Anna fretted as she made her way to breakfast. Chenzhou had returned late, angry and unwilling to talk about it. It was the first time in a while that Anna hadn't been allowed to attend dinner with him and while she understood, she resented not being able to support him at such an important moment.
The shy, gentle man she'd fallen in love with all those years ago was slowly changing. Coming out of the shell that he'd always used to protect himself. It was like watching him be reborn as he started to stand straighter, walk with more confidence, and grow more comfortable arguing with his court.
He was getting more excited about it all too.
Anna was excited too, but she was also scared. Chenzhou had been the same every day for the last ten years and now suddenly he was changing.
Understanding that it was necessary and even good didn't change the fact that it was terrifying.
Chenzhou had already been dressed by the time she woke up this morning and he'd been out the door so fast he'd only had time to kiss her on the cheek before he'd been gone.
She'd hurried to get dressed, hoping to catch up to him at breakfast but when she entered the only people sitting at the table were Lord and Lady Soliel.
Their small son was in a basket on a chair next to his mother.
Anna froze in the doorway, her earlier confidence gone. She hadn't even put on her best robes, having only expected Chenzhou and possibly Eirian at breakfast. She hadn't bothered with makeup and only twisted her hair into a simple bun.
She was not fit to meet Lord and Lady Soliel, the highest nobility in the kingdom except for the King and Queen themselves.
Eirian's parents.
Her lover's wife's parents.
She couldn't even bring herself to talk to her own parents about Eirian, she'd never imagined having to see Eirian's.
Before she could turn around and leave both of the table's occupants turned to her.
Lord Soliel frowned, "Who are you?"
"My-My apologies, my lord." Anna bowed deeply. "I was supposed to have bre-breakfast with Ch-Lord Ye."
Lord Soliel raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't answer my question."
Marian burst in as Anna stumbled over her answer. "Miss Anna is one of the senior educators at the Camelia. She frequently advises Lord Ye on the schooling children of the estate receive."
Lord Soliel started looking bored halfway through Marian's explanation, but Lady Soliel put down her tea and turned to Anna. "Oh, do you follow traditional education practices or the newer student-led practice? It's become much more common in Aontacht, but these outlying areas are struggling with it."
"We use a hybrid method, my lady." Anna clasped her hands in front of her to hide her nerves. "We've found the combination works best for our students, as most of them transition into the early training program for the Crimson Army."
Lady Soliel gave her a condescending smile. "Perhaps it hasn't worked because you haven't tried. All of the schools in Aontacht that adapted it managed to switch their entire curriculum in the first year."
Unsure what to say, Anna glanced at Marian for help.
A flash of annoyance crossed the older woman's face as she waved in several kitchenmaids carrying serving platters. "It's possible that is what Lord Ye planned to discuss that very thing this morning. Unfortunately, Lord and Lady Ye were called away to deal with an emergency early this morning and they were not sure when they would return. They instructed me to ensure you didn't have to wait for them."
The kitchenmaids deposited platters of eggs and sliced meats, toast with an abundance of jams, and bowls of broth and vegetables. Carafes of tea and coffee followed but none of it seemed to please Lord Soliel.
"I wanted to have breakfast with my daughter."
Marian smiled apologetically. "I'll send someone to request an update, Lord Soliel."
"It must be quite an emergency if they were both needed." Lady Soliel motioned at a kitchenmaid to pour her more tea.
Marian pursed her lips. "I couldn't say, my lady. Lord Ye prefers to involve Lady Ye in all aspects of leading the Camelia."
Lord Soliel snorted. "A bit beneath her isn't it."
Anna had known Marian long enough to realize she was restraining herself from saying something inappropriate.
The older woman had taken to Eirian as soon as she'd arrived. Another one of Eirian's fans. Anna had long considered her a confidant, even a friend and she trusted her judgment, so she did her best to step in. "You have a beautiful child."
Lady Soliel beamed.
"Does he have a name yet?"
"No, still a few more months. He's already big for his age though." She nudged the basket, making it rock. Baby Soliel cooed at the motion.
"Such a handsome thing." Anna cooed right back.
Lord Soliel had turned his attention to his food. Lady Soliel must have decided Anna was a friendly face because she leaned closer and whispered. "He's going to be king."
Despite her surprise, Anna managed to smile. While it was a bold statement, even dangerous, Lady Soliel was far from the first mother she'd met with…extreme dreams for their children.
Marian interrupted. "Miss Anna, please forgive the last-minute change of plans." She took a wrapped box from one of the maids. "I'll remind Lord Ye that you stopped by. I'm sure he'll reschedule as soon as possible. Please take this to go."
Anna accepted the box with a bow. "Thank you, Marian. I'm sorry for the trouble."
Marian gave her a small, reassuring smile. "No trouble."
Anna bowed again to Lord and Lady Soliel and quickly left. Chenzhou hadn't mentioned anything about breakfast with the Soliel's and she wondered if Lord Soliel had been exerting his power again, showing up without warning and expecting everyone to scramble. Even when Chenzhou had been at his sickest, he hadn't been the type to do that.
And nothing Anna had seen of Eirian suggested she would accept being treated that way.
It was interesting to consider the father and daughter and how wildly different they seemed to be.
Maybe there was some truth to the rumors that Eirian wasn't his.
~ tbc