Like a ritual, she entered the palace and approached the king's study.
"Lady Steinhouse arrives!" Announced a manservant as Lady Steinhouse arrived at the king's study.
"Enter," she heard a familiar voice say from inside. The door opened and she walked in swiftly. Pausing, she did a formal cutesy towards the man writing on a scroll. She remained in that posture, waiting to be told to get up. She neither looked up to know if he had seen her nor stopped.
The king continued writing. The silence in the room was unusual for the person who had been invited in, so he looked up from his work to find her still in the position and sighed. Knowing her background, this was a normal practice. But, she had given up on that past. Why does she continue to use their traditions?
"Please Helen, come in and sit. If I was a wicked man, I'd ignore you, just to teach you a lesson. How many times did I say not to be that stiff?" the king said a half-smile on his tired face.
Lady Steinhouse looked at the pale-faced man and smiled.
"Your Majesty, you are with company. If I did not, someone would spread rumours of my lack of training. An audacious woman; they would call me," Lady Steinhouse let slip a small frown.
To the official stylus in the room, whose job was to record all the king's work, the lady's frown on her beautiful face was her taking an adorable stance before the king. To him, she looked not too far from a spoilt child. But, Lady Steinhouse could not help but frown at the extent to which her uncle's sickness had progressed.
"If anything, they will talk of the uncle who has overly pampered his niece. Come here. Sit," the king weakly laughed. He waved away the stylus lazily. The elderly scholar bowed before withdrawing. Lady Steinhouse did not sit. She instead shut the door behind the scholar.
"Your Majesty, you look worse than ever," she commented as she moved to sit by his side.
"Worry not, I'm not truly sick," the king said softly. Though his voice was softer than before, she could suddenly hear the strength in them. She raised her brow in question.
"My darling wife had in fact been slipping a slow killing drought into my morning tea; it was never an illness," the king explained.
"That woman has gone too far! Since you have found out that it was her, why not dispose of her?!" Lady Steinhouse asked in fury.
"Calm down. She has taken the entire of my palace under control; I can find no proof. If I disposed of her without proof, the people and those old men at court would think me a bloody king. She has already established before the people that she is but a kept woman who has never experienced her husband's love. If I do so, the palace drums will beat for her," the king explained, as his face darkened.
It is funny how he, the great and powerful king, has but few he could trust.
"She thinks herself invincible? We'll see about that," Lady Steinhouse said indignantly.
"Worry not, her days are numbered. She has poked her nose around for a while. This time, she sniffed the forbidden. It's a matter of time before Lady Wickshire crushes her. This king will not save her when the time comes," the king chuckled darkly.
"We may need not wait for Lady Wickshire to handle her," Lady Steinhouse smiled for the first time since she arrived at the palace.
"And here I thought you were here to see your favourite uncle," the king smiled.
"This is a hot one, and you will have her right where you want her. But before I tell you, you must promise that only I can decide on my marriage. If I bring you a man, you must agree regardless of anything," Lady Steinhouse said. She looked positively coy as she laid out her terms. She would not waste this chance to have total control over her life.
"Fine, I promise. Tell me," the king sighed.
"Your royal treasury is missing a chunk of gold, if not empty," Lady Steinhouse said and the king sat up.