Queen's Adviser

Chapter 31

*Elizabeth's P.O.V*

I rub my forehead as the carriage bounces slightly, making me shift uncomfortably. I hate carriage rides, they keep me all cooped up and I can't stretch out comfortably, especially when other people are in said carriage.

"Elizabeth," Mother says, which catches my attention as she and Duchess Grey have mostly been gossiping to each other. It was probably boring gossip so I didn't care that they didn't include me since it meant I didn't have to talk to them for basically the whole carriage ride. Up until mother decided to ruin it by talking to me.

"Yes mother?" I ask, deciding to try and be polite even though I'll probably do something to get in trouble at some point. I can't behave well enough to not get in trouble. Well I was currently behaving but I didn't like behaving, it was so boring and my life was already boring enough so not behaving made it more fun.

"We know how you get at events like this. If you get overwhelmed, please don't get snappish with people. You are welcome to send them away or turn them towards us, I just don't want you getting riled up. I want you to enjoy going out for once," Mother says, making me nod my head hesitantly.

"I don't get snappish with people," I argue, making mother raise an eyebrow for a moment. I can tell she doesn't believe my argument but I don't really care as I definitely don't get snappish with people.

"Of course you don't, darling," Duchess Grey agrees with me, which is surprising, but I accept her agreement with a small smile.

"You simply get tired of foolish people and don't want to deal with their nonsense. Which at times makes you come off as rude and unapproachable," Duchess Grey says, making me deflate slightly. I didn't want to come off that way. It wasn't my fault that people were foolish and annoying.

"Do you think Baron Carp will have any decent wine at his event?" I ask, biting my lip when mother raises an eyebrow. Perhaps my words had been a little rude just then...but only a little rude!

"Mmm, I hope so. If not he should have some decent beer or cider," Duchess Grey says, making me wrinkle my nose. I didn't like beer or cider, I liked wine. Mother clicks her tongue, making me turn my attention to her. It was a subtle noise but one she had often used to get my attention.

"He'll have something you can drink dear heart, I've been assured of that," Mother says, making me perk up slightly.

"Something with alcohol in it?" I ask to double check, making her nod her head. I smile slightly, leaning across the carriage and pressing a kiss to her cheek. The carriage happens to hit a bump and I fall against her, my cheeks burning.

"Are you alright darling?" Mother asks and I nod my head, sitting back up in my seat properly. Mother looks a little disappointed but doesn't say anything, leaving me to believe that I was right since she never voiced her disappointments. I hadn't done anything wrong though so I hoped she wasn't disappointed in me.

"Elizabeth, I wanted to ask about your little project," Duchess Grey says, making me furrow my eyebrows. I wasn't sure what project she was talking about, as I had several at any given time.

"Your journaling one. The one that you were so interested in that you threw several scrap pieces of paper at me to get me to leave you alone," she clarifies, making my cheeks burn. I turn my head, bringing my thumb up to my mouth as I bite my thumb nail lightly, bouncing my leg as I try to think.

"It's going fine, I'm not doing it as much anymore. I filled a few journals just with random thoughts and then just shoved them onto my bookshelf," I explain my journaling project, only because I assume Zelene doesn't know.

"Really?" Mother asks, seeming interested in what I was saying.

"You didn't know?" I ask after a moment, surprised that she wasn't in the know about it. Duchess Grey normally told my mother anything and everything.

"No, please tell me more," Mother says as she reaches across and grabs my hand lightly, seeming very interested.

"I mean it's just a bunch of journals I put my ideas in. Whether it's the good or bad ones, I just write all of them down and shove them into a journal so that they're there," I explain, making her smile.

"That's a very smart idea. Do you ever look through them again?" Mother asks, making a small feeling of pride glow in my chest. She thought I was smart! I liked getting praise from her, she should give me more praise a lot more often.

"Not really. I mean most of the time the ideas are stupid," I mutter, squeaking when Mother reaches across and flicks my forehead. I rub my head, giving her the most upset look I can muster.

"Your ideas will never be stupid. Most of the time you just need them tweaked a little bit," Mother says, not responding to my upset look.

"That hurt," I say, still rubbing my head despite the fact that the pain is already gone. I still had to play it up though or else she would think that it didn't hurt and flick me harder next time.

"Well when you learn to stop disparaging yourself, I shall learn not to flick your forehead," Mother states, leaning over and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

"Bullshit, you so would continue to flick my forehead," I mutter, making her raise an eyebrow. "As the queen I forbid you from doing it again," I state, surprised when she nods.

"I can certainly find other ways to fix your behaviors without flicking your head," Mother says, sending a small chill down my spine. I mean she was going to listen to me but I didn't like how she said she'd find other ways to fix my behaviors. I've experienced some of those other ways already and they are not fun!

The carriage stops before I can question her anymore and Zelene wastes no time being the first one out of the carriage. She then proceeds to help me out of the carriage, by offering her hand which I gladly take, holding on for as long as I can get away with before I let go.

Looking around, I decide I'd rather not go in right now but seeing as my mother is getting out right after me, I decide to beat her inside so that I can gather a group of my peers in hopes that she can't include herself in my social circle tonight. She can find her own group of old ladies to gossip with tonight and leave me out of it!

With my mind made up, I start to head inside and my decision has absolutely nothing to do with my mother waving me over to her. Absolutely nothing at all and that is exactly what I will tell her when she asks. Now to just work on making it sound believable...