Herald of Steel

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Alexander was not sure whether it was the rumbling of men in boots or his own wildly thumping heart... but suddenly, they seemed to be rapidly approaching them through the winding corridor.

"Darn it!" His eyes flashed a concerned look, wishing the Queen Mother’s maid could have held back the intruders a bit longer... when suddenly, out of nowhere, a crazy idea flashed inside him.

Seelima, who had been standing with a darkened face and clenched her fists, felt a violent tug pulling her towards Alexander, "We don’t have any time! Just act like you were in the midst of seducing me!"

The deep whisper was made with an extreme urgency while the hands yanked a large part of the mature lady’s upper nightgown open, baring her shoulders and a large section of her upper chest.

"...!!!" The Queen Mother’s lips twitched terribly at the brutish act, while her eyes flashed with confusion and shame.

She had no problem showing Alexander her slovenly side- their past made it that there was very little for the mature woman to hide anyway. However, for everyone else, to intentionally expose herself to them- that was too much for the bona fide blue blooded queen.

"I.."

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

Seelima did not get more than a second to contemplate the proposal as a dense shadow of men swiftly descended upon her, coming out of the soft glow of the candlelight and through the door with menacing steps.

They were a large entourage, led by three very well dressed men, closely accompanied by a formally dressed pale faced woman, lastly flanked by four bright red, fully armed and armored men- they were the royal guards Lady Lya infamously mentioned.

As they entered, they deigned to show Seelima the least of courtesy and instead of bowing, brazenly placed their scalding gaze on her.

"..!!!.." It was only the shocking state of her ’disheveled’ clothes that finally caused them to give a pause in shock.

"Stop!" And as they took in the scandalous sight, a panicked feminine voice rushed up from behind, breathless and terrified, "How dare you intrude on Her Highness’s quarters without her permission! Mannerless!

The owner of the voice forcibly pushed past the fence of men, before bravely standing between them and her like an impenetrable wall.

Wearing layered colorful clothes just like Lady Lya, this was obviously Seelima’s head maid, Lady Masha. And it was perhaps the first time Alexander saw this usually very composed lady look so much out of sorts- tangled hair, flared nostrils, bloodshot eyes, and most striking a large, swollen part on her cheek. She had most likely been hit and pushed aside to make way for the men.

However even that seemed to have done nothing to douse the lady’s protective zeal.

"Leave!" She fearlessly threatened the men right to their face, radiating the aura of a true tigress.

Tragically, she lacked any power to enforce her will.

"Snort! See! I told you she was busy whoring herself out to the barbarian!"

Thus the present men did not even register her words, and entirely focused their attention on their ’bountiful catch’, eyes glowing with both glee and with disdain. The leading man even had the guts to clench his teeth and spit the crudest of words.

Such a filthy address instantly angered Alexander, "Lord Mainus.... Is this how you talk to your queen?" and he vehemently turned around to clash with the man.

He recognized him as the second son of Pasha Vivizan and recalling how hot tempered he was, turned to him using the coldest, chilliest gaze he could muster.

"...." The young man’s gaze slightly shivered for a second facing such a sharp gaze, perturbed. As the second son of the illustrious Pasha, and born very late into the old man’s life, he was extremely pampered by his family, having very little responsibility and a lot of liberty. Hence, perhaps this was his first time being properly challenged.

That state of confusion however did not last long.

"Hmmm, a pair of shameless adulterous couple!" Becoming furious at being thwarted, he turned his eye brilliant and blazing the very next second, "You dare talk to me about manners! Joke! Wait till His Majesty hears of this! He will have both of your heads in pikes!" He swung his fist with a threatening promise as he sneered.

"Bold!" Hearing this, Alexander too got ready to defend Seelima, "How dare you acc..."

"Anna, what has His Majesty sent you with?" The heated clash was then abruptly cut off by this sweet chime from the Queen Mother, who completely turned her head away from them.

Instead, she boldly swept her eyes over everyone with an imperious gaze, like a hawk surveying her prey, her immaculate face showing not the least reaction at either Lord Mainus’s threat nor the men looking at her. Her gaze finally settled on the head maid at the back, and she uttered in the most frigid tone, "Speak! You have indeed disturbed ’us’ very late."

The auburn haired lady stepped forward at once, trying her best to make her face appear as non pulsed as possible by the sinful scenery. As the head maid, she could not recall the last time her heart had thumped so hard, or when her back had sweated so much.

This was really the manifestation of her worst fears as she had certainly never expected or even wished to catch the Queen Mother in such a compromising state.

"Your Highness... forgive us. We never meant any offense," Hence for the first time in decades, her voice shook as she tried to quickly placate the furious queen, "We only... His Majesty just wanted us to check up on you. To see..."

"’We’ are alright. Dismissed!"

The Queen Mother cut the stammering lady in the most curt way possible, disinterested and flipping her dainty palms like she was blowing away a fly.

"...." Such a cold response instantly made the middle aged lady clench her teeth up in terror.

"Snort!" But irked by this, the still bubbling Lord Mainus at once stepped up, jumping to kick the Queen Mother when she was down, "Acting so noble when you are dressed like this. Even whores... *hmmp*!"

Luckily or unluckily, the man did not get to finish his tirade when a deep, loud angry snort from the side drowned him out, "Boy! How vulgar are you! Has your noble father taught you nothing! This is never how you talk to an imperial consort!"

Saying this, slowly stepped forward an elderly man with a head full of thick hair and bushy eyebrows. Wizened, with a very well kept beard and bright red face, the tall man was dressed in simple but very neat robes, radiating a refined, scholarly aura.

Alexander’s gaze instantly locked onto this new man, curiosity piquing. Given the bold words just spoken- that too to the son of a pasha, he naturally tried to identify which bigshot was this.

"...." However, despite his best efforts, Alexander could not match any well known noble’s face to his. At most he could vaguely recall seeing the man or perhaps a similar silhouette once or twice in the formal royal parties...standing way at the back of Ptolomy’s entourage trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

But other than that, it was almost impossible for him to recall any significant details about him.

Thus he swiftly slanted one of his eyes to the Queen Mother, hoping for her input.

"Your Highness! Please allow us to apologize for the untimely inconvenience." The scholarly man’s address was deep and reverent, slightly bowing his patched head in deference, "Let us excuse ourselves for now. We can wait while you..."

"No need Lord Farwan. Speak!" Seelima was still as frosty as ever, totally unmoved. In fact, to Alexander, it seemed she was even more hostile to him than the foul mouthed Lord Mainus, like she were facing a mortal enemy.

"...." The ice cold treatment caused the old man’s thin lips to slightly tremble, and he pursed them. "Your Highness... I am no lord. Merely a humble priest. I..."

"Snort! Don’t try my patience Farwan." This time the Queen Mother sounded even more impatient, cutting the man off with an icy dagger like gaze, "If you truly cared about me, you would not have barged in here in the first place. Snort, you even dare hurt my Masha! Hmmp...sn..."

"Your Highness!" The old man’s voice rang pitched and sharp, eyes reddened with shock, "That was all Lord Mainus. Ask anyone. I always tried to..."

"Enough!" Seelima seemed to suddenly lose her temper, like she could not bear to hear a second of the man’s voice, "I cannot believe he sent you of all people."

She cursed through gritted teeth, before slowly turning her fuming face towards Alexander.

While casually fixing her robes, she flippantly introduced the man, "Lord Alexander, this is Farwan. He used to be one of Alozmer’s advisors... long, long ago... before he was kicked out of the council. For... heresy. He was relegated to a mere lowly scribe, only tasked with recording Alozmer’s chronicles. That was until Ptolo.., Lord Assazd decided to take as one of his council members a few months ago. *Tsk*, too bad he did not die with his master."

Seelima fiercely spat the last words with great venom, such that it made Alexander really wonder what her beef was with the man.

"Hahaha, I am only here by the Grace of the Lord. And His Majesty, who has pardoned all my sins. Truly, he is most high, most magnanimous."

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