Lafayette returned, the three girls now having registered and phone calls placed. Their tuition would be sorted out, later.

'Alright, ladies. Your new classmates would like to introduce themselves.' Polis, already having introduced herself, stepped aside, and the second girl stepped forward, with a wave of a beautiful hand

'Good day, how do you all do? My name is Munisha Bhatirata, but you can call me Monu. I am the Princess of East Hurlshire, daughter of King and Queen Bhatirata. A pleasure to meet you.'

The last girl with a flared nose gave her introduction in confidence,

'How do you do, my name is Exasia Lunaris, just Exasia will do, Princess of North Hurlshire, Daughter of King and Queen Lunaris of North Hurlshire, nice to meet you all.'

Madam Lafayette, pleased with their answers, gestured for them to move to the middle, where Dale was sitting in boredom. Polis plopped down in excitement, her eyes sparkling in mischief. Exasia and Munisha sat and crossed their legs, in a crisscross-apple-sauce move.

'Hey,' they said at the same time.

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Now, 18 years later, they were still the same people. Just with more love handles, a higher position in monarchy and no longer virgins.

Dale looked from Aadi's face to her watch and nodded affirmatively. They would visit an orphanage or two, see her sister's new boutique and, Dale planned, to treat Aadi to a restaurant he used to go to as a kid; hopefully the day would end well.