***
In the Juhntt palace, Amie sat with her leg raised. She coldly browsed through documents while reclining on her seat. She was draped in a fox pelt to keep out the cold, leaving her feet out in the air to better heal. At this moment, King Adrian walked in with a slightly hurried pace.
"You have visitors," He said, glancing at her slightly scabbed feet. Amie remained unmoved as she looked down on her document. Those following the king stood outside, but could still hear the King's words. They were servants and could not comment on their master's relationship, but this did not stop them from stifling a sigh. The queen had been harmed during her wedding. She was so angry at the king that she did not enter the wedding chamber that night. If not for how sealed the palace was, it would have already been the talk of the capital by now.
"It's the Ligrel clan," King Adrian said. Only then did Amie look up at him.
"What? Why?" she asked.
"You finally speak to me," he said with a slight smile.
"Are you serious? The Ligrel clan is here?" she asked and he nodded.
"You wanted to know why there was none nobler than you, right?" he asked.
"Is this why?" she asked.
"Come and meet them. If not out of respect for both the religion and Lady Wickshire, they would have burst in here to see you easily," He said and walked up to her, slid his hand under hand and lifted her into his arms in one swoop, causing her to yelp slightly. As they made their way towards the receiving hall, he glanced at her little face.
"Why haven't you called me to carry you around? Such things best be done by your husband," he teased. At this, only Amie's cold eyes replied.
"I did not handle things well and you got hurt. I apologise," he said and she looked away.
"I am not angry with you," she said.
"Yet you did not enter the wedding chamber, causing your husband to be viewed with pity," he said. One would have thought him truly sad at this moment, but she knew better.
"Worry not; I need to expect things from you to be disappointed," she answered and he chuckled darkly.
"Good. The moment your feet heal, you will enter the wedding chamber," he said and she frowned. She did not have time to answer him when he placed her in a palanquin. He stepped away and the palanquin was lifted and carried away. She somewhat panicked when she realized he would not be coming with her to meet those from the Ligrel clan. She had thought he would be coming, as she did not understand much about the ancients and was not sure she would be able to communicate with them well. She calmed herself by chanting in her head her new mantra. Since before marriage, this has kept her calm when she needed it.
'I am Walter Krain's sister; there is none in Thriergor nobler than I.' Vain as it may sound to her, it kept her head high when she felt she should run and hide. She chanted these words in her head till she felt the palanquin being placed down. She did not step out but waited for a guard to carry her off. She entered the receiving room carried, which caused those in the room to frown.
They felt it beneath them to bow to a queen of a first-rate kingdom, but they showed respect for the religion and Lady Wickshire by rising from their seat when she entered.
Amie was placed down on her throne, just beside King Adrian's throne. Only then did she truly look at those present. Three old men, a young man and a woman stood before her.
"Please sit," she said and they all took their seat.
"I hear you are from the Ligrel clan. I would consider the Ligrel clan and the Krains in-laws," she said as they sat. "Regardless of the fact that our families have not met, I am still confused as to the reason behind your visit today," Amie said.
"Queen Amie, your brother took my granddaughter somewhere, we were wondering where," the Ligrel clan chief asked.
"Clan chief, they are not in Thriergor. As to their exact location, I cannot claim to know," Amie answered. Of course, she knew that was not what they wanted to say. If anything, they may have a better idea as to where her brother was than she. She had listened to what was known about her brother and This Lady Wickshire and understood that they may not be in Thriergor at all. Although the thought scared her, she had come to the realisation that there are other worlds apart from their own and her brother had stepped off this one. These Ligrel clan members knew this too, yet they asked her as though she would know better.
"And I hear your brother left the Steinhouse property in your hands before he left," Clan Chief asked.
"Yes. But, why do you ask this?" Amie asked, her soft smile still adorning her face. They glanced at her feet hidden from sight by her long dress. Even though it was just for a moment, when she had been placed down on her throne, they had seen that her feet were injured.
"She may not have told you, but the Steinhouse property is considered part of the Ligrel clan holdings," The clan chief said coldly.
"And as such?" Amie was confused but did not dare show it.
"As your brother married the last remaining descendant of the Ligrel clan, the protection of the clan falls to his lineage. I wonder how you intend to execute these duties in your brother's absence," he said and Amie felt her heart drop, but her smile only got sweeter.