A Disguised Singularity

Chapter 11 - Renata

Having spent over half the day arguing with her grandson about everything from foreign policy to his frequent ogling of the female staff, Renata was finally free to relax and prepare herself for tomorrow's festivities. Though it didn't feel must cooler, autumn had officially arrived and with it came the time-honored annual competition. It had been years since she'd last attended the tournament, but she'd managed to convince Benat to allow her and her young assistant to sit alongside him tomorrow. Although women weren't forbidden to watch, the brutal nature of the fights rarely drew females spectators.

Decades ago, when she was pregnant with Kemen, her charming husband had playfully, but insistently dragged her to her first competition. She was as astonished as Oinatz to find out how much she actually enjoyed watching the men brawl. Her husband refused to allow either of them to gamble on whom the winner might be under the firm belief that it was their royal duty to remain impartial. Unfortunately, for her poor husband, no matter how he explained it, she refused to agree. By her third competition, Renata had begun secretly recruiting everyone from Oinatz's advisors to random guards and soldiers to place bets for her on the outcome of the matches. Sneaking around behind her husband's back was almost as much fun as watching her fighter win. At one point, she had over a decade long streak of predicting the correct champion. After the competition was over, she and Oinatz would make their way to the fighters' room to congratulate the men that fought and personally give the victor his prize. Some of her fondest memories with her late husband were centered around the yearly competition and watching those fights together.

Although she had lost interest in watching men pummel each other all morning, Renata was still excited to be able to watch the final rounds. The memory of the last competition she watched was still fresh in her mind, despite it being nearly a decade ago. The outcome had been so infuriating that she'd vowed to never attend the competition again. That year, she'd bet a good chunk of money on Seber, who was the reigning champion, and was furious to watch him some in second to some unknown, scruffy, ponytailed teenager that had seemingly just walked in off the street. Even though Kemen had continued his father's tradition of congratulating the victor in the fighters' room, she had refused to go with him. However, thinking back on it now, she could only laugh. Time had a way of twisting her memories until she could see the humor in almost everything.

Renata stepped out of Benat's office and looked around, but Tadeo, who was supposed to be waiting for her outside the room, was nowhere to be found. She grunted irritably.

That boy is on my last nerve. I told him to wait here. He knew I was going to send him to tell Zuri the plans for tomorrow, and yet he still ran off with that kitchen trollop, again! I can't rely on Tadeo for anything anymore! I try not to meddle in other people's affairs unless asked outright, but Apala is nothing special. In fact, she's just as promiscuous as he is! Their marriage will never work. He is a fool not to consider the far better option that has been pining over him for the last year.

Hoping to catch him in the act, Renata made her way to the kitchen as she thought over the last part of her conversation with Benat once more. Her grandson had begun to ask about Zuri again as he had in the weeks following their return from the spring festival. At first, she assumed it was because he was still concerned about Zuri's Elurian heritage, so she once again tried to put his mind at ease. However, his questions were beginning to pry far deeper than she assumed they should and, now he was even showing up randomly during the day when Zuri was around. Something about it just felt... off.

Maybe I'm just becoming paranoid in my old age.

Renata chuckled to herself at the thought as she snuck around the palace as though she were a thief. She quietly entered through the back door of the kitchen, hoping to catch Tadeo in the act, but sadly, he was nowhere to be seen. The kitchen staff stopped what they were doing and appeared to be deeply unsettled by her surprise visit. Renata gave them a fake, pleasant smile before she quickly continued on her way towards the door that led to the dining hall. As she slowly nudged the swinging door open a crack, she did her best to remain hidden as she peered around the large open room.