"Ettinsmoor? Is that what we're calling it now?" Imira asked.
"Better than 'the northern lands the Ettins inhabit' don't you think?" Peter asked in return.
"I suppose it's catchy," she agreed. "So what do we do now?"
Peter looked around the room...
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I sit by the cradle, staring at the twins. The most gorgeous baby boys I have ever seen, although I may be biased. Just looking at them sleep instantly calms me down and fills my heart with love. And Aslan knows I need some love in my heart right now.
I have spent the entire morning being shadowed by Lady Danielle. Having her listen to my conversations and thoughts and witnessing to everything I do and say, I just find it insufferable. A complete invasion of my privacy. I haven't had much of it lately and having her be the latest intrusion to my personal life is not something I welcome with open arms.
If she were dull, I'd just ignore her. If she were chatty, I might just talk to her. And if she were blatantly rude, I just might be able to give her a piece of my mind. But no, she is unpretentiously supercilious, disdainfully polite, and elegantly discourteous. What am I supposed to do about that?!
She will curtsey, yes, but only in the simplest manner and she will always do a grander reverence for any of my fellow monarchs. She will smile when greeted by me, but it is always a fake smile.
She will exchange pleasantries with me but there is always a hint of disdain well masked by carefully chosen words. And she is always listening.
Today I asked her to fetch me a certain dress only to be met with an 'are you sure your majesty?' that had me questioning my taste in clothes. I asked her to fetch me a pastry while Jane brushed my hair only to receive an 'if that is what your majesty wants', clearly a comment on my unhealthy choice. And when I couldn't listen to her yabbering any longer and asked her to serve me a drink, I was met with a 'would you not rather have some tea, your majesty? It is rather early for a drink'. No, Danielle, I would not prefer some earl grey tea or an apple or the green dress you like better. I want my red dress, my pastry and my whiskey, thank you very much. And nor do I wish you advice on how to wear my hair, which earings go better with my crown or which shoes I should be wearing for lunch. Ugh, I swear, she is insufferable. I can't believe I let Edmund get me stuck with her.
At least Roselynn was enjoying herself. She looked like she was having the best time of her life as I struggled to bite my tongue back with that last one.
"Just ignore her. She is as pleased with this arrangement as you are," Phoebe said once Danielle left to fetch my cousin. "All she wants is to get a response from you,"
"I know, but she just has a way to get under my skin," I reply calmly as I pet one of the tigers and stare at baby Peter. "Wait, how do you know she isn't pleased with being here?" I thought Danielle would rejoice in the opportunity to annoy me.
"Because she told me," Phoebe says simply. "She is only here because her father insisted,"
"Since when are you two such close confidants?" I ask. Are they... friends?
