"Your majesty, you shouldn't be doing this." One elderly maid said with an awkward laugh while Thaggar swept the floor of the poultry.
"Are you saying I'm not competent enough to do this?"
"No! I would never say such a thing but my king you.....really shouldn't do this."
"Your majesty, her highness lady Akira is looking for you."
Thaggar dropped the broom at the announcement from the maid. Had she finally come to her senses and decided to finish what they'd started? He nodded gratefully and half run back to the palace, leaving behind his horse that trotted after him as though it wanted to help him. He didn't even consider the fact that he'd reach the palace faster if he rode his horse and ignored it.
"His majesty is truly smitten by the foreign girl." The maid who had come to call Thaggar mumbled looking at Thaggar's back as he run and walked at the same time.
"Don't call her that." The elder woman said in a grave tone as a warning,"She is the future queen and speaking of her like that might get your neck cit off.
The young maid scoffed as if unamused and rolled her eyes.
"No one has accepted her yet here. This morning she even dared to dismiss the king's nannies. Surely the council will protest."
"The council has already lost to her you fool." The older woman said slapping the other maid's shoulder while the younger girl seemed shocked.
"When?!"
"Shhhh!" The older woman hissed looking around,"Didn't you know? She practically mopped the floor with them making them leave after reducing them to nothing but fools."
"But how did this...."
"Get back to work. I actually like my head being attached to my neck. His majesty has been in a pleasant mood since her arrival and I won't be the one to make him start another killing spree around here or, if I'm lucky, he might change all the palace staff and make me jobless."
"For that girl?! She's just his second wife."
"Ad the only woman after his heart. You could say she's the moon of his world."
Not wanting to stay idling any longer, the older maid picked up the broom, sniffed the handle where Thaggar's hand had been, then continued sweeping. He had swept the place so well as though he had been doing it his whole life. The younger maid frowned inwardly but turned to leave as she had her own duties to fulfill.
When Thaggar reached the palace, he asked the guard at the entrance where Akira was but the man didn't know.
"You fool!" Thaggar suddenly snapped frightening everyone around,"How can you not know where she is? She is to be your queen and by tomorrow I expect everyone to know exactly where she is without fail, you hear me?!"
All the servants around bowed, shacking and unable to speak. The head maid who had heard his order begun to spread the word requesting that whoever sees Akira had to tell the next person and the other did in turn to keep everyone informed about where Akira was.
"What sort of order is that?"
Thaggar turned to see who was speaking and found his mother sitting on a stool sewing something. He smiled and walked towards her, kneeling beside her and passing a greeting.
"I've been well but you haven't answered my question. How do you expect the guard at the main entrance to know where Akira, who's room is upstairs on the fourth floor, is?"
"They'll figure it out themselves." Thaggar retorted getting up,"I must go I was told she was looking for me."
"If it helps, she's preparing food for Savvy in the kitchen."
"You haven't spoken since the council meeting the other night. Did you two argue?" Thaggar asked and Sarika froze, the image of Akira's accusing face causing her chest to tighten.
"It's a normal mother daughter argument. We'll sort it out." She answered but Thaggar noted the change in the tone of her voice but he said nothing and nodded then bid her farewell and left.
As he neared the kitchen, the aroma coming from there in wafted towards his nose making him instantly feel hungry and as if on cue, his stomach rumbled.
He stood in the doorway, admiring his wife who was grilling some pork while slicing tomatoes. A big pot was on the second fire, boiling with a stew where she added the sliced tomatoes and then she dipped her finger in it. The air in Thaggar's lungs left all at once as he rushed to check on her. He stopped when she licked her finger; she was just tasting it?!
"What...?" Thaggar whispered in disbelief and Akira turned to look at the intruder.
"Oh, you're here. Come sit."
Thaggar stares at her in disbelief. He was worried for nothing as she seemed unharmed.
"Why did you do that? You could burn your finger."
"Oh no. I'm alright, it isn't the first time. Tak taught me long ago but I understand how you feel. I also worry when I see him do it sometimes."
Thaggar nodded and walked towards her, eyeing the pot like it would move and attack her.
"I was told you were looking for me."
"Yes. Where were you?"
"I was.... checking the work going on at the poultry."
"Why, did it require your attention?" Akira asked flipping the pork with a long metal fork.
"Not really. I had nothing else to do."
"You had nothing to do because I wasn't with you?" Akira asked as though she was amused making Thaggar blush and look away.
"I missed you...."
"My love, you missed me so much you wanted to e with chickens?" She asked clearly enjoying herself.
"I just wanted to take my mind off you until I was exhausted enough to sleep." He responded sulking like a child while she smiled at him lovingly,"Are you still staying the night with Savvy?"
Akira laughed, he seemed so hopeful that it was funny. Thaggar found himself smiling at her as well but he still wanted her by his side.
"Yes I am. I do need to bath before bed."
Akira winked and he smiled at her very obvious sign. He was glad he would get to be with her and he found himself praying that he was asleep by the time they finished so he wouldn't have to stay up thinking about her.
"Help me stir the stew." Akira said pointing at the ladle.
Thaggar nodded and went to stir the pot. His stomach rumbled again and he heard her laugh at him.
"There is rice in that pot and some steak that was roasted for you by the maids."
"I want your food." Thaggar answered but he walked to the pot of rice.
He put a heap of it on a plate and then walked back to her and picked the pork that was ready and took it.
"The stew isn't ready." Akira warned when she saw him about to scoop out some of it for himself.