"Good morning, your highness."
Just like air that brushed my ear, I proceeded on walking to the head of the table. I noticed that there is no designated chair for the tiny human in my arms. Without thinking, I place her on the top of the table. There were few exclaims at the background but no one cares to speak up their thoughts, except for one.
"That is discourteous, please give the child to the maid, and she will feed the princess in a separate room." The maid, who is sweating from head to toe, raised her arms, in an attempt to receive the little human.
I look at the tiny human who is currently sucking her thumb. Besides the sucking motions, the child did not bother to move from her position.
"No, she will eat here. She should be at the age already to eat foods beside milk." I grabbed her tiny hands to stop her from sucking her thumb, and grab a piece fruit with another hand and put it on her mouth.
The maids gasps, and he does not know the reason why, but the tiny hands just kept hold of the fruit and continued on sucking it. I sat down on my chair with a face of proudness for the little human.
"Ahem, ahem." The woman on my right start clearing her throat. "Please, your highness, please refrain from just giving the princess foods. As you can see, everyone was worried, the princess have some foods she could not eat."
"Could not eat?" I looked at the tiny human who is seems to be happy sucking a piece of strawberry. There is no sign that the fruit is harmful to her.
"Yes, she appears to not be able to ingest normal foods like normal children needs to eat. So please be mindful of what you give her."
I looked at the woman who is slicing a piece of meat.
"Then give me the specifics, I want a full report and the doctor's presence on my office, who looked after this child."
"Of course, and your highness, can just leave the princess upbringing to me. It had been a millenia since the castle had a daughter, I was a princess myself, no one in this castle knows better than me how to raise the princess properly."
"That is unnecessary."
My right side had become stand still, and even the servants stopped breathing for the moment. They are aware of the impending burst of anger from their mistress.
"Unnecessary? I've been taking care of the princess since she was born. Do you know how hard it was?! You were gone! And now that me and the princess had established affection to each other, you will separate me from the princess?!" She slammed her utensils to her plate and the tiny human had dropped her strawberry from being startled.
'Affection?' is this woman thinking I am stupid? This woman had raised three sons, even though, I am not present in most occasion whenever there is a family gathering, however I know a child's affection towards their parents. I was a child myself.
This tiny human did not even beg for her attention upon seeing her. She stayed just like a stone, even in the appearance of a maid, that I assumed who might be taking care of this child.
After raising Scarlet, the raven from it's hatchling, I know affection is something we are not born with but a feeling to earned with equal effort.
I gripped on my knife tightly to compose my surging emotions.
'You did not raised my child properly nor did you attempt to.'
"I said it is unnecessary." I firmly added.
Before I could add more, the woman stood up and said. "Do you think that raising a child is like raising a bird?! What do you know?! All you know is to kill people!"
A statement that she should had not said, especially in the presence of someone with a pair of innocent ears.
I want to roar at her and make her fall from her highest pride to the ground with bloodlust, however, I remember the image of the startled the tiny human hiding behind a curtain last night.
"She is not a bird nor she is your child." I looked sharply at the woman who is trying to look down at me. "She is my child, and she is mine! How I raise her is none of your damn business."
With her cheeks getting red from fury, she turned around and marched angrily towards the doors. However, I am not done.
"You did not hear a word from me, from raising your sons. So, I believe you shall do the same. Magdalene's death is still under investigation. Everyone in this Castle is not free from guilt, that is including all the royals and nobles."
Women are scary creatures because she calmly turned her head and said, "it is your job to know the truth your highness, please do your job and investigate the castle's every nook and corners."
Is it a statement of someone's innocence or confidence that a perfect crime was committed? I looked at the tiny human who is now just staring on the fallen strawberry on the table. I brushed her head, making her hair all unruly and curly, then gave her another strawberry from my plate.
"You are too tiny."
I had seen children from my journey and from inspecting the lands. The children outside the royal family are tad smaller, but this tiny being is a lot more smaller. My instinct been telling me, something is not right.
I called one of the servant.
"Summoned Kaleid now." I stood up and scooped up the tiny human back to my bossom. "Tell him, that the king is back, he no longer needs to heed the queen's orders."
"Y-yes your highness." The servant hurriedly ran to deliver the message.
Then the raven freely flew inside the dining area from an open window and landed on my shoulder. The raven is so fascinated from the tiny creature on my bossom, and made quacking sounds. The child giggles which is fascinating to see.
'You did not giggle upon seeing the queen.'
"That is enough hellos Scarlet, here is your job, give it to Benjamin."
The raven grabbed the letter from my fingers and flew out. Benjamin should be arriving through the northern borders. He should ambush the barbarians and finished them right there. They are tired from the journey, but it should be an easy quest. Kaleid should be back soon. With Magdalene's death, it is apparent that my allies are quite limited in my own castle.
When you are on the top, it is either you stay on the throne or they drag you down.