"If I may ask, why is the Princess not here?" Straw muttered to Apple as a fancy, slightly flashy golden carriage approached.
"For some reason, she didn't attend today's meeting, and when I saw her, she looked kind of not in the mood to talk. I don't know why, and I didn't ask, because sometimes I fear my little sister when she has that kind of mood," Apple muttered back in a voice only Straw could hear, not the others.
"So, she doesn't know that people are coming or what?" Straw whispered.
"Oh, she does. She is probably in her office, watching us right now."
"Thought as much."
"Plus, Berry doesn't do all this. She hates relating with others and avoids exposition," Apple added.
As they whispered, the carriage drew closer, more visible. Three guards led the way in front, and four more followed behind. The carriage door opened, and a young short man stepped out. He jumped down, adjusted his hat and belt, then walked forward. His pot belly jiggled with each step. Straw struggled to hold back laughter. Apple did too. Their eyes met briefly, a silent agreement, you know what I'm thinking.
The man scoffed before proceeding to speak.
"Hail to Queen Peachtree Joelle Hale of Great Hale, Sovereign of the Five Cities of Hale, First of Her Name, and Conqueror of Nations."
Everyone scanned the crowd, waiting for the queen. They waited until the short man returned to the carriage and knelt.
"My queen," he said, helping her down.
She was taller than him, graceful in every movement. She stepped forward. Everyone bowed to her, except Apple.
"Welcome to my nation, Queen… Peachtree Joelle Hale, and I am…" Apple stopped, then looked to the Lords. "Well, somebody announce me," he said.
Greyhouse Jr stepped forward.
"You are in the presence of King Applegario Nar Anthony the…" Greyhouse Jr faltered, searching for words. The queen didn't mind. She gave a slight bow in acknowledgment, respecting that she was in his territory.
"I am sure, king Applegario, you will earn many titles to come," she said calmly.
"These are my loyal subjects, the pillars of our nation: Noble Greyhouse Jr, Grey, Lord of War; that is Noble Tayan Levi, Lord of Finance…" Apple said, introducing the Lords to the queen. Then after he pointed at Straw. "And this is my sister-in-law, Lady Strawlita Holliday Fayrouza from the Eastside."
Straw attempted a fancy curtsy, nearly tipping over. The queen steadied her with a gentle hand.
"Be careful," the queen said.
"Oh, oh, thank you, Your Highness," Straw said, cheeks warming. She tried not to feel embarrassed, focusing on keeping her posture straight.
"I have a gift for you, King Applegario," the queen said.
"Oh, I love gifts," Apple said quickly, almost slipping out of character. The Lord of Faith scuffed quietly, reminding him not to act so eager.
The short man, Fang, came forward holding something under a cloth. The queen unveiled it. On the tray lay a revolver.
"One of our finest, Smith, crafted this for you personally," she said.
Apple was dumbfounded. He stared, unable to grasp what he was seeing.
"It's… beautiful. I love it. If I may ask, what is this thing?" he said, voice trembling slightly with curiosity.
"That is a gun, our finest weapon. I heard your nation loves to hunt. Instead of bows and arrows, you use this. Very fast and single-handed."
"Wow, that's a revolver. You guys base your weapons on guns? What else do you have in your nation?" Straw asked, forgetting her place. She reached forward to touch the gun. "Can I?"
"Of course you can. I am even more surprised that you know its class," the queen said, smiling.
"Obviously. I know types of guns. My dad has a pistol. I play with it all the time... unloaded, of course. I do play COD… I usually use the Oden more often."
"Are you making up lies to impress my queen?" Fang asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Why would I lie to impress her? I'm just saying I do have a bit of a liking for guns," Straw replied, unaware Apple was trying to poke her, signaling her to stop.
"Why are you poking me, King?" Straw asked, eyebrow raised.
Apple made an awkward laugh to cover himself and collected the gun from her. He shook his head, half-amused.
"I will keep this gift in our weapon room as an honor, Queen Peachtree," he said.
Peachtree's attention, however, remained on Straw.
"I have been to many nations, and none of them have knowledge about ours. I heard you mention a pistol, another one of our finest weapons. Have you ever pulled a trigger before?" she asked.
"Umm… I have once… but it was a long time ago. I've forgotten how to," Straw admitted.
"I would be pleased to show you how," the queen said, a warm smile stretching across her face.
"That's so generous of you, Queen Peachtree," Straw said, bowing her head slightly.
"Call me Joelle. I prefer you call me that," the queen said, still smiling.
"Cough cough, Queen Peachtree, would you like to settle in before the sightseeing?" Lord of Faith broke the moment, trying to regain decorum.
"Of course," the queen said, turning slightly toward Straw. "I will be honored to see you tomorrow during the sightseeing."
"Okay, you go back to the carriage, and my guards will direct you to the Lord of faith's mansion," Apple said.
"Wait, am I not staying here?" she demanded.
Everyone froze, looking at Apple to make a decision. The tension thickened.
"Hahaha, of course you are staying here. You can stay in my mansion. We have many... many rooms, and I am sure one will be suitable for you," he said, forcing a smile. He instructed the Lords to escort her to the mansion. He felt uneasy.
This was supposed to be just a greeting. She wasn't supposed to stay. And Berryanna wasn't aware of this yet. That would be trouble. Berryanna didn't like people roaming around.