"Who is there?" the queen asked without turning her back. She leisurely took a sip of her tea.
"Mommy?" A small voice answered, it came from the general direction of the window. The other maidservants that had been sent out had not yet returned, so her daughter was her only audience.
"Come in" she softly commanded. Elvira slowly made her way in, reluctance twisting her face.
"Mommy? Why must you help her?" the little girl asked. At seven she had already developed such a sinister heart…or was it childish jealousy.
The queen smiled, her eyes remaining serene, she beckoned Elvira closer and ruffled the child's head.
"I'm doing all this for you, my child." Looking into her mother's eyes as she spoke Elvira suddenly felt reassured.
"This kingdom, will be yours. You will be queen. Mommy is just making sure your path to power will be smooth" her mother continued.
"Okay!" Elvira answered in her childish voice. Energy returning to her whole being, her smile falling back in place.
###
It was midday. Sebastien was going to check in on his little protegee Miranda at the training fields. She had been quiet lately, she was not too energetic by nature but she had a mouth that could make people mad.
He hummed to himself on his way out of the throne room, his cheeks bouncing as he moved. Glancing down at his ever growing belly he sighed to himself. He had been stress eating lately because he was worried for the child.
Unfortunately, he could not blame stress eating for his current size.
"Master Sebastian!"
"Master Sebastien!" he suddenly heard. Turning left, he saw the second queen's primary maidservant approaching him. His eyebrows fell low on his face, he didn't like the old shrew but as was courtesy a fake pleasant expression was plastered on his face once he was in talking distance with her.
"How may I help you, old shrew?" Sebastian spoke without thinking.
"What?"
"I said how may I help you, Olshi?" Sebastien's fake smile broadened. Narrowing her eyes the maidservant hid her suspicion and told Sebastian of the queen's wishes.
"You should be happy her grace is paying attention to that…er princess. You are very fortunate." Olshi boasted of the queen's magnanimous behavior of taking care of another woman's child.
"Not everyone is so lucky a-"
"And what makes your queen think she can decide anything for the crown princess?" Sebastian interrupted Olshi mid rant.
"If I remember correctly, decisions concerning the crown princess are to be passed through me and only important ones forwarded to his highness"
"She is your queen too-"
"Not in my books. On the other hand, thank you for informing me. I do have to choose a worthy maidservant for the crown princess." Sebastian said his piece and started to walk away.
"You can not refuse the graciousness of the queen Sebastien" Olshi continued forcefully, gritting her teeth in anger she said "You are forgetting your place", but Sebastian did not stop. Her face twisted in anger and malice as she watched his receding back.