Seven

The commander woke up with a start, hearing whispered voices from outside her door. She couldn't catch what they were saying since she was still trying to wake up. Celestria groaned as she got up, stretching. Innanna was still sleeping. 

She quickly changed into some clean clothes, a beige loose-fitted tunic that touched her ankles, with a thin linen under tunic. The sleeves were long and wide around the forearm. She put on black shoes made of soft furs and leather after brushing her hair, putting it up in a ponytail. It was standard for women to keep their hair down but, Celestria never did since it always got in the way.

When she finished, she opened her large white bedroom door to see Lilith and Karla. They immediately straightened, as if they weren't whispering insistently before. 

Lilith cleared her throat. "Good morning, commander. King Stephen requires your presence in the royal dining room at 9 o'clock, sharp."

Celestria nodded before responding. "Is that all?"

Karla then spoke, "No, he would also like the memorial for the soldiers to be held today around noon. He wants you to be the one to organize the entire event since it was your idea."

"Got it. Have you two eaten breakfast yet?" she asked. The two maids shook their heads. 

"Not yet. We were supposed to eat after we told you what King Stephen sent us here for," Lilith answered.

Karla nodded in agreement as she added, "Yes, and since we've already done so, we should be off to eat." The two bowed in synchronicity before heading off the hall. 

Celestria checked the time. It was still pretty early, so she had time to train a bit before she had to go see the king. But first, she'd grab something to eat. She knew how important it was to not train on an empty stomach. 

She left her room and began making her way to the dining hall. As she walked, she admired the pieces of art hung along the palace walls. She'd always thought that they were mesmerizing. She loved the idea that there are people in the world who could record their creativity and share it with others. She also loved the idea that there were people out there willing to collect and show off these works of art. When she reached the dining hall, she stopped to admire the picture hanging right outside of it; it was her favorite one. It was of a group of huntresses who were chasing a beer.

It was a bold piece of art. These days women were still looked at as being less than a man. The painting said that they were equals. It said that women could do just as much as men. It was also created by a woman. Her name was Eliza Pellinski. All of her artworks were meant to empower women. You could tell that she believed that the women of this world were just as capable as the men, and Celestria agreed. No person should ever be seen as less than another one because of their gender or race. It was honestly one of the most ridiculous things she's encountered in all of her days being alive. 

She was stepping into the dining hall, when she suddenly stopped. Something seemed off. Thinking back on it, something had been a little off for the entire walk over here. She looked out of the corner of her eye and noticed a shadow of a person standing there. Watching her. She cursed herself. Why hadn't she noticed this sooner? 

The commander mocked a shock expression, like she had forgotten something and walked towards the other end of the hallway. She could feel the person following her. From what she'd gathered it was a tall muscular male. 

Celestria got to the next corner and turned, but she didn;t keep walking. She waited until she saw his foot come around the corner, before moving faster than the blink of an eye. She grabbed the man's arm and flipped him over so he was on the floor and she held him down. 

"Who are you and why are you following me, huh?" She knew it wasn't because of King Stephen because he already knew she could fend for herself. An intruder perhaps? 

The man quickly surrendered to her. "Pathetic," she thought to herself. You'd think he would at least put up a fight. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he spoke frantically. "Queen Sigourney told me to, please don't hurt me!" Celestria sighed, letting him go. 

"The queen? But why would she have someone follow me?" She couldn't help but think, "If she were a traitor, maybe she's looking for information to hold against me." But that's not what the man said. 

He stood up, rubbing his arm. He was tall and muscular looking with a full beard, but the tough look was an act. "Queen Sigourney wanted to be sure no one would attack you. She said that Vykon might be planning a sneak attack since they won last time." He bowed to the commander, not trying to hide his nervousness. "But I didn't mean to invade your privacy if that's what you're thinking! I never once entered your quarters–"

Celestria held up her hand to tell the man to silence as she used her other hand to rub the bridge of her nose, expressing her annoyance. "I don't really care, mister uh…?"

"Clarence James, ma'am," he answered, bowing again.

"Right. Clarence, where is the queen now?" 

"The royal dining room," he replied. The commander hummed as she fixed her now wrinkled tunic. Of course she'd be with the king. Celestria gestured to Clarence that he was dismissed. He bowed yet again before rushing off. 

She headed off to the royal dining room, seeing red. She soon came upon the room, pushing open the humongous double doors. There was a long table with breakfast foods with King Stephen sitting at one end and Sigourney the other. The king stood up to greet Celestria but she just ignored him, heading over to Sigourney's end. 

She slammed her fist on the table, startling the queen as she looked up at her furious brown eyes. "Commander? Is something bothering you?"

Celestria rolled her eyes before responding. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm upset about. You had one of your soldiers following me! And a weak one at that, practically ran off crying and I didn't even do anything to him."

King Stephen looked between the commander and the queen. His eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Queen, why would you have one of your soldiers following her around?" His eyes were uncertain, like he couldn't decide whether to be suspicious of Sigourney or to hear her out. 

The queen folded up her handkerchief, looking nonchalant. "It was a simple safety precaution. I didn't want anything to happen to your armys' commander." King Stephen seemed pleased with this answer, but Celestria wasn't having it.

"'Simple safety precaution' my ass. I told you that neither me nor my guards needed your protection, Sigourney. I made that perfectly clear when you asked me the first time."

"I understand that, commander. I was just-"

"Purposely trying to get a rise out of me by going against what I ask? Using your power to show that my place is one that is below yours?"

"No. I-"

"This is outrageous. Why did I ever think that you were an okay person? You're clearly the exact opposite of ok. God! This is so irritating." The queen was in a state of shock. She'd meant no harm by having the guard follow her. She had been genuinely concerned for the commanders' safety. She didn't understand why the woman was so angry. If she was being completely honest, the outburst of anger was kind of hurtful. She'd thought that they were becoming friends. 

"Celestria, you must understand. I didn't do it to spite you. I only wanted to help."

"Oh, I seriously doubt that. You're just another royal bastard that has everything handed to her." The queen pulled back as if she had been slapped.

"Celestria, enough." The king's deep, stern voice echoed through the room. Celestria immediately closed her mouth and turned away from the queen. "This woman is an ally. She is here to help us, no matter how you feel. Your behavior here was unacceptable." The commander stood as still as a statue. "You will treat the queen with the same amount of respect you give to me. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir." Celestrias' voice was unreadable.

"Now leave us and go attend to your duties. And if anything like this ever happens again, you will have a proper punishment."

Celestria nodded her head. She turned, without looking at the queen and exited the room.

The king then shifted his attention to the queen. "I am deeply sorry about that." He said to her. "I assure you that it will never happen again." The queen sighed and sunk a little further into her seat.

"It's alright." Her voice was quieter than usual. "She was right after all. I should have just listened to her."

"No. She sometimes forgets that she is but a mere commander. Both you and I outrank her. She should be the one who listens to us." The queen nodded, but her thoughts were far away. "Are you okay, Sigourney?" She snapped her head back to him at the mention of her name. She frowned at herself for not being able to keep her feelings in check. She nodded, her expression turning into a poker face. She wasn't going to let Celestria  make her so vulnerable. 

"Yes. I am quite alright, your highness." He gave her a warm smile.

"Then shall we continue on here?"

"Of course."