I am Reborn through Revenge

Trials-2

“Well, I called you to inform you that today is my birthday and I wish to celebrate it. In addition, I would want to also make a selection of new palace maids that will serve us here in the palace. We are running short of their services here. I have been discussing with Nightwinder and my pretty Princess about what to do to attract more palace maids that will serve us all here and they had already made their kind suggestions. However, since you are here already, is there anything you would add to the menu?” Queen Veronica asked, studying me through a narrowed gaze.

There was this sudden twinge I felt. Why would she need my opinion? why would it matter?

“Add to the menu? You mean you need my suggestion?”

“Seems like it!” she nodded.

“Ha-ha!” I gave a half-laugh. I wondered how my opinion would matter. The Queen is a smart woman, I would give her credit for that and I knew she wanted to know what I would say for a reason. She wasn’t just the type that would need your suggestion because it's important. There was only but one reason why she would need your opinion, which is to taste your level of reasoning. Yes! The Queen wants to know how I think. How deep I think. How far. At least that way, she would keep track of excesses.

“What do you have to say Anon?” She asked, smiling.

It seemed like she wasn’t planning to stop asking me the question, that I know.

“If you are running short of workers, the best thing to do to attract more of them is to increase their payments. At least, that is what I will do if I were in your shoes you Majesty,” I said, returning the faked smile.

To be honest, that was not what I wanted to say. You can't go around cutting out people's fingers when they make little or no mistakes, would you? Anyway, that would be a topic for another day.

“That’s a very nice suggestion! We never thought of that. Two heads they say are better than one!” she laughed, her lips shaping the sounds of her voice. And head falling back to her chair, enough to reveal the gold necklaces she wore.

“In this case, there are four heads,” I said. Prince Nightwinder gave me a crazy look while I monitored him with a tricky side glimpse. To be honest, I wasn't comfortable staying in the Queen's room without any weapon with me. Not like I could defeat those four dreadful-looking men I saw outside but at least, I won't go down alone.

“I would need you to also run some errands for me today Prince Anon," she said. "Maybe, you could help the maids serve drinks to some of my important guests in the dining hall tonight. I know you wouldn’t say no to my request, or would you?” she asked. Her voice sounded like a cracked viola.

Me? Serve her friends? That would be the biggest humiliation I would get as a Prince. Though I knew I had been humiliated enough while I was in Livinas but it was no longer part of my agenda for something like that to reoccur. What would the people say when they see a Prince like me serving things like a servant on the Queen’s birthday? I wondered what she took me for. A wanker?

“Mother is right. Since you have nothing to do with your life at the moment, serving something like uh, tea at the party would be a big plus for you. Maybe you could serve our distinguished guests with coffee or perhaps, grape wine. Who knows, you might be earning yourself someone to marry. Who knows, you might end up with a Princess. That would at least make you have a taste of what royalty is,” said Princess Diane. A mischievous smile manifested from her face. I knew exactly what she meant.

I eyed her, smiling as if what she said was funny. I could measure the amount of hatred she had for me by just looking at her in the face when she speaks. But one thing about her is; she is predictable. The only obstacle that I would consider an issue was Prince Nightwinder.

“Ha-Ha! Princess, I will. . . I will be honest with you, I never knew you cared much about my welfare. Well, if I actually wanted to marry a Princess of any kingdom like you rightfully said, I would have done that a long time ago and who knows? You might be my chef during the honeymoon period. You could be our chef and our cleaner as well. You will do good as a cleaner you know and the job is not really difficult,” I said smiling, revealing some of my upper teeth. I looked at her, I noticed that the evil laugh on her face was gone and replaced by a grimace. To be honest, I felt like I had been hungry but fed with something good.

Maybe she thought she was the only person who knew how to ridicule someone. The only person who knew how to make someone feel less of a human or talk down on people.

"I heard that you have no kitchen skills and it's bad for a lady. You know what I mean."

Yes! She sure knew the consequences. It is a widely accepted norm in our tradition that any grown-up woman that was old enough to get married must know how to cook for her husband and failure to do so according to the tradition would certainly cut your marriage life short (Your husband could send you home if he wants). Though if you come from a royal family, there might be some exceptions—yes, the system is biased.

I could see a smirk on the Princess's face. It was obvious she took what I said to heart. I left her to ponder on that while I faced her mother.

Smiling, I said, “Your Majesty, the offer to me is a privilege but I am sure going to disappoint you.”

The Queen eyed me. I couldn’t tell if she was angry or if she was surprised. Her expression was quite difficult for me to decipher. Instead, she maintained that fake smile of hers. Then I, on the other hand, tried to maintain mine too.

“You have changed, Anon."

Changed? It seemed to me like I didn't understand the statement.

"How?"

She snorted.

"You usually oblige to my requests when you were still here. I mean before you left for Livinas.”

Before I left? Or before I was banished? She had so many guts to think that I would stupidly oblige to that kind of useless request.

“That was before I left. Before and now is never going to be the same thing, your Majesty."

There was absolute silence in the room. It seemed as if a ghost passed through. I was curious to see everyone’s faces. I looked at Nightwinder but he was relaxed to his chair, his face unfazed. He wasn’t looking at me but something caught my attention about him which was his attire. His amazing outfit was carefully designed. Everything he was wearing rightfully fits in where it should be, and the color mixing was done in the right quantity. His short golden brown hair shone like an evening sun, it was well brushed. I looked at his shoe, it was as if I could see myself in his black polished boots. His sword was hanging loosely on his trousers and it was no ordinary sword; it was a sword of royalty. After seeing his sword hanging on his waist, I remembered that I hadn't come with one.

I looked at the Princess, it seemed like she hadn’t yet recovered from what I told her. Her face was dazzled with anger and she couldn’t even hide it. She was looking at me with obvious resentment. Her expression was void of any emotion. She was neither laughing nor smiling.

At that point, if she could kill me, she would have done that straight away.

“Ah, I see!” said Queen Veronica. Her set of deep blue deceptive eyes glistened, she steadied them on me.

My mother had told me when she was alive that Queen Veronica had some unique abilities. She said that her eyes could melt any man or woman emotionally. She said that if Veronica steadied her looks on you for a while, she could control you if she wants and could make you tell her things. Though it had never worked on me. I mean, she had never made me tell her things against my will. I don't know why it never worked on me as my mother had told me. I haven't been able to confirm this myself. But she was my mother, I knew she wouldn't lie to me.

I had always assumed that the hatred I had for the Queen wouldn't even allow her to use any such thing on me. I would rather die than watch her control me.

“Happy birthday your royal Majesty! I forgot to say that,” I said, bowing. “I understand how important today is for you but you see, I have some little things I need to take care of. I will help in whatever way I can but for now, I have to take my leave your Majesty,” I added in a loud but soft tone.

“You are leaving? So soon, huh?”

“Yes, your majesty. I need to go now. We’ll talk later” I said. I looked at Nightwinder and gave him a wave and winked at him too.

“Okay, Anon. I will see you soon,” she said, smiling.

That smile again?

Well, I will learn how to leave with it, I thought.