Raymond's POV
I just kissed the queen. On the cheek, but still. That's royalty. I stayed up all night chastising myself for it, but I still had to work the next day. I ended up drinking coffee for the first time in two years, just to get to the queen's office on time. I was at the door as it opened to the most beautiful sight I had ever seen. She had her hair up in two braids that led to the back of her head in a ponytail, and wore a floor length lavender dress that brought out her eyes and made me wake up much faster than the coffee had. She smiled at me and motioned for me to put my arm out for her to take. I was confused as to why she would wear such a fancy dress to talk politics. It was then that I realized that we were being escorted by the royal guard to the dining hall. I was very confused, but I would let the queen explain herself when she was ready.
Maria's POV
What am I doing?! I am taking my newest advisor to a meeting with the duke and duchess just to show them that I am truly busy. That makes sense, but what doesn't make sense is me holding his arm. The staff was hardly allowed to touch me to help me get dressed or down the stairs. But here I was, holding his arm, after he kissed me last night. I sighed as we walked into the dining hall where the duke and duchess were already waiting. They bowed to me and I curtseyed back, watching as Raymond bowed and they turned their attention to him. Duchess Kairi gave me a look but said nothing, most likely waiting for me to speak. I walked to my chair, Ray pulling it out for me and tucking it in before standing at the seat he sat at during lunch last Saturday. I shook my head as he looked at me and motioned to the seat closer to me with my eyes. He looked surprised, as did the duke although they all sat down and the staff brought food for the two of them, leaving Raymond and I without plates.
The duchess finally spoke up. "Your highness, you said you were bringing an advisor to breakfast, but this does not seem like an advisor. He seems more like a suitor. He has held your arm, pulled out your chair, and you had him sit to your right, a seat that should be reserved for a spouse." I looked at her and gave her a condescending smile. "Raymond is my newest advisor. He helped me yesterday, and while I appreciate your concern towards my manners, I assure you, as the queen, someone raised to take the throne, I am aware of the nature of the right hand at the table and way I should treat my people." She didn't leave it, and continued to point out slight problems in his mannerisms towards me throughout her breakfast, even going so far as to tell me she was disappointed in me. When they finally left I went to the kitchen and made myself a toasted bagel, cutting one for Raymond, as he hadn't eaten at breakfast either. I then met him in my office, dismissing the servants nearby so I could speak to him in private.
He stood up and took the plates from my hands, placing one on my side of the desk and one on his, and waiting for me to sit down before he sat down. I did not speak as I ate my bagel, but he didn't touch his plate. I stopped eating after a while and looked up to see him looking at me, silently asking for permission to speak. I nodded at him. "I didn't say anything at the breakfast, but who were those people? And why did you sit me at your right hand?" I sighed and pushed my plate away from me, suddenly losing my appetite. "They are the Duke Marshall and Duchess Kairi. They are extremely hesitant to leave back to their own town until I prove myself as queen. That includes gaining a spouse. They have been here since Rupert's passing." I avoided the second question, as the answer would hurt me to admit. He nodded and picked up his bagel before adding in "You look beautiful today my queen." He started eating his bagel while I looked away, my face flushing red. We worked the rest of the day quietly, him writing down things he would fix and how he would fix them, and I put them into proper laws, editing them to make them less open ended before signing them and sending them off with my servants to collect and deliver to parliament tomorrow.
Ray and I ate dinner together again, doing the dishes afterwards just as we had the night before. This time though, something was different. Not in him, but in me. He started walking out of the room but I grabbed his arm before he could. "Ray." He seemed startled by the action but stopped and turned to me never the less. "Yes my queen?" He looked at me expectantly but I just walked through the palace, hoping he would follow me. He did, silently, probably wondering what I was doing. I brought him to my favorite place from when I was a child. We stepped through a small door and into a large library. It looked as if it hadn't been touched since I last came here 9 years ago. It probably hadn't. The staff didn't know about it I don't think. Or they were instructed to never open the door. I smiled as I led him to the section with all of the books I had stacked up next to a chair. The chair itself was next to a giant picture window.
I sat next to the stack of books, ignoring that the chair was right there. I picked up the top book, dusting it off before opening it to the page that I had marked the last time I was here. "I loved coming here when I was a child. I spent hours here after my tutors left." I looked up at him and he quickly sat next to me to see what I was looking at. "Astrology?" I nodded and looked at him. "Do not take Kairi's words to heart. She may not believe you are a proper fit for advisor, or even a servant, but you are so much more than an advisor. You have already made my life as queen so much easier and you have only been here two days. You are helping your family and your friends. You are making your country better and improving the lives of my subjects. I thank you for everything you have done and will do for my people."
"They are my people too. You are my queen, and we are their hope for the future. You sell yourself short. You will be an amazing queen whether the duke and duchess agree or not." I nodded. "Tell me about your family" He looked surprised but responded none the less. "My aunt and I moved here when I was 3. We immigrated from Florida." I looked at him surprised. I didn't know Florida was letting people out after they split from the U.S. "They let us out on a cruise. We just never came back." I patted his shoulder before retracting my hand. "The two that came with us to the palace Saturday, they were my friends in school. They are dating actually. But they were basically family. When Alicia's nan kicked her out, she came and lived in our apartment for a couple months til she got on her feet. Damien and her rent the apartment next door." I smiled at the way he spoke about them. I wish I had that experience. But he hadn't mentioned the people I wanted to know about the most. "But if you meant my parents, I never knew them." He left the statement there. I nodded and stood up before reaching my hand down to help him up, not caring that my dress probably needed dusted off at the least. He ignored my hand, standing up on his own. I huffed and retracted my hand, fixing my dress and taking a step back to give him personal space. "Goodnight Raymond" I said after a moment. He smiled and replied "Goodnight, my queen."