Adrian

"Your highness. Sir Adrian is here to see you."

The Queen nodded. She was wearing a black evening dress, her face not covered yet.

"Tell him to wait," she said, intending for that wait to stretch till the time his patience couldn't carry him any further, any longer.

She sat there, watching her reflection. She wasn't vain, just that no one ever talked about her face. The closest thing, in fact, to talking about her face was criticizing the way a queen hid her name and her face away from her subjects.

She just didn't see how her face meant anything, in fact to the prosperity her diligence to the kingdom had brought. They don't see her faulting then for taking so much of her time that she couldn't even find the man for her. Well, except for the flowery princes and sons of lords who came, their faces always carrying a deeply rooted covetousness for the throne.

Then, there was this servant. He called her out for bad attitude and said it was the reason no one wanted to marry her.

It caused her to chuckle.

"Your highness." A frown crossed her features as she stayed there, watching the mirror, her face stoic.

"Adrian." She didn't turn, but she knew he could see her. Her face. The second man to see it today, and this one certainly didn't make her happy.

"Your highness. You are so beautiful." He sounded lost.

"Get out." She said calmly, trying to contain her rage. Donald walked in immediately, and fell to the floor.

"Your highness, I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen. He just pushed me aside.."

"Are you that frail, Donald? Leave, you are dismissed."

Donald stood, whimpering, and walked away.

"Why won't you let me in? I know what it means when you ask me to wait now and it is not exactly the best thing in the world. You are going to leave me there, waiting for you till my pride convinces me to leave again."

"Pride," she said, and nodded, then turned to him. "Look who's talking about pride."

He sighed, then walked to her and held her face. "Please, your highness. I want to believe I am the only man who has ever gotten this close. And I want to be the only man who has ever."

She met his eyes and chuckled. "Of course. You are the first."

He didn't have time to think about it before the small knife she normally used in filing pierced through his arm. The pain spread like wildfire and he dropped with a shrill scream.

The Queen left the knife in his arm, and smiled as he continued to growl in pain. "Look who wants to be brave in love."

She knelt to his height and touched the knife, causing him to scream more.

Her eyes were cold, yet her lips held a dangerous smile.

"So pathetic. I mean, you want to marry a queen and be the first to whatever. But look you, whimpering on the floor, doing nothing after a filing knife sinks into your arm."

She stood, clapping and Donald walked in his head bowed.

"Clean this up."

He bowed further. "Yes, your highness," He then proceeded to ungracefully drag Adrian out of the room, then came back to clean up the drops of blood.

---

"What was that for?" Lana asked, recovering her breath.

"Can't I just do that randomly? When I want to? When I feel like it?"

Lana smiled and wrapped her hands loosely around his neck. "Of course, you can. It's so sweet of you."

Hector tried to smile, but he couldn't get the thought of Mrs. Margaret out of his head. He tried to promise himself that it would be fine, but he couldn't be so sure. Not when the queen was involved.

As if on cue, Mrs. Margaret walked in, clearing her throat. Lana shyly dropped her hand, and walked away.

"How was your encounter with the queen?"

"It was a disaster, Mrs. Margaret. I talked back to her and said she had a bad attitude and that's why she isn't married."

Mrs. Margaret squinted her eyes. "The Hector I know doesn't lie."

"What makes you think I am right now?"

She laughed, and sat on a down bunk mattress, with a sigh. "Your tale, it makes no sense at all."

"How?"

"If you had really done all of those to the Queen I know, I would be mourning your loss right now. So how are you standing here like you didn't do it? Because you most probably didn't."

He rolled his eyes. "I swear on my mother's grave, Mrs. Margaret. I swear. Let me tell you how it happened."

Mrs. Margaret settled to listen as he related everything to her, his voice shaky and desperate.

Mrs. Margaret swallowed, her eyes downcast. "We will have to wait till tomorrow, then. I am sure the Queen will not stay quiet about this."

Hector face palmed. "I will take the blame for that, I promise. She can put all of the blame on me."