Chp.10: Authority

"Hmm? Who?" Regina asked.

"His majesty asked us not to open this room until you asked us to." Lara said loud and clear the second time.

Regina nodded her head and looked around the room. The room wasn't as creepy as Regina thought it could be.

But one thing was clear, it sure was locked for a really long time. The things were kept intact where they must've been left and now dust just plainly covered everything. There were also nets and spiders near the book shelf.

Regina surfed through the book in her hand and just kept it back where it was right away. She just roamed around the room and took a look at everything.

There were novels, study textbooks and some show pieces on the shelf. The furniture was made from high quality materials for sure. And there was also a wardrobe that stood covering an entire wall on her right side.

She walked towards the wardrobe and in that moment a voice came from behind her, "Your majesty." It was a panic voice intending to stop her from opening the wardrobe door.

"Hmm?" Regina swiftly turned behind and found that Lara was almost rushing towards her.

"I am sorry your majesty. But his majesty warned us to never let anyone open that door." Lara explained as quickly as she could.

And for a few moments there was silence. Pin drop silence took over the room.

"So that arrogant guy commands a lot of people. Guess that is a given. He is the king after all." Regina shrugged her shoulders as she thought.

"Hmm if so... let me just open and see what is there inside it. So precious that the king even has to restrict his queen from opening it." Mischievous thoughts crept into Regina's mind and she quickly turned around.

"No your majesty.." Lara panicked again as Regina's hand drew closer to the handle of the wardrobe. And then she tried turning it open.

"Huh?" She tried opening it. "Huh? Why isn't it opening?" Regina questioned as the door seemed to have got stuck.

"That was the exact reason why he restricted us. It is because he doesn't want us to open it and we don't have the keys to it." Lara said in a little embarrassed way.

"Ooh!" Regina exclaimed as she let go off the handle of the wardrobe. "I get it now." Regina said as she walked out of the room and Lara followed her.

"Let me help your majesty change into something more comfortable. Also should I arrange a hot or cold bath for you?" Asked Lara as she closed the doors behind them and slipped the keys in her pockets.

"She keeps her keys quite hastily. So guess it is not as important as it should be. But the keys to the queen's palace are with all servants?" Regina thought as Lara waited for Regina's response.

"Ah.. I would prefer a warm bath please." Regina said as Lara led Regina to her Queen's chamber.

Regina walked inside calmly and patiently. Thoughts clouding her mind as she looked around the entire room.

"Hmm it seems to be a very grand room." Regina thought. Lara was leading Regina to sit down on the couch. Regina followed and sat down.

"I will prepare your bath and by that time I will ask the chef to prepare a tea for you along with some snacks." Lara said. Regina nodded and then watched Lara go out of the room as she closed the door behind her.

"This place sure is dangerous. The people who are the main players aren't in the front and the pawns don't entirely have a single power." Regina sighed and got up.

It was pouring cats and dogs. "Huh... at this rate there will be a flood." Regina mumbled to herself.

She looked outside the closed glass balcony window and saw the dark sky above her. "This place is like a well set up game. Of course. Otherwise there is no reason for the count to keep Rachel back in the mansion and send a shadow in the palace." Regin thought to herself.

--

Count Belford D'Azure, along with being a proud and egoistic aristocrat he was also a cunning politician. And there were only two things precious to him, his status and his money.

Many thought that Count D'Azure was a really nasty man since he helped the previous king win by starting a war between him and his brother. Although Duncan's father had a weak personality and didn't have a strong foothold in politics, along with count D'Azure's support he was able to become the king.

Why did D'Azure make it happen? Who knows? The entire Aristocratic faction stood with Duncan's father that time and eventually the game was turned around.

That made the D'Azure family a very prestigious and prime family of the Kuravos' high society. After some years passed, his daughter Rachel D'Azure made her debut in high society.

Since then the talks of the crown prince Duncan Amalde and Rachel D'Azure were in the air. Maybe this is what Count D'Azure wanted after all. An influence, so that he can, without any hesitation put his own pawn on the board of this grand game of Power.

Now the situation was so that technically his daughter Rachel had married the current king Duncan Amalde, but it wasn't Rachel who came to the palace.

Count D'Azure had well enough idea that even though the public really wanted Rachel to become the queen, the inner factors of the royal family won't accept her as well.

And in the worst case, even murder Rachel to clear the path. After all, one of the greatest hurdles in the marriage was Duncan's ex-fiancee, Duke Stanton's daughter, Isabella Stanton.

She was just as influential as Rachel or even more since she was a trained knight and worked for Kalsa- the royal knights of Kuravos, for two years.

"He had no option but to check the depth of the water before jumping in huh?" Regina smirked as she was still standing near the balcony and listening to the sound of the rain.

"Well no worries. I agreed since I am in need of money as well. So let's see for how long I can play." She shrugged her shoulders.

The night was indeed long. She knew where she had chosen to get landed and now she was an integral piece of this entire puzzle.

Although she wasn't her own self here and was playing the character of Rachel D'azure, she knew if anyone would want to attack they would come for her throat.

She had plans and she had needs. Desperate needs. So now her new life had begun.