"A pair."
Aries smiled subtly, sporting a meaningful look. She took a step, placing the tray on the table, knowing his eyes were fixed on her side profile.
"Though I am not pleased, I had accepted long ago that I could never stop people from watching my every step," she continued, picking up the teapot delicately to fill an empty cup with some tea. "There was a way, obviously, but those options were quite dreadful. I'd rather have a pair of eyes on me than fall into the pits of hell where I think I belong."
Aries picked up the saucer that had a cup on it and slid it in front of him. "Only death can stop them, which brings up the question, whose death?"
Aries smiled upon saying her piece, filling another empty cup from the same teapot. This time, she carried the cup to her seat, where she sat down.
"Please, my Lord." She raised a hand, gesturing for him to take a sip. "It's not poison."
Miguel kept his eyes on the woman across from him, wondering what was going on in her head at the moment. He had met a lot of people of different types, but he was most intrigued by the queen. She smelled dangerous, but at the same time, he couldn't just sense what his father or the night council sensed from her.
"Poison never crossed my mind. I don't mean to gloat, but poison is the last thing that can kill a Rothschild," he explained while picking up the teacup in front of him. "It is my honor to drink this tea served by Her Majesty."
Miguel spoke of all the right things to be uttered to the queen's 'generosity' before taking a sip. Deep lines immediately appeared in between his brows the moment the flavor of the tea exploded in his mouth. To get more distinction of taste, he gulped another mouthful.
Little did he know, Aries was observing him from the moment he picked up the teacup until now. She blinked ever so slowly, reaching for the teacup in front of her.
"During the summit, I requested the emperor of the Maganti Empire to bring me tea, since they make the best tea," explained Aries as she slowly guided the teacup to her lips. "Back then, the country that was known to produce the rarest and the best tea was the land of Rikhill. But now, Rikhill had become an official state of the empire and thus, the Maganti now holds the title."
Miguel slowly looked back at her, only to see her enjoying the tea. "The land of Rikhill?" — it sounded familiar to him, even though he was certain this was the first time he had heard of it.
The world outside the mainland was bigger than a person from the mainland could imagine. Thus, even though Miguel went on an expedition for years, he was aware that those meager years weren't enough to travel the world.
"The land of green…" Aries licked her lips, placing the teacup back on the saucer before she lifted her eyes to him. "... is where the land I was born and raised. The land where I lost everything."
"I… see." Miguel rocked his head in understanding, telling himself the familiarity he felt upon hearing the country's name was because of the whispering walls of the royal palace. He knew somewhere along the lines he probably heard the land of Rikhill in passing.
Aries was the queen, after all. A controversial at that. She was an outsider whom the late king took in, and because of protocol, she was now a sovereign after the king's death. A good deal of common information about her was no secret to everyone; her life and background were supposed to be public information.
"How do you like the tea?" she asked, changing the subject, which somehow still connected to the previous discussion.
"It was phenomenal," said Miguel honestly. "To be truthful, I prefer to drink coffee than tea. But this one, it tastes like one but not at the same time."
"Because I like tea. Though I enjoy coffee from time to time."
His brows rose, making her let out a quiet chuckle.
"I just thought you might like the taste of coffee, so I sort of experiment. It's been a while since I did it. The last time was a few years back." She kept the short smile. "I was better at making them back then. I didn't think I would ever try it again since the taste only reminds me of a bitter past… much bitter than this tea."
"Your Majesty seems to like this person very much," he pointed out, watching her quirk a brow. "I do not want to be rude, but you seemed truly sad while talking about it. I must admit I was quite surprised, but then again, you are only cold to me and everyone on the mainland except your people and your brother."
He took a deliberate pause, recalling Aries and Dexter's interaction. "You were warm."
"You're correct. I like this person very much I would cut my own limb if he needs it," she confessed, peeling her eyes away from him to the flowers surrounding the pavilion. "A limb or two or even my life will not suffice to repay everything he had done for me."
"I guess Marquess Grimsbanne is truly lucky to have you. I heard some rumors, and though I haven't met the man in the flesh, I'm intrigued by what sort of person he was."
"Abel isn't that kind," she replied quietly, blinking ever so slowly. "He would never ask for a limb or two or for me to sacrifice my own life for him. He's a cruel man. Instead of death, he'd ask me to live. He'll revive me over and over, even if living means hell."
Aries slowly set her eyes back on him, and her face softened. "And I'm insane to fall for such a man. I could imagine my brother jumping from heaven just to go back into this hell to nag me."
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