Mother? Xander called the Queen mother. Xander, this boy she had met last night during her emotional breakdown was a prince. The artist who she bawled her eyes out in front of was a Alvar's brother!
Victoria looked beyond shocked…Of course, why haven't she connected the dots and thought about the possibility? Xander just like Alvar had a dark aura even though Xander's amount paled in comparison to Alvar's and was only strong enough for mind reading. Not to mention, the Queen, Alvar and Xander all looked alike in a certain way. Xander was very much a biological member of the royal family.
Xander laid his purple irises on her and his lips curled to a polite smile, "Good day, Lady Victoria, How are you today?"
Victoria cleared her throat as he took her hand and kissed the back of her palm in a rather slow and sensual manner whilst keeping those pools of purple on her as if to say. 'I know something you do not want me to know.'
That scared Victoria to her core.
Despite that, she replied. "I'm very well, Your Highness." She made sure emphasis was placed on her last couple of words.
Xander chuckled, probably because he could tell how annoyed she was based on her tone. "You really did not know about my title, did you?"
"Forgive me." Victoria replied, "I was not aware, and you didn't correct me when I was being too informal. I also had no clue the Queen had another son."
Xander smiled once more and made himself comfortable on the empty seat between Victoria and mother who, mind you, did not look very pleased with her son randomly showing up and interrupting her meeting with Victoria. To be honest, Victoria was a bit glad he had shown up when he did, he had saved her from saying something that would he considered very rude to the Queen.
"You were crying last night," Xander said as a maid provided him with a cup and poured him some tea. "I didn't think it would be inappropriate to interrupt your crying session with demands of respect."
The Queen frowned and turned to Victoria, "You two met last night?"
Victoria nodded with a slightly glare aimed at him as Xander, choosing to ignore the looks he was sure she was sending him, helped himself to a star shaped pastry. The Queen sighed and sipped her tea, her tired eyes shut as she did so. "Xander, why are you here? Can't you see I was in the middle of an important conversation?"
"Important? It seemed like you were just forcing her to admit to a crime she didn't commit."
The Queen glowered, "even if it was that does not give you the right to just randomly appear!"
Xander flinched slightly due to her loud and harsh tone, his face was emotionless and so were the servants at the corner looking still and unbothered must be a regular occurrence for the Queen to speak to her other son that way
"I apologize mother." Xander said after a moment of nothing but complete silence. "I was unaware that you had a guest I had something important to discuss with you as in regards to the Likithos district refugees."
The Queen turned to Victoria with a look she couldn't quite decipher. "Right the people who were displaced from their homes during the war." She shot her eyes once more. "I'll send for you later.
Xanded sighed before getting up and bowing to his mother who was somehow determined to look anywhere but to her second son. He turned to Victoria and smiled in a tired yet heartwarming manner and said. "I'll guess I'll have to take my leave now, Lady Victoria. I hope to see more of you."
Victoria didn't find that hope to be mutual and yet she forced a smile and nodded she wasn't going to run away and avoid him in fact she was going to make sure he wasn't going to be an obstacle in her mission.
Once Xander had excused himself she was once again in the center of the Queen's attention. "So, you haven't done anything to attract my son's attention?"
Victoria couldn't help but smile and tilted her head slightly and she traced the rim of the teacup with a finger. "with all due respect, Your Majesty." Victoria began. "Are you suspecting me of maybe be witching your son? Or maybe giving him a love potion of some sorts?"
The Queen gave a chuckle, "I will not lie, the thought very much crossed my mind."
Victoria placed her now empty tea cup on its saucer and sighed while having her hands clasped on the lace cloth covered table. "I can assure you, your majesty, that I have no intention of bewitching your son mostly because I'm not interested in becoming Queen. I have a goal far more important and that besides there is no guarantee that the King finds me attractive, much less likes me and that's fine with me honestly."
The Queen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is this goal you have, if I may ask?"
Of course Victoria couldn't tell her of her plans to murder her son therefore plunging the shadow realm to inevitable chaos. What was she to say?
"My goal…my true goal is to kill your first born son, Your Majesty."
Victoria fought hard to stifle a snort at the thought of her actually saying that and getting thrown to the dungeons and beheaded in less than a week. So many things could go wrong by that statement alone even if she meant to do so or not.
"My goal…is the secure peace between the Realms. I believe if I become a concubine and bear a child for the King, the chances of there being another war will be slim for a longer period." Victoria said keeping her facial expression neutral she had a gift for lying through her teeth while maintaining a normal expression.
Besides, she wasn't really lying if you thought about it. But she wasn't telling the truth either but doesn't buy the Queen's now softened eyes Victoria must have succeeded in convincing her she meant no harm to her family.
"I hope you know of the consequences if I were to find out that you speak nothing but lies Victoria. I've had stories of fireborns being cunning and manipulative." The Queen said, "I might not look the part, but I'm a very dangerous woman, I'm sure you're smart enough to acknowledge that."
Victoria let out a smile, "I haven't been around for a long time your majesty so I'm not the wisest but I know not to judge one by stereotypes."
"...You sound just like him." The Queen murmured mostly to herself as if in a trance and had a slight blush on her very pale skin.
Victoria frowned in confusion. "I sound like who, Your Majesty?"
The queen blinked in shock for a moment then cleared her throat. "No one." She replied. "Since you are not a threat, tell me, Victoria…about the Light Realm."
Victoria kept her descriptions of her homeland vague yet informative before she knew it, how conversation with the Queen has stretched out until sunset.
It seemed like she was safe when it came to The Queen, but with Xander? She wasn't sure, she needed to be certain he wouldn't be a threat.