The first time Tayne met Queen Cecil was at Mary's birthday party, her first impression of her was that time stop for the Queen. Despite her age and wrinkled face, Queen Cecil's beauty was undying, she can understand why King Blythe would stay faithful to her, she heard the King did not accept any consorts from other Kingdoms to prove his love for the Queen.
This is how the Kingdom system works, a king can have multiple wives if he wishes to, these marriages are symbols of the alliance between other kingdoms. This was not applied by King Blythe, he made it possible to forge alliances without marriage because he was a master of the trade.
"I'm so glad I finally got the chance to have tea with you Miss Tayne," said Queen Cecil, she was soft-spoken
"Well the pleasure is mine, your majesty" Tayne replied, she looks very confused in front of the queen
"I know what you're thinking, why are you even here? I did ask my son countless times to talk you out for having a tea with me, I even told my dear husband but those two were busy lately they must have forgotten about it"
"King Blythe was busy?"
Queen Cecil nods, she picks a cup of tea on the table in front of them and takes a sip "He was saying about something like he has to sort things out but those father and son are so much alike, always thinking about the Kingdom first"
"Ah, I see"
The Queen noticed that Tayne was not drinking the tea she prepared for her "Are you not fond of tea, Miss Tayne?"
"Ah, you noticed, I apologize but yes"
"What do you mostly drink?"
"Ahahahaha, it's kind of embarrassing but it's quite far from tea, hahaha" Tayne replied anxiously
Queen Cecil looks at her smiling and again on the table, she pulls out a silver bell and starts ringing it. A few seconds later a group of chefs from the kitchen came rushing to where they were. The Queen whispered something to the chef and he immediately tells the others, one went back to the kitchen and in seconds brought a glass of drink and place it in front of Tayne and they all left together.
"This...is...?"
"Warm Milk"
Tayne was surprised "Uhm..."
"Please have a drink, try it, it goes well with the sweets I prepared"
Tayne did try to take a sip, she felt a bit guilty expecting to drink a beer in front of the queen. She was surprised after tasting it, the milk was the right warmth and it gives you comfortable fuzzy feeling inside. She can't help but smile as she takes another sip.
"It seems you like it"
"Y-yeah, it's nothing special, no offense, your majesty, it may be just ordinary milk but I can't help but wanting to finish it, it makes you happy inside!"
"My, none taken, hahaha! I should be proud, right? I made that one, I just asked the chef to get it from where I usually put my teas"
"You made this your Majesty?"
"Yes, but there's really no secret ingredient to it. I just made it thinking whoever drinks it will feel happy, at home, and warm. It's Claude's favorite"
"R-really? I thought he's more of a coffee person because her highness, Mary always brought him coffee every morning"
"No, he doesn't like coffee but because he doesn't want to hurt Mary's feelings, he keeps drinking it every morning. That's why I always prepared Milk in the kitchen because at times he feels distressed and down, warm milk can make it go away, only for a while though"
"I see, so there IS a secret ingredient, your majesty"
"What do you mean?"
"It's love, you poured so much love in making it and it expresses to the person who drinks it, that's the warm feeling I felt as I got the chance to drink it, its love"
The Queen saw the glass of milk in front of Tayne was already empty. As she stares at the bodyguard in front of her, she was cute with her brown chestnut hair and emerald green eyes, she could have mistaken her as a daughter of a noble without her black and white suit.
"So this is where you are! I have been looking everywhere for you!" Claude interrupts them, Tayne got up from her chair when he sees him
"You did? Sorry, I was doing some errands, I did plan to go to your studies but as you can see your mother caught me"
"Yeah, I can see that. Well, looking at it, I guess you're done having a tea party with my mom?"
"Hey, you're being rude to your mother" Tayne scolds him
"Huh? What's it to you brat?"
While the two were busy bickering with each other, Queen Cecil was happily taking a sip of her tea watching them. This was the first in a long time he sees her son lose his edge in front of her and she's happy about it.
"Now, now, stop acting like two lovebirds in front of me, I might get a little jealous you know.." she teases
"W-what!? Mother, how could you say that? Why would we be a couple? This brat is hopeless!"
"So if I'm not hopeless we can be a couple?" Tayne teases Claude as well
"Wh-wha...." Claude could not react in time seeing that the two women ganged upon him.
"Whatever! See you in my studies brat!" he hastily walks away from them flustered as Queen Cecil and Tayne laughs.
"Ahahaha, never seen him flushed like that, this is so much fun, hahaha" the Queen laughs wiping away tears of joy from her eyes.
"Well, your majesty, I better follow him or I might lose a job tomorrow" Tayne ask for permission to exit
"Sure, thank you so much for giving me a wonderful time Miss Tayne"
Tayne gave her a bow and with a smile left the Queen. When she was no longer visible Queen Cecil rings her bell in a different manner and this time her servant-maids approaches.
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Take me to my room, I have to prepare a gift for someone"
----
When Tayne finally arrives in Claude's studies, he wanted to talk about what happened to them earlier but he just brushes it off, what they will talk about now is far more important than her mother's joke.
"I got your letter," he said
"How was it? Was it the Duke?"
Claud shakes his head, he was standing, leans himself against his table while he crosses his arms "It's not him if it's about the way he talks to you when he said he discovered something, it's just his curiosity beaming, he'll talk about it with you soon"
"Ah, I see, then wh--"
"And" Claude intercepts her "I got details about that Rell person"
Tayne's eyes lit up "Really?"
"Really, but it wasn't Vincent who hired him"
"Eh? Then who?"
"The Previous Duke, Vincent's father, he was also present on the day you jumped off from the hospital building"
Tayne tried to remember the scenario again, she closed her eyes and there she was facing the man with blue eyes, they were talking at first. [Talking about what?] she asks herself, the scene continues when their conversation went to something more of an argument. Her head starts to ache again when she forces herself to remember it.
Claude notice "Don't force yourself" he said
"I'm sorry if what you said is true, do you think the duke's been controlled by that man?"
"Vincent will look into it, I might get a call later"
"I see- your father was worried about the duke as well, he met Rell at Mary's birthday party"
"What!? So he already got ahead before us, damn" Claude turn his back on Tayne "What is he planning to do?"
"I don't know but now that we know him and he doesn't even know it yet, we have a chance to get him before he does anything crazy"
Claude nods, "You're right, then we'll just wait for Vincent's call then, by the way, you talked to my father? When?"
"Err- When -- you were out looking for me, it was only for a while though"
"Ah, I see, hey brat?" the tone in Claude's voice was serious and Tayne felt that she needs to get ready for the right answer.
"If anything happens to the royal family, my family, prioritize saving Mary and my niece, not me, I don't want them to be involved"
"Why are you saying this all of a sudden?"
"I don't know, I just wanted to be clear on that, I know my father hired you solely for protecting me, but I'm still your 'Boss' so just do it"
Tayne became quiet and it made Claude uncomfortable "Well, I think that's all we need to talk about until Vincent calls me we'll wait for our next move" he walks out of his studies leaving Tayne inside.
[Why am I the one going out of my studies?] He thought, he didn't want to see her go out so he excuses himself for a bit and walks along the hallways, Tseng was following him.
"Did you hear our conversation?" he asked him
Tseng only stares at him, no matter how scary he looks Claude knew deep inside he's a softie, but just like Tayne, this bodyguard of his only follows his father.
Come to think of it, he might be the King but the bodyguards hired by his father were usually closer to him than the others who took the exams. He was thinking real hard while walking that he bumps into a servant-maid, the girl was frightened to have touched the King.
"Your Majesty! I'm sorry! I'm Queen Cecils' new maid, I didn't see you walking, I- I'm sorry--"
"It's fine" he was about to continue walking when the maid calls out to him
"Erm- Your Majesty?"
"What?" He answered a bit annoyed and the girl got shaky again "I-Queen Cecil sent me to give this to you" she hands him a colored pink box with his mother's signature seal.
"What's this?"
"She said to give it to her future daughter in law"
"Daughter in law?"
"Are you getting married, your majesty?" The servant-maid asks, beaming with curiosity, she takes the courage to confront him"
Claude steps back "No! As if I have someone, this is just one of her pranks! Now please leave..."
"Y-yes your majesty! I apologize" the girl runs hastily going upstairs.
[What the hell is my mother thinking? Daughter in law?]
He opens the lid of the box and sees a beautiful plumeria flower necklace, it was made of pink sapphire gems. Claude thought it was pretty but he didn't know who to give it to when he actions to close the lid he saw a piece of paper below, curious he read what's written inside and it was from his mother for him.
(Ha, you really take a peek inside, curious little cat aren't we?)
Claude blushed when reading it [The hell with this woman?] he thought but he continued to read even so.
(But, I have nothing to hide from you my dearest son, I'm sure you're wondering who to give this necklace to and I especially instructed my new maid to give to you and said for my daughter in law, I'm sure words will spread fast now, I know you don't like us doing something behind your back like your father but as your mother, I don't want you to keep holding on to the past. To make this short, I chose no, not chose but I WANT Tayne for you, use this to court her. If I don't see her wearing this on your birthday, oh, you are gonna get a scolding from me, young man)
"That brat? Did she choose that brat? My mother's getting old, really" he sighed and puts the box in his pocket.
Pirururururu, pirurururu *Click*
Claude immediately picks up his phone.
"Hello?"
*Claude! I'm glad you answered immediately, please, we got to do something and fast! My- my father, he's ------*
------beep.
---- End Of The Chapter