I can't believe I did that. I hired a random guy pretty much off the street to be my main advisor on the problems in the kingdom. Yes, this would probably be the only way to know the true problems in the kingdom without living out there for at least two months, but still. I didn't know anything about Ray other than he lived with his aunt and his eyes were the color of caramel. And his voice was deep and full of emotion when he spoke. And he had seen the world. Okay no Maria. You know better. You are not allowed to have a personal relationship with the staff. He's staff now. Whether or not you want to make his life better.
Raymond walked into the door to my office, wearing the same suit from Saturday. I sighed and looked at the servant standing against the wall. The servant nodded and took Ray to his room and gave him another suit to wear. It was the same suit the servants wore and was slightly big on him, but it would do until we could get him to the tailor. I smiled at him and stood up, extending my hand to him. He shook it and I started walking, beckoning him to follow me, and he did. We walked through the palace and I let him just talk and talk. He spoke of his concerns as a servant followed us around writing it all down. When we came back to the office I dismissed the servants and sat at my desk. He sat across from me. "Why did you accept this job?" I asked him while looking away from him. I heard him shift in his seat. "I want to help them." I nodded and stood up. "I suppose we are done for the day. You have free reign of the palace and kingdom. Let the guards know where you go if you leave. Dinner will be brought to you at 6 sharp unless you tell them otherwise. You can also make your own."
I walked into the kitchen at 6:30 to start my dinner. I started cooking as Naru nipped at my ankles. I smiled down at her and dropped a piece of my bacon for her. "I didn't know you cooked for yourself." I heard a familiar voice from behind me and I shivered slightly. I flipped the pancakes on the griddle to my left. "I have for the past ten years." I responded pursing my lips. "I had the cooks teach me and they don't cook for me anymore." He took a breath. "Well. It smells good, but isn't that breakfast food?" I smiled as he walked up next to me. "Yes Raymond. I am making breakfast for dinner. Would you like some?" He nodded and I put my pancakes and bacon to the side and started to make more. He picked a piece of bacon off of my plate and ate it. I rolled my eyes and continued cooking. "Keep that up and all your bacon will go to Naru." He seemed confused until he heard a yip from the corner. "You have a dog." He said, more as a statement than a question. "Yes. And she may be old and small but she is fierce." He chuckled and picked her up. "She sure is." Naru was licking his face as if I hadn't just told him that she was fierce. We sat at the small table in the kitchen and ate our dinner quietly, Ray slipping Naru bits of bacon every now and then.
Ray started doing the dishes and I stood at the other side of the sink rinsing and drying them before putting them to the side. The maids always yelled at me for doing the dishes but settled for me not putting them away if I insisted on doing things myself. Ray looked at me and sighed. "Why does the queen know how to cook? And why does she do her own dishes? You have so many servants at your disposal." I nodded and looked down. "I don't like people doing things for me. My royal status does not change that my staff deserve time off and families." He nodded. "But your kitchen staff cook for Edward anyway, so why not let them cook for you as well?" I shook my head and took a step back, without looking and tripped over a sleeping Naru. I almost fell but Ray caught hold of my waist and pulled me back up. I looked at him and pulled back when I realized how close we were. "Sorry. I uh... I don't like talking about it." I said messing with my navy blue dress. He nodded. "Shouldn't have brought it up." He rubbed the back of his neck. "No. You were curious. Don't apologize for asking. When I was 15 someone tried to poison my mother. I don't trust the kitchen staff with my food anymore. Safer if I make it." He took a step forward and I took a step back, trying to avoid the feeling in my stomach.
"You are avoiding looking at me Queen." He said, over pronouncing the last word and taking another step forward, pushing me back another step, almost to the counter now. "I don't know what you are talking about." A tear ran down my cheek as I thought of the poisoning that almost took my mother before Edward's birth did. He took three steps forward and wiped the tear from my cheek as I pressed myself against the counter. I finally looked up at him, something I hadn't done since he first visited my office. He looked down at me and backed up, giving me room to breathe. I straightened out my dress. "Sorry." He said looking away from me. I stood up straight. "I told you to call me Maria." He looked back at me and I saw something change in his expression, not knowing what it was until he closed the gap between us again, only this time his face was only inches from mine. "But I much prefer calling you my Queen" I gasped as he pecked my cheek and backed away from me. "Goodnight." he walked from the room and I stood there shocked, until I composed myself and headed back to my room