"It's not the library here otherwise, what about I read you a book?" Tender and forceful.
"Has twenty years desiccant you to see as one of who you should see?"
Second and Duchess be in stitches. Is she looking at a kid? A kid who dares imply her so? "You're not back to square one, I see, Royal Duke."
"I'm not one of the Empress's kids who's hiding behind her mother's skirt, Duchess."
Quite sarcasm.
The thing about The Queen being crowned at the age of 10 years old doesn't make him feel jeepers like a grown-up wandering endlessly around the palace just because of the 20 years she's on the throne and ten years old age gap between them.
He doesn't flip much through time.
His eyes to her. "You're still beauteous as ever, Duchess. What's the secret? I want to know. I doubt men's beauteousness more than you come the aegis."
Duchess Natureal laughs. She sees the man is ravenous about her chaperones. "Don't go looking out of our spent time that's about ten days for you going looking wary of the opponents."
The Duchess rests her face on her hand. "Speaking which, where's your twin sister? She came here but not with you? That makes me a clown without the ability to make jokes for others' entertainment."
Somehow the word gets on his nerves like it manufactures something between him and her.
"Duchess Natureal, I'm here and fell slept by the time waiting for you. Don't you think the answer is within yourself?"
Her slender fingers tapped the arm couch along humming hmm...
She didn't notice the time. That's apart. The one tone he's using while talking to her is quite sulky. An angry tone. Who dared to use one kind of tone to her?
She's the Duchess, and the Queen.
Like how a husband gets angry at his wife but in a way of concern and whining about attention. She pictures the scene and a foolish chuckle came.
Royal Duke notices the glasses. "When has it all become an empty glass? Was it you call, Duchess?" It's an awkward tone. The moment he falls slept, she drank it all to herself.
It's least said soonest mended ever. Like he has the chance but no. It flips.
"Has the time I read to you the recipes and do according to it, worth worthy my praises, Duke?
By years, she's 20 years as The Queen on the throne and The Lady as per the title to royals' kids do make the time dynamic of relating gap between them. The Royal Duke reminded the time royal children used to call off the one in front of right now every time she come over to see the Empress.
"Not very well, Duchess. About the kitchen, it's about dexterity and love as how you used to teach us, the royal children."
Wearing the glasses and teaching the children, how doesn't he know the lady only ten years old apart? Was it the time she was crowned she was 10-year-old child? Was it the reason?
Come he take it the reason, then now, wasn't the woman he saw about 40 years old?
Duchess observes Royal Duke is not with her. "What's it that's usurping your mind? You haven't answered my question? Was your silence 'backfired' me back?"
A kid rebellion.
She taught the kid before and sees quite often the way to settle using wheedling that's by their hearts and mind, the allegation they're seeking.
Her mind is roaming about signaling and connecting between adults and kids if the same blandishment crackerjack can be used.
Never his words an intention being poker face but it turned out it so. "Quite it's, Duchess." Royal Duke takes an empty glass.
The crystal glass only with dregs of green herbs there... "I'm satisfied with your present, Royal Duke. Let's make another one using a different method and ingredients, Duke."
A pause from the Royal Duke. "..."
"Your twin will be upset to have a lullaby without you at her side," said Duchess Natureal. She wants to have a joke at the end.
"Let's read the book, Duchess."
"Rather now I read a book, I preferred someone read it to me whenever I want it right now."
The Royal Duke looks around the room. The men and women in the room aren't for the show. The workers who took care of the dairy cattle he saw years ago when he visited her at the countryside duchy or precisely at the field are still working hard while maintaining the youth vigorously.
A family?
The Royal Duke's eyes especially to the one Duke that lineage also from the Royal.
Coming from both Empire and Kingdom's blood, wasn't he going to grab the attention as well? People will speak about it since it's all about Duke around Duchess as of now, right?
Duchess Natureal takes him as her steward to boost her haughty and arrogant silly attitude as she was robbed of the freedom to be like any other child in childhood.
Before the Royal Duke used to see the man as the straw only but as romance and fierce competition be going more intensely to become Duchess's groom-to-be, no reason not to make a move, isn't it?
"Crockery," said Royal Duke. No matter, it's indispensable for woman to be put out of kitchen.
The Duchess arranged her hairstyle in a ruffle and messy style but in a simple and elegant manner as the next book would be read by the Royal Duke.
"You'll need something like a ribbon bow to tie your hair? I'm afraid your hair bun will fall down least it's flimsy and messily tied come breeze breath light."
Crockery is one of the courses mainly because it's related to her jungle as mentioned by the Duke.
"It was the book I will have attention to without a filibuster, Royal Duke."
Did it come from her authority as the Queen? Or was it she was lazy to entertain him likely as he's no more than a kid in his very own eyes?
A woman who sits on the throne is an impresario without the chessmen realizing it, she's playing about a village woman wearing a straw hat having leisure in the evening while at times laughing at the birds that are scared of scarecrows.