She had spent most of the day exploring the palace from the top to the bottom, yet she had refrained from entering any forbidden areas. She wished to show some modicum of respect to the queen, who until now had proven she was rather trustworthy.
Aqua had no reason to disobey the rules when her host was generous enough to spare her any of the headaches.
The Palace was tranquil, with only the noise created by servants who diligently performed their duties. I hadn't seen Azure or Sheira all day. Her shoulders slumped forward slightly.
While she knew that she wouldn't be able to spend time around them due to their own duties, it didn't mean that she was happy about it. "Tch… I did not expect to miss them already…"
"Sun God, I guess you were right...."
"Of course I was right, I always am." The blazing bird puffed out his chest.
Aqua giggled, "I am starting to believe that…"
Now, she had been invited by the queen to have dinner with her, which initially she refused, yet the woman had such a way with words that Aqua felt herself compelled to meet with her. Although she had people who tried to convince her to do various things she did not wish to do, it was not the same with Soleah.
Sheira's mother was respectful of her and knew that she was in no position to demand or force Aqua to do anything she did not wish for, yet the way she spoke made her feel at ease.
With a sigh, she made her way towards the Queen's chambers. Before the dinner, she needed to scout out the area she had promised to guard. While outside of the private quarter was very much similar to the servants', the same couldn't be said about the inside.
Aqua knocked at the door and slowly opened it. "Your majesty. I have arrived." Aqua bowed as she noticed the Queen hard at work with her hands sliding over the documents.
"Ah, Aqua dear. I am almost done!" She waved before she returned her attention to her work.
Aqua hummed, "Soleah… why are you this kind to me?"
The elven heroine tapped her foot and anxiously tapped her fingers.
Soleah stopped her work as she turned her chair toward Aqua. "Kind?"
"Not even once have you tried to exploit me, or gain advantage for yourself… I… It's just hard to believe."
The Queen leaned forward, "Aqua, dear. Remember what I told you, I am a mother first, monarch second."
Aqua puffed out her cheeks. She had not experienced someone who treated her like this since Umbra. She could not detect any signs of deceit; Soleah, despite being a monarch, was completely honest with Aqua.
"Dear, I know you still distrust me. However, I know you are hurting. I am not my husband; I would feel terrible if I had taken advantage of someone who is obviously in pain, even if I do not know your circumstances. " She smirked slightly, "And I would have likely been erased from this mortal coil if I had attempted to do so."
Aqua smiled, but she did not understand the woman before her. She spoke about her possible death so lightly that Aqua was taken aback, "You are so calm about the possibility of dying."
"When you are a monarch, the possibility of death looms at every corner, in every piece of food, even in the air itself. You never know who will take away your life. Thus, I try not to worry too much." She placed her palms together. "And in addition, you didn't seem like the type to kill me before I could explain myself."
She twirled her pen around her fingers as she turned her chair back to her work, "Dear, sit anywhere you wish. Once I am done, we can have that dinner I invited you to."
"Sure." Aqua's ears slumped slightly as her cheeks gained a slight red tint. Her eyes darted around the luxurious room that felt much like the one that she saw in Sheira's memory.
For multiple minutes, the only sound that dominated the Queen's chambers was that of pen on paper. Aqua quietly sat at the bed as she waited for Soleah to finish; after all, she did not have anywhere better to be.
I would rather be with Azure and Sheira.
But despite her thoughts, she had agreed to accompany the queen; if anything, she was a woman of her word. When Aqua said she would do something, then it was sure to be done.
I'm such a hypocrite… I considered killing her, despite her being such a kind person, even though I had made a promise with Sheira.
With a final tap and satisfied exhale, Soleah pulled her chair away and stepped toward Aqua, "Well, dearie. I suppose it is time for us to go and enjoy our supper."
Aqua nodded as she pushed herself off the bed. This would be the second time she would eat with someone else in the new world. While it was unnecessary for her as her body was nourished by mana, it did not mean that its social aspect could be ignored.
With quick adjustment of her dress, the Queen picked up her sapphire scepter and motioned for Aqua to go with her.
The duo passed the elegant hallways slowly. Aqua placed her hands in a V shape as she walked next to Soleah, who did the same. "Dear, do you have any preferences or dislikes with your food?"
"Umm… I can eat basically anything; meat or dairy is fine with me." Aqua smiled warmly.
"Excellent, our chefs are of top quality. I won't allow someone who saved my daughter to eat with servants after all."
"But… what about your image?"
"Hah! You are worried about me?" The Queen chuckled, "You seem a lot more caring than you let on, you know, Aqua?"
"You have earned my benefit of the doubt. I would rather you not ruin your image in front of your subjects." Aqua's words made Soleah bring her hand in front of her mouth as she let out a small chuckle.
The invisible Sun God cackled.
She gave the unperceptible avian a side eye as she continued moving forward with the queen.
"Respect is not so easily lost, especially when one does not rule through fear. My rule is that of kindness and love… when possible. Of course, there are times when that love must be suppressed, but my subjects know me."
Aqua nodded. The Queen was an incredibly admirable person. She couldn't help but smile and blush slightly as the duo made their way towards the dining hall.
In front of them was a large archway made of mahogany, which was covered by elegant and ornate drapes that separated the dining hall from the hallways. As they stepped inside, the only servants in sight were ones who brought and took away the food and drink.
However, Aqua, despite looking like one of them, followed the queen and took a seat at the opposing side of the table. The nobility glared at her before turning to their own food; nobody would dare question the Queen's decision.
However, the servants still stared at her with eyes full of envy. They had never seen the red-haired girl, and yet there she was, ready to dine with the queen Soleah herself.
A young girl dressed in the same uniform that Aqua's illusion projected bowed to the Queen while completely ignoring Aqua. She had long brown hair and dull green eyes.
"What can I do for you, Your Majesty?" The maid completely ignored Aqua as she planned to only take an order from Soleah.
"First, young lady. One should not ignore any guests." The Queen glared at the girl, who reeled back at the comment.
"But… she is a ser… " The maid attempted to defend herself, but the Queen stopped her.
"No, she is my daughter's private tutor; you are to treat her with the respect befitting her exalted position! Understood?! Now I will forget this unprofessionalism if you apologize to Lady Aqua." The queen demanded.
The girl's eyes widened as her ears slumped. She placed her hands in a V shape and bowed deeply, "Please forgive me for my rudeness, Lady Aqua. I did not realize who you were and merely judged based on your uniform!"
"Good, now go to the kitchen and bring us both the chef's specialty. Pronto!" With a clap, the queen made the girl rush away into the kitchen before she turned to Aqua.
"Forgive her for the rudeness; she is a new hire."
"I do not mind, I prefer keeping a low profile when possible. Giving me preferential treatment can only harm both your and my standing. I do not want them to hate or envy me."
"Hah, you are a fascinating girl, Aqua."
"Please don't praise me too much…" Aqua's ears twitched.
"Do you think that people like you appear often?"
"People like me?" Aqua tilted her head in confusion.
"Immense power, yet humble to the core. I will tell you one thing, you are the first."
Her legs shuffled against each other as she muttered, "Thanks… I appreciate it."
"Don't sweat it, dear. Ah, look, our food is here!" The same girl brought two plates filled to the brim with various assortments of vegetables and meat, and on the side, there was some kind of sauce.
Aqua curiously stared at the food before the Queen spoke. "You put meat into the sauce and eat. Like this."
Soleah slowly cut the meat and pushed the fork inside the soft flesh. She brought the fork to the sauce, and after a single tap, she elegantly brought it to her mouth.
"It's rather delicious. Do go on." Queen gestured for Aqua to follow her.
Aqua repeated the movements as she slowly placed the piece of meat inside her mouth. She chewed before she placed a hand on her cheek and grinned. "Delicious!"
"I am glad you like it! Now, dear, we should discuss how we handle the guard duty tonight." Soleah smiled as she leaned closer to Aqua.