“Excellent. Now, shall we eat?” The king’s words hit me like a truck, or perhaps a train. It was a good thing that my head was still lowered from accepting the posting officially, else the way my smile twitched as my face cramped would have given me away.

After taking a moment to compose myself, I managed to ask a question, “Eat, your highne- father?”

The way the air seemed to chill when I nearly called the king by his title made my spine shiver. Fortunately, I was able to correct myself in time and the instant tension abated. Still, eating with him was the last thing I wanted to do. Though he would most likely not say anything one way or another, it was a sure thing that I would be silently judged and measured both by him and by whoever waited the meal. For me, it would be hell.

Not like there was any way to get out of this. None that I could think of in the span of the next several seconds. Better to use that time to regain composure and fix my expression. Once a suitable look was fastened firmly in place, I looked up. Everything had taken only a couple of moments, but the large doors along the side wall had already been opened and servants were bringing in a small ornate round table.

“I, it would be my pleasure.”

The king smiled warmly, in a manner that did nothing except ring alarm bells in my head, “Excellent. Sasha, please show her to her place.”

As it turned out, this impromptu meal was to be a sort of family gathering. Ferdinand excused himself, while Rupert sat to the king’s right. Sasha placed me on Rupert’s right and the king’s left such that we were all facing each other. It should go without saying how this arrangement was making me feel and, though I had not spent enough time with him to be able to properly read his body language, Rupert seemed rather uncomfortable as well.

Food was brought in and placed before us and the servants then departed, leaving just the four of us in the room. The silence was such that I was intimately aware of the clack of silverware on the plates, and could even hear the sound of meat being cut. I wanted to say something, anything to break the silence but couldn’t find my voice. The whole “nice” thing the king was doing was really putting me off, it would actually be preferable if he was cold and calculated.

“Is the food not to your liking? Would you prefer something else?”

Like that, that sounds like he’s genuinely concerned I don’t like the food! Knowing what I know about him and the politics of the kingdom, that’s really scary.

“No, ah, I am simply a bit overwhelmed by everything.”

…Shit!

“I see, yes that is understandable given how quickly everything is going. Regretfully we cannot slow down now.”

And he took it in stride… I have no idea how to approach this at all.

A quick glance at Rupert showed that he was somewhat ignoring his father and focusing on eating slowly and methodically. As though sensing my gaze, he looked up from his plate and shook his head slightly. Or it could have just been an involuntary movement, I could not tell. Though, after getting over his initial surprise he was acting as though he did not think things were such a big deal.

So would it be ok to not worry quite so much? I certainly can’t go and be completely open about everything.

Hesitatingly, I picked up my fork and speared a bit of the salad before putting it in my mouth and beginning to chew.

It is good, but compared to everything else I’ve eaten, I don’t know. I can tell that it’s expensive and the quality is high, but it just tastes like a salad. Perhaps I’ve become desensitized to luxury.

Whatever the case, after I actually started to eat my stomach was able to unwind itself somewhat and let me know that I was in fact rather hungry. The silence was allowed to persist, though it was no longer quite as awkward as it was before.

This… this isn’t so bad. I can’t completely drop my guard; he totally just disowned his first son less than a day ago, and he more or less signed off on Rupert killing his second son. Still, he’s trying to welcome me so would it really hurt to let myself unwind just a bit?

Putting it that way really highlighted how screwed up my life was.

Having finished the salad, I nudged the small plate aside and reached for the main plate on which rested a cut of meat with a tan sauce drizzled over it. It was just a tiny bit on the heavy side for the current time of day, but it should be fine. As I cut into it, the juices washed over the plate and made my mouth water. When I actually put a bit in my mouth, it seemed to fall apart on its own.

“See? It tastes much better if you relax.” Again it was the king speaking, Rupert seemed content to remain silent.

…I actually managed to forget where I was for a second. That was… kind of pleasant.

“An important skill you will want to learn; the ability to relax when you can.” As though satisfied with that, the king returned to his own meal and let the silence fall again.

Is he actually offering me advice on how to cope with my new station?

It sounded obvious, and telling someone to relax was a lot easier than actually doing it. Yet it was also true that I would be a fool not to listen; all the signs pointed to this being a side the man rarely exhibited. If he was being genuine with me, then I should just accept it instead of constantly worrying over appearances.

After letting the pause extend for several seconds longer I nodded, “It does indeed.”

After the three of us had finished eating the main course there was a brief lull while the servants prepared the dessert course. By the king’s judgement it was now the best time to have a brief conversation, so he began to ask some rather normal questions. Now that my heart was calmer, I was more able to fully appreciate just how completely surreal this situation was, a realization that actually helped further soothe my nerves.

“Now then, while we wait, how are things in the palace? Is there anything lacking?” Going only by his tone and mannerisms, I would have assumed that he was just a concerned host. Far from the ideal king that he had portrayed when I previously saw him from a distance.

“There haven’t been any problems, no. It was a bit awkward being followed everywhere by the knights at first, but I understand why it is necessary and have grown used to it.”

The king nodded, “Glad to hear it. You worked out the issues with Sasha then?”

Ok… so he caught wind of that, or did Rupert tell him?

“Yes, I have dealt with that situation and she has become a great help in acclimating though I still have a long way to go.”

“Excellent, I was quite pleased when I was informed that Rupert had selected her; she has done good work for our family for quite some time, and I can honestly think of none better to help you adjust.”

I was unable to stop my eyes from widening at that, just who was Sasha? According to the statement just now, she had a rather long history with the royal family. That she was a bit older than a lot of the other maids I had direct experience with was something I had noticed, but it was not something I paid any mind to. After all, even maids would eventually get old, and there had never been a large number of them working for me so them all being young women was a plausible coincidence.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“I see, you were not told then.” The king shot a rather scathing look at Rupert, “She was originally brought on to be my son’s nursemaid. Once he outgrew her, she remained on as one of our more trusted retainers.”

Rupert spoke for the first time then, “It was not relevant information, though if you had asked why I picked Sasha I would have told you.”

Ah, so it’s my fault. Got it.

Turning my attention to Rupert, I chose to express my opinion rather than sitting on it, “I cannot help but think that it would have been worth mentioning. Even if it is irrelevant to her service, the fact that you elected to assign me someone so close to you speaks volumes.”

Rupert shook his head, “All it signifies is that I trust her; something also signified by the fact that I picked her. Ergo, mentioning it serves no purpose.”

Before I could respond again, the king interrupted us, “No Rupert, there is significance; think of all the stories Sasha can share with your wife.”

His delivery was deadpan. Clearly, the king was taking pleasure in this exchange.

And why wouldn’t he? Now that I’m able to sort this out in my head properly, he probably doesn’t get many opportunities to relax; that was less advice and more of a lamentation. This is probably even better for him than it is for me.

With that realization, I felt even more of my tension drain away. Rupert showed a look of displeasure, but he seemed to have realized that protesting would get him nowhere so he remained silent on the matter.

Actually, he seemed rather surprised earlier when the king first acted this way. He’s either adapted really fast, or this is a way the king has acted before and he was only surprised the king was already showing me that side of himself… I don’t know enough about their relationship to be able to say, and my impression of the king is admittedly biased…

Hopefully, things would begin to make sense as I got to know them more. As long as it was remembered not to let myself get too close to the king, since he would definitely separate his personal life from public duty and sacrifice me to the altar of progress should the benefits of doing so be deemed worth it. On that sobering note, the servants arrived with the dessert course.

It appeared to be a kind of custard jelly and was glowing faintly. It was the first time that I had such a dish, which meant that it was probably exceedingly expensive. The realization made me gulp. Seeing my reaction and confusion, the king chuckled, “The core of a Light Jelly. It is a small thing but is a tradition going back a few generations now.”

Never mind, not rare. Sure, Light attuned Jellies aren’t the most common, and there aren’t any Jellies native to this region but in some places, they fulfill the role of goblins. Then, why was the dessert course delayed if they weren’t preparing anything fancy? To give a chance for conversation, duh.

Rupert spoke up for the second time, “Not the fanciest dish, granted; it is served at the first meal a new member of the family takes as such. As far as I am aware, the purpose is to remind the rulers not to forget the common people.”

“…Do not forget the common folk, by bringing in a non-native dish? Would not something procured locally be more fitting?”

To my retort, Rupert actually grinned, “I agree. However, my father is actually rather fond of it.”

So, if he can banter like that, then this is how the king is when not being the king. I hope I don’t make a mistake and confuse the two settings… Put mildly, that would be a disaster. This is nice in its own way though, now that I’ve had a bit to get used to it I can say I prefer this to the king being a dominant force at all times.

Confirming my new theory about the King’s true self being rather kind despite everything, he merely shrugged at Rupert’s targeted statement, “When you have my chair, you may have whatever meal you wish for your own daughter-in-law.”

Despite having never had the opportunity to eat a Jelly Core before, I found that I actually quite liked it. It was sort of sweet, with a hint of citrus. Almost like lemon custard, though it was not cold. After the servants had cleared the places of their settings the king grew somber, and I stiffened.

“It should go without saying, but in public, I am ‘your highness’.”

“Yes, I understand father.”

He nodded once, “Good, then thank you for today; I believe I have been able to get a good read on your personality. With effort, you will make an excellent ruler and a good foil for my son. Do take care not to lose yourself.”

I performed an abbreviated version of the standard goodbye, one that was more appropriate for a family member rather than the king of a country. He seemed pleased by the gesture and bid his own farewells. With that finished, I departed with Sasha and was rejoined by my entourage.

So it was a test after all! I got suckered in god damnit!

Even as I got upset with myself over letting the king bait me, I knew it was not the end of the world. He had decided to pass me on whatever test was being carried out. It just served to demonstrate that I could not get completely comfortable with anyone who was not in my immediate circle. A lesson better learned in an environment such as this, instead of out in the wild.

For that, I should be grateful. Was that his intention? No I doubt that, I honestly think he meant well and the test was something he had to do whether or not he wanted to. Even if he disposed of his other sons, there is not a queen at the moment. He placed everything for the future with Rupert and by extension me.

With that, it should be alright to trust him a little bit. Not completely, but it wasn’t like he was going to have a bad day and decide it would be best to have me or Rupert killed. In hindsight, it had been a bit silly of me to be so completely on guard. There was a lot that I had learned here today, and even though it wasn’t going to be easy, I was definitely going to implement it.

Rupert was walking part of the way back with me, though it would not be for as far as when we returned from the peak, “You seem rather pleased.”

It was true, my mood was rather high at the moment. So much so in fact, that I decided to tease him a bit, even if I knew it wouldn’t accomplish anything. Pausing my walking, I spun to face him in a mildly dramatic faction, “Of course I am, your father decided he liked me; what fiancée would not be over the moon at such a revelation?”

Rupert ignored my little skit though he did deign to continue the conversation, “I feel that I should at least apologize; in the future, I will try to inform you properly of the reasons for any decisions I make regarding you specifically.”

Wait, really? I was expecting I would have to bring that up myself, and perhaps jump through hoops with Gustav, but he’s just going to come out and say it?

“T-thank you, I was not expecting that.”

Rupert nodded, “Of course. Until next time… And, I do not know if you noticed yourself, but you did quite well when you were focused on the goal in front of you at the start of the meeting. Once you got a bit of momentum, there were no traces of the nervousness you have been dealing with… Farewell.”

With a quick bow of his own, and without waiting for a reply, Rupert departed. His delivery had been rather awkward, but the fact of the matter was that he had gone out of his way to try and give me some encouragement. I was not sure how to feel about that, the whole thing just felt odd.

I should be happy he’s pretending to care, but I’m not. It just feels fake, like he’s going through the motions to maintain an investment... He isn’t wrong though, I did do rather well once I got going… Then again, presenting an idea to only a few listeners has always been simple. It really doesn’t compare to having hundreds of eyes on me at once… Then again, I was actually able to relax after a point.

Thinking about it now, relaxing had been the greatest accomplishment of all. Especially given that I had managed it while the king was present.

Sure, he was being pretty easygoing at the time himself, but he’s still the king. Compared to that, I should be able to handle the two dukes just fine.

After all, that was what I had originally been planning to do today; have the private introductions with Duke Lawrence, Duke Lester, and their wives. Edith would be there to represent her father, but the assistance she could lend me during the introductions themselves would be limited. Even if she spoke with her father’s authority, she was still lower ranked than the two of them. Technically, I was supposed to be higher, but my age and plumbing would be set against me.

Thinking about all of this now, I felt my stomach twisting up again. This time though, it was not nearly as bad and after a moment I was able to force it to unwind.

I’m sure it will suck, but now I know I can do it for sure. Even if things go tits up, Edith will be able to help me a little bit, and I can vent to her privately once the dukes leave.

I fixed as graceful a smile as I could on my face and nodded to Sasha, “Please send word to Lord Lawrence, Lord Lester, and Lady Claurence; my business with the king has concluded and I would be pleased to meet them properly at their earliest convenience.”

It was true that in politics, words were what mattered the most and I was going to do my best. Translating my message, I had given myself as best a start as I possibly could.

“Sorry I missed the meeting; as you know the king called me personally. If you hurry, I can probably still meet with you today.” And stated as politely as possible.

I could only hope that my present resolve would last long enough to see me through.