Queensmen

Chapter 89

~Her Favorite~

Oris tucked the contents of the letter deep in her mind and eased her expression into neutrality. She had practiced so often in front mirrors that she could imagine her face perfectly, down to the slight incline of her lips.

It was the sort of ice cold look that made her courtiers second-guess her humanity. A look she had spent a whole year perfecting by staring at her sister's portraits every morning and evening.

It said, "I am not surprised by your incompetence and nothing you do will shock me."

The only defense royals were allowed against their own people.

Wei Wei had not needed to perfect it because she always seemed to have the entire court on her side, but that would need to change if Oris was doing this, dragging the throne from under the woman.

Even if her plans had to change to seduce Hermes, she couldn't, not right now.

Her current deal with the emperor only existed on the condition that she left after it was done. If she needed to stay longer, she couldn't be the one to speak of it first. He had to want her to stay so much that she'd have no choice but to unwillingly oblige.

That meant that she had to start getting his attention. She couldn't just got through the rest of the tests without planning the impression she was going for first.

Should she be cold and untouchable? Or flirtatious but reserved?

She couldn't even begin to imagine what sort of women he liked.

"Mistress?" Mayree's voice sent a jolt through her, like she had been caught with her hand in a jar of jam. She managed to inject warmth to her face before the doors opened, aided by the guilt that now thrummed in concert with her heart beat. "I have your change of clothes ready."

Oris relaxed her shoulders and beckoned the girl closer, resisting the urge to correct the form of address. She knew she couldn't force it, only time could ease Mayree into seeing her as a sister. "Help me bathe."

"The medicine has cooled," she said, a touch of wariness in the way her eyes darted to the ground, "should I...?"

"You can bring it along."

Mayree's reaction was immediate. She grinned and walked in, tray in hand. "I was afraid you would think it too bitter so I included a plate of honeyed plums."

Oris took the bowl of medicine and emptied it with one gulp, her decision made. "I have never been one to fear bitter things."

~

The kind of dress she would wear was all that was on her mind though her eyes never strayed from Bren's letter. She didn't dare ask for it to be left somewhere to dry, knowing now that there were secret tunnels that opened into different parts of the palace.

The thought of Hermes stumbling upon it had her pacing the room, making a list of possible escape routes, and when her maids finally got her to stop pacing, she decided that she wouldn't sleep tonight.

She would do as Bren asked and pen her reply the moment the letter dried. If the emperor visited before then, she would burn it in front of him and face his questions with an air of innocence.

"A riding habit," Andrea suggested, hands slick with medicinal ointment. Her voice dragged Oris' attention back to the conversation.

Seline placed more food on her plate, dedicated more to arranging the strips of meat and vegetables like they were pieces of a puzzle than eating. "There are two parts of the test. The others have more than one dress."