The next morning, Arella awoke to a soft, golden light streaming through a small gap in the curtains of her chambers. The twin suns of the demon realm had begun to rise in the air, their warm glow a contrast to the cool air that filled the room. Arella sat up in the bed, the silken sheets pooling around her waist. She stretched, letting her wings fan out behind her, the feathers catching the morning light.
Just as he had promised, King Varziel did not touch her all night while in their chambers.
After their walk in the garden, he had hurried off to finish his work for the day, and he was not back even after Arella returned from her study. His side of the bed was ssed up though, and a faint warmth lingered, which ant that they had indeed slept in the sa bed. Seeing as he did not try to wake her up despite his insatiable self, did that really an that he intended to go ahead with his promise of doing those things outside their chambers?
She ran a hand through her hair to calm herself, and her halo humd at the slightest brush of her fingers. The hum was duller than it had been the previous day, but Arella did not pay much heed to it. It was normal for the Communications Departnt to update the system of the halo every few years.
Her gaze wandered to the room around her, the space still feeling foreign, although she had stayed there for five days now. The furnishings were as dark and enchanting as ever. Arella slipped out of bed, the cool marble freezing up her toes almost instantly. After wrapping a floor-length robe over her body, she crossed over to the window and pulled the curtains aside, revealing the breathtaking view of the demon realm she had from her room.
The view was slightly similar to the one from the bathroom, but the mountains she could see in the distance were not the sa. These ones were much closer than the ones she could see from the bathing chamber.
She could see the vast mountains, with jagged peaks, stretched towards the sky. Now that it was day, she could see so trees growing out of the side of the trees. Rivers of red lava wove down the part of the mountain she could see, a perfect match of the dark trees. The sky, although blue, still had those streaks of gold that the night sky also had.
The beauty of it all was undeniable and was also a reminder of how far she was from ho. Her heart ached for the familiarity of the human realm and for the life she could not return to now that she was the demon queen. She sighed.
A knock at the door drew her from her thoughts. "Enter."
She turned as the door opened and Velmoria walked in. Her dark skin seed to glow in the light of the suns. She bowed low, "Your majesty, we have to prepare you for the day."
Arella gave Velmoria a smile. "Sure, do you have the cards I wrote down last night? I shall go through them one last ti while in the bath."
From a pocket, Velmoria took out the cards that Arella had written down to prepare herself to et the nobles. Seeing as she was only eting with the ladies for afternoon tea, Arella had prepared herself by morizing the nas of those in attendance, together with everything she could learn about their families.
It was at tis like this that she celebrated the mory of an angel.
Arella accepted the cards and placed them gently on her bedside table just as Solenne and Xyra ca into the room carrying towels and bath oils. They bowed to her and offered their greetings before hurrying off to the bathing chamber.
Arella allowed herself to be guided to the bath chamber, her robe trailing softly on the marble floor. The sunken pool was filled with warm water and steam that curled up into the air. Xyra was pouring a vial of crimson oil into the water, and a delicate floral scent that Arella had been favoring filled the room.
Slipping into the bath, she sighed and let the heat seep into her muscles. Velmoria placed the cards within reach on a dry surface, and Arella took the first one, flipping it over to reveal a na written in her script: *Lady Seraphine D’avory.*
From what Arella could rember, her husband oversaw the trade of enchanted gemstones in the demon realm. They were what the human nobles would call nouveau riche.
"Lady Seraphine," Arella murmured, testing the na out loud, as Xyra took her left hand to wash her nails.
"Lady Seraphine has a keen interest in fashion. I believe she is the one that personally designs her own gowns." Velmoria offered as she combed Arella’s damp hair, careful to keep away from her halo.
Arella made a ntal note to complint the lady’s attire.
She flipped to the next card, "Lady Imra Thariel." She read, "The widow."
"Her husband passed a decade ago, but their family has always been matriarchal. Without a daughter, she has yet to pass on her title of duchess." Velmoria offered once more.
Arella nodded. "Their family is a military one, if I rember correctly."
"Correct. She is also a stickler for tradition and holds influence over the older generation. She, however, has not picked a side in the war between the king and the nobles."
"Heh. I can do tradition very well." Arella chuckled, although she understood Velmoria’s words. This Lady Imra was one of the nobles she needed to win over.
They continued like that, with Arella flipping a na and Velmoria helping her out where she could not rember. By the ti she had gone through all the nas, the bath was finished, and she was helped out of the bath and into a lavender gown.
The gown was different from the dress she had worn the previous day. It’s color was an ombre blend of lavender and icy blue, shining as she moved. The bodice settled off of her shoulders, with billowing puff sleeves made of sheer organza. The neckline swept across her shoulders, adorned with embellishnts that were so small but made the dress glimr as she moved.
A high slit rose up the leg, allowing it to peek through the cascading layers. Her wings had also been given space to breathe, although this dress was not as low back as the other dresses she had worn had been.
"Does this not look like too much for a tea party?" Arella asked as she glared at her reflection in the mirror. She absolutely loved the dress.
Even without a corset, her waist still looked slender in the dress, hiding the little pooch she had gotten from lazying about in the human realm.
Solenne and Velmoria laughed, "Your highness, this may very well be the simplest dress that will be worn at the tea party. It is not every day that demons are invited to frolick about in the palace. The king does not like it."
"I see." Arella rested her thoughts. After all, she looked absolutely gorgeous in the dress. Her hair had been tied up, allowing one to look at the lavender choker that had been clasped around her neck.
After she was dressed, Arella ran around the palace, ensuring that the tea party was prepared sufficiently, with Velmoria leading her, of course. By the ti the afternoon sun cast its warm rays across the palace gardens, the tea party was ready.
Arella had decided to host the tea party in the prettiest place in the palace, the garden filled with beautiful white roses. The garden now looked like a scene from a painting. Tables were draped with linens in varying shades of blue. Sculpted arrangents had been placed in the middle of the tables, and intricate porcelain tea sets had been placed close to the seats.
To accompany the tea, Arella had asked Velmoria to prepare fruits and pastries that were popular with the nobles. Velmoria, as expected, had not disappointed. The fruits looked exotic to Arella, but they did sll appetizing. She recognized a few pastries as ones that had been served to her the day before.
Chairs with high curved backs had been positioned to allow the noble won to enjoy the beautiful view of the palace gardens.
Arella looked at the garden from her place up in her bathing quarters, which had the best view of the garden.
The noble won had already begun arriving and taking their seats. Arella’s heart skipped a beat as she watched them arrive and get shown to their seats. The sight of them, dressed in beautiful gowns, gave the scene a surreal, almost dreamlike quality. Their dresses were light colors of yellow, pink, red, and blue.
They exchanged polite greetings with each other, and others offered soft laughs to those who were more than simple acquaintances.
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