The door being thrown open distracted the queen from her contemplations. A young girl with strawberry pink hair and a bright yellow dress dashed into the room with a squeal, her face split by a wide, excited grin. Following behind her was a woman who wore an exhausted scowl and servant’s dress, her thinning gray hair done up in a severe bun.

“Mommy!”

A reflexive smile lit the queen’s face as she held out her arms. The little girl happily jumped into them and Angelleen sat her daughter on her lap. One hand went around the little girl’s waist while the other stroked her hair, petting the twin braids gently. “I’ve asked you not to run, treasure. You could hurt yourself.”

The little girl puffed out her cheeks. “I don’t fall anymore! I’m a big girl!”

Angelleen held back a grimace. Certainly, at the age of fourteen, her youngest daughter could be considered a ‘big girl’, but not by any other measurement.

She topped out at a hundred and ten centimeters, measured just the day before as the girl prized every inch. She had time to grow but the queen sincerely doubted Angelica would ever have the buxom figure most noblemen wanted in their arranged match. Something that would disappoint her father, no doubt, but Angelleen didn’t care. She had no intentions of seeking a match for her youngest and, with a personality as immature as her body, she didn’t imagine Angelica would be interested in such anytime soon. The girl’s only interest in others lied in their value as playmates.

“Yes, my angel is a big girl, but mommy will worry if you’re not careful.”

The girl’s pout abated as she nodded. “Okay! I’ll be careful!”

“Good. Are you ready for dinner?” Sebastian would be upset at the garish yellow dress. Such a fanciful piece was expensive and unsuited for such a casual occasion. A minor thing but the problem was he felt she indulged their youngest too much.

Which was true. Angelleen indulged the girl terribly. She didn’t like studying so the queen often cut her lessons short. She let her wear what she wanted, when she wanted. Bought her toys and personally took her to plays or festivals. Anything to keep the girl happy, to always be the one Angelica preferred.

Sebastian was annoyed but he let her have her way. After all, she had already done her queenly duties. She had given him an heir and raised Selestia into a good wife. She even stopped pitting Samuel against his brother openly, something that had to relieve him. Nothing worried a king more than his children warring for the throne. If spoiling their youngest rotten was enough to keep her mollified, he could leave it be.

He was wrong, of course. A bitterness formed over decades wouldn’t fade so easily. She had every intention of causing trouble for her husband and her family, the Rosefields. She had simply found a much better way of going about it.

“Remember, someone is coming to dinner. Sir Manuel Reis Quintana.”

“Daddy’s friend!”

The queen’s smile twitched. “That’s right. Do you remember Sir Quintana?”

“He’s a knight. They ride horses and slay monsters to save princesses, like me!”

“That’s right!” Angelleen tickled the little girl, her giggles and squeals restoring the queen’s mood some. It was very hard to hide things from her daughter, impossible if the girl truly wanted to know.

However, if she kept her smile, the ball of happiness wouldn’t pry deeper. To that end, Angelleen carefully watched her tone and expression, choosing each word and gesture with more care than a discerning chef selecting ingredients for dinner. “How do you feel about him, my angel?”

“Hmm.” The little girl hummed as she kicked her legs. “Daddy’s friend is sad.”

“Sad? How is he sad, my treasure?”

“All of the other kids are going to bully him. Force him out of the palace to go play in a stinky forest. Isn’t that sad, mommy?”

“Very sad, angel. I don’t like stinky places, do you?”

She made a sound of negation, pinching her nose while shaking her head. “And the green people smell even worse! They have really bad breath!”

“Then they are bad children who didn’t remember to brush their teeth. Not like my angel.”

“I’m a good girl!” Angelica proclaimed proudly.

“Yes, you are! And? What else can you tell Mommy about the stinky forest and daddy’s friend?”

“Mm. He’s really mad with brother and they get really dirty. I hope they wash really good before coming home, I don’t want my room to be smelly too.”

“Neither do I,” the queen said vaguely as she thought on her daughter’s words. She gently placed the girl on her feet before standing and grasping her hand. “Come.”

“Oh! Mommy, can I go to flying school?”

The queen abruptly stopped before her door, turning to her daughter sharply. It took a supreme effort to hold back her shock. It was the first time Angelica had asked to go anywhere outside of the city. More importantly, she had asked if she could go, not if they could go. A small detail but every word uttered from the mouth of her youngest was important.

“The flying school? Do you mean the Grand Hall?”

“I don’t know its name…”

Well, it was a good thing there was only one ‘flying school’ in the kingdom. Unless the girl spoke of a place on another continent, which was not entirely impossible. “Why do you want to go there?”

“My friend says I should. He says there’s a lot of new friends for me to meet, including his daughter. She’s a little older than me but he says that she’s super nice and that she’ll definitely play with me.”

“…and which friend would this be?”

“Mr. Sparkles!”

“Ah.” Her daughter had many friends, all of them invisible. However, her angel was far more special than most children, and unlike most mothers, the queen could not dismiss the girl’s imaginary friends as simply imaginary. The information they gave her was certainly real. “And this Mr. Sparkles…is he one of your nice friends?”

“Mm! He’s my best friend! Well, besides Queen Blasty, but I’ve known her for forever. Mr. Sparkles is super funny though. He tells the best stories. And he promised me more friends.”

Satisfied that her daughter was simply up to her usual business, Angelleen nodded to Geraldine, her handmaiden from the time she’d arrived at the palace, and left her room. “Why not make friends here, my treasure? There are plenty of boys and girls who would be happy to play with you.”

Their parents would ride for hours to and fro for the opportunity to have their children play with a princess. With Angelica’s innocence, she’d worry putting her with those her own age, but children a couple of years younger would be fine. Better, she wouldn’t have to worry about them taking advantage of her.

“Because they’re so boring! Mr. Sparkles’ daughter is much more fun. Can I go see her, please? Pretty please, mommy?”

The queen smiled softly as her daughter looked up at her with pleading eyes. “Of course, my angel. It has been some time since we’ve taken a vacation. But you must promise to behave. You must be a good girl.”

“I will, I promise!”

“Part of that is being patient. These things take time to arrange.”

“Mm!”

The queen increased her pace as her daughter skipped through the halls, humming a happy tune. All the while, her mind raced, as she wondered what was at the Grand Hall that had caught her daughter’s attention and how to make sure Sebastian wouldn’t benefit from it.