Chapter 203: The Quiet Relief of Solitude
Chapter 202: The Quiet Relief of Solitude
Lyria’s POV
The Queen studied me for several long moments after I finished speaking.
Her gaze remained fixed upon me with the sort of scrutiny that made silence itself feel dangerous.
I kept my head bowed.
The tearoom had gone still again save for the occasional soft crackle from the hearth.
Then the Queen made a quiet scoffing sound.
It was elegant somehow.
Even her disdain carried refinement.
"How bold you have become," she said. "To think you now possess the audacity to lie while using Jacinta’s name as your shield."
I lowered my head further immediately.
"I-I speak no lie, Your Majesty," I said softly. "I s-speak only the truth."
The Queen’s eyes narrowed slightly.
I waited.
Part of me expected her to summon Jacinta at once. It would have been simple enough. One order and Jacinta would be brought here to confirm or deny my words.
And if Jacinta confirmed them, then the matter would settle itself.
If she denied them...
Well.
I preferred not to dwell on that possibility too carefully.
So I remained kneeling there upon the polished floor and waited for the Queen to speak again.
One minute passed.
Then another.
The silence stretched long enough that the strain began creeping into my shoulders.
Still no summons came.
The Queen merely continued observing me with cold consideration, as though deciding whether I was worth the effort of pursuing further.
At last she exhaled lightly through her nose.
"Get out of my sight."
Relief nearly showed upon my face.
Nearly.
Instead, I bowed deeply at once.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The King said nothing further.
I rose carefully to my feet, ignoring the lingering sting in my cheek, and stepped backward with the proper decorum before turning toward the door.
My three maids immediately followed behind me.
The doors opened.
Cool corridor air greeted me almost instantly after the suffocating warmth of the tearoom.
I stepped out without haste, and the doors shut behind us with a soft click.
And almost immediately, I heard it.
Snickering.
It was quiet at first, then less so.
I continued walking, refusing to give them something worth more words.
"Well," Diana said, her voice light, "that was quite a performance."
"Oh dear," Theresa said behind me with exaggerated sympathy. "I thought princesses were meant to be treated differently."
Soft laughter followed.
"How unfortunate," Sally added. "Her Highness may not be the princess she claims to be after all."
They snickered once more.
I said nothing.
My slippers moved soundlessly against the polished palace floors as I continued through the corridor.
The maids followed close behind me.
"I suppose being dressed in silk does not make one noble after all," Theresa mused.
Another round of laughter.
"How tragic."
I continued walking.
Truthfully, I was not hurt by their words.
"You are rather quiet this lovely morning, Your Highness," Sally said sweetly. "Surely you are not upset."
I remained silent.
The corridor lamps cast soft golden light across the walls as we continued through the palace halls. Servants passed occasionally, bowing quickly before moving along again without meeting anyone’s eyes.
Soon the servants became nonexistent. The air grew colder, and we finally reached my chambers.
I stepped inside without speaking and my maids followed after me.
The door closed behind us.
The room was as cold as the air outside. I had some wood, so I made a mental note to light it later.
I crossed to the wardrobe without speaking and began to unfasten my dress.
The fabric was heavy, layered, designed to be removed with assistance. The fastenings were placed at the back, deliberately out of reach—a small cruelty of fashion that I had never before had cause to resent quite so keenly.
I twisted my arms behind me, fumbling with the catches. My fingers slipped against the small buttons, refusing to yield.
For one brief moment, no one spoke.
Then the snickering resumed.
Theresa covered her mouth delicately, though she made little effort to conceal the sound.
Sally leaned slightly against one of the chairs as though overcome by amusement.
Diana stood beside them with her arms folded, openly smiling now.
None of them moved to assist me out of my gown and honestly, I was not surprised by that.
"She truly does it herself," Sally whispered loudly enough for all three of them to hear.
"I almost feel guilty watching it," Theresa replied.
"You do not feel guilty enough to help," Diana said with a laugh.
"Well, no," Theresa admitted.
I removed the outer layer of the gown carefully and draped it across the nearby chair.
The silence behind me shifted again into poorly concealed amusement.
I changed slowly into something simpler, ignoring them entirely.
It seemed to disappoint them somewhat.
Bullies generally preferred visible reactions. And I had learned enough lessons from when I was younger to know not to give them what they wanted.
Eventually, once I had finished adjusting the sleeves of my dress, I turned toward them at last.
The three of them straightened slightly.
I looked between them calmly.
"Would the t-three of you perhaps like to continue laughing in m-my presence," I asked politely, "or would y-you prefer returning to your own chambers early so that you may rest p-roperly in preparation for t-tomorrow?"
There was silence.
"A-after all," I continued pleasantly, "I imagine it r-requires considerable energy to prepare so t-thoroughly for laughter."
Diana glanced quickly toward the others.
Theresa rolled her eyes immediately.
"We were not laughing at you, Your Highness," Diana said.
I simply stared at her.
She faltered almost instantly beneath the look.
The room remained quiet for several seconds.
Then Theresa sighed dramatically.
"If anything occurs tomorrow," she said, "it shall undoubtedly be Your Highness’s own fault."
She placed one hand against her forehead.
"I find myself developing a headache already."
Sally immediately nodded.
"As do I," she said. "Quite terribly, in fact."
"How unfortunate," Theresa replied solemnly.
"Perhaps," Sally continued with obvious exaggeration, "we ought to rest early in preparation for tomorrow’s events."
"We do," Diana agreed.
The three of them exchanged another laugh.
Then, one by one, they turned and headed toward the door.
Theresa paused only long enough to offer a shallow curtsy.
"We shall see tomorrow then... Your Highness."
The title sounded almost mocking now.
Sally and Diana echoed it.
Then the three disappeared beyond the doors.
Silence followed immediately after.
