Coat #3
“Well, if I have nothing better to do, which, at this current juncture is not the case, I would ask for a meeting with Camaryn and Barret, but it would solely be so I could request they arrange it so I actually meet the staff, learn their names in order that I can address them as the beings they are. Also to request that they tone down the servility. Protocol is one thing, but I believe the female who came before me had very different ideas about how she expected to be treated. I do not expect that. This is royal house. This is a historical building. This is a place where important things happen. But it’s still a home. ”
Mira had nothing to say to that.
My voice quieted, but I noted immediately she didn’t miss the lethality of it.
“Now, I’ll explain that a good way to get to know the unknown who suddenly has my position is to make the effort to get to know her. Not make assumptions and utter insults.”
“Insults? I did no such—”
I stood, Hurley doing the same in camaraderie, and looked down my nose at her.
“I cannot fathom that you didn’t learn, way back in grammar school, what caused the Demon Rift.”
“Ms…Catla—” she began, starting to rise.
“Stay seated,” I gritted.
She froze.
I was to be queen?
Well, even if I wasn’t, I expected to be treated with respect.
But since it was becoming clearer and clearer that I was, I was going to demand it.
“The demons who left the Edge in that time didn’t do so because they were throwing a tantrum.
They did so because they had exhausted all efforts, outside violence, to fight for their liberty to worship as they will.
The king at that time, I’m sure you know, demanded the demolition of a great number of temples, sacred sites and places of worship, and commanded his beings to go to his temples, ones where he further demanded astronomical tithes to be made.
Tithes that did not go to doing good deeds.
Tithes that took one of two direct routes.
The first, to build ostentatious temples to the glory of his gods and the king himself.
The other was directly to fill the king’s coffers. ”
“Yes, I’m aware of this. But—”
“My ancestors were not traitors, Mira, they were pilgrims. They didn’t want to leave the Edge, they had no choice.
The Demon Rift wasn’t so simple as being a rift, it was a good faction of beings who had no choice but to leave their homes so they could worship as their faith dictated and not be fleeced in the process. ”
Mira’s cheeks were getting red, with embarrassment, not anger, because her eyes were not doing the same.
“However, that was hundreds of years ago,” I carried on.
“I did not make the decision to leave the Edge for the Fall. So, not only was I no traitor to this realm, but this happened centuries ago. Holding on to that enmity is extreme, damaging and counterproductive. But you sitting on a couch opposite me and calling not only me, but my father a traitor does not stand.”
“My apologies,” she mumbled. “I should have chosen my words better.”
“I can assure you, because of Tanyn’s feelings for me, I have no desire to throw my weight around. However, what must be said at this juncture is that you, the PR Director for my male and this castle not being able to choose your words appropriately is a very concerning thing.”
On that, she stood, squared her shoulders and said, “As you said, there are other, more pressing matters I have on my mind.”
“Then I must admit, I cannot comprehend why you carved out time to come here and speak to me at all.”
I watched her grind her teeth before she forced out, “I understand you’ll need to tell His Majesty about this.”
“What I need to do at this juncture is let His Majesty deal with bigger issues than this,” I retorted.
“However, if I kept this from him, he’d be angry, as, if someone said something like that to him and he didn’t tell me, I’d be angry.
But I won’t do it now. Though I will give you warning before I do it, and I won’t sit on it long. ”
“I thought you were aware—”
I cut her off again. “I was aware. Tanyn, however, is not. Tanyn grew up on Sigil. Tanyn is convinced, because he likes me, everyone will. Though, I have a sense that he just doesn’t give a shit what anyone thinks about who he likes and wishes to spend time with, as he shouldn’t.
Not because he’s king, but because he’s a being.
As my concerns have been verified by your words just now, your job is not to make me feel like I don’t belong here, and this will be an uphill battle for me.
Your job is to support me in my role here and help Edgians accept me. ”
I took a deep breath and ended it.
“So, I ask you to consider that deeply and decide whether that’s a job you can do. Now, Tanyn is leaving for Gehenn shortly. I wanted to see him before he went. If you’ll excuse me.”
“Of course,” she murmured, dipped her head then, no other word for it, skedaddled out the door.
As if wanting to have the last word, Hurley barked at the door right before it snicked shut.
But I stared at it, shaken.
I expected this, to be sure.
However, to be confronted by it from a trusted member of Tanyn’s staff?
This didn’t thrill me.
But right now, I didn’t need to deal with it.
Tanyn certainly didn’t.
So we wouldn’t.