Chapter 92: The First Rule of Etiquette

It was nearing dinnertime when Laurel made it back to the castle. She walked up the stairs and knocked on Adolph's office door, hoping to catch him before dinner.
"Come in."
Laurel entered Adolph's office with a beaming smile as he set his quill on the table and stood. She closed the door behind her.
"Your Majesty, I am so glad I caught you. I was hoping to speak about the minister of commerce."
Adolph smiled, listening with half an ear about her findings regarding the kingdom's trade agreements. He'd organized several contracts that were higher than their predecessors, likely to secure a substantial amount of kickbacks.
"I think if we could check his tax records and audit these trade routes we'd have enough evidence to…"
She gasped, stumbling back against the door as he approached.
He lifted the pages from her hands and wrapped his arms around her.
"While I do enjoy your cunning and dedication to the downfall of those idiots, I ask you to indulge me as your future husband for a time."
"D-Dinner is soon."
"Then, we should not waste time," he said and dipped his head to kiss her.
She gasped and trembled, parting her lips and allowing him to slide his tongue into her mouth.
He groaned. She tasted sweet as though she'd had a tart before coming to see him. He lifted her and carried her to the couch as she moaned into his mouth.
He lowered her carefully and nipped at her lip as he fell into the cradle of her legs.
“Your Majesty, please,” Laurel gasped as Adolph kissed her neck, pinning her beneath him. “W-We have to…”
“That woman has the uncanny ability to ruin my fun,” Adolph said, holding her close. “I have to make the most of the time we have before dinner, darling.”
Laurel’s face burned with embarrassment as she tried to twist away from him, but it did no good.
"W-What woman?"
"Laurel," he groaned against her throat. "Please, on the way to dinner. Let me ravish you a bit? I may not see you again for quite some time."
She worried her lip and he pulled back to search her face before groaning with regret and sitting up.
"I am not leaving," he said and ran a hand through his hair, "Though I have certainly ruined the mood."
Laurel gave him a weak smile, "Your Majesty--"
A knock sounded on the door and he leaned back with a pained groan. Laurel couldn't help but giggle.
"I knew it. Come in."
The door opened and Chasel entered with a smile.
"Dinner is being served."
Adolph huffed. He would have to get better at stealing moments from her schedule in the coming days.
He rose from the couch and offered her his hands, "Shall we?"
Laurel took his hands and stood, following him out of the room and down the hall.
"Lady Helena is the best etiquette teacher in the kingdom. She and her predecessors are the only ones the royal family has ever used."
She gasped. She remembered Lady Helena well. She was a hard but fair tutor, gracious even.
"She never taught Basil, but she was quite fond of Laura." Adolph said, "I thought her tutelage would be a proper punishment for Delia, but the ministers brought up a good point, so you will be under her instruction as well."
Laurel nodded, a little shocked to hear that Helena had been fond of Laura.
"She will take into account your duties and your self-defense lessons and work around them." Adolph opened the door to the dining hall and Laurel smiled at the sight of the woman. Helena’s eyes widened just a bit as she looked at Laurel, scanning her before giving her a gracious smile.
“A pleasure to meet you, Lady Helena,” Laurel said. “I hope you will forgive my lack of manners.”
Helena’s eyes darted back and forth for a moment before she nodded politely, “I look forward to your lessons, Luna Laurel.”
Adolph looked between them before escorting Laurel to her seat and pushing her up to the table.
Delia entered, scanning the room before giving a cold smile and taking a seat beside Basil who did not stand to pull out her chair. Helena glanced at Adolph as he gave her a meaningful look.
“Quite,” Helena said primly. “You must be Delia, the prince’s wife.”
Delia looked at her, “I am…”
“My name is Helena, His Majesty has hired me to educate you and Luna Laurel in the etiquette befitting the court.”
Delia’s eyes widened and she looked at Basil who said nothing.
“We shall begin in the morning,” Helena said and looked at Laurel, “I will not hold you to the same schedule, of course, but I would like to have your first session at the same time.”
Laurel smiled, “I have a free morning tomorrow.”
“Lovely.”

Laurel found the salon where Helena had taught her in her last life easily. She knocked politely and waited to be admitted. Helena looked at her and nodded.
“So glad you could make it, Luna Laurel,” she looked outside and smiled before looking at the attendant nearby. “Please retrieve Lady Delia by any means you must.”
“Of course, Lady Helena.” The woman left as Laurel entered the room.
A bit of anger burned in her. From the day Laura had married into the family, she had been summoned from bed with the servants to begin her day while Basil was allowed to sleep on. To find that Delia had not been subjected to the same treatment wasn’t surprising, but it was irritating.
Was it because they were mates that she was allowed to be exactly who she was, as selfish and spoiled as she was? Had there been something intrinsic to Laura that made her unworthy of that same courtesy?
As she thought about it, Basil had rarely woken up before the eleventh hour of the day and spent his days doing almost nothing. If the ministers had wanted to maintain such control, they would have made sure Laura was kept completely out of matters the way they had kept Basil out of matters.
It would have been easier, but why let Delia cause so much trouble and be so willful? If she emptied the imperial coffers, what would be left for them to steal? Why would they have spent the money to educate Laura when they had not bothered to educate Delia?
Maybe there was something she was missing.
“We’ll start with physical grace, your walk, and stance,” Helena said coming towards her with a familiar book. Laurel lowered herself out of habit, so Helena could place the book on her head.
The door slammed open as Delia entered the room, coming into the room huffing and disheveled. She was still in her nightgown and only half awake with her sleeping cap still on her head.
“How dare you summon me like a servant!” Delia hissed. “Do you know what time it is?”
Helena glanced over her and looked at the servant, “A lady of the court should never be seen out of her room without at least a dressing gown, even under siege.”
Delia bared her teeth as the servant offered Delia the dressing gown silently. Laura recognized the older woman as Helena’s assistant and could only imagine what sort of methods she’d used to wake Delia.
“Put on the dressing gown, Lady Delia,” Helena said, picking up another book. “Even a prostitute has a sense of modesty.”
Delia flushed. She snatched the dressing gown from the servant and shrugged it on, tying it loosely and glaring at her.
Helena approached her. “Shoulders back, chin up.”
“You--” Helena placed the book on her head as Delia fumbled to speak.
Laurel smiled watching the interaction, amazed and grateful. She had tried to embody that same sense of calm during Delia’s tantrums, but she doubted she would ever master the level of aloofness Helena held herself with any time soon.
“When you can manage a circuit around the room without dropping the book, we will move on to meal etiquette. Though if you cannot accomplish it within the hour, we will simply have to move on.” Helena turned towards Laurel. “You may begin your first attempt.”
Laurel turned and began to walk, smiling a bit at the familiarity of gliding around the room. She used to pace like this around her office to think as she found some peace in it.
The book on Delia’s head slipped and clattered to the ground as Delia watched Laurel walk. Her heart clenched as a haunted feeling washed through her. For a moment, she saw Laura’s lone figure striding down the palace hallway, gliding through the corridors. She remembered thinking she was a stuck-up noble then and feeling a twinge of envy.
Delia sneered at Helena, “What is walking around with a book on my head supposed to teach me?”
Helena picked up another book and placed it on top of the book on Laurel’s head before taking her hand.