"Are you upset?" Clara asked.
"Why would I be? Cassius removed from the alliance leadership and imdiately brought soone similar as a replacent. But neither Azrael nor I are stupid. We both can see what he is doing."
She turned away from the window.
"I’m going to et her and see who she actually is."
In the afternoon, Lyanna went to the library to et Naomi.
"Lady Naomi, may I join you?"
Naomi looked surprised and a bit nervous.
"Of course, Your Majesty. Please."
Lyanna sat opposite her, observing her closely.
"I wanted to introduce myself properly, you know, without the awkward formal eting. I’m Lyanna." She smiled.
"Naomi Ashford." She replied. "Your Majesty, I want to say sothing. I had no idea about the styling. Soone sent these clothes for with specific instructions. I only realized after arriving that I’d been dressed to look like you."
She looked embarrassed and uncomfortable.
"Cassius?"
"I’m not sure." Naomi replied. "But the timing is suspicious."
Lyanna smiled.
"You’re perceptive."
"I’m not blind. I ca here because I’m genuinely interested in cooperative work. Your fraworks are brilliant. But I’ve realized that this visit isn’t really about cooperation. It’s about politics."
"Welco to Thornfield where everything is about politics." Lyanna laughed. "Anyway, tell about your work in the eastern territories."
Naomi told her about her cooperation programs, asking questions about Lyanna’s fraworks. She was indeed genuinely interested in learning rather than competing.
"You’re good at this work." Lyanna said.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. But I want to be clear that I have no interest in replacing you. I’m here to learn for a few weeks and then return to my territory."
"You want to learn cooperation fraworks? I’ll teach you. The council can’t stop from teaching you."
"You’d help ?" Naomi asked, surprised.
"Why not? And I’m still the best person to teach you. My position might be gone but my expertise isn’t."
"Thank you so much." She replied.
Azreal ca to their chambers in the evening.
"I saw you with Naomi in the library." Azrael said. "You looked friendly.
"She’s smart and is actually interested in cooperative work. I’m going to teach her about the policies."
"You’re not... bothered?"
"By Naomi? No. By Cassius? Yes, but I’m not falling for his trap."
"I wasn’t sure how you’d react. She does look similar to you, at least in styling."
"Cassius made her look similar on purpose. He wanted to feel threatened and create problems with us." She shrugged. "But I’m not threatened by her, even if she is styled to look like ."
Azrael hugged her tightly.
"You’re handling this better than I expected."
"I know, right. I’m handling it like an adult instead of an insecure teenager." She laughed.
During the next few days, Lyanna and Naomi worked together. Cassius looked frustrated each ti he saw them together.
"This isn’t what I planned." Cassius muttered to Lord Dominic one afternoon, watching Lyanna and Naomi discuss integration protocols in the library.
"You wanted her to replace the queen but the queen is now an expert ntor."
"I need to think of another plan." Cassius frowned.
Two weeks later, Lord Ashford approached Azrael with a request.
"Your Majesty, I hope this isn’t presumptuous, but we’d like to extend our stay if possible. Lady Naomi’s work with Queen Lyanna has been very productive, and there are several more fraworks she’d like to learn before returning ho."
Azrael glanced at Lyanna, who was across the room talking with Naomi about integration strategies.
"Let discuss it with my wife." Azrael replied.
In the evening, he asked Lyanna about it.
"The Ashfords want to stay longer so that Naomi can continue learning from you. What do you think?"
"I don’t mind." Lyanna replied. "She is good and honestly...teaching her has given a purpose again. It’s nice to feel useful."
"Then they can stay."
When Cassius heard the news, he smiled in satisfaction.
"Very well." He murmured. "It ans I’ll have more opportunities to create misunderstandings.
It started with small incidents.
One morning, Lyanna went to the library to work with Naomi, and saw Azrael already there with her, discussing cooperation policies.
"Oh!" Lyanna said, stopping at the door. "I didn’t realize you had a eting scheduled."
"We don’t." Azrael replied. "Naomi had a question about regional governance. I was just answering it before the council eting."
"I can co back later." Lyanna said.
"There is no need." Naomi said imdiately. "His Majesty was just leaving. Right, Your Majesty?"
"Right." Azrael said, standing up. "We’re done here."
He walked over and kissed Lyanna’s check.
"See you at lunch."
After he left, Naomi looked embarrassed.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t an to make things awkward."
"It’s fine. He was just answering your questions."
The next day, Cassius asked Naomi to present her eastern territories’ cooperation programs to the entire council.
"It would he valuable to hear from soone implenting these fraworks successfully." Cassius announced. "Lady Naomi, please share your experience."
Naomi gave an excellent presentation. The council mbers asked questions and she answered them confidently. Even Azrael asked several questions.
Lyanna watched them from the observation gallery above the council chambers as she wasn’t allowed in council etings anymore.
"She’s very good." Clara whispered beside her.
"She is."
"His Majesty seems impressed."
Lyanna noticed Azrael leaning forward, listening to Naomi with his full attention.
"He has always been impressed by good work." Lyanna replied.
But she noticed how engaged he looked. He used to look at her in the sa way when she used to present cooperation plans.
The next day, Cassius called Azrael for an urgent eting.
"Your Majesty, the eastern territories are requesting a formal alliance. They want to expand cooperation programs and want Thornfield’s support."
"That’s good news."
"It indeed is but soone needs to travel to the eastern territories and spend several weeks working with their leadership."
"Send Lady Morgana." Azrael suggested.
"She doesn’t have an expertise in cooperation fraworks." Cassius said. "We need soone who understands the programs perfectly."
"You want to send Lyanna?"!
"I want you to send Lady Naomi. She is already from the eastern territories."
"That ans she would stay here for few more months."
"Is that a problem?" Cassius asked.
"I’ll discuss it with Queen Lyanna."
"Why?" Cassius asked. "This is council business. Queen Lyanna has no say in these decisions anymore."
"She is still my wife and I discuss all important matters with her." He snapped.
In the evening, when Azrael went to their chambers and was about to discuss the situation with Lyanna, Lady Morgana knocked at the door.
"Co in." Lyanna said.
"Your Majesties, we have a problem." She said. "Soone has been spreading rumours about His Majesty and Lady Naomi being together."
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