“Today’s tea is a Bellean blend,” Alicia announced.
The tea she’d prepared was quite lovely. Its fresh aroma did wonders for my mood.
“And here are today’s desserts,” she added. “Chocolate cake and cucur mousse.”
I sampled both dishes between sips. “My, how delicious,” I said. “The sweetness pairs so well with the tea.”
“Would you like some as well, Miss Anita?” Alicia asked, and Anita poked her head out from a pile of paperwork.
“Um, I’m okay. I’ve got all this work to do, you see…”
“All the more reason to take a break! Especially given your vitally important role in helping the queen. It’s important to know when to focus on work and when to relax!” Alicia’s smile was simply sublime. I couldn’t resist smiling with her.
“Alicia’s right. Have some tea and rest,” I said.
“W-well, if you insist…”
Anita wasn’t used to seeing me with my guard down around Alicia. Confusion was written all over her face.
When she tried the tea, however, her reaction was emphatic. “Oh, this is tasty!”
“It is, isn’t it?” I purred. An almost motherly pride came over me as Alicia’s efforts were praised.
While we enjoyed our tea, Head Mage Godfrey entered the room. “Greetings, Your Majesty.”
“Good day, Master Godfrey! The queen is taking an important break right now, so please don’t cause her any trouble. And definitely don’t ask her to summon any Sacred Swords!” Alicia warned him with a sunny smile on her face, ready to take him down at a moment’s notice.
“Are breaks not the best time to indulge in magic for one’s own enjoyment?” Godfrey shot back.
Godfrey and Alicia would go at it for ages if I let them, so I said, “Sorry, Alicia, but I did call for him today.”
“Oh, really? Then don’t mind me,” she replied. With that simple statement, she and Godfrey established a truce.
“By the way, I’d like to have a conversation with Anita and Godfrey alone. Is that all right with you?” I asked her.
“Of course. I’ll go ahead and step out.”
Godfrey seemed disappointed by her departure. “Aww, I wanted to speak with her a little longer.”
“Because you see her as a research subject?”
“Absolutely! Her case is a truly fascinating one! She has magic, yet she cannot use it. I’ve never heard of anyone suffering from such a condition. And you tell me she also suffers from amnesia? There may be a correlation between her memories and her magic… Or perhaps her magic was sealed in some manner during the period she cannot recall. Ahh! The possibilities are just so exciting!”
His eyes were full of wonder as he babbled. His theorizing brought me back to the memory of the day Alicia lost her memory—the day I saved her life. She had taken an attack meant for me. Mere moments before her death, I summoned the Sword of Eternity to tie her to this world.
Her amnesia and inability to use magic were most likely consequences of my using the Sacred Sword of Eternity, but I could not tell Godfrey that. If I did, he’d haul her off to his laboratory in an instant.
“She will not be a creature for your experiments,” I told him. “Ever.”
“I know, but I feel like I could glean something of her condition just by speaking with her!” he lamented. “Unfortunately, those opportunities are quite rare, and I’d rather not risk incurring your wrath, my queen.”
He seemed a bit disappointed. I supposed it wouldn’t do Alicia any harm to simply have a conversation with him.
“Now, on to the main order of business,” I declared, snapping him out of his trance. “Godfrey, what do you think of the Celden Republic?”
“I’d rather not go near it, though I’m sure they’d deny me entry even if I wanted to go.”
“We may end up going to war with them.”
I informed Godfrey of the recent developments: Étoile’s activities, the Great Five gathering magical children, Karl selling those children to Celden, and so forth. Even as I told him of the horrors, his expression did not change.
“As a fellow mage, it is only natural to feel animosity toward them. Whether the enemy is the Great Five or the Celden Republic, I will fight for you,” Godfrey proclaimed.
“That is a relief to hear.”
“I must admit that learning our own kingdom was directly harming its magical citizens has me rattled. And…” Godfrey paused for a moment, and I waited patiently for him to finish. “It fills me with profound sadness.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. Perhaps it is too simple a word, but it was the first emotion I felt upon hearing your explanation,” Godfrey said, forcing a smile.
“I see.”
Godfrey tilted his head in response to my unclear expression. “What is it, my queen?”
“Nothing to worry about. Gather your most trusted men and prepare for the day we move.”
“Understood.”
After a bit of small talk, Godfrey left. Alicia returned soon after, collecting the teacups and dishes before exiting the room once again. I stayed behind, devoting myself to my work as Anita watched over me. It all went quite smoothly. Before I knew it, night had fallen. Somewhere in between, Alicia had come back.
While I rested, I called out, “Alicia?”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“When is one most likely to become preoccupied with another person’s words?”
“Preoccupied, you say? Hrm… I’d say it’s when you sense something out of place in that person’s statements.”
“Out of place?”
“Yep! When someone tells a lie, or you tell yourself one, it’s natural to notice words that don’t seem like they fit.”
“An interesting observation, Alicia. It is one thing to notice it in others, but noticing it when telling yourself a falsehood? Hm.”
“Yeah. Humans are the kind of creatures that constantly lie to themselves.”
Is that so? What have I been lying to myself about, then?
“I heard a man mention his sadness earlier today, and something about that just didn’t feel right. I don’t think he was lying, so why did it seem strange to me?” I mused.
“Your Majesty, I—”
Before Alicia could say more, a knock on the door interrupted her.
“Pardon me. I’m here to give a report.”
With Alicia’s statement put on hold, I welcomed my next visitor and returned to business.
✦ ✦ ✦
Later on, Tommy appeared while I was up to my ears in paperwork.
“Queen Luxeria, might I have a moment?”
“Certainly. What is it?”
“Through a contact of ours at House Weston, we established a connection with Oscar Weston,” Tommy told me.
“The heir spoke to you? For what purpose?” I asked.
“He apparently wishes to see you in an unofficial capacity.”
“Curious timing. Could it be regarding Étoile? Or perhaps the Great Five?”
“You said you wanted to bring him over to our side, didn’t you? Seems like it’s already working out that way.”
“We cannot be certain yet,” I said. “But if he has taken our bait, then we have a duty to reel him in.”