After dealing with Priscella, Sylvia was much more relaxed for the rest of the day as she didn't have to do any of her maid duties and she also didn't have to hide and flee from anyone in particular.
She buried her head in a couple of books she had borrowed from the library in the castle and busied herself studying herbology. Though alchemy was very lucrative, the field itself was extremely dry and boring.
Even academy students only tackled the subject like a bitter pill. However, Sylvia found herself drawn to the subject so much so that she could easily spend hours immersed in the topic.
While she was busily reading through the different books, suddenly a loud knock sounded at the door and Sylvia furrowed her brows, before getting out of the bed and opening the door reluctantly.
She was silently praying and hoping that it was not Priscella again, who decided to pay her another visit, but luckily, only a maid was standing at the door.
"Please forgive me for disturbing your rest, my Lady. Her highness has invited you for tea in the Queen's courtyard." The maid bowed after informing Sylvia and then quietly left the room.
"The Queen?" Sylvia was perplexed, especially so since Mikel hadn't mentioned anything about this to her, and meeting the Queen was not something casual and definitely not an everyday occurrence.
Until yesterday, someone like the Queen and herself lived in two different worlds where one had no interaction with the other, and now suddenly she was invited to have tea with the Queen? Was this because of the mistress title?
Sylvia slightly grew nervous as she couldn't help but think that there was something more to this. Could Priscella have something to do with this? She pondered.
However, irrespective of whether this was a scheme or a genuine invitation, Sylvia knew that she had no other option but to oblige for now.
After all, even Mikel was probably helpless when it came to the Queen. If she didn't go she might bring unwanted attention and troubles for both Mikel and herself.
Sylvia lightly touched up her appearance and then prepared to leave. She had no idea where the Queen's courtyard was so she asked the two new maids to lead the way.
However, when they arrived at the eastern part of the castle, another maid stood outside the Queen's quarters and informed Sylvia that the tea had now been moved to the riding fields.
"Okay." Sylvia nodded and looked at her maids. "Lead the way to the riding fields."
Though it was extremely rude to treat one's guest in this manner, by changing the location of the meeting at the last minute, she didn't think about it too much.
She could roughly guess the kind of evening that awaited her and she could only shake her head helplessly. Her devil had inadvertently tossed her from the frying pan into the fire thinking that he was doing her a favor.
Sylvia had a feeling that Michelle's bullying would be nothing when compared to what the Queen could do to her if she decided to do so.
Things were most definitely heading in the wrong direction and this small act, though irrelevant, only cemented her feeling of unease.
Sylvia paused her movements and stopped one of the two maids walking in front of her.
"I need to send a message to his highness. Inform him that I am presently drinking tea with the Queen and tell him to come find me at the riding fields if he needs to see me."
Sylvia sent the maid away with a cryptic message. She couldn't outrightly say that she was visiting the scary queen and that she might need his help, so she sent a message in this manner, just casually informing her whereabouts.
She then took a deep breath before following the other maid, the two of them walking towards the riding field.
Sylvia stepped out of the castle to see that the entire eastern part of the castle grounds were mostly stables and riding fields, surrounded by neatly mowed bright green lawns.
She didn't know if this was typically a lively place but it was surely lively this evening, with several ladies gathered behind the rails of the riding field.
In the midst of this small gathering of noblewomen, there was a slightly taller woman who looked more elegant when compared to the others crowding around her. The Queen!
Anastasia Zaharia was a beautiful woman whose elegance and charm outshone the other women standing around her.
However, unfortunately, her mana affinity was not as high as the King so consequently she was not able to keep up with him and now even looked slightly older than him.
Sylvia wondered if that woman would eventually lose her position as the Queen one day when she became too old to stand beside the younger and energetic King.
"Hmm? What am I thinking about?" Sylvia shook her head. She repeatedly reminded herself that she needed to keep her wits about her this time around as she was about to go swimming with the sharks.
As she walked towards the group of ladies, the Queen's gaze fell on her and Sylvia immediately bowed in response.
"Ah! There you are!" Queen Anastasia waved at Sylvia. "Let her through ladies."
Sylvia smiled politely and weaved through the group to stand next to the Queen. She bowed one more time to greet the woman.
"Sorry, dear. I decided to change the venue at the last moment. I hope you didn't mind the trouble."
"Not at all, your highness." Sylvia nodded. She spotted Priscella also standing beside the Queen on the other side, the woman smiling at her as if they were the best of friends.
"Ha ha. Ok, dear. Now that the two important ladies in my son's life have arrived, let's begin the event."
"Oh! I forgot to ask. You are familiar with riding?" The Queen gazed at Sylvia and asked her with an earnest expression, though there were traces of ridicule in the corner of her eyes.
"Umm… Your highness. Miss Sylvia, I am sorry. Lady Sylvia was only a slave until yesterday when she was promoted to the position of mistress. So you have to forgive her for her lack of manners." Priscella smiled and answered on behalf of Sylvia.
"Oh… is that so…" Queen Anastasia absentmindedly replied and then turned to look at Sylvia again, this time the expression in her eyes very different.
Not just the Queen but the other noblewomen also had weird expressions on their faces.
All of them were of noble lineage and the type of women they detested the most was a maid or a slave climbing into the bed of the master and becoming a mistress by seducing the man.
Sylvia could feel the hate and disgust in their eyes as they looked at her as if she was a cheap woman, but she tried not to feel bothered by it.
"That is sad indeed. Commoners education needs to be improved in our Kingdom." The Queen added, clicking her tongue in disapproval.
"Then, just wait for us here. We were all planning to engage ourselves in a small riding contest."
"It would be my honor to contest against you, your highness." Priscella immediately giggled, brown-nosing the Queen.
"Aha ha ha. I am too old for that dear. How about you ladies ride a little and I will be the judge. Hmmm… Maybe I will even gift the winner with something nice." The Queen chuckled, already forgetting about Sylvia.
The group of women then chatted amongst themselves, completely ignoring Sylvia and occasionally even throwing scornful glances at her.
Sylvia sighed in relief. She was more than happy to be left alone. She couldn't care less if these women looked down on her or not.
Soon the women finished their chatting and giggling and walked towards the course, when Priscella loudly commented to another woman, standing beside Sylvia.
"Do you know Isabelle? I heard that these days in several commoners household mothers were rigorously training their daughters in different methods to spread their legs and seduce men."
"He He. I have heard that too. Some mothers actually send their daughters to even whore houses to get them trained by servicing grown men." Isabella sneered.
"Oh? Were you also sent to whore house perhaps Sylvia?" Priscella sneered, looking at Sylvia. Her voice was a whisper only barely audible but Sylvia clearly heard it.
"Did she just send you or perhaps she accompanied you as well? Did you both pleasure the same man perhaps?"
"Heh. I am sure she is very experienced. Otherwise, how could she have ensnared someone like Prince Mikel."
"Shameless slut. I heard your mother passed away at a young age. Did she die of a disease she caught in the whore house?"
"I will skin you alive if you dared to spread any diseases here in the castle. Don't think that I don't know how you are trying to seduce my brother behind Mikel's back."
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m