The first thing on the agenda was for Hydrangea to meet with Alessia for a special history lesson.
Next Hadok would come by and escort her to the Harem to show her what was needed.
The last thing for the day that would cause many dominoes to fall; was her First Act.
As Queen she had a First Act. She could make a new grand temple, have a party, go on a cruise to each of the states, visit a country, etcetera…
Alessia was going to instruct her on what would be a wise first act.
Hydrangea had just finished her morning meal and was waiting on her favourite settee reading another one of her history books.
A knock sounded on the door and she got up as it was opened by Brigitte.
Alessia walked in with a few other servants behind her, "Good morning your Majesty." They all bowed.
Hydrangea blinked at their entrance, "Um, thank you. You may sit if you need to." She said, hoping that they would, the boxes in the servants' hands looked heavy.
Alessia shook her head with her merry smile still on her face, "Oh, no, no, thank you your majesty, but it will be fine."
Hydrangea nodded and sat down on her settee facing Alessia who had begun setting up a stand on which she would set books and scrolls.
"Now, your majesty." Alessia said once she was finished setting up, "As I'm sure you know, each queen has had a First Act, whether it was a grand act or a simple one, each has been memorable."
Hydrangea nodded, showing that she understood.
Alessia hung a scroll on the stand that showed a beautiful temple, "This is the Great Temple that was built on Bell Island by the first queen, Queen Alula the First."
She nodded again.
After an hour of studying previous queen's and their actions it was now time for Hydrangea to leave and visit the Harem.
She was led by her ladies-in-waiting to where Hadok was, and then he led them from there.
All the while Hydrangea attempted to swallow back the rising queasiness at going once again to the Sovereign's Harem.
The first time hadn't been so bad, she'd met with the first concubine and she had explained how things worked there. Hydrangea still felt sick from how the lady had explained it.
'But today was going to be better.' She told herself, 'Today, I will…' She didn't know what she was going to do.
Hadok pushed open two tall doors that led to the Harem. A courtyard lay before the group and a tall sandalwood tree with a thick trunk.
Hydrangea had seen the tree before and the same thought that had occurred then occurred now.
'How old is the Harem?'
Hadok moved to a hallway that they'd previously walked down, it led to where the First Concubine resided.
In this gap of time Hydrangea took this time to ponder her strange dream.
'Was the Sovereign in danger? Or was he? Ratri-kar had never answered her question clearly. He'd also said that their Union had not been… a unanimous decision. And was that Ratri-kar? He'd seemed stranger than anything her own mind could conjure up. The strange glow that had emanated from him, but she'd had dreams like that before, it was most likely a dream and not a Primal, since they were not real.'
At the instant the thought finished in her mind something connected with her head and she fell to the side grasping at her temple which as she drew her hand away was bleeding.
"My Queen!" She heard Hadok exclaim as Alisha and Daphne helped her to stand.
"I'm fine." She stated standing steadily on her two feet but soon grasped the wall next to her finding that she was a little lightheaded, "A little scratch never hurt anyone." She said with a smile.
He looked at her doubtfully but redirected his gaze when a voice called to him.
"Hadok, we found her!" A eunuch called, in his hands was a very angry Adhira.
Hydrangea looked at the woman confused as she felt a cloth being placed on her temple and looked to see Alisha holding a white handkerchief.
Hydrangea said a quiet thank you to her kind lady-in-waiting.
"She will be executed." Hadok announced and Adhira's face went pale and her eyes widened in fear as she shook her head frantically.
Hydrangea's own eyes widened in horror at the words, "She can't be executed." She said breathlessly after losing most of her breath from the shock.
Hadok levelled his serious gaze with her, "My Queen, this woman has harmed her majesty. It is an act of treason against her majesty and is punished by death."
Hydrangea held her hand out feeling helpless, "But, you cannot kill her."
Adhira looked at the young queen confused.
Hydrangea turned to look at the confused Adhira, "Why did you do it Adhira?"
Adhira's face cooled and she looked at Hydrangea with loathing, "Because you are one of the brats I taught. You were never to be queen, and here you are walking through this harem as though you own it." She spat and a hand flew to slap her face.
"Silence!" Hadok said and he turned once again to face Hydrangea, "My Queen, this woman deserves death for harming her majesty, and for speaking treasonous words against her majesty."
Hydrangea looked back and forth between the tall, dark man and the slender, brown woman.
Licking her lips she attempted another route, "Can she not be sent to the dungeons?"
Adhira began to struggle in the hands of the eunuchs, "I will not go there."
Hadok watched the young woman and sighed, "That is considered a great disgrace and she would never be able to live happily."
The queen's eyes darted in realization, "But what if she worked as a servant in a part of the palace not near me, could she not live that way?"
"I will not!" Interjected Adhira whose hair had become unraveled.
"Silence!" Hadok bellowed, "My Queen-"
"I will not be responsible for someone's death!" She exclaimed.
Hadok bent over and picked up the piece of bloodied brick that was lying on the tiled floor, "I will send her to the dungeons." He said then sighed softly.
Hydrangea nodded grimly, her lips set in a straight line. As soon as Adhira had left, her hands left the wall she'd been gripping and her feet gave way.
Hadok and the two ladies then realized that the handkerchief the queen had been using was soaked with blood.
Hydrangea attempted to stand once more but she could not, "Maybe you should take me back to my room." She mumbled as the darkness took her.