Chapter 228: Ballots, Beautiful Handwriting, and Velira’s Completely Unasked For Opinions
Chapter 228: Ballots, Beautiful Handwriting, and Velira’s Completely Unasked For Opinions
Elyn’s POV
There was a beat of silence after those enthusiastic replies I received. I liked to think I was cataloguing everything they had just said but um... that was a lie.
I just didn’t know what to say to the replies I got from them. And I was thinking about the fact that if I picked just one child’s suggestion and left the others, then I could have a war on my hands.
I wouldn’t be opposed to a dress up. I mean, I’m just a girl after all. But hide and seek wasn’t so bad either, and there was also the fact that I was curious about who else Zayrion could turn into.
But then I also saw the headache that would come with that decision, so yeah, I’m staying clear of that. And I’m not very certain I want to let these children into my wardrobe... nope.
I was still debating when someone spoke.
"Very original," Rin muttered.
I frowned, confused, and then she added, "Only you would want to play a game you’ve played before." She added with an eye roll, and that was when I realized she was speaking to Azerion, who was ignoring her.
I tilted my head and looked between the four of them.
"You’ve given me so many options," I said, "that I’m confused now. I genuinely don’t know what to pick."
Full honesty from me.
"Hide and seek," Azerion said again.
Loudly.
Very loudly too.
I winced. "Bring your voice down before you burst my eardrums."
He pressed his lips together but he didn’t look apologetic about it. And I was not even surprised at all. Azerion was hardly apologetic after all.
"Okay," I said. "I know what I’ll do." I looked between them, my eyes lit up with a thought. "How about a ballot?"
Aziren’s brows drew together immediately. He tilted his head, the little flames in his hair flickering softly with the motion, and looked at me with genuine confusion written all over his face.
"What’s a ballot?" he asked.
Before I could even open my mouth—
Zayrion cleared his throat.
He straightened. Adjusted his glasses with one finger. Then he clasped his hands loosely in front of him, looking for all the world like a very small professor who had been waiting patiently for exactly this moment to arrive.
"A ballot," he said, "is when multiple people each write their choice on a separate piece of paper. The papers are then folded or rolled so no one can see what’s written. Someone who hasn’t seen any of the choices then picks one at random. Whatever is written on the paper that gets picked is the choice everyone goes with."
I smiled at him. "That’s correct."
Zayrion beamed.
It was wide and entirely unguarded, the kind of smile that took over his whole face. He stood just a little straighter with it, his red beads swaying slightly.
Azerion rolled his eyes.
Velira rolled hers at the exact same time and then leaned slightly toward Aziren like she was sharing a private opinion.
"Show off," she muttered.
Zayrion’s ears twitched.
He turned to her slowly.
"I was not showing off," he said, his voice very even. "You just didn’t know the answer. That’s why you think I was showing off."
Azerion nodded immediately. Vigorously. Like he had been on this side of the argument the entire time.
"Velira’s brain is tiny," he announced. "That’s why she thinks you were showing off."
I looked at Azerion.
I had seen his face. I had watched him roll his eyes at the exact same moment Velira did, with the exact same energy, and now here he was nodding along to Zayrion’s defense like he had never done that. Like he did not have the same thoughts Velira had.
The audacity of this child never failed to impress me.
Velira turned to Zayrion, very deliberately ignoring Azerion entirely.
"Azerion has a tiny brain," she said plainly. "And because he has a tiny brain, he thinks everyone else should have a tiny brain too. That’s why he said mine is tiny." She folded her arms across her chest. "Don’t listen to him."
Azerion’s eyes shifted just slightly as he focused on Velira, and I knew right then and there that there was an argument brewing.
"Your brain—"
"There will be no arguments in my office," I said immediately.
He stopped.
Velira closed her mouth too.
The two of them looked at me and then looked away from each other, which was the closest thing to peace I was going to get from them and I knew it.
"To decide what we’re all doing," I continued, "we’ll use ballots. Each of you writes what you want on a piece of parchment, rolls it up so no one can see it, and then I’ll pick one blindly from all of them. Whatever I pick is what we do." I looked between them. "Agreed?"
Four heads nodded.
Eagerly. All at once.
That was the most agreement I had gotten from these four since they arrived in my office and I was going to take it.
I stood and walked to my desk.
I pulled a small piece of parchment toward me, picked up a pen, and wrote my own choice down.
Catch.
A game that did not involve Zayrion impersonating anyone, Azerion hiding somewhere, or dress up, which knowing Velira would somehow result in chaos I wasn’t prepared for.
Catch would be a safe game to play after all.
"Wow."
I paused at the voice and looked up. All the children were gathered around me but it was Velira who had spoken.
She was staring at the parchment intently.
I frowned slightly. "What’s the issue?"
She looked up at me slowly, her purple eyes wide and completely serious, like she was about to deliver information of great importance.
"Your Majesty," she said.
I waited.
"Not only are you beautiful."
She paused.
For emphasis apparently.
"But your handwriting is also beautiful."