It was a big room with a long table and two chairs, at the head of which sat Cassie, her thick brown hair tied up in a pleated bun in contrast to her usual pony-tail. She had her reading glasses pressed over her button nose, dark eyes staring, unblinking at the other occupied chair.
"I did not know you could read," the handmaiden confessed, brows mushed together and lower lip jutting out in confusion.
"Auntie Aldith taught me alphabet and I picked up the rest with Bran... he'd lend me books whenever he could," Daisy clarified, sheepishly, her feet swinging to and fro in consequence of the chair being too high and Cassie having to hoist her up to sit.
An embarassing feat for an eight year old.
"Makes my job relatively easier," Cassie sighed in relief. Then, she piled up the alphabet books in one corner of the table and dragged on a book thicker than all four of Daisy's limbs combined.
"We begin with history, not ancient but modern enough to get you accustomed with the world, its divisions and the societies that thrive in those divisions. Since you can read, use your free time to catch up on ancient history with this book," she patted its hardcover and gusts of dust puffed out.
Daisy almost laughed at the prospect of having anymore free time between her chores and weekly lessons. "Heh," she shrugged her shoulders, "I will try."
"I don't need efforts, I need results," the brunette stared at her with dead eyes and a lopsided smile.
"Heh," Daisy nodded as Cassie flipped through the yellowing pages and opened up a map.
"The world is a Wreath and the seven continents are its Flowers. About 13 years ago, on Mirana Coronation Day - FF325, the seven flowers were coronated and the seven empires are set to stone," she pointed at the semi-circular World Map, "These three continents in the middle are the Inner World," she tapped the large brown chunks, "Willow, Zinnia and Lunaria."
Daisy nodded. Willow was the central landmass with Zinnia on its right and Lunaria on its left.
"These these four make up the Outer World," she circled her finger around the comparatively smaller chunks of brown that were on the sides of Zinnia and Lunaria.
"These are Mattholia, extremely popular for beauty, that's where I am from," she tapped the landmass beside Zinnia, "Then there's Kalmia, extremely hot, inhabited by transformative creatures. Yes, I know, how appalling," she rolled her eyes and tapped the landmass beside Lunaria, "There's Narkissa, the land of the water people. Never trust a soul from Narkissa, they're so fluid in morals they'll sell your body and soul to two different entities without you ever finding out," she tsked and tapped the landmass beside Mattholia, "There's Nerine, land of the dead. Legend has it that if you die there, your soul never leaves. Beautiful skies if you can tolerate ghosts," she tapped the landmass beneath Willow, "And that's your history and geography all cleared up."
Daisy nodded like a diligent student.
"Am I clear?"
"Yes, yes ma'am," Daisy nodded.
"Great," Cassie shoved the book close, "Pop Questionnaire! Who made the Wreath Map?"
"Huh," Daisy uttered, eyes wide, "You never told me that!"
"Tsk," Cassie shook her head in disappointment, her glasses glinting, "Did you really think I was teaching you about the world? Lass, learn to ALWAYS live between the lines. Your Highness trusts your observation skill, now, tell me, who made the Wreath Map?"
Daisy bit her lip. She had been paying attention to the irregular chunks of landmasses that she only glanced around the pages when they were opened. The map was spread out on two whole, yellowing pages, enclosed by little texts and fine lines as margins.
The page numbers, what were the page numbers? Daisy gulped. There is no way she would she remember!!
Cassie was sitting up, back straight and eyes drilling through Daisy's soul. The room was dark, their continent was called Zinnia — why would Cassie ask her something she knew Daisy did not know?!
Was this a test to accept defeat and ask for help?
"I'm sorry, I do not know," Daisy obliged.
"Incorrect. But I like the approach; your eyes move too much when you're thinking. A Queen never shows that she is thinking," her fingers tapped against the dusty book cover. Daisy glanced at it and smiled. Of course!
"The map was made by Romerius Quill, our founder," she replied with a big, proud smile on her face.
Cassie flicked her forehead in consequence.
"We must have overestimated you. The answer was right in front of your eyes and I could see your soul physically leaving your body with all meandering your eyes were doing," the brunette gasped, "Disappointing! Infuriating! Appalling!" Her voice raised with each word.
Daisy rubbed her forehead, her lips in a pout. So much effort and for what — ?!
In consequence, she was flicked again.
"Ouch!" Daisy revolted, "What was that for?!"
"You were showing that you were upset! It was all over your face!" Cassie exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Well then, you're showing that you're angry with me! It is all in your actions!" The little girl retaliated.
"I am not a Queen! I can show whatever I please!" Cassie replied in exasperation.
"Well great, because neither am I! I can show whatever I please!" She snapped, hands clenched over the hems of her dress.
"Excuse me you little piece of—" Cassie pulled out a dagger, ready to probably impale Daisy's throat for raising her voice, but her fantasies were hindered by the a little cough from the doorway.
"Cassie, I believe you have some business to handle?" Seraphina interrupted, looking as graceful as always dressed in her ruffled black gown.
"Indeed, I apologise, Your Highness," Cassie sheathed her dagger and curtsied, "I must take my leave now."
Daisy did not know if she was grateful for the interruption or horrified by it. Cassie was overbearing, yes, but at least she did clog up her throat like Seraphina's presence did.
"I believe you do not like her?"
"No, no, I do, she's good," Daisy gulped and raised up two thumbs.
Seraphina scoffed, "Very well then. What did you learn today?" She asked as she strolled inside the room. Her intimidating presence making Daisy's breath hitch.
"Uh, to live in between lines? To not show expressions?" Her conclusions sounded like questions.
"I do not want you to become anything like me," Seraphina suddenly turned, mid stroll, to look Daisy dead in the eye, "You're quite charming by yourself. I merely want to teach you how to use your attributes to your best."
Daisy's heart swelled at the prospect of receiving a compliment from the prettiest Queen herself. She sat up straighter and her hands left the grasp of her dress; instead, she put them up on the table, interlocking her fingers.
Seraphina smiled.
"You're a great thinker and I want you to think. Think about everything, the little things and the big things. The next time we meet, I want you to bring me seven thoughts about seven people who are always around you. You get to choose one thought per person, so choose wisely. Remember, it is not all about what we see and hear, but what we perceive."
Daisy wondered what she perceived from Queen Dowager other than her greatness.
The Queen noticed the dazed look in her eyes and asked, "Tell me, child, who taught you to steal flowers?"
"Huh?" Daisy gasped, flustered. Her back hunched and her hands grasped her hems again. "Um," her eyes meandered, "Nobody. Ah, the Thomas' were struggling for money because Aldith was sick and, and I wanted to help. Everyone who visited her would bring flowers and I wanted to bring her some as well, so— uh, I, plucked some...and she liked it, but then Mr. Thomas sold all of them and brought home good money. I guess that's how I got into the habit."
Daisy did not look up from the floor to face Seraphina as she hummed a reply.
"Did you steal more because Aldith liked it or because they made good money?"
Daisy gulped, hands clutching harder on her seems, "Because they made good money," she confessed, voice barely above a whisper.
"Does that mean you're a greedy person?" The question was plain, without a tone behind it, but Daisy jolted her head up to meet Seraphina's eyes.
"No!" She all but shouted, "I only wanted to help!" There was a breathy gasp in her voice.
The Queen smiled at Daisy's outburst.
"Now, if I saw you steal flowers from my garden and heard you make good money out of it — what would it make me think of you?" Seraphina urged.
"That...that, I was greedy? And a thief..." She whispered again. Then, it struck her. Her eyes widened in understanding. If nobody ever took time to perceive her situation, they would surely think that she was a person without morals. People's perspective about her would be cruelly wrong.
"I assume you understand?"
Daisy nodded, vigorously, her hands getting together in small claps.
"Seven thoughts about seven people, now off you go. Have yourself a good day," Seraphina waved her hand to and fro in order to send Daisy out.
"Thank you! I shall do my best!" Daisy promised, waving her hand left and right, as she jumped off the high chair and ran off.
There was a skip in her step as she made it back to the Kitchens, armed with a smile and thoughts to think. Though, given for an afternoon, the Kitchen was oddly bustling. The Chef was screaming orders at the Sous Chef and the assistants were clamouring at ingredients.
"Yer! Lil gi'l!! W'ere 'ave yer been?! T'ere is a moun'ain of dir'y dis'es!! Ge' 'o WORK!!"
"Sorry!" Daisy called out and was rushing to her workplace when she heard:
"Pity the gardner's boy, died of a snake's bite, I heard. Found 'em this morning, blue like the gardener's flowers. Ugh, but now we got more work to do."