Ivan gingerly made his way to the chamber where he knew he'd find his Grandmother. With the weather calm and no clouds above to obstruct the blue sky, his Grandmother would probably be having a cup of tea in her purple chamber that was specifically made for cool occasions like this.
His footfalls on the polished marble floor alerted the working servants of his presence, and those who were too afraid to stand in the presence of his Highness would find somewhere to hide until he was out of sight. The brave ones already had their heads bowed respectfully as he walked past them, but Ivan's eyes barely noticed their countenance.
Two guardsmen who were stationed at the front of the purple chamber, immediately opened the door at the sight of Lord Ivan approaching them, and they bowed their heads deeply in greeting.
When he walked in, the door closed behind him.
Stepping into the spacious chamber, Ivan's senses were hit with the aroma of fresh brewed tea and the scent of flowers. His footsteps tapping on the glistening marble tiles stopped when he caught sight of his lovely Grandmother.
Sitting at the tea table, his Grandmother looked as graceful and exquisite as the room itself. She wore a mauve silk dress that elegantly draped over her small frame, and a string of pearls nestled around her neck. Her silver hair was pulled neatly into a bun, and her piercing blue eyes sparkled as she looked up and saw her Grandson.
"More than two minutes at the dot." He heard her say.
A servant was busy pouring tea into a dainty porcelain cup for the Queen Mother, and she quietly retreated when Ivan stepped forward to join his Grandmother in the extra chair that was placed opposite where she sat.
"Grandmother." Was his own curt way of greeting her whenever he saw her, and his Grandmother took a sip from her cup of tea before setting it down gently on the saucer.
The purple chamber was regally decorated with elegant damask curtains draping against the walls. The spacious room was illuminated by a dazzling chandelier hanging from the ceiling, it casted a warm, Golden light throughout the room, and although Ivan already predicted finding his Mother in this typical arrangement, he wondered why she wasn't enjoying the view of the sky today.
"You sent for me." He leaned back against the chair, watching his Grandmother and waiting for her to start the conversation he was sure would lead to their usual argument.
"I did, but before we begin, do I have to remind you to change those eyes when speaking with me? We've spoken about this each time we meet and it's starting to turn into a habit I don't fancy." His Grandmother clearly stated, and all it took was a blink of an eye for Ivan's Vampire eyes to retract, and orbs as blue as the ones his Grandmother possessed filled in.
"Now I know my Grandson." A thin smile graced her lips, knowing she was looking into the human eyes of her son, and not the ones that reminded her of the devil he had grown to be.
"My time is limited, Grandmother, I have things to do. Can we begin this conversation?" Ivan, who was slowly starting to get impatient, pushed himself up and took one of the cookies that rested on a plate on the table, and his Grandmother shook her head at his behavior with a sigh.
"Well if you insist, then I shall start." She straightened up. "Earlier today, I met with the Herald after he had a meeting with Abdiel, and we had a brief discussion concerning why you haven't been made King yet." Grandmother Abrielle stated to Ivan who met his Grandmother's fixed gaze, and the cookie he was about to eat stopped mid-air like her words had left him frozen.
"Why did you hide it from me?" Grandmother Abrielle questioned him with her brows knitting into a frown.
"I never hid it." Ivan defended, but his Grandmother wasn't going to let his reaction fool her.
"Without the mystic orb, you can't be crowned King, Ivan." Grandmother Abrielle reminded Ivan who secretly rolled his eyes. "Don't forget, I am your Grandmother and nothing gets past me in the Palace. Your late Father was crowned King when he turned Twenty-three, you're twenty-five and still not bothered about how this could reflect on your image?"
"My image wasn't the one who stole the mystic orb, Grandmother." Ivan coolly remarked, "I love you, but I won't take any form of pressure from you."
"It is not about the pressure." She asserted back, her tone serious. "You know exactly where I'm heading with this and I speak because it is for your own good. Last night, I kept dreaming about the havoc that will incur EmptyHollow if you do not become King. There was unending chaos everywhere, I saw destruction, and most importantly, I saw you dead, Ivan."
A flicker of worry reached her blue eyes, and she took another sip from her cup of tea before releasing a deep breath. "I am bothered. Abdiel has impacted too many dark thoughts on your head, all in the name of making you strong, and it is distracting you from your duties."
Grandmother Abrielle didn't hide her discomfort. She only wished Ivan was as obedient as her other grandsons when it came to listening to her command. The Mystic Orb was the life source of GreenHollow before it got stolen, and that dreadful night was still a reminder of how GreenHollow became what it is today.
It also marks the death of her first son, the King, who was said to have been killed by the Human that worked under him.
Because of the absence of the mystic orb, not only did her lovely empire get dominated by darkness, but her beloved grandson was strongly affected.
"I think it is best if you stop hunting down what cannot be found and look for a bride that would fill in the void." Grandmother Abrielle thoughtfully suggested, a topic Ivan despised. "I will speak with Abdiel to invite all the beautiful princesses from each powerful Kingdom so you can meet with them and settle down with someone you like. That way, you can still be crowned King without the need for the mystic orb."
"Why are you doing this to me?"
"Well as the saying goes, if you can't get what you want, follow the alternative. I don't want to see you dead, I can't afford to lose any of my children, so I might as well act fast." She harrumphed and took another sip of her hot steaming tea, "It is much better than Abdiel's illicit idea of making you strong."
"But it did make me strong." Ivan spoke up in his uncle's favor, "I learnt how to stop crying after being surrounded by cold eyes, Grandmother. I no longer understand what it feels like to forgive and forget when I can literally fuck both."
"Language."
Ivan clicked his tongue and smiled at his Grandmother. "You didn't raise a fool, Grandmother, a psychotic cold-hearted bastard? Yes, but not a fool."
"I see, then I shall send Gustav to fix another therapy session for you. You're too handsome and young to be a mad man."
"Anything for you Grandmother, but I have to leave you to your tea." Rising from his chair, he took a few strides to where she sat and dropped a kiss on her cheek before leaving.
At the same time, one of the Family's Lady-In-Waiting walked in, and she bowed to Ivan who returned her greeting with a Curt nod before exiting through the door. Making her way towards Grandmother Abrielle, she smiled warmly and bowed her head once again.
"That boy needs to get his attitude checked, I didn't tell him to leave and he just…" Grandmother Abrielle sighed deeply before looking at Agathe who let out a soft chuckle.
"Let him be, Queen Mother," Agathe took the seat where Ivan sat. She motioned for the servant who followed her in to pour her some tea as well before saying, "he's busy as it is, and I heard from my son that something important came up from the other region, and it demands their attention."
"What could it be this time?"
"Alistair didn't say much, but I know it has something to do with those nosy witches again." Agathe scrunched her face in spite before taking a sip from her tea. "Anyway, the weather is so lovely today, yet you look solemn, Queen Mother, is there an issue?"
"My issue can't be more comprehensive than Ivan. Do you know he uses unacceptable language in front of me?" Grandmother Abrielle huffed and ate one cookie from the plate.
"No more." Agathe heard the Queen Mother say to herself, "when your husband returns, tell him to come find me. It's been a while since we hosted a small celebration in the Palace, and it's only been a week since Ivan took over one of the Kingdoms in Hisian. We shall hold a celebration, that will be the best way for Ivan to interact and find a suitable spouse who will support him."
"As you wish, Queen Mother." Agathe responded with a slight nod. They said nothing more and quietly enjoyed their tea.