The wake

"You may enter" said Liam as he heard a knock on his door as he looked up to see who had entered his office.

"Good Morrow your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Ahh, Lady Marli, what a surprise, I was not aware that you had returned already" said Liam as he smiled.

"Yes your Majesty, I returned late last night, I wanted to see you, but I was told that you were in an important meeting" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Yes, yes I was" said Liam as he smiled.

"Please sit" said Liam as he smiled and gestured that Lady Marli sit down, to which she did as she sat across him on the other side of his desk.

"Thank you your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled, she had been there when Liam was born, and here she was when he was King, the way time flew by was amazing.

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences on your father's passing" said Lady Marli as she smiled and Liam smiled.

"Your Father, well he… he was such a great man" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Yes… yes he was" said Liam as he smiled.

"So have you returned to the Castle for good?" asked Liam as he smiled.

"Well yes your highness" said Lady Marli as she sighed, she had thought it through and she felt like she had rested enough, it was time for her to return the Castle, she could not lie that she was not happy to see the excited look on Dawn's face when she saw her last night, it made her smile, even though Dawn could not control herself and she just hugged her immediately.

"I have thought it through, and I am needed here" said Lady Marli as she smiled, the Castle would forever and always be here home, and she was needed her, with all the big changes happening with Liam being King now.

She would be here to offer her support, after all, she was here during his father's reign, and she knew a thing or two that would be beneficial to Liam.

"Of course Lady Marli, we do need you here" said Liam as he smiled and Lady Marli smiled.

"Thank you your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"I had the privilege to see the Queen yesterday, she looks like she is adjusting well" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"I see" said Liam as he smiled and he cleared his throat, he had been avoiding thinking of her, or rather yet, he was too busy to, he had many other important things on his mind, and it was not like she was not important as well, but for now, he wanted her to be the last thing on his mind.

"Your Majesty, I am sure you are aware of the wake of his Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"Yes I am Lady Marli" said Liam as he smiled.

"The wake is tonight" said Liam, and as per Wyverdale tradition, only an empty wooden coffin would be there during the wake, since the body of his Father had already been put to rest on the same day he had passed.

"I see your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she agreed, she was sure that everyone would already be in the Capital to attend the wake and pay their final respects to their late King.

"I hope it will not be a bother to ask you to prepare everything?" asked Liam as he sighed, Dawn was handling all the preparations, but this was her first time holding a wake, and she seemed very confused, but well now that Lady Marli was here, Liam was more than sure that she would be more than capable to handle everything and make sure that everything would go on well.

"Of course it will not be your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

"You did not even need to ask me, I am more than happy to prepare everything, this is how I can repay your father for all his kindness towards me" said Lady Marli as she smiled and Liam smiled as well, he really had a good reputation to uphold as the son of his father, it made him proud, he was proud of his father, and he would always be.

"Thank you Lady Marli" said Liam as he smiled.

"There is no need for you to thank me your Majesty, it is the least that I can do" said Lady Marli as she smiled and Liam smiled.

"But I still appreciate your help" said Liam as he smiled, one thing he had learn from his father was to always appreciate whatever people did for you, because then it would make them want to do more, and it was also good to be appreciative, so people would not take you for an ingrate.

"It is no bother your Majesty" said Lady Marli as she smiled.

…

"My Queen, your breakfast is here" said Nora as she smiled and she walked into Wura's room with a tray in her hands as she carefully closed the door behind her.

"Thank you Nora" said Wura as she smiled as she was sitting in bed and she took the tray from Nora as she placed it on her lap as she looked around her room, she would need to place a little dining table in her room, so she would be able to eat in peace, after all she was going to be eating all her meals in her room.

"My Queen, what are you thinking about? If I may ask?" asked Nora as she could see that Wura was thinking as she furrowed her brows.

"I am just considering where I should place a dining table in my room" said Wura as she replied casually.

"A dining table??" asked Nora in shock as she was in disbelief, why would the Queen need a dining table in her room.

"Yes a dining table, so I will not have to eat my meals in bed and dirty my bed all the time" said Wura as she turned to look at Nora.

"My Queen, I do not believe that is necessary" said Nora.

"Oh but it is Nora, I would prefer to start eating all my meals in my room" said Wura as she smiled.

"But…" said Nora as she paused, and she began to think, was Wura doing this because of the constant let down of his Majesty?? It would make sense if she was, because it was not fair for him to neglect her like that.

"Am I not the Queen?" asked Wura.

"You are, my Queen" replied Nora almost immediately.

"And am I not allowed to make decisions of my own?" asked Wura as she remembered Liam's words, he did say that she had the same power as him, but that was then, what about now? Were his thoughts still the same?? She doubted so.

"You are, my Queen" replied Nora as she bowed her head.

"Then why can I not bring a dining table into my room?" asked Wura as she smiled and Nora was quiet, she was sure that she had overstepped her boundaries by talking too much.

"Do not feel sad Nora, I do value your opinion, and believe me when I say that I do not intend to bring an entire dining table into my room, only a little one" said Wura as she explained and she laughed.

"As you wish my Queen" said Nora as she bowed.

"Cheer up Nora, I do not like it when you feel down" said Wura as she smiled.

"Is this better my Queen?" asked Nora as she forced a smile and she looked at Wura, which made Wura laugh, Nora was just so adorable, she was sure that she would do anything to please her.

"No, no it is not better Nora, you need to smile out of your own will, and not just because I tell you to" said Wura as she smiled.

"You are still your own person after all" said Liam as he smiled and she ate a scone, she and Nora were two completely different people, and that was what Wura liked the most, that people were different from each other.

"Thank… Thank you my Queen" said Nora as she stuttered and she smiled shyly, the Queen was always so considerate, she did not treat her like a maid, but rather a fellow human being.

"You do not need to thank me at all Nora" said Wura as she smiled, Nora was after all the person closest to her in this Castle, in fact she preferred it better if Nora would just call her Wura rather than my Queen, Wura did not like the sound of being called a Queen, she still could not adjust to it, or at least not yet.

"Thank you my Queen" said Nora as she smiled as that was the only way she knew how to express her gratitude, and Wura just smiled at her as she ate her breakfast very happily.