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Clasping her hands in her lap and feeling like a foolish school girl gossiping about her crush to a friend, Sienna finally admitted it. "He did not send a gift."
A warm pink blush stained the tips of Ophelia's fingers as it would the queen's cheeks. Still, she dutifully patted it onto Sienna’s cheekbones. "No, it appears he did not. Do you fancy him? He was the only one who got the opportunity to spend time with you yesterday before the…incident."
“I would not say that I fancy him, though I thought he might fancy me. All the others sent gifts including a few men I didn't invite to stay. Perhaps I chose wrong in allowing him here."
“Well, I can tell you that your council won't much like him. But if he's anything like Leo then I think he would be mighty fitting for a king."
Queen Sienna did not think that Hollis Weebly was anything like Leo Maverick. At least not the way that Ophelia had described him to her. Ophelia had made it sound as if Leo was kind and caring. While she always thought Hollis had made a good friend it wasn't necessarily because of his giving nature. In fact, Hollis was normally the first one to play cruel jokes on people and he wasn't prone to apologizing either. If Ophelia knew that, would she still think that he was fitting for the crown? Sienna doubted it.
That was why the men had been invited to stay. She would get her chance to get to know them and in turn, they will get to know her. Not that she figured she would be entirely honest because they didn't need to know what they didn't need to know. Pondering over these thoughts, she watched Ophelia finish perfecting her hair. The moment her hair and her makeup were completed she stood up and grabbed her staff from its resting place on a large velvet pillow. Ophelia reached for the knob, opening the door for the queen, and the guards outside the door stood a little taller. The guards took their place behind them as the two started down the hall toward breakfast. Only a few steps into the walk the thunder of heavy boots racing toward them snagged their attention. Sienna stopped and held her staff tightly.
A guardsman appearing to be no older than twenty-five took to her side. "My Queen! My Queen! I'm so sorry to bother you.” He was a little out of breath, his words slightly wheezy. Had he run the entire length of the castle looking for her? She hadn’t been hiding. “We just received news from the border."
News from the border was rarely ever good news.
"Who are you?” Queen Sienna arched her brow.
"My name is Jansen? I’m next in line under Des and I'm currently acting as head guard in his absence?”
He certainly didn't seem very sure of himself, Sienna thought, already forgetting his name. "Well, spit it out, I have guests waiting."
Jansen looked at Ophelia and the other two guards before he swallowed audibly and started. "There is movement from the Fae. We have reported sightings of small groups of them who appear to be looking for weaknesses within the wall."
Sienna leaned into her staff and tipped her head back with a cackle. "That's a colossal waste of time. It's impossible to get through the wall. It's blessed by the gods." The wall had been erected as a magical feat between her sisters and the warlocks they now claimed as their own. It had taken weeks and had exhausted them and their human troops who had to keep the Fae back until it had been completed. Only humans could come and go through that wall as they pleased. Fae would not be able to enter unless a queen was present. And Sienna knew that she and her sisters would never allow that. Not after all they’d seen and all they had done to get them into the positions they currently held.
"I have faith. That the wall will hold.” Jansen gave a slight bow. "They look as though they may be gathering additional troops. Would you like me to pass on any instructions to those positioned on the wall?"
Queen Sienna turned and started down the hall again. Jansen hurried to keep up with her. "You're dismissed," she said
"What?” Jansen stuttered.
"You're dismissed," the queen repeated. "I’m done listening to this nonsense unless you actually have something important to say."
Jansen paused before mumbling, "As you wish."
His retreating steps were quickly lost to the sound of Queen Sienna chuckling under her breath. "Can you believe him?" Sienna asked Ophelia.
Ophelia didn't immediately answer, instead glancing down the hall where Jansen had disappeared. Color drained from her cheeks and her hands rested on her sword, fingers clenching and unclenching on the hilt.
"Ophelia?"
She looked up at Queen Sienna at the mention of her name. "Those are very serious concerns. Perhaps you should not have dismissed them so quickly." Her eyes widened and she stared forward.
The girl was clearly reliving the horrors of the war. That had to be it because there was no way the Fae could get through; Sienna was certain of that. And it appeared that she was more certain than those around her.
"Do you think the Fae are capable of overriding the gods? My sisters and I were blessed with this magic and with it we have protected this amazing country from their Impelling. You are safe. Everyone here issafe. And it's all thanks to me and my sisters."
Slowly Ophelia looked up from the ground, making eye contact with Sienna as she reached for the dining room doors. Steady conversation flowed from the other side of the door. Her suitors were probably getting to know each other in the meantime.
"No, my Queen. You're right, we are safe and it is silly of me to think otherwise."
Sienna cleared her throat not caring to talk about this issue any further. The door opened on well-greased hinges making no sound. What little conversation there had been came to an abrupt stop. All five men looked up from where they had been lounging at the table. No food had yet been brought out as they waited for the queen. Chairs scraped against the floor as the men rose and then bowed. Even Hollis.
Queen Sienna tried not to let her attention snag on any one of them for too long, particularly the boy she’d grown up with. Especially since he hadn't sent her a gift! She would have to ask him about that, maybe he had no real intentions of trying to marry her or to become king. Something in her snarled at that idea. It would be like their childhood all over again. No. She wouldn't allow it. She didn't chase after men anymore. She was not going to chase after Hollis Weebly. Damn it, he was going to chase after her.
Maybe she needed to make him a little jealous. Maybe she needed to get to know his friend a little more. That would make Ophelia happy though she would have to make sure to give an equal amount of time to at least one of the suitors her court was invested in.
"You may rise," Sienna said.
