Chapter 328: The Bowing Competition That No One Asked For
Chapter 328: The Bowing Competition That No One Asked For
Elyn’s POV
Rin just blinked at Vaelory like she could not understand exactly what was going through her head, which honestly, me neither. But Vaelory had a point. The way Rin had spoken about her fiancée had made it sound like she had been carrying this burden for years, not just ten hours.
"Did I ever tell you that I’ve had a fiancée for years?" Rin asked Vaelory, her voice flat and unimpressed.
Okay... good comeback. She didn’t actually say that she had a fiancée for years. It was just the way she spoke that made us think that was the case. The tone, the dramatic sighs, the weight of her words — all of it had painted a picture of a long-suffering engagement that had been weighing on her for what felt like an eternity which honestly I should have known. This was Rin after all and sometimes she was even more dramatic than Vaelory.
"But you insinuated it," Vaelory said, crossing her arms stubbornly. "You made it sound like this was something you’ve been dealing with forever."
"Or you just jumped to conclusions," Rin replied, her void-black eyes narrowing. "I never insinuated anything. You assumed. There’s a difference."
"You spoke like you’ve had your fiancée for years," Vaelory shot back. "And mind you, you never told us how long you’ve had your fiancée until the Queen asked you. If you had just said it was ten hours from the beginning, none of this would have happened."
"And that was because she asked," Rin said, her feathers which now made an appearance, bristling with irritation. "You did not ask. You just assumed. That’s not my fault."
"Well, because I obviously thought you had been together for years," Vaelory argued. "That’s what your tone suggested. You sounded like you were carrying the weight of the world."
Rin rolled her eyes at that, her feathers bristling with irritation.
"Anyone with a good sense of reasoning would have known to ask," she said. "But you did not. And frankly speaking, I am not surprised you didn’t. There is very little you ask for clarification about. You just assume and then get upset when you’re wrong."
Vaelory gasped, her hand flying to her chest like she had been mortally wounded. Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open in outrage.
"You vile demon!" she exclaimed.
"That’s a compliment, thank you very much," Rin said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
I plastered a huge fake smile on my face, which mind you only translated to one thing — this, whatever this was, had to stop. I did not have the energy for it. Not after the day I had just had. Not after children, and arrests, and handcuffs, and green kryptonite, and Dracolthar, and Zorathys’s lies. I was exhausted, and this bickering was pushing me over the edge.
"Both of you," I said, my voice carrying that dangerous calm that I had perfected over the past several hours, "keep quiet, or you’ll be suspended from your duties."
They shut up immediately.
Rin’s mouth snapped closed. Vaelory’s lips pressed together. They both stood there, frozen, like they had been turned to stone. The silence was almost deafening after all their arguing.
I exhaled slowly, the tension in my shoulders beginning to ease.
"I’ve had a very tiring day," I said, "and I would like to just get some rest and not listen to the both of you argue over something that quite literally is of no concern to me."
Rin pouted at that, but she nodded. Her eyes dropped to the floor, and her shoulders slumped slightly.
Vaelory shifted nervously, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her gown.
"Your Highness," she said hesitantly.
"What is it?" I asked, a sigh slipping out before I could stop it.
"Is the outing over?" she asked.
"I’m back in the palace, am I not?" I asked in reply.
"No," she shook her head.
I blinked.
"Vaelory, I’m right in front of you."
"I mean that’s not what I was asking, Your Highness," she said quickly. "I mean in general. Are you not going on an outing again with the King after this one you’ve had?"
"Um... there will be more to come, obviously," I said. "I plan on going out tomorrow. There’s a lot I have not seen, after all."
And that was the truth. I had only visited the capital, and even that visit was not as detailed as I would have liked because my companions apparently decided to go missing. There were numerous places I wanted to visit, like that game district I saw. I would also love to play chessboard too. And then there were the territories — I had yet to visit those territories, and I was so fucking curious regarding what they looked like.
Vaelory kneeled immediately.
Before I could even react, she kowtowed, her forehead landing on the floor with a soft thud.
My eyes went wide in shock.
What was going on?
"Va—"
I paused when I heard a sound like something hitting the floor. I turned to the sound and realised it was just Rin on the floor, flat with her hands raised above her head, her forehead on the ground.
"What is going on?" I asked, my voice carrying genuine bewilderment.
"I’m as confused as you are, Your Highness," Vaelory said, her voice muffled against the floor. "I don’t know what’s going on with the raven demon."
"I’m confused too," I told her. "I don’t even know what’s going on with the both of you."
"But I’m sure I’m better than—" Vaelory began.
I interrupted her immediately.
"Do not you dare finish that sentence," I told her.
I was not going to stand here while she and Rin, which I was sure they would, have another argument on whose bowing in this situation was better. None of them were. They were both ridiculous. They were both dramatic. And they were both giving me a headache.