Chapter 93: Patience, Poise, and Grace

“Patience,” Helena said. “A noblewoman is never in a hurry though she has purpose when she strides.”
Laurel walked surefooted and familiar with Helena. The books barely trembled as she glided around the room with Helena. Delia clenched her jaw. The sight irritated her as she thought of Laura’s grace and how much Delia hated it.
“Poise,” Helena’s voice pulled her from her thoughts as they reached the other side of the room. “For no one must know her mind before she speaks it, not even her husband. To be an enigma serves her cause… To be calm is to master yourself. How can you lead people when you cannot lead yourself?”
The words floated through Laurel’s consciousness, sending her back in time to when she was taking the same lessons as Laura. She had taken these words to heart and found strength in them.
“Grace for the very sight of her gliding into a room should shock those within into silence, charm them into listening, and set the tone for how she is to be treated.”
Helena walked with Laurel three times around the room and tried her best to remember that her name was Laurel. There was something in her gait, a calm determined feeling that made her think of Laura.
“You will find that little cannot be accomplished with a little poise,” she said. “Only when poise has failed you. When your grace and patience have not availed you, then should you be concerned with more drastic means of acquiring attention and obedience.”
She glanced at Delia, “To throw a tantrum is the mark of a child, and such acts are best ignored rather than rewarded with attention.”
Delia’s face burned with embarrassment as Laurel turned as instructed and curtseyed without losing the book on her head.
“Excellent,” Helena said, lifting the book from her head. “Will you try again, Lady Delia, or continue on this path?”
Delia grumbled before grabbing another book and placing it on her head.
“This is stupid,” Delia grumbled, holding the book on top of her head.
Helena gave her an amused smile, “Many trappings of status are, yet we must use them to our advantage anyway.”
Helena shook her head as she grabbed a stack of books to place on Laurel’s head. Laurel curtseyed to allow her to place them on her head and looked up. For a moment, she swore she saw Laura’s hopeful and nervous face in Laurel’s expression, before shoving it away.
“Around the room three times.”
Laurel lifted her head just so and clasped her hands together before gliding around the room as she had hundreds of times, feeling her anger relax.
She was excused from the meal etiquette as she had already eaten and she needed to see to other matters. As she left, she heard Delia complaining about her being dismissed.
“Perhaps if you had a schedule to keep and lacked less in your comportment, you would be dismissed early…”
Laurel smiled as she nodded at Helena’s attendant and left.

Gavin spent the better part of the day with a headache. Dealing with Raven and Irene’s meticulous demands and trying to cover up all the embezzlement that had plagued the imperial coffers had been draining him and his coffers.
He needed to speak with Basil to get him to convince Raven and Irene to ease up or to at least run interference, yet he hadn’t seen Basil all day.
Delia had been at lunch with the ministers, Adolph, Laurel, and Helena, but Basil had been absent then and at dinner. When Raven and Irene finally retired for the evening, he took the fastest path towards Basil’s quarters. Was he sick? He didn’t have time to worry about Basil’s health. He was still trying to figure out a way to get rid of Laurel and undermine Adolph’s plans to dissolve the ministries without losing his head in the process.
“His Highness has asked not to be disturbed,” he heard in a clipped tone. Gavin stopped at the end of the hallway and leaned around the corner to observe what was happening.
Delia, dressed in a dressing gown, glared at the attendant at Basil’s door.
"I am his wife," Delia hissed. "If I cannot disturb him, then who can?"
She pushed past the attendant, roughly and marched in. She was half-hoping to find him in bed with someone. At least the threat of a scandal would gain her sympathy and a chance to guilt him into staying with her, but no. She opened the door and found Basil sprawled across the bed sleeping. He was still dusting from a day's work. It looked like he had barely gotten his boots off before he fell asleep. He was so still she could have mistaken him for dead.
It had been days of this. How could he be so tired every day?
She closed the door worrying her lip. When was she supposed to seduce him let alone persuade him into reconsidering his doubts?
At this rate, the rest of the spell would wear off before they spoke again. She had to do something, but what? Could they really work him to exhaustion every day like this? He was the prince!
"Has he been returning to his chambers like his all week?"
"Yes, Lady Delia."
She grit her teeth, "Alert me the moment he wakes up."
Delia left the room and hurried down the hall back towards her quarters. Gavin huffed to himself. it seems you would have to wait.

Laurel entered the room and gasped at the sight of Adolph standing in the middle of it.
“Your majesty?... Where is Sam?”
“ I've given Sam the day off from your training. it seems to be the only time I get to see you.”
“ I'm not sure if this is a good idea…”
“ Sam tells me you're learning quickly… you'll be fine. I trained recruits all the time during the war.”
Laure did not doubt that he was telling the truth, but she wasn't exactly a recruit. She was certain that he had no interest in kissing his recruits breathless. Somehow, every time they were alone together they quickly forgot the purpose of their meeting in favor of Adolph's need to steal her breath and overwhelm her with his passion. His wolf reached out to her, pleading to complete their mating bond, but Adolph refrained from pushing any farther than they had gone. She enjoyed kissing him, but she did want to learn to defend herself.
“Will this remain a training session, Your Majesty?”
He laughed, “ I will strive to make it so. Shall we?”
He lifted his hands in a familiar stance and told her to attack him. She was a bit nervous about it but she launched forward the way Sam taught her. He blocked her attack easily, but let her keep attacking him, giving her pointers, and correcting her stance occasionally.
She darted forward trying to catch him unawares, but he grabbed her arm and tumbled her to the ground gently.
“You've become quite good,” Adoph said, “I might have to watch my back.”
She laughed as he pulled her to her feet, “Doubtful.”
He pulled her close and Laurel had the feeling that this was the point where their training session was about to be derailed.
“Y-Your Majesty…”
“Yes?”
“I--”
A knock sounded on the door and Adolph sighed.
“Come in.”
The door opened and Gavin stepped in with Helena’s attendant.
“Ah, Your Majesty!” Gavin cried. “So good I could find you and your… fiance like this. I believe it is time for her etiquette lessons.”
Adolph groaned softly and pressed a kiss to her head before releasing her. Laurel curtsied politely.
“Thank you for your tutelage, Your Majesty.”
“Of course,” Adolph said before watching her leave. He looked at Gavin, “What is it that you wanted to speak to me about, Minister Mirabelle?”
“As your father-in-law, I just wanted to check in with you regarding your decisions.”
“You and I have never had such a close relationship.”
“And I mean to fix that in the coming days. Now, more than ever, Basil must learn his future position.” He sighed, “ I simply cannot understand why you'd allow him to be treated this way. If my Olivia were here--”
Adolph growled at him and glared. Gavin shuddered.
“Never mention your daughter in my presence again.”
Gavin nodded stiffly at the unspoken threat and made some sort of excuse to escape the room. he hurried down the hall to the room where he was meant to meet Eden.
Eden was already there eating a pastry and seeming completely unbothered as he always did.
“You want to speak to me?”
“Yes with regards to our arrangement--”
Eden held up a hand, “Never would I jeopardize my enterprise by going directly against His Majesty's laws. Even if I were so inclined, you have nothing to offer me.”
Gavin flushed, “Don't forget that I'm the reason you had a chance in the first place! You owe me!”
Eden smirked, “That is a grave overstatement of your abilities and importance, minister.”
He finished his tea and sauntered out leaving Gavin dumbstruck and furious. How could a lowly human speak to him in such a manner? Eden would regret this, but not as much as Gavin would regret it if he didn’t figure out a way to restore the treasury to its proper state quickly.