Rosalie's Kingdom {OLD VERSION- INCOMPLETE}

Chapter 36

"Oh! That's probably not a common saying in this realm," Ro laughed. "It's a, uh, an 'ism' you could say. 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back'." Corvin snorted his laughter in an attempt to hide it, trying to be polite.

"Odd sayings aside, we should head to the main court. The others are quite impatient to meet you both," the Queen said, starting to walk into the depths of the large building with Rosalie eagerly following her long strides. "There are many formalities that my court is fond of, but between us, I don't care for them much at all." Ro smiled at the conspiratorial whisper at the end.

"What formalities, if you don't mind me asking?" Corvin said.

Elva snorted. "Something to do with being naked during your first meeting with the Queen so as to show vulnerability and such." Ro and Corvin both blanched at the thought, sparing each other a wary glance. "You two obviously don't need to do as such," the cat continued, noticing their apprehension.

They entered a long room that reminded Ro of the throne room in Aera, but with much less gold and a lot more green, which she wasn't surprised at. On each side were sets of what looked like box seats filled with different types of Fae loitering about and talking to each other.

The talking fell silent when they walked in. All eyes were on Rosalie, but the endless stares she got at school and the castle forced her to get used to the attention. The Queen walked to the end of the room where a majestic tree formed a throne and sat down.

Corvin slipped his hand into Rosalie's own to give it a comforting squeeze while the two protectors went to the Queen's side.

"Princess Rosalie, young Lord Duarte," the Queen said, taking her time to study the two rankers standing before her. Her arms opened up to gesture to the room, and a smile lit her face. "Welcome to my court."

"Your hospitality is much appreciated," Rosalie said. "With my current situation, it's very helpful to my learning of this realm and its people, the Fae included."

Well said, young one, Twila praised. Keep going.

Ro smiled brighter at the cat's words. "In light of recent events," she continued, "I believe unity in the realm is important to all creatures who live here."

The Queen was impressed. At least she seems impressed. It's kinda hard to tell, Ro thought as the Queen mulled over the princess's words. "Indeed, young one," she finally said. Her black eyes turned on Corvin. "And what of you, Lord Duarte?"

Corvin straightened up more than he already was. "It's an honor to be accepted into your lands and home, your majesty. This is a once in a lifetime chance, especially to be with my lo- Rosalie," he stumbled over his words, nearly calling Rosalie 'my love', leading to a few chuckles from the sidelines.

Elva snickered at his misstep from Twila's side, who was also amused at his word choice. "That's quite alright, young one," the Queen said, a mischievous smile on her face, similar to the one Deidra sported most days. "We're all well aware of your relationship with the princess."

The young couple stood there for a moment, both blushing furiously as the Fae laughed lightly at their expense. Ro wanted to curl into a ball and die from embarrassment. "There's no need to be shy about it," the Queen continued. "Such love only happens once in a long while. Enjoy it while you're young."

Can we please stop talking about my relationship now? Rosalie wanted to yell. She held back, but just barely, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "That's all well and good, but don't we have more important matters to speak about?" she asked.

"But what is more important than love?" an elf said from one side, starting the chuckling all over again.

"True as that might be, we do need to discuss certain things," the Queen said, holding up her hand for silence.

Rosalie took a deep breath, knowing how stupid what she was going to say next was.

"Thank you, your majesty."

A round of shocked gasps went around the room, and Twila looked like she was going to be sick. What are you doing, Rosalie? she asked frantically.

Don't worry, the princess replied, giving the cat a reassuring smile.

The Queen was a different story. Her features were nearly impassive, as if she had little interest in what was going on; Ro recognized it, as she had used that very same mask herself. The Queen propped her chin on one hand. "I will assume you misspoke, young one." She looked to Twila. "Did you inform them of the rules in our lands?"

"Yes, she did, your majesty," Ro said quickly before the cat could answer. She straightened up and fell into her well-worn facade of a strong and confident princess. "I know very well what weight my words had."

"Surely you don't mean them," the Queen said. The more Rosalie spoke, the more the Queen seemed to be impressed, almost proud. "Why?" It was a simple question, one that Ro had been prepared for.

"Because of what you've done for me just by accepting me into your home," Ro said. "This may seem like a short diplomatic visit, but it is much more than that. It is a chance for me to experience the world that I've only read about during long study benders at the library. It is a chance for me to learn about your people first hand, and to rule justly later in life.

"If there is anyone deserving of my thanks, it is you," she finished.

The silence in the room after she was done made her uneasy. In one swift movement, the Queen stood in front of Rosalie. "Greatness lies within you, young one," she said. "I accept your thanks, with thanks of my own in return. Thank you, Princess Rosalie."

Now it was Ro's turn to be surprised. "I- well- uh..." she stammered, not knowing how to respond. "I accept your thanks."

The Queen smiled brilliantly and bent over to give Ro a hug. "Your rule will be amazing," she whispered so only Ro could hear. "Worry not, and follow your instincts, as they are normally right." She pulled away and looked to the Fae still sitting in shocked silence. "We must continue with the festivities! Come feast, young ones, and be merry!"

Everyone in the room snapped out of their daze at the word 'festivities' and began cheering and hurrying out a courtyard Rosalie hadn't noticed beyond the tree throne.

Corvin wrapped her in a large hug, catching her off guard. "I will never understand you," he said in awe. She smiled and returned the hug. "You will be amazing, Rosalie."

"Thank you, love," she whispered to him.

A/n: 1778 words. Not even 2000 words, when most of my chapters are around 2500-3000. A shorter chapter, but one you were probably impatient for. My apologies. I've been doing research for a new story that has yet to be published(or even typed up; whoops) that I'll be working on soon.

The inside of the Seelie court was inspired by the Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England, sans the greenery and magic, of course. Truly a beautiful building and one I'd enjoy visiting one day. Feel free to hop onto the old Googles and look it up.