As always, sentry guards stood in front of the door that led into the Royal Family’s inner chambers. When they saw Ellen, they opened the door just enough for her to walk in. Ellen, who picked up the tray from River, was about to curtsy, but he raised his eyebrows and smiled again.
“I told milady my name, but I haven’t heard your name.”
Ellen’s face turned blushed red. How could she be so rude! Margaret’s words telling her how she could never be her Majesty’s lady of honor with such lack of etiquette. Ellen lowered her eyes and spoke quickly.
“My apologies. I am Ellen, the second daughter of Count of South Horn.”
“Oh, I’ve seen Count of South Horn once. Despite his, how should I say this, rough looks, his daughter sure is a beauty.”
Ellen blinked and felt her face burning again, and hurriedly lowered her head.
The hair must have been covering the right part of her face very well.
“No, not at all. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors, but ‘the beauty of South Horn’ refers to my sister, Margaret, not me. I don’t know if you will get to see her, but she’s really beautiful. I’m, uh, that’s not me.”
River’s hand reached up to her face. Normally, she would back off, but right now she wasn’t able to move because of the heavy tray she was holding. Ellen just stared at him with her eyes wide open.
His fingers were slightly rough. His fingers, which were sliding down along Ellen’s right cheek, reached out and swept her hair back. Her breath caught and her heart rate beat faster.
River’s expression did not change from that faint smile. His gaze that swept across her distorted ear and scarred neck felt like a million arrows piercing into her skin, causing Ellen to stand frozen and unable to breathe.
“Beauty derives not from the outer appearance, Lady Ellen. I know that fact very well.”
He withdrew his hand and took a step back, bent his back, and bowed gracefully. Then he turned and strode down the corridor.
Ellen stood there for a moment, staring blankly as he disappeared.
***
“Come and sit with me.”
Celia tapped on the side. Ellen put down the tray and glanced around at the bedroom used by the King and Queen.
The first thing that caught her eye in the spacious bedroom was a bed that covered almost half of the room. The bed, in which 5 people could easily roll in, seemed even more luxurious than any bed from any other noble family. She could not even imagine how many ducks and geese had been caught to stuff that bed. Fortunately, as only very few people could enter the royal chamber, such a bed had apparently not yet become a trend among the nobles.
Beside the bed, there were enough comfortable chairs and tables for the king and queen to rest in the room. She sometimes wondered if the reason the queen did not come out of the bedroom was that she already had everything she needed.
Outside the bedroom was a drawing-room where the king personally granted audience to visitors. Naturally, as Ellen had to cross it to go to the bedroom, she passed by the Wise King Ced and the man with whom he was having an audience. As usual, she was about to lower her head and bow. But as the King commanded her to promptly tend to the Queen, she did not get to see who the other party was.
On the left side of the drawing-room was the twin princes’ nursery, but today the two princes were crawling excitedly in their parents’ bedroom. When Ellen saw the two chubby blond babies communicating in an unknown language to each other, she smiled unconsciously.
“What about the nannies?”
“I told them to rest while I was watching over them. Since they’ve drunk their fill of milk, now they need to digest.”
Celia answered, after putting half of her bread in her mouth. Noticing Ellen’s presence, one of the princes valiantly crawled towards her, like locked onto a target. She picked him up and held him in her arms. Immediately, the prince patted her cheek with his chubby, soft hand and burst into laughter. She felt her heart swell. Love, joy, jealousy, envy, and all sorts of emotions filled it, and it would not be surprising if these emotions were to explode all at once.