~.✧ Ethira ✧.~ [COMPLETE]

~.✧ four ✧.~

I suppressed a groan as Lady Evelyne—my apparent new "royal educator" or summed down to tutor—grabbed a seventh book off the shelf. The library here at Ethira Palace was much different than the library at home. It was a smaller room but no less lacking in information. The tall shelves and drawers containing book upon book and map upon map and parchment upon parchment filled the room until it was nearly claustrophobic. There was also a second story but we hadn't approached either of the spiral staircases yet, much to my aching legs relief.

Queen Mirellia, who was also here for my new queen conditioning lessons, had given me a tour of the castle yesterday and even though I'd gone exploring and gotten hopelessly lost not three nights ago, the castle was even bigger than I'd thought. It'd taken hours for her to show me every corner and room, and even then I knew it would probably take me a year to remember it all. Right now, she assured me that I would have someone, her or Varien or a servant, to guide me as I adjusted. I wasn't particularly fond of being babysat and led like a dog on a leash, but my common sense knew it was for the better.

"And we must also address the difference between foreign meeting attire and domestic meeting attire with the High King's court and advisory panel," Lady Evelyne droned on, adding yet another book to the cart she rolled along behind her through the aisles. "Oh, and we mustn't forget the different attire at different meals of the day and on which dates one must wear their hair differently."

I couldn't hold back the whimper that escaped my lips this time.

Lady Evelyne and her enthusiastic, deep eyes turned to me at the noise. "Is everything alright, your Majesty?"

I curled my toes within my shoes, trying to calm my annoyance. "Yes, m'lady. Everything is swell."

Perhaps my tone was a little more sarcastic than I'd wished, but luckily it went right over her, her mass of curls piled high atop her head catching the wind of the comment just slightly.

"Oh!" she practically squealed, stepping forward. "I'm sure you learned this in Austora, but I can never pass up the opportunity to talk about ballroom attire and proper etiquette, so we can review that."

Another book added to the pile.

"Lady Evelyne," Queen Mirellia piped up for the first time since this book excursion has started.

Lady Evelyne's wide eyes turned to the queen and sparkled with nerves. "Yes, your Majesty?"

I glanced behind me to see Queen Mirellia standing very calmly, her expression neutral despite the small twinkle in her eye. "This is her Majesty's very first lesson. Why don't we scale back to the essentials for today to ease her into it, yes?"

"Oh." Lady Evelyne looked at her growing stack on her cart like she was seeing its immensity for the first time. A sheepish smile crawled to her face. "I suppose you're right. I'm very truly sorry. I sometimes get carried away with all of this."