Arm in arm with Sariel, Lucinda enjoyed the pleasant walk back through the gorgeous garden. The sweet scent of the flowers wafted throughout the entire castle with the morning breeze; a pleasant experience for anyone lucky enough to be present at Castle Clandstein. The two of them strolled through the halls, intertwined with one another. Lucinda never felt safer than with Sariel, truly. A compassionate man first and foremost, and a mighty King second, he held all the qualities that befit a true monarch in Lucinda's eyes. As they approached the large, ornate oak doors of the dining hall, Sariel spoke of a surprise whilst he clasped the brass handle and pushed the door in. Lucinda very briefly wondered what the surprise could possibly be as she stepped foot, catching a glimpse of her children before something fell over her head, cascading her vision in darkness.
The sounds of one of the maids urgently shuffling their way over to the King and Queen could be heard even through the bucket.
"
Your Majesty! Your Highness!" The woman's voice was muffled, and Lucinda gently lifted the bucket from her head with a blank expression. The maid fussed about her, making sure that the Queen wasn't injured by the little prank. Lucinda waved her off, insisting that she was fine, before approaching Rida as the young Princess smugly sat at the dining table. Her expression softened into a smile, and she gently stroked the Princesses' beautiful, long hair through her fingers.
"
What a clever little contraption, my darling girl. Such an innovative mind as always; your grandfather would have been proud of your genius." Lucinda's grandfather, the former head of House Giséle was a man of science and magic. He was a pioneer in the art of magical healing and his discoveries had drastically redefined how humans could wield the power of sorcery to benefit their everyday lives. Rida was a free spirit, and a bit of a trouble maker; but every time she tormented her family with a wide array of traps and pranks, Lucinda couldn't help but see her father's inventive mind live on through her. The Queen only wished her daughter shared the same passion for learning that her youngest child, Lethonel did.
Lucinda stepped cautiously to the side, smiling at Lethonel before addressing one of the maids with a concerned tone.
"
Would you be so kind as to retrieve my beautiful boys medicine for me?" The maid nodded, rushing off to the back of the room where a small, stained glass cabinet sat on an elegantly carved wooden table. With the turn of a key, the cabinet opened to reveal many crystal flasks with a thick, golden syrup swirling within. The concoction was one of Lucinda's designs. Ever since she became Queen, she had no need to return to work at the infirmary. When Lethonel's illness was discovered, the Queen was determined to use her medicinal knowledge to cure it. Unfortunately it was to no avail, but the medicine she had created offered temporary relief for the Princes fit of coughing.
Lucinda did her best not to pity her child, for she knew it would only hurt him further to be seen as weak by his own mother. So when she approached him, she spoke with the same amount of love in her voice that she held for all her children.
"
It seems Rida has been causing you and your older brother some mischief. At least she was considerate enough to not fill the buckets with syrup." Lucinda quickly turned her head to Rida, pointing at her with a worried expression, "
That is not an invitation! If you get syrup in my hair, I'll have all of yours cut off." It was an empty threat, meant in jest, but underneath it there was a very real concern that the Queen may have just doomed herself.
Turning her attention back to Lethonel, she popped open the flask containing the young boys medicine and gently placed it in front of him.
"
Take it before you eat, sweetie. Your Father and I are counting on your strength to help us get through today." Lucinda kissed her son on the forehead, gently holding him close to her for a moment before standing up and moving over to Alistair, her eldest. Handsome and valiant, he so very much resembled Sariel in his youth. He was already a man, and Lucinda had been struggling with the idea of letting him go. She worried with every battle he fought, and the two of them often didn't see eye to eye when it came to Alistair's place on the battlefield. Lucinda, as much as she didn't want to admit it, was selfish. She didn't want to see Alistair die on the battlefield. It wasn't her life to dictate, and she knew this, but it didn't stop her from insisting that Alistair stay behind every time the crown went out to battle. Alistair refused every time, and every time he returned safely. Yet he could return from battle a million times without a scratch on him, and Lucinda would still worry. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling down at her son.
"
Your father's court means well, but they will most certainly try and dismiss his plea today. I'm going to need your support today, since they will inevitably try and belittle my opinion on the subject and insist I take my leave." There was a very subtle hint of anger in her words. The court despised Lucinda, though they would never admit it. She insisted on attending every meeting, breaking the tradition of a submissive Queen who sits and does as she's told. Sariel had never once stopped her from attending, and so long as he was King then Lucinda would continue to have her voice heard at court. She dismissed the thought, not wanting to spoil the families morning.
Taking her seat near Rida, the Queen awaited her King's breakfast surprise.
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