Zerath feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?"
Vivia marveled at his audacity. "Oh, I don't know. How about you start with your not-so-very-usual morning routine?"
"Oh this?" He smiled cheerfully. "Pulling out weeds is fun. Also, having a clean environment for my soldiers to train is my responsibility as the prince," he said without even batting an eyelid.
Her eyes narrowed. "Responsibility or punishment?"
"I don't know what you heard or from whom, but I certainly don't see it that way. I like to be positive."
Her brow twitched, irked. She huffed and crossed over, kneeling beside him.
"Well then I'd like to join in the fun too~"
She stretched her hand to reach a weed when Zerath swiftly blocked her wrist.
"What's the matter?" She innocently blinked.
"Pulling weeds…isn't such a fun activity for women, I heard."
"Is this gender bias I'm hearing?"
"It's a common sentiment."
"Well then, don't count me in that sentiment. Pulling weeds is fun," she chirped.
Suddenly, she felt dagger-like gazes pierce through her very soul - the source which she found to be the knights glaring murderously at her. Apparently, crying about Zerath's tragedy was more important than warm-up exercises. Vivia felt their resentment as clear as daylight.
It's your fault that our esteemed my lord got punished! And now you're sneering at him so haughtily! How dare you, you pesky human!
Though her only intention was to help Zerath, the knights saw it as an act of looking down on him. Her brows prickled with sweat, and she promptly decided to avoid that line of sight.
"See? You're already sweating," Zerath said with displeasure. "Clearly, it's not so fun for you."
My source of anxiety is different!
Vivia slapped his wrist away. "It's not what you think it is. Don't get in my way."
*CRACK*
A crisp sound reached her ears crystal clear as if somebody just punched a hole in the stone pillar - once again, the source being Zerath's loyal knights, fuming with indignation.
She slapped my lord's hand away! Such disrespect!
Vivia sweated.
Can we choose some other site to pull weeds?
"Vivia…" Zerath sighed helplessly.
She frowned. "Why didn't you tell me about something so important?"
"It's not really-"
"It is to me. It wasn't your sole decision. I was just as involved about Eurus's well-being, so why should only one get punished and not the other? I declare that we shall clean the training grounds together!" Her nostrils flared.
Her declaration was bold enough but as her gaze met his, a loud thump drummed in her chest. His unblinking, intense gaze suddenly made her feel conscious, flooding that inexplicable moment from last night back to her mind.
"Vivia," he rested his palm on the soil and leaned closer, whispering to her ear. "About last night…"
She sat completely still, feeling her heart thudding against her ribs.
L-Last night? He wants to talk about that now?
"I…"
A sharp voice cut through their conversation, snapping their attention. "What is going on here?"
With her thin, weak frame, Veloria stood before the two, her dark eyes watching them deeply. A violet shawl hung over her shoulders that matched the hue of her purple gown.
"Your Majesty," Zerath bowed.
Vivia watched the Queen in a trance. She had seen her from a distance during the courtroom hearing but up close, she looked more fatigued than usual. Her tired eyes felt dim with a lack of hope. Her lightly sagged cheeks made Vivia wonder if she slept at all.
"What are you staring at?"
Her stupor broke when a new voice spoke pointedly to her. She noticed an elderly maid standing a step behind Veloria, casting an openly unfriendly gaze at her.
"I was looking at Her Majesty. She is very beautiful."
Zerath nearly choked at her bluntness. For a moment, he wondered if she was lost in a trance simply out of nervousness. Veloria was the Queen, after all. But he didn't realize she was busy appreciating her beauty.
The head maid, Moira's gaze turned even more severe. "The nerve of you to humiliate Her Majesty! Don't assume that you'll be excused every time just because you're a guest."
"...How is my genuine compliment an insult?"
Moira's eyes narrowed. "What else could it be? For demonesses who treasure beauty and elegance, Her Majesty's declining health has left her…" her gaze lowered, sorrowful.
Vivia was flabbergasted.
Madam, I think you're the one being so openly humiliating toward your mistress!
"Being sick doesn't make somebody less beautiful. Her Majesty is indeed very pretty."
Veloria studied her with an unreadable gaze in silence. She scanned her up and down and saw her hands and dress coated with filth and dirt.
"What is Princess Clairette doing here pulling weeds out with Zerath?"
"Oh! It looked fun so I thought to join in too," she brightly chirped.
She was careful in not implying that she was helping him, lest he would be accused of not carrying out his punishment sincerely.
"A royal princess…finds a servant's tasks fun?" Her eyes squinted.
"I think menial tasks can often help us get useful insights."
"Please take your leave, Princess. We cannot allow a royal guest to be involved in such things. The Emberlain convoy will accuse us of bullying their princess into slavery. Or is it…what you want to happen?" Her gaze pressed further.
"I have no such intentions. I love gardening and back at my palace, I take care of the courtyard. Trimming leaves, pulling weeds - I do it myself. That's all I thought," she said cheerfully.
Veloria gave no reply. Instead, she moved her gaze to Zerath where Vivia felt an immediate change in her expression. The spark of animosity was ever so faint but there.
"Zerath."
Zerath rose. "Yes, Mo- Your Majesty."
Vivia caught the slip of his tongue which he swiftly tried to hide, but she didn't understand the reason behind it.
Veloria said, "I need you to do something for me."
"Please command, Your Majesty."
"It has been brought to my attention how you and…" her gaze flicked toward Clairette, "Princess Clairette shared a chamber the other night. It's absolutely inexcusable."
Zerath said, "I understand your disappointment, Your Majesty, but I only did what I felt was right for Eurus's well-being. Same with Princess Clairette."
"Yes, it wasn't the Crown Prince's fault," Vivia grabbed this chance to jump in. "We only thought to-"
"What you thought doesn't matter, Princess. What matters is what you didn't think - the consequences of such actions. We can have diplomatic ties all we want, but they cannot cross certain limits," her voice rose sharper.
"Which is why," she continued, "cleaning training grounds isn't a justifiable punishment. You're the Crown Prince, after all. The severity of your punishment must reflect that title's weight. Nefarion went too soft on you. It could bring discord among the others that a father showed undue bias toward his son."
Zerath said, "I'll accept any punishment, Your Majesty."
"Will you?" She asked with an emphasis.
"Yes," he stood firm.
Veloria stared. "Then relinquish Casca's lordship."
Vivia's eyes went wide.
"That is a fitting punishment for you, who couldn't exhibit sound judgement. A future King cannot make such rash decisions."
Zerath held her gaze. Her demand didn't sting him as much as the sentiment behind it did. He seemed to be searching for an answer in the depths of those lost eyes but couldn't reach it.
He immediately understood what was going on. Though Veloria came to him on her own accord, he knew it was somebody else at play pulling the strings. There was only one person who could influence the Queen that way.
Somebody who didn't want to see Zerath become the next King and whose heart burned with revenge over the 'injustices' her son faced.
Astaroth was stripped of his nobility, and now Zerath was being stripped of his lordship.
This fine tit for tat is something only Aunt Xeraphine could do, he calmly thought.
But that wasn't what pained him. Though the words belonged to Xeraphine, it was still Veloria's readiness to impose it at the end of the day.
Zerath couldn't tell.
Was she truly manipulated or did she herself share her sister's sentiments? After all…
Zerath wasn't the son Veloria wanted to see become the King either. He wondered if she would have fallen into Xeraphine's trap had it been her real son?
Veloria expected some backlash, but instead, she saw him bow lightly with a graceful smile.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
She remained silent, her eyes faintly narrowed. "Good. Then I'll inform Nefarion. Casca's festival need not take place."
"It will!" Vivia blurted suddenly, her body trembling. "Zerath will not give up his lordship!"
Zerath's head snapped toward her and his lips parted, stunned. He quickly came to his senses and tugged her back urgently.
"Princess, please stay back-"
Vivia glared at him. "Why should I step back? And why are you accepting this without a fight? That lordship is rightfully yours, and I refuse to see you being stripped of it like this!"