The Seely Queen Being Extra
POV: Alexandra
We spent the rest of the morning out in Faedon doing some shopping. I was able to buy some nice gifts for all of my family, Lucien, and Lucy. Luckily we didn’t have to tote all of our bags around when Nystasia, like Whisperia, had a magic portal storage. She would ask for our bags and place them in there any time we finished shopping. Of course, Sylphia was ever the practical person, had a marker on her where we could mark our bags to differentiate what belonged to whom. Jess didn’t have many bags since she only bought gifts for her father, my parents, and Derek. I was the one with the most bags since I had eight people to shop for. We all piled into the car later on but noticed that a few men were outside of the bakery we had been to two hours before. Jheelis chuckled, “That won’t end well. I wonder if we might observe quickly what happens there. I’m curious to see how strong my lady’s blessing magic really is.” Sylphia nodded, “We can observe through the carriage. No use sitting out here gawking. I’m curious about this myself. If this magic isn’t strong enough, I will place a protection spell on the bakery since my sister loves that shop so much.” Nystasia smiled at her, “Thank you, my sister.” Syl patted her sister's hands which were neatly folded in her lap. The sisters were usually at odds due to Ny’s chaotic, bubbly nature clashing with Syl’s practical, serious nature but it was always nice to see their sisterly bond in small actions like that.
We all sat quietly in the carriage and observed the men approach the bakery. There were three men: one very short slim man, a very tall slim man, and a very tall heavier set man. I noted to myself that the last man looked like an offensive lineman from American football. He was built like someone who would be very hard to knock over. The short slim man stepped up to the bakery and pulled on the door. It didn’t budge no matter how much pulling he did so he summoned over the second tall and slim man. He instructed him to pull on the door but it didn’t budge. The short man called over the large man who repeated the action with all of his body weight but it still didn’t budge. The small man walked over to the bag that he brought with him and pulled out a large staff. He walked up to the window and raised his arms over his head with the staff. He brought it down as hard as he could. This caused the shop to glow white and an invisible force knocked the man into the light post. Ny started to giggle at the sight, she was amused by the fact that her father’s goons couldn’t ruin the shop she dearly loved. Each man took turns trying to hit the shop and each time they were sent flying. I sighed after the third round of each man trying, “They aren’t that bright are they?” Syl matched my sigh, “My father loves useful idiots to do the small dirty work. Hopefully, they tire out soon.” The men took about two more rounds before they gave up and stumbled away bloodied and bruised. We finally moved on just as they walked out of sight.
On the way back to the castle, Ny was laughing and recalling how stupid those idiot goons of her father’s were to continue to try to break the windows of Beesha’s Bakery. She thanked me profusely for giving Beesha the blessing of her shop. I had quietly hoped that the trinket that I had given her would keep it safe for a long while. I felt a warmth in my heart as I thought that thought and wondered which of my soul parents it was that reassured me of its safety. I knew some way that all would continue to be well with her shop since I had that reassurance so I sat back and sighed with relief. Jess noticed this action and quietly asked, “So what was that about?” I smiled at her without taking my head off the seat cushion, “Oh, I think I just got reassurance that that shop is now under the protection of one or two certain Gods.” Jess smiled back, “They really do love you to do something so small in the grand scheme of things.” I shrugged, “They probably don’t think that is small. If it was Apollo, he would likely believe doing the little things for me are big. He’s not wrong, I’m slowly finding myself treating him like my own father.” Jess giggled, “He’d probably gush if he heard you say that.” I laughed, “You’re right. He’d probably scoop me up into a bear hug and whimper about how I called him Dad or some other equally ridiculous and over-the-top display of affection. He reminds me of this big dumb dog I used to have.” Jess widened her eyes, “Only you would dare call a God dumb, Xan.” I shrugged, “I didn’t call him dumb but he can be outright ridiculous sometimes. Take his pure dislike for Lucien. He did nothing to warrant that attitude but still Apollo persists on treating like some pariah. Makes me wonder how he would treat Blake or Calypso.” Jess shrugged, “Who knows? Gods are a mystery sometimes even if you’ve personally met them.”
Ny sighed loudly as we neared the castle, interrupting the small conversations that were had on the way back. Syl looked at her, “Why do you sigh so loudly, my sister?” Ny was pouting at this point, “I know it is home but I truly hate it there. There is too much politics going on, too much scheming. It doesn’t feel comfortable. Not like Blackwood where you feel inviting warmth and love. Xan has a father who adores her and a mother who is strict but not mean about it. I always thought that’s kind of how a family should be. You know?” Syl pulled her arm around Ny and kissed the top of her sister’s head, “I know exactly what you mean, dear sister. I often wonder, if mother’s first love hadn’t been killed in the war, what our lives would be like.” I closed my eyes trying to picture how they might look different or even have different personalities, “Would you be you as you are with a different father?” I put my hand to my mouth realizing that I had let my thoughts slip out of my brain through my mouth. Syl nodded, “You have a point. We probably would be different personality wise but we would have been raised with more love, I feel. As for looks, from what I understand, mother’s lover was actually my father’s older brother so we probably wouldn’t have been much different than we are now.”
We all stepped out of the carriage when the three maids rushed up, “You all are late! Her Majesty’s tea party will start in half an hour! We’ve no time to spare! You will all have to get ready in the Crown Princess’s room.” Syl sighed, “Time to dress up like a doll for the masses.” I looked at her confused as we power walked along to her room, “What are you talking about? I thought this was a tea party, not some big party.” Ny giggled behind me, “Everything with Mother is a big party, this is more like a banquet with tea.” Syl nodded, “And formal dress. She loves to pick our outfits for us. I wouldn’t be surprised if she did the same for you and Jess.” We stepped into Syl’s room and sure as she predicted, there were four dresses laid out for each of us. Syl sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, “Very meticulous, down to the very last detail.” It felt like the maids flew at us immediately when the door was shut, it was a flurry of hairspray, makeup, and layers of gossamer fabric. Finally, we were all dressed but not in the normal pastel that we had been presented to the Queen up until now. It appeared that the two sisters were dressed to represent night with dark blue and constellations intricately sewn onto their dresses. Jess and I seemed to represent the day with golden fabric and the sun intricately sewn onto our dresses. Syl had a big moon sewn to her bodice with silver thread while I had the sun sewn to my bodice in golden thread. I looked at Sylphia, “It may be extravagant but your mom has taste at least.” She sighed again, “It’s still over the top.” I giggled, “The humans call that being extra.” Jess joined the giggle, “You are right, the Queen is rather extra but I don’t think it’s such a bad thing in this case.”
The maids handed each of us a folding fan and shooed us out of the room since we, apparently, had no time to spare. We approached the hall and could hear merriment already going on in the court. Two guards and a lone man stood outside of the room. It was the Prince, he gave me a genuine smile as we approached, “You all look radiant, ladies.” Syl nodded at him and kissed his cheek, “Thank you for the compliment, dear brother. What brings you here?” He took a quick glance at me and turned back to Syl, “Our parents finally agree on something. I am to escort Lady Alexandra into the room. We are to be announced together.” Sylphia sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time today, “If we must, I really hate this charade we have to put our guest through. Who goes first then?” He smirked at her, “They wanted us to go in last.” She turned to Ny, “Well, Ny, I guess that means we are second after Lady Jesslynne.” Jess looked startled, “But I’m supposed to follow my lady.” Syl shook her head, “Her back will be well guarded. It is the front you have to look out for. The viper’s nest is before us.” Jess nodded hesitantly and stepped forward to be ushered in and announced. Ny turned back to me and smiled, “You need not be nervous being escorted by the Prince in front of Seely nobility. Just maintain your lovely stature and you will be fine.” The first night none of the nobility were there so it was a little more relaxed, this time I would be presented to the nobility and escorted in by the Prince. No pressure or anything, I’m only just representing the whole realm of Vellum. I drew in a deep breath as the sisters stepped up to be announced.
Cal offered me his arm, “I know you are nervous, I can feel the tension off of you but I know you can do this. If at any point you find yourself too nervous to function, just squeeze at my arm. I will help you through it. I believe we are sitting together to the right of my mother and to the left of my father so we are going to be well protected.” We stepped up to the doors, he looked down at me and gently said, “Are you ready?” I nodded, “As I will ever be.” He nodded at the guards and the herald announced, “Presenting His Highness Prince Calypso of Seely, first son of Seely and Her Grace Lady Alexandra Batiste of Vellum, first daughter of House Batiste and soul daughter to the deities Aphrodite and Apollo.” The room fell silent and everyone turned to look at us. Whispers began to swirl in the room about me being escorted by the Prince, what that meant, how lovely I looked, and if I was there to become Princess of Seely in the King’s Court. There were many other whispers which weren’t so audible. We finally reached the dais and presented ourselves to the Queen. She spoke from above us, “Come join me up on the dais. We have much to discuss.”
