The Changeling Queen

Chapter Thirteen

"You're late," Prince Claudius snaps as I make my way out of my bed chamber, fully dressed and ready for the day.

"And you're a busy body," I say in a sugary sweet voice, turning to give him a clenched tooth smile. "Why aren't you escorting your betrothed? I'm sure Princess Medea is longing for your company."

"We have to talk about what you're doing. It's not safe," he insists, following me as I contiune walking to the dining hall.

"Let me be as blunt as possible," I say, turning around to face him, my hands folded in front of me as I tilt my head up so that way I can look him in the eyes. "Your opinion here does not matter. Your voice is not needed, nor is it even wanted. What I decide to do in my own realm is my business. I have grown this Kingdom's border beyond your imagination, and I deserve your respect, even if it is only faked. If you wish to openly disrespect me, then go back home."

"I can't go home until you pay for my future wife's dowry," he says, sounding increasingly annoyed. "You know that. That's why you're not paying it."

"Do you love her?" I suddenly ask, now curious. She gave me a strange vibe, so I want to know if he sees it too, or if she's charmed him the same way she seems to have charmed so many other people.

He doesn't hesitate before he says, "Yes. Desperately."

"Wonderful, then you don't need the dowry," I say before spinning around to contiune walking. I don't know why the Queen of Ire won't pay the Princess's dowry, but I know that I can't just suddenly give in and pay it, because it would seem suspicous. I'm already acting differently from her. I can't risk this, no matter how much the annoying Prince is getting on my nerves.

"Queen Cahya, you can't be serious," he protests, now cutting me off by walking in front of me.

"Why not? Your parents want you both to be wed so that way I don't even attempt to conqure your home, and you love her. I don't see why I should have to pay for something that in no way benefits me," I say as I raise one eyebrow.

"In no way benefits you?" he repeats in a baffled voice. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," I say as I brush past him, contiuning my walk to the dining hall.

He say anything as he begins to follow me, clearly fuming. I don't know why he insists on being around me when he clearly hates me. It's like he likes the arguing. Maybe he's a sadist who likes to get a rise out of people and have them angry at him, but I'm not a fan of it. I don't want to contiously be arguing with someone, even in a dream.

When I finally get to the dining hall, I'm surprised to see that Princess Medea is already seated, chatting with a servant. The servant is a tall, handsome man. His short blonde hair is clipped short to his head, and even from across the table, his bright blue eyes are glittering in a way that reminded me of the sun glitting off of the sea. He's well dressed, though his status is still clear.

"Oh," Medea says when she realizes that I'm here, but her face falls when she sees Prince Claudius step out from behind me. "Prince Claudius! Good morning! It's so great to see you this early in the day!" she repeated exclaims, which makes me want to laugh. So, she had been flirting with the servant. Why else would she be being so weird about us coming in?

"Good morning," Prince Claudius says slowly, frowning as he looks between the two. "Did we interrupt something, Princess?"

"No, no of course not," she waves off the concern, which also seems to be waving off the servant. His face falls, but he does leave the room.

Prince Claudius and I take our respective seats, though he doesn't seem as thrilled as he did yesterday to be sitting besides his finacee. We're served our food quickly, and the eggs are heavenly. I want to ask for seconds, no, thirds, but I worry about how that will make me look- would the Queen ask for seconds?- so I just keep eating the other things on my plate. Before too long, I excuse myself so that way I can head to my personal sitting room, knowing that I would have to start with those contracts before too long.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," a man greets me before he opens the door to my sitting room for me.

"Good morning," I respond absent-mindedly, trying to think of what other places besides the army I could place any of the men who wanted to stop being consorts for the Queen.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asks worriedly, following me into the sitting room.

I frown slightly, trying to see if I recognize the man that is currently making himself at home on one of my couches. I couldn't recall his name, but the longer I looked at him, the more certain I was that I had seen him at the meeting the previous morning. He's one of the men that had been there to request that I increase the taxes on the citizens of the Kingdom. Why is he here now? What does he want?

I decide to ask him, because there is no way for me to figure out how to handle this if I don't know what's going on. "How can I help you?" I ask, pulling my dress out as I sit on the couch across from him, so we're looking at each other.

His smile falters, but doesn't completely fall. "My my. Queen Cahya, did you forget my proposal so soon? You wound my pride," he says in a way that I can only describe as 'laying it on thick'.

"Your proposal?" I repeat, raising my eyebrows.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I want to join our houses. You're still plenty young enough to have a child, and you won't have to leave your lands to that bratty little step child you clearly loathe so much," he grins as he leans forward, towards me.