The Crimson Magister Chapter 44: V2-C25: Dinner With Soleah

Read chapter 44 of The Crimson Magister by Okram on NovelPedia.

V2-C25: Dinner With Soleah 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