7 Days Left

Minul inhaled deeply feeling her chest expand against the wrap she’d spun around it. The faint scent of blooming flowers was brought to her nose as she reclined in her chair. On the third floor of her summer estate her suite of rooms rose well above guest apartments, when combined with the green bushes twining their way around her balcony railing and she had perfect privacy.

The rustle of leaves were carried on a faint breeze that brought just enough cool air to take the edge off the sun. The elusrian sun, entirely unlike the ankirian sun, didn’t scour the ground with its heat, trying to remove any evidence of past existence. She’d seen older stone worn down by the rays, faded through the blinding heat as much as time. Not in Elusria though, here it was just a slight warming to her skin.

That wasn’t to say Elusria didn’t have its own brand of unbearably hot, but that was only during the few showers that assaulted the country. Rain would come whipping down even as the sun still burned high, turning a pleasant evening on the town into a sweltering nightmare, the air was so thick it felt more like swimming than walking.

But today was pleasant.

Minul smiled and sipped her tea, quite different from winter variant as this tea was supposed to be sipped while cold. She listened to the idle chatter that washed up from the gardens below her, too indistinct to properly make out what people were saying. In the distance, she could hear birds chirping and occasionally one would fly above her. Just five minutes ago one had actually landed on her railing, probably looking to take some sticks from the bushes before it realized she was there already.

She sighed contentedly and sipped her drink. She deserved a half day-off, she thought, just some time to relax before the work began.

Someone knocked on her door. She could only vaguely hear the muffled taps through her suite and balcony, but she noticed them nonetheless. She sighed. The knocking continued unceasingly, soon joined by a shrill voice expelling what she could only guess were threats by the tone.

After a moment, the Queen heard the door open as Svadr greeted whoever was making all that noise. With the opening of the door, the voice became much clearer and far too recognizable for Minul’s taste. Sighing, she pushed up to sit a little straighter in her lounge chair, before a thought struck her.

No, this is my time off. My terms, she smiled to herself as she slouched back down in her chair.

Soon enough footsteps approached, “Your Majesty,” Svadr said announcing herself. “There’s a guest here to see you. The Head Mistress Hildrid.”

Minul nodded in recognition of her headservant’s words, “Bring her over.”

“Very well, your Majesty. Will there be anything else?”

“Another cup of your tea, please. And send a messenger for Saif, tell him Hildrid’s here to see me. He’ll know what to do.”

“Immediately, your Majesty,” Svadr bowed and hurried away. She soon returned with a pitcher, another cup and the Head Mistress of the Elusrian Royal School in tow. She refilled Minul’s cup, before filling the one she placed for Hildrid then left. The old woman glared at Minul’s get up, perturbed by the fact that Minul had taken her visitation in nothing but a pair of shorts and a wrap. As she examined her Queen, Hildrid’s lips puckered into a fine point. Like a butthole.

Fitting.

“What can I help you with?” Minul asked sipping her refilled cup.

For a moment, she thought her appearance had stunned the old woman into speechlessness, “You should dress appropriately,” she finally managed, her tone somewhat stilted. “This is blatantly not improper for a Queen.”

Minul smiled tartly as she put down her cup, “It’s as appropriate as I deem it to be. You seem to keep forgetting, I’m the Queen. Not you, now what can I help a tired old lady with?”

A vein popped across Hildrid’s forehead but she took the insult without remarking on it. Improvement, the old woman brought her hands together, fidgeting with the only adornment she’d worn today. A worn old silver band around her finger. Minul’s brows almost gave her away before she caught herself, She’s nervous.

“Your Majesty,” Hildrid began, but seemed uncertain of how to continue. “I— You’re—“ as she continued flailing for words, she lost her temper entirely and words came rushing out. “What is he doing here? He’s not supposed to be here. I wasn’t told— Why would he even come? What’s the point? That— That—“

Minul stared at the usually stately old woman as she got up from her seat and started pacing the balcony, her hands kept going up to her hair before returning to the ring. Her faced slowly turned red as she struggled to figure out what she was trying to say. The Queen could only stare in awe, Ragnar had said it would unnerve her but this was… so much more than the minor reaction he’d suggested.

The strongest elusrian tethered currently alive’s eyes was starting to go red around the rims as she finally gasped out, “What is that old fart doing here, your Majesty?”

Minul pursed her lips to force a grin off them, “Which… old fart,” she said after clearing her throat, managing to keep the laugh off her voice, “You might’ve noticed but the estate’s full of them, currently.”

Hildrid’s eyes narrowed, “You’re behind this, aren’t you?”

Minul sighed and returned her face to the sun. She didn’t tan as dark as an ankirian but she still preferred to have some tone to her skin. It made her yellow eyes less alien looking, she thought. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Now, if you just barged into my room when I’m clearly trying to relax just to accuse me of… something, then I’ll please ask you to leave.”

In the distance, Minul heard her suite door open and shut along with quiet murmurs. “You know damn well why I’m here, you…” Hildrid cleared her throat, “I want to know why Sven is here.”

“On the order of the Queen.”

Hildrid’s went rigid her face draining of color. For a second, Minul feared those words might’ve actually just killed the overly strict woman. Stiff postured, Hildrid slowly turned about looking at the man who’d just entered Minul’s suite. It wasn’t Saif that Svadr had brought back, instead Svenar stood in the doorway.

Despite the onset of age, Svenar had maintained some of the physical dominance he was known to hold in his youth. His hair and beard had gone gray. He clearly hadn’t shaved since leaving to the summer estate, probably taking the chance to not meticulously groom it everyday. Minul knew that he would on occasion shave his mustache off entirely, but it would inevitably make its return. She thought it looked better on him with a little bit of stubble, too bad that wasn’t per military code.

“Sven?” Hildrid cleared her throat. “Svenar? What are you doing here?”

“Hello Sunshine,” The old man’s voice was faint, barely audible to Minul’s ears but Hildrid clearly heard him. A smile twitched on her lips before anger replaced it.

“You— You do not get to call me that!” She stomped on the spot before turning around pointing a dry finger at Minul, “Why is he here?”

The Queen got up from her chair, where she’d been sitting with her back to the door. Svenar, upon seeing her state of undress, immediately fell to one knee and averted his gaze. “Your Majesty, I didn’t realize you were in such an improper state.”

“You’re the ones in my bedroom,” Minul sighed. She knew they were old and set in their ways, but this was a bit much. She wanted to continue her rant, but diverted the conversation back on topic. “I brought him here… Sunshine,” Hildrid looked like she was choking, though, with the sun shining on her Minul could see some of the hint of the nickname in her hair. “Because, and it’s very important that you both listen very closely here, you have been an asshole and a thorn in my side for the last five years—“

“You don’t talk to her like that!”

“Don’t speak for me, Sven. Svenar!”

“This is what I mean. Let. Me. Talk,” the both began speaking so Minul raised her voice over theirs. “I’m the Goddessdamned Queen!” They shut up. “And Master Svenar hasn’t really left the academy for the last thirty, or close to it, years. He hasn’t grown at all as a tethered except for some unforeseen developments in the last year.”

“Oh?” Hildrid muttered turning to Svenar at the last statement.

“Now, I’ve tried and tried to accommodate and work around you, Hildrid, but you’re such an uptight and angry cunt that you couldn’t see it.”

They both gasped and Svenar had taken multiple steps towards Minul before he seemed to realize what he was doing. “I’ve tried being ‘proper’ and ‘nice’, but then you just dismiss my words. I’ve tried playing politics. I’ve outplayed you even. But it doesn’t seem to matter, then I talked with an old man about some of his friends.”

“Ragnar…” Svenar growled.

“I’m gonna choke that old bastard,” Hildrid growled.

Minul ignored them, “So here’s the deal. I have a guard detail on my suite. They’ve been told that you cannot leave unless very specific circumstances have been filled,” she hurried on seeing their protesting mouths open. “I know you can just force your way out. But if you do then you’re forfeiting your roles. No more academy, no more school.”

“What do you want?” Hildrid asked tight-lipped.

“A nice long hug and a heartfelt apology,” Minul gestured between the two of them before returning to her lounge chair. “After you spend an hour in the waiting room, Svadr can show where it is.”

They shuffled into the room next to her balcony. It had a window so she could vaguely hear them talk. She hadn’t intended to listen in on them, but if it wasn’t open aperture the room would be sweltering.

The silence lasted nearly ten minutes.

“I’m sorry,” Svenar deep tone mumbled.

“Don’t…” Minul knew it had to be Hildrid’s voice but the vulnerability still brought a kernel of doubt out.

“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be the man that you needed. Sunshine, I’m so sorry,” the quaking in the old man’s voice made Minul’s stomach wrench. “I should’ve never left.”

Minul quietly got into her room sliding the balcony door closed and reducing their talk to indistinct murmurs.