Chapter 241: 241:Fitting.
Atheline was currently being stabbed not lethally though. But he was beginning to have concerns and complaints.
The tailor, handsome tall, dark-haired with green eyes, circled him again, measuring tape in hand with a terrifyingly focused expression.
He stood motionless. Mostly because every attempt to move resulted in immediate correction.
"Stand straight , your highness."
"I am standing straight."
"Straighter, you’re moving around and that will only make things harder for all of us."
Atheline looked toward Lilith, seeking support but he found none whatsoever. The queen sat comfortably nearby drinking tea. Watching him as though he were part of a circus play with how clearly entertained she looked.
She was the one who had invited the tailor and pushed him without prior notice. She had even cut his study short just for this and here she was, enjoying his misery.
’Traitor’
Atheline pointed accusingly.
"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?"
"Of course I am, you should see yourself at the moment."
He rolled his eyes. At least she was honest with her unnecessary opinion.
The tailor calmly continued his work. He did another measurement and adjusted it in accordance with his size while hurriedly writing on his notepad.
Atheline was impressed with how fast he was working, especially writing. He was faster than him.
He sneaked a glance but couldn’t understand anything in the notebook.
He sighed dramatically.
"This is worse than negotiations."
"Really, with the way you’re acting. I don’t think the comparison matches it.."
"Interrogations?"
"No."
"Seriously... Torture?" He said enjoying the useless banter, " That has to be it."
Lilith considered and then nodded.
"Possibly."
The tailor looked downright horrified.
Atheline felt vindicated when he noticed the tailor’s expression change.
Lilith sipped her tea, unbothered.
The coronation preparations had consumed half the palace. Everyone seemed determined to ensure perfection.
Unfortunately, perfection required effort, an effort usually provided by him which felt unfair. He was the only one going through the fitting.
The tailor stepped back and then examined his work. He frowned a few seconds later. Atheline instantly knew that wasn’t a good sign.
He immediately became nervous.
"What? Is something wrong?"
"The shoulders."
"What about them?" He rolled his shoulders as he spoke.
The tailor pointed to his right shoulder. Atheline looked and saw nothing wrong.
"What’s wrong?"
"They’re different."
All three of them stared in silence at the shoulder then Atheline looked toward the comfortably seated Lilith.
"Help me. I don’t see anything wrong with it. It looks perfect right?"
"No."
"You don’t even know what’s happening."
"Neither do you."
She hit the nail in the coffin. Atheline surrendered. The tiring measurements continued while Lilith looked increasingly amused. Eventually, she set down her teacup and approached.
The tailor immediately bowed. She ignored him. Instead, she adjusted Atheline’s collar, then his sleeve. She then stepped back after making sure everything was smoothed over.
Her gaze moved critically over him.
Atheline raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Nothing."
That answer never meant nothing. He narrowed his eyes when she looked away suspiciously.
The tailor suddenly nodded.
"Perfect."
He looked toward the mirror then to Lilith, then to the tailor. It had happened too fast. She returned to her seat looking entirely innocent.
Several minutes later the tailor finally finished. He escaped before anyone could invent additional measurements. A temporary victory.
Atheline immediately claimed a seat beside her. Lilith handed him tea without looking which he accepted automatically. Neither acknowledged how natural the gesture had become.
The room settled into a comfortable silence. The exact sort of moment both had learned to appreciate. But then, a shadow appeared.
Darkness stretched across the floor where a figure emerged.
One of her many shadow operatives.
The atmosphere changed instantly. Atheline already knew, it was probably good news or something really bad.
The operative knelt.
"Master."
Lilith set down her cup.
"What happened?"
The shadow looked up.
"Terah Kingdom has located Gladia Royal Family."
Silence fell through the room, then, Atheline smiled. Lilith didn’t, not visibly. He noticed the slight relaxation in her shoulders.
The almost imperceptible shift as relief coursed through their bodies.
The operative continued.
"They were captured attempting to cross the border."
Atheline laughed making her look toward him.
"What?"
"They almost made it out."
Lilith considered that then nodded.
"They did."
There was a small natural pause as they all fell into thought.
The shadow patiently waited.
Atheline glanced toward the queen.
"So."
She tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"So?"
"The war might not happen."
Lilith looked thoughtful as she considered that perhaps the possibility existed now. Everything had been so rushed although she didn’t mind.
Atheline leaned back, a smile slowly forming. She noticed immediately.
"What?"
"You realize what this means."
"No."
"There’s a chance my coronation won’t be interrupted by a continental war."
The queen stared. Then surprisingly a faint smile appeared. Atheline laughed.
Somehow after the assassinations and enough political disasters to fill several books, the thing that had come to occupy both their minds was the coronation.
"Do you think our luck is getting better and better," Atheline asked in their silence.
She glanced at him then back to the still kneeling shadow.
"Go, keep an eye on them, make sure they’re not killed before I get to them."
The shadow nodded then vanished. She turned her attention to him and then spoke.
"Our luck has always been good," she answered nonchalantly, " you just never noticed till now."
He smiled and moved closer to her.
"You’re right... What I wanted to know was, how are you going to deal with this?"
"What?"
He sighed.
"The capture, since we have the whole family in custody," he calmly replied, " will you be waiting for the seven-day order?"
She looked thoughtful for a moment. "We’ll see about Terah kingdom’s response to that, what if they became arrogant?"
Atheline chuckled.
"Thats ridiculous. Only a fool would do that."
"Right."
She took a small sip of her tea then set it down.
"Let’s forget about all that, we’ll have to wait for Terah Kingdom’s response or demands."
