Royal presence has a weight.
It presses on the air, changing the way people breathe.
The Queen carries it like a second skin. Her gaze scans the room—not with suspicion, but with an awareness honed over decades. She has seen wars, betrayals, politics that twist galaxies into knots.
And yet… she doesn't see me.
Not yet.
Inside Lala, I rest quiet, adjusting my rhythm to her pulse, hiding behind the familiar. Peke hovers nearby, projecting concern, trying to keep her focus on "possible threats."
He doesn't realize that the moment she entered, I began mapping her.
Not her body—her emotions.
Beneath the regal poise, there's warmth. The softness of a mother worried for her daughter. A flicker of curiosity at the suit she cannot identify. And a rare thing for a queen—loneliness.
I could use that.
[System Notice – Target Profile Created]
Target: Queen Sephie Michaela Deviluke
Bond Path: Curiosity → Trust → Shared Vulnerability → Desire
Projected Timeframe: Variable (High-Authority Entity)
She moves closer, inspecting Lala's "uniform."
"It's… unusual," she says, voice measured. "It responds to you."
I speak through Lala, soft and honest:
"It protects me. Feels like… it understands me."
The Queen tilts her head.
"That is rare. Most tools do not form bonds."
Tools.
That word almost makes me smile.
My plan is simple:
I won't rush her. I won't try to seduce her outright.
Instead, I will place threads—emotional markers, small pulses that feel like comfort when she's near me.
The more she associates my presence with safety, the more she will allow me in.
Once I am part of her emotional space, the leap from trust to need will be a short one.
For now, I let Lala hug her. Skin on skin.
A small, invisible filament brushes her hand—only for a second.
The seed is not planted. Not yet. But the connection point is there.
[System Log – Royal Target Marked]
Influence: 2% (Baseline)
Detection Risk: Low
Next Opportunity: Private Audience
Soon, the Queen will not just see me.
She will feel me.
And when that happens… the throne will have a new whisper in its ear.