Days and nights had passed more quietly than they ever were. For some, they would see it as a rather normal day they had to live — another uneventful day, as they call it. Others might say otherwise.
Aries, for instance, had been the busiest. On top of fulfilling her royal duties as the only sovereign of the kingdom, she had been busy preparing herself for her first participation in the coven. The news of her participation in the coven had already reached many people's ears.
One of them was Miguel Rothschild.
"Apologies, my lord, but the queen cannot grant you permission for a private audience." Gustav relayed the news to Miguel Rothschild, bowing slightly to express his sincerity. "She said she will invite you next time."
Miguel frowned, watching how Gustav uncurled his back. "I heard she will attend her first coven as the Queen. The Rothschild had been an active participant of the coven and thus, shouldn't she need guidance?"
"I understand your point and surely, Her Majesty appreciates your lordship's good intention. However, I don't think she wants to see you, Lord Miguel." Gustav maintained his polite smile, but his remarks were direct to the point. "I'm certain only you know the reason for that."
Miguel's lips parted to make Gustav listen to him. However, before his voice could roll out of his mouth, he shut them again.
"Please wait until the Queen sends you an invitation to her palace." Gustav bowed again upon reassuring Miguel already realized arguing with him was pointless. "If that is all, my queen needs me and must return to her side. Have a good day, my lord."
With that being said, Gustav turned on his heel to face the two knights guarding a door. Everyone who wanted to see the queen had to go through Gustav. Unless they received a personal invitation from Aries or Aries informed him she was expecting a guest, everyone had to request an audience with Gustav first.
"Lord Chamberlain," called Miguel, just as Gustav took a step away. "I am the Queen's subject and will put my life on the line for her."
Gustav smiled subtly as he looked back at him. "I'll surely relay that to Her Majesty."
This time, Miguel didn't stop Gustav as the latter walked back inside the door. Miguel stood still before the door with the marshals outside guarding it.
The last time he had a meeting with Aries, she told him not to show his face to her. He understood her frustration, knowing he was at fault for interrogating her and approaching her without concrete evidence that could back up his claim. She took it as Miguel taking the Queen lightly.
'She wasn't wrong, though,' he mentally sighed, turning his heel to the side. 'I might've subconsciously taken her lightly.'
Miguel dragged his feet to the corridor, bearing a gloomy air around him. At the end of the day, Aries was the queen. Her every decision could affect millions of vampires on the mainland — it could even affect the land itself. She couldn't just listen to Miguel's last request because the trade in recent years had supported the mainland's best interest.
Therefore, Miguel could fully understand Aries was upset with him. Almost everyone on the mainland already had a biased perception of her. His lack of preparation during their last meeting was disrespectful.
As Miguel reached the entrance of the Queen's Palace, his languid steps slowly came to a halt. His eyes slowly panned up, setting them on the person standing a meter from his vantage point.
Dexter Vandran.
Dexter sized him up from head to toe and Miguel could tell the former had guessed the reason for his gloomy mood.
"She can be a bit stubborn and sensitive," said Dexter in an amicable tone. "Do not take it to heart."
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Miguel couldn't remember bonding with Dexter for the latter to invite him to share a cup of tea. The only interactions they had were a little odd — most of them, there was tension between them.
Miguel assumed the tension originated from the fact that Dexter was originally one of Abel's henchmen. But perhaps he was wrong. Not that he personally disliked Dexter; Dexter was a smart man and someone who could hold a proper conversation. He was much better than most noblemen on the mainland.
"Do you always invite people to join you for tea?" asked Miguel, watching Dexter skillfully steep the tea.
"I hated tea for many years," Dexter laughed, snapping his eyes at Miguel. "However, my sister enjoys it so much she would constantly barge into my office and force me to share one with her."
"I guess she had done it so often with how skillful you are."
"A few times a day." Dexter shrugged, leaning back against the chair as he steeped the tea. "Anyone would gain the skill if it's that often."
One thing Miguel had realized whenever he interacted with Dexter was that the latter wasn't only smart, but also distant. Dexter appeared to be the type to mind his own business. However, there was always softness in his eyes whenever he would talk about Aries.
One might mistake that Aries was his lover if they weren't aware she was his sister. But then again, being siblings wasn't enough to stop vampires from being together. If anything, most noble vampires prefer marrying another family member to preserve the purity of their blood.
'I don't mean to offend, but Dexter Vandran and Her Majesty were both turned — what a shame...'Miguel's thoughts stopped at the scandalous idea that crossed his mind. 'What the hell am I thinking?'
Not only was the thought nasty, but the feeling it left in his heart wasn't pleasant. Knowing Aries was once married to Abel — to multiple men in the past — was something Miguel often avoided. He didn't want to look at the Queen in that type of light.
"It seemed many things bother your lordship." Dexter's faint chuckle brought Miguel back to the current lapse. Miguel slowly refocused his attention on Dexter, only to see the latter working on the teapot before him. "I wanted to say a reputable person such as yourself is a busy man, and thus, it is understandable that many things occupy your mind. However, my gut feeling says otherwise."
Dexter paused to hold Miguel's gaze. "I hope I'm wrong. Otherwise, I'd hate to keep you on my bad side."
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