Nadine

78. Thoughts

Daddy puts his hands up. "Not bad. Nothing on the inside. We want to see how long the blisters will stay on the outside. We are hoping they will go away on their own eventually."

Dr. Cruor comes over. "There is always a risk they will spread to the interior and we won't know about it."

"That's what the tests are for doctors."

I glare at Dipak. He had to have known about this.

"Do we have a conference room here yet?"

"No daddy, just my office."

Me, him and all the advisors go sit down in the same seats we sat in last time.

"Princess do you agree to assist?"

"Well I have to. What's the other option? Leave them lay in the hallway screaming in pain for hours? Maybe they will lie there and die? Maybe they'll live?"

"Thank you. Also you will need to make a decision about this evening. Advisor Tre will be going to the werewolf village to give them warning about the beings. He will be traveling and advising as the future king. I can not make it. So it does fall to him." I remember that part of the contract. "You can either travel with Tre as the future queen and deliver the message or you will be attending the fallen guards services with Advisor Dipak."

I stare at him for a full 3 minutes. "Those options are both bad, daddy. Can't I hide here?"

"Why are they bad princess?"

"Well first." I look between Frode and Dipak. "I don't know who Advisor Frode is today. But we need to send them the antidote recipe and a sample of the cream. Maybe a toe? At least show them what we know." They both write something down. I take a deep breath. "As for my decision..." I think a little more. "Yea those are both bad ideas daddy."

"You have to give us more than that, my princess."

"How long would I be at the services?"

Frode checks something. "A 30 minute visit would be required. Including being announced."

"Guys I will have to go full princess mode for either of these options. That is a lot of work. One option I will be stuck in a carriage for hours like that. I hate being like that and to travel as full royal is hard on me. And the servants and everyone else. Just to get there and talk to them for 10 minutes and travel back."

Daddy smiles. "Being royal is not easy."

"On the other hand. I can go full princess for 30 minutes and be done. BUT, I will not be veiled, I will be shrouded. It is a big difference. It's a lot harder. I would be full blind. Tre and I have done that a few times but he has escorted me so many times, we're use to it. It's still hard for us, but it can be done with minimal tears from me now. However, Advisor Dipak has never really escorted me to anything. And definitely nothing formal. He would have no idea what he's doing."

"Princess, you have to pick."

"Thoughts from you 2?"

Tre smiles. "It's hard on you being in full royal. I know you hate it. We all do. To keep you in a carriage like that for hours would be torture. I would love to have the company but that would be so hard on you. On the other hand... Yea... Dipak has no idea what he's doing with this one."

Everyone busts out laughing.

Daddy nods at Dipak. "Your thoughts?"

He shrugs his shoulders and stares at the ground.

"THOUGHTS DIPAK. I can't read your mind."

"Oh I have many sir."

"Are you going to share them?"

"I'll escort the princess." I'm shocked he would say that. Especially since he seen a little part of it last night. "I mean I should probably learn how to do it anyway, Tre isn't always going to be available. At least I'll have an idea if anything more formal comes up. This is a service, so it won't be to packed or anything, right? And I only need to make sure she sits and not throw her on the ground, right?"

Me and Tre bust out laughing.

Frode glances up from his paper. "He does have a point about Tre not always being available. It would be nice to have someone else who can formally escort the princess. And yes Dipak, the service shouldn't be to crowded."

"30 minutes instead of hours princess. Do you accept that?"

I take a deep breath. "Shrouded daddy. You don't even understand how hard that is. I almost killed Tre once."

They all laugh and Tre smiles. "Couple times actually."

Dipak seems ok with this. "Yes I'll do the service. I feel like I owe it to him anyways."

Daddy shakes his head. "Dipak?"

"No, the guard daddy. Dipak does not deserve what he is about to get hit with."

They all laugh again. Daddy motions for Tre. "Any advice for Dipak?"

"Don't let go of her. She will let go of you when and if she's ready. Don't force it. She has held my arm for entire events. It's all about how comfortable she is. If you sit, her hand does not go in your lap. If you do that, 8 people will yell at you all at once." They all laugh. He points at me. "And she did it. I didn't even move her hand. Um, take a sack of grapes. They say 30 minutes. Sometimes they take longer. You won't be able to get her any drinks, but you can put grapes in her hand 1 at a time. It keeps her from dying of thirst. Also, when she's shrouded, you have to talk to her constantly to keep her from getting scared. Tell her everything that is going on. Especially when your walking. Tell her all the steps, changing of ground levels, grass to stone. Anything. She will trip if you don't. If she goes to trip, she will suddenly have the grip strength of a 1000 lb. gorilla. Don't let her trip. Also, something will break, because it always does for these things." He gets the tool out of his pocket and sits it on my desk. "I want that back. Do your best to fix it quickly and get it back on her. If it's not fixable, put it in your pocket, but don't lose it. And her jewelry is very expensive. If something shatters, make sure you get every single stone. Listen to Mary, she is the best guide for this stuff. Hold her still when she gets announced. She has a tendency to get shaky for some reason. I don't think she likes all the eyes on her." I'm staring at him. I had no idea he does that much. "I think that's all I have for now."

"That was a lot Tre. I had no idea." He shrugs his shoulders. I can feel people starting to look between us now and Dracul is staring at me. "I'm really surprised you didn't give that job to someone else on the contract."

All those times he gave me grapes was because he was carrying them. They weren't on the table. He really knows a lot about me and this stuff. He always seems so calm. He really will be a good king. Tre smiles.

Mary grabs me. "Are you still mad?" I say as she's pushing me out. I didn't even know she came in.

I hear them all laugh again.

She drags me all the way to the desk. "What Mary?"

"I went in and your eyes were dark looking at Tre and Dipak was right behind you. I had to get you out of there before he seen them."

"Who all seen them?"

"Dracul, Frode, and Tre."

"Could have been worse I guess. Are you still mad?"

"I'm not mad. It was the shock value of actually seeing you two together. I knew it was going on but it shocked me to see it. I'm not mad and it's not even surprising really. I know how much you care about each other and you are getting older now." She gives me a hug.

"Thank you Mary."

"But let's not tell him I'm not mad. He needs to worry about me still."

"Yea that's probably a good idea. So, what are you going to do with your advisor servant?"

She smirks. "Oh I'm sure I'll come up with something. Go finish the meeting. They're all cleared up."

"Thank you."

"Sorry gentlemen, bit of an emergency. All clear now. Did you need anything else from me?"

Daddy nods. "Yes 1 more thing. You will be leaving tomorrow afternoon with Thora and Dipak for the escort to Doctor Omar."

"I am not looking forward to that ride."

"Try not to kill Advisor Dipak please."

"No promises daddy."

They all laugh again. "Dipak will assist you with the guards again."

"Yes daddy."

Mary is standing there with my sword. Glaring at Dipak when we get into the hallway.

He stops moving completely, outside my door. "Good morning Mary."

"Uh huh. I'm watching you."

"Mary, Dipak is going to escort me to the service tonight." We are right outside my office and they can hear everything.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? TRE CAN BARELY DO SHROUDED AND HE'S BEEN DOING THIS FOR 100 YEARS."

Tre bust out laughing in my office.

"No Mary I'm not kidding."

"DR. CRUOR."

"YES MARY." He yells from the other side of the office.

"YOU HAVE TO DO THESE GUARDS... I HAVE TO TRAIN THIS BOY RIGHT NOW." She grabs Dipak and starts to drag him off. "YOU TOO LITTLE MISS. YOU TWO HAVE TO LEARN TO WALK TOGETHER."

I take the 2 steps back into my office. "Daddy change of plans. Dipak is out of the office and"

"NOW!"

"I am too. I'll send Dr. Cruor in."

"Princess." I glance in my office and they are all laughing silently. They are all red.

"Yes daddy." I turn and watch Mary drag him down the hallway.

"If Mary doesn't approve Dipak by after lunch hour, you will be traveling with Tre."

"Yea that's a good idea. I don't know how much more mad she can get... and she has my sword." I hear Dracul choke on something he's drinking. "I have to go." I run down the hallway. "DR. CRUOR THEY NEED YOU IN MY OFFICE."