The Queen Dowager's Attitude

Cesar opened the door for them and stood aside. Vincent and Quinn walked in followed by Queen Lena while the guards and Queen Lena's maids waited outside. The chamber was spacious and it had the farther part covered by a silk white curtain.

The Queen Dowager was sitting at a table that had several delicious food on it. She looked up when she saw them, she was Vincent's grandmother, but she looked young as though she was in her fifties. She stood up for Vincent, "My grandson, you have come with your bride."

"She has come to greet you." Vincent glanced at Quinn then at his grandmother. "How is the Queen Dowager feeling today?" Vincent asked he sitting down on the chair opposite the Queen Dowager while his mother sat beside her. 

Quinn bowed her head at the Queen Dowager still standing, "I hope you are well, your Highness."

"Come, child. Sit with us." The Queen Dowager gestured for her to sit down, and she sat down beside Vincent.

The Queen Dowager turned to Vincent, "I am feeling better now, the cold has gone from me. The Royal Physician is very experienced."

"That is good to hear." Queen Lena said placing her hand on the Queen Dowager's arm in comfort.

"Yes, indeed. I shall reward him for his good work." He said as he picked up the tea cup beside his empty plate and sipped it.

"Was the Queen Dowager sick?" Quinn voiced her thoughts glancing at Vincent then the Queen Dowager.

"Yes, but it was only a common cold. It has now passed and I feel warm again." The Queen Dowager answered.

"I wish good health upon you, your Highness."

"Thank you, Quinn, but there is no need for titles here. You can be informal and talk casually with us." The Queen Dowager smiled at her as she also brought her cup of tea to her lips and sipped.

"Queen Dowager is right. The wedding is tonight and you are already part of our family to us." Queen Lena added, also smiling at her.

"I am honored to be part of your family, mother and grandmother." She replied and Vincent glanced at her again, "Eat, this breakfast feast is for you."

"Yes," She looked at all of them, Vincent last, "I thank you all for the warm welcome."

"You do not need to thank us, Quinn." He said and picked up her empty plate and started piling food on her plate from the different dishes on the table.

There was toast, salad, chips, rice balls, yam balls, beans porridge and fruit salad on the table and he added each to her plate making Queen Lena smile at him as he placed the plate in front of Quinn.

He picked up his plate and piled food on it as well while his mother picked up the Queen Dowager's plate and added food on it. He finished placing food on his plate and placed the plate in front of him. Queen Lena placed the Queen Dowager's food filled plate in front of her and picked up her own plate to start placing food on it.

"Vincent tells us you are from a far kingdom called Neather, did you leave your parents well?" The Queen Dowager asked Quinn as she picked up her spoon and fork and started eating from her plate.

Quinn looked up from her meal and nodded, "Yes, they were reluctant to let me go at first, but they came to terms with it."

Queen Lena let out a chuckle as she swallowed her bite of food. "I can remember when I left home to come here to marry the late King. My parents did not want to let me go either and mother kept crying as well as my sister."

The Queen Dowager also chuckled, "I remember that day you came to the palace too. Queen Ellen did not expect the late King to marry another woman and give her the title of Queen too."

"Yes, especially not a demon from a strong bloodline of both vampires and demons." Queen Lena added and Vincent smiled as he ate his food.

"It must have been shocking."

"It was. How is your kingdom like? Is it similar to this one?" Queen Lena asked as she scooped up another spoonful of food to her mouth.

"The Neather kingdom is very different from this one. It is smaller, but it also has many people like here. We sometimes have feasts at night with the peasants so that they know that we care about them too even though they are not of high status." Quinn as she looked at her almost empty plate.

Queen Lena nodded looking impressed, "That is very noble and humble of you, your family must be very well loved."

"Yes, it seems that you have a good way of gaining loyal citizens and preventing betrayals." The Queen Dowager added as she sipped her tea again.

"The kingdom also have loyal soldiers, they do not abandon their King in the battle field." Vincent said as he was finished eating and placed his spoon beside his plate.

"Yes, that is true, but how do you know that?" Quinn as she glanced at him in confusion making Queen Lena and the Queen Dowager move their attention to him.

"I visited you while the kingdom was at war, do remember?" He asked raising an eyebrow at her letting her know that she should not give anymore information, but to play along.

It seemed that he was talking about the time she called him through magic blue stone, but she did not say it, instead she said, "Yes, I remember that time."

"You went to their kingdom when they were at war?" The Queen Dowager asked as Queen asked, "When was this and Why did you not tell us?"

He looked at them, "Yes, the war was not vital, and I did not tell you because I did not want to alert you about my mate until I met her and her family."