The Lady Justice

Chapter XXXVI: I Took Matters Into My Own Hands

I took it as a good sign.

Queen Eleanor, however, broke into a large, blinding beam. "Ah, Natalya! Come, come, sit by us, my dear," she beckoned me, setting her cup of tea on the table, "we have been waiting for you."

My lips pulled up in a genuine smile at her greeting. From what I had heard of her, she was very amiable to everyone around her, and loving, even, to those whom she held dear. However, lo behold, if one had the misfortune to fall on her bad side, they were doomed for all eternity.

I was fortunate. She had liked me the moment we had met several months ago.

I walked towards them now, just as one of my Lady Mother's Ladies-in-waiting drew up a chair for me to sit. "A very good afternoon to you, Your Majesty, my Lady Mother."

"Good afternoon to you too, my dear," Queen Eleanor took my hand in hers fondly, "I am happy to see you well, and happy."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I grinned, "how was your journey from Monrique?"

"It was long. I am no longer as young as I once was, and the sea does all sorts of things to my stomach," she shuddered, "thank the Lord we reached ahead of schedule."

"I agree with you, Madame," I squeezed her hand, "I am not too fond of sailing, and neither is my Lady Mother."

I glanced at my Lady Mother. However, surprisingly, she was not paying attention. She was staring hard at the closed double doors, deep in her own thoughts.

"Lady Mother?" I leaned forward to pat her knee, "is everything all right?"

She turned to me, slightly startled. "Oh, yes, all is well. Dear daughter, I must tell you how much I appreciate your prompt arrival upon my summons," she inclined her head at me in something close to gratitude, "you have made the journey from the Women's Academy all the way to my chambers faster than your brother the Emperor, who only has to walk here from his study." She frowned heavily.

My eyes widened. My Lady Mother's messenger would have taken at least half an hour to ride to the Academy with her summons, and I had taken another fifteen minutes to rush to the Palace on my stallion.

What in the world was Brother-mine doing in his study all that time?

My forehead creased in concern. In addition, it had been the same amount of time since Mistress Harrington had stormed out of the Academy with all haste, burning with fury, in search of my brother to demand an explanation for his idiosyncrasies this past two weeks.

For his sake, I hoped he still lived. Katherine Harrington was a force to be reckoned with.

"It is all right, Liese. Mayhap he is very busy," Queen Eleanor was assuring my Lady Mother in the meanwhile, "he is an Emperor, after all, and must have many duties to attend to."

"Nay, it is not all right. You are our guest, and he has yet to even come and greet you. Such rudeness is most unlike him," my Lady Mother set down her cup of tea on the table, "Eleanor, I think we have waited for him long enough. I shall go and fetch him myself."

At that precise moment, the double doors flung open. "Announcing His Imperial Majesty Emperor Sebastian Karl Hohenstaufen VI of the Longbournian Nations!"

Brother-mine strode into the chambers with long, powerful strides. All of us immediately rose to our feet to sink into curtsies in front of him, keeping our heads bowed. I raised my eyes slightly to look at him, for the briefest of moments, and I knew at once that something was not quite right.

His brown hair was tousled, which he was trying hard to comb with his hands as he walked towards us. His cheeks and his ears were bright pink, almost as if he were blushing, and his lips swollen.