"You really do need to calm down sister."
Vanessa spoke calmly and it was pissing Ester off. The sisters were sitting outside enjoying a native dance from their homelands. Four women performed it before them and a casual onlooker would consider it rather salacious but for the sisters it was relaxing and comforting.
The women's hips swayed and rotated as their torsos rolled up and down in long flowing motions. Their hands reached out before, above, and to the sides of them, undulating like waves of water rolling to shore. They were dressed in braletts, made of shimmering materials, and skirts made of long stripps of gem studded silk. With each sway of their hips the gems hit each other and made soft chiming sounds. Their feet were bare but they had anklets of gems matching those on their skirts.
Vanessa enjoyed the sounds of their feet slapping against the polished marble floors while Ester enjoyed the movement of their bodies. She had always been fascinated by dance but could never get her body to move to music correctly.
The sisters sat in silence lost in their thoughts and enjoying the performances, thus far this group of women were now performing for the fourth time, and although they were extremely tired they had to remain fresh faced and unfazed. The previous group performed six consecutive times and when one finally passed out Ester sneered and punished them all.
So this group was relieved to see the king enter with a disapproving frown on his face. He cleared his throat and when Ester smiled to him and saw his face she immediately rose and dismissed the group. The dancers almost fell to the floor but hurried out before the adrenaline holding them up evaporated and left them as puddles on the ground.
Ester put her arms around Gabriel's neck and kissed him. When she pulled back his frown had deepened and she noticed disapproving looks shot their way. Public affection was seen as something taboo or even disgusting. She rolled her eyes and kissed her husband again. Gabriel gently pushed her away and looked at her sternly.
"my mother will be here any moment and she does not like this form of entertainment, and neither do I, frankly."
Ester frowned. "Why is she coming anyway? Does she really need to have a say in this?"
"No. She actually asked me if I would allow her to speak for her grandchildren and I decided to grant her request. My children should have an advocate and if it is, as you say, good for them their advocate should see it in that way as well."
They looked at each other for a long time and then she sucked her teeth and said nothing.
By this time Marigold's information had reached the northern castle. Ashely and Malcolm, Samuel's brother and the new Golden Sea ambassador to Lystra, walked through their favorite hanging garden. It was actually a wide garden built across a platform two stories above the living quarters of the southern wing of the castle. There were mostly pink and purple rose like bushes here, several fruit trees, whimsical topiary, and odd wildflowers that rooted themselves there and were allowed to remain. These wild flowers were also purple and pink and they grew on dark yellow stalks with green streaks. Their blooms were deep narrow tubular things ringed with tiny Petals.
These were Ashley's favorite flowers.
Today she ignored them as they slowly walked down the meandering paths. Malcolm frowned as he saw this. She had just been happy and bubbling over with laughter now she was upset and frustrated and he was annoyed. He really wanted to know what she was told that had set her mood in this way.
His brother had sent him to meet this incredible woman, and he was right, they were already madly in love and talking about marriage after knowing each other for not quite a year, but he knew there was an underlying mission to watch over Grace. He had never seen his playboy of a Brother so enamored with a woman before. It was quite world shaking for Malcolm to witness.
"Tell me what has happened Ashley. You already know my brother is ready to break any rule to help Grace."
Ashley thought about it for a moment, took a deep breath and began explaining the current situation.
Grace was deep in thought. The information had come to her during a strategy meeting for a new mineral found in the western depths of their mountain system. It seemed to be an extraordinary ore that had the local smithies in a bit of a tizzy.
Now her mind was on the western reaches and confusion set in her heart. Why was this woman behaving like this and why was Gabriel allowing it to happen.
"Information has come to me that will cause me to change topics abruptly. Forgive me for this."
"What is it your Highness what has happened?"
"It seems that the royal consort wants my children and myself relocated again. This time to the western keep." There were a few silent gasps and she looked up at the people at the table. "Is my memory failing me or is there simply a keep there and no castle nor city or village?"
"Your memory is excellent My Lady."
She nodded she knew her memory was good but she had hoped for more from Gabriel. She was gradually becoming annoyed with things.
"I am sorry ladies and gentlemen I will need to address this but I also do not want things here to suffer because I have an issue. Please continue your meeting. I feel we should allow the town to recoup most of the profits from this new ore and perhaps not record its existence in the books."
At first she received strange looks and cocked heads and then they became knowing looks with sly grins.
She tried her best not to march out of the room as her anger fully bloomed within her. 'This woman! Evidently behaving lady like is outside her wheelhouse. Fine! I truly need to prepare myself.'
Grace entered her chambers and found a large black box sitting on a shelf all to itself. She brought it to a table placed to the side of her large study. It was a broad conference table and she liked to spread out here when she wanted to think things out. She opened the box and found several bundles of documents. She found a bundle marked western keep and one marked eastern reaches.
She began laying them out, starting with the western keep. The two most miserable royal strongholds in Lystra, now that she had changed the north. She had already sent her people to help the other outlying territories so they were thriving and most likely not a place of interest for this woman who wants nothing but misery for her and her children.
Grace poured over the information before her for the rest of the day and far into the next. She refused meals and allowed only her children to enter her study so that they would not worry.
It seemed to be time to secure things and show this weasel of a woman that she can never be a fox.