The counselor was direct: he knew that was exactly what the Queen would have wanted. In fact, Grimilde stopped her reading, set down her stylus, and brought her eyes to the counselor. As soon as he handed over the letter, the blonde opened it, her eyes scanning the lines to grasp its contents; when she finished, she lowered the parchment onto the desk and pressed her fingers against her temples, feeling the beginnings of a headache.
"Is everything alright, Your Majesty?"
"Yes... nothing serious. At least for now." The Queen decided to show the letter to Federik as well, rather than explaining it herself. While her trusted counselor was engrossed in reading, Grimilde walked over to her personal bookshelf within the office to search for some books. When she returned to her desk, she brought with her a geographical map and a thick binder.
"It's not official yet, it could just be a rumor," Federik commented, setting the missive down on the wooden surface.
The Queen unrolled the map and pointed to the Duke's territory: "It's on the border; right here is the Kingdom of Umgard, which is on friendly terms with the neighboring territories. The Empire isn't far, and they might desire new lands on this side of the continent as well. We know their aggressive politics, and a year of silence from the Empire doesn't confirm the end of their expansion."
"This is a major event, and many eminent figures of the continent will be present..."
"Declining is not an option."
Someone knocked on the door, interrupting their important discussion. The Queen shot a look at Federik, and the young man understood immediately: they would discuss this further later.
"Come in."
Astrael appeared at the door, and as soon as he saw the other counselor alone with the Queen, he couldn't resist teasing him. "What are you doing without me? Is this a secret meeting, by chance? Behind my back, and even the princess's..."
The Nordic woman tightened her lips into a grimace, and Federik hurried to leave the room. He had never seen the regent so irritated, and he had no desire to witness the conversation she was about to have with the counselor. Astrael didn't drop his smile for a single second: he watched the boy leave and then sauntered over to the small sofa reserved for guests. After sitting down and making himself comfortable, he addressed the Queen with a seriousness she had never seen before.
"You're not going to be angry about what I revealed to the princess."
For a moment, even Grimilde was shaken by Astrael's words and expression, confused by the oddity of his behavior. She recovered quickly and took her seat behind her desk.
"No, but I do not appreciate your constant attempts to meddle in our relationship."
"I'm sure a little push is needed every now and then. Didn't it bring about some benefits?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Darling, I'm a demon of lust. You can't fool me." Grimilde blushed visibly, and Astrael returned to smiling just as before, stretching his arms across the back of the sofa in a relaxed pose. "As much as I'd love to talk to you about this... I have news."
"Today is just a day full of surprises," the blonde scoffed.
Astrael didn't comment and grew serious once more. "It's changing. I'm not certain, but after Morpheus, I started sensing some movements."
"Remind me why you wouldn't enjoy bringing chaos into the world?" The regent's biting tone and lack of trust seemed to irritate the demon, who stood up abruptly and approached her at the desk with elegant, fluid movements.
"Grimilde. I remind you that we demons of lust do not desire human extinction for one simple reason... nothing is more pleasurable and delicious than human vice, their greed, their instinctual need to choose the desires of the flesh. If the world were destroyed, there would be no more fun for us, only chaos to adapt to, only power struggles among mindless demonic beasts."
Grimilde remained silent, reflecting on what Astrael had said: perhaps he wasn't lying; after all, demons of lust needed human beings to feed and feel fulfilled. Furthermore, she and Astrael had signed a blood pact, and if one of them betrayed the other, there would be severe consequences for both. You did not joke around with demonic contracts.
"How dire is the situation?"
"I don't know for sure, but I will investigate."
It was only morning, but the Queen already felt stressed, her nerves frayed: after the letter and Astrael confirming her most worrying doubts, things could surely only get better... right?
"I will contact the Hersir, in the hopes that they might shed some light on the matter." It wouldn't be easy to find the tribe, but if she went looking for them, they wouldn't hide from her. After all, she had grown up with the group and knew their habits: they were nomadic, constantly moving, and never made their presence known. It was necessary for their safety and guaranteed them a certain freedom of operation.
"As if they could do anything more than I can..." The demon's comment almost sounded like a jealous complaint, but it was highly improbable that Astrael felt such a sentiment toward a human being. Grimilde fixed him with a hard stare, and the demon scoffed. He decided to step away from the desk, reaching the door in a few strides.
"Ah, one last thing before I go... if you want advice, you should know I'm an expert in bedroom techniques—"
"Get out."
"Alright, alright... you should relax a little. Go back to your princess!" And so he fled, dodging the book the Queen was about to throw at him.
The princess was in the royal palace's private library, intently reading through some books with a frustrated expression on her face. She turned several pages trying to find what she needed, and, finding nothing, put yet another book back in its place. When Mariella entered the room, she immediately picked up on her emotional state: since there was no one else around, Snow White's friend sat down beside her and looked at the covers to see what they were about.
"Can I help you?" she asked cautiously to the woman beside her. She had noticed that the princess wasn't as joyful as she ought to be after a night of love. Mariella blushed at the mere thought of what had happened, but she was extremely happy for her friend.
"Did something happen?"
"No..." Nothing yet, the princess thought. She knew she wouldn't find anything relevant in that library or in the bookstores of her kingdom. Perhaps by consulting a merchant she could arrange a search for some specific books, and she knew a trustworthy person who traveled between countries. Sir Henry might be able to help.
"You look unhappy."
"Mh... actually, I'm very happy." When she thought back to what had happened the night before, her smile returned. She would see the Queen later, and with a little luck, they would manage to get some time alone.
Mariella remained silent, which confused the princess. She turned to look at her and immediately noticed the flush on her cheeks: only then did she realize that she and Rachel might have guessed what had happened in the Queen's chambers during the night. Snow White decided that beating around the bush wouldn't change anything, and deep down, she tried to suppress her embarrassment so she could be honest with her dear friends.
"Thank you for bringing me my clothes this morning..."
"You're welcome!" Mariella replied automatically, squinting her eyes the way she usually did when she was holding back from saying what she really thought.
The princess smiled shyly and grabbed the girl's hands, squeezing them for comfort. "What must you think of me... I'm so embarrassed."
"You have no reason to be. Rachel and I are always on your side, no matter what."
"That's a relief. You both mean so much to me, and I don't want to hide anything from you. Besides, I imagine Rachel is really holding herself back these days." The two women laughed, well aware of their friend's strange behavior; to avoid asking questions and satisfying her curiosity, she had made sure to keep herself extremely busy with palace chores.
"Snow White, we are always willing to listen to you, but if for some reason you don't want to talk, we wouldn't take offense."
"I know, but I want to. And speaking of which..." at that point, the princess lowered her gaze and blushed, "... I wanted to tell you that last night was beautiful."
Mariella's eyes and mouth fell open, but she didn't utter a word: too many thoughts were racing through her mind. In that moment, her curiosity rivaled Rachel's!
"Our relationship is unconventional, and it certainly isn't comparable to that of other nobles, but I can't help wondering if it's possible for me to lose myself completely in our love without thinking about the consequences. In everyone's eyes, I'm supposed to be her stepdaughter, but I could never see her as anything other than the woman I fell in love with and want to stand beside in life."
"Oh, Snow White... those are such beautiful words," Mariella commented, her eyes welling up with tears. "Usually, when it comes to true love, it's never easy, and it takes a lot of courage to keep going... yet I'm firmly convinced that if it comes to you and Queen Grimilde, nothing and no one could ever tear you apart."
Snow White hugged her friend, fighting back tears: she was tired of crying; she wanted to be strong and optimistic now. "Thank you, Mariella. You and Rachel are like sisters to me."
"If you see us as sisters, then it's only right that the woman you love is introduced to the family. That way, we can make sure her intentions toward you are pure." Mariella's voice had taken on an almost shrill tone. Snow White watched her impersonation of a generic noblewoman and burst out laughing.
"If you wish it, it shall be done."
Mariella laughed with her, not realizing in that moment just how serious the princess actually was.
As the afternoon sun arrived, though slightly obscured by a few passing clouds, the seven miners made their way to the courtyard where the palace guards trained and began talking to the armed men who were exercising. The princess arrived shortly after them, and when she entered the area, all the guards straightened their shoulders and gave it their all.
"The princess is truly stunning..." a young boy got lost staring at Snow White from afar and didn't notice his colleague's hand slapping him square between the shoulder blades, making him jolt.
"Focus on training, buddy."
The young man blushed and immediately got back to work, until he got distracted once again by the arrival of the enchanting Queen Grimilde. She was wearing what could only be described as training garb: the trousers were unusual for women, but they suited the blonde far too well, making skirts look like old-fashioned nonsense. Snow White admired her with different eyes than usual, finding herself thinking with immense satisfaction that she intimately knew the body hidden beneath those clothes. At the regent's hip hung a long, slender sword—a weapon as lethal as it was elegant.
"So, who wishes to challenge me to a duel?" Her voice was clear and resolute; she always managed to capture everyone's attention effortlessly.
The guards paused, intrigued by the scene, as they watched one of the dwarfs approach the Queen with a wooden sword he had pulled from the pile of training weapons. Grumpy smirked, mimicking the stance of a generic enemy. "Your Majesty, show me what you're made of."
The Queen smiled back at him, then grew serious and shifted into position to start the duel. She also picked up a wooden sword, testing its weight in her hand. Snow White was part of the enraptured crowd, but her heart knew well the Queen's fast, decisive footwork and the precise strength she used every time she brought the sword down or parried a blow.
"Grumpy is too brave, I would never challenge the Queen," Dopey stated, inching closer to Snow White's skirt.
The princess smiled. "I challenged her once too."
"What?"
"Really?" The six miners quickly spun toward her, their eyes wide. "Wow."
"And did you win?"
Snow White shook her head but wore a serene expression. She couldn't have won against Grimilde without experience and training, but maybe one day she would be able to challenge her for real. She kept practicing whenever she could, to learn how to defend herself and protect others when needed. In her eyes, the regent was a partner and a role model, a lover and a protector—the strongest, most intelligent woman she knew. She would learn a lot from her, and, who knows, maybe Grimilde would learn something from the princess too.
The fight didn't last long: Grumpy lost his sword and fell to the ground, finding himself face-to-face with the tip of the Queen's blade. It was a warning and the end of the match. Unlike what many might have thought, Grumpy laughed heartily and congratulated the Queen, admiring her skills with a sword. The other six companions decided to jump into the fray as well, challenging one another, and soon found themselves busy and carefree.
Grimilde and Snow White took the opportunity to go for their horseback ride and find an isolated spot amidst the greenery where they could take a breather from the usual crowds.
Grimilde looked around without drawing too much attention to herself, and as soon as they were well hidden by the trees, she helped Snow White down from her horse and started kissing her. She backed her up against a tree trunk and sighed against her red mouth.
"I couldn't hold back any longer... I'm sorry." Her smile was radiant, and the princess was completely mesmerized by it. Despite her embarrassment, she leaned forward as well and crashed her lips against the blonde's, pressing their bodies together just as they had done the night before. Grimilde's hands slipped under her skirt, and Snow White blushed, tormented by the desire to be touched and the shame of being caught. What if a guard walked by?
"There's no one out here with us."
"What if they see us?"
"They won't." Grimilde convinced her with a few hot kisses and caresses that aroused the princess. She clung to the Queen and sighed against the skin of her neck; soon enough, she felt the blonde's fingers rubbing her core, and at that point, she lost all control. She forgot about her duties and the possibility of being seen by anyone; she lifted her leg, which Grimilde caught immediately.
"Now, relax..."