Chapter 82: The Audience Begins [2].

Chapter 82

Sigrid stepped into the vast, sunlit chamber, her dark silver gown catching the ambient light of the grand stained-glass windows. At the far end of the chamber, Queen Evelyn remained seated upon her high-backed, gilded chair, framed by rich emerald drapes. The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind Sigrid, sealing the room in a heavy, expectant silence.

Meeting the monarch’s icy, unyielding gaze, Sigrid bowed her head and sank into a flawless, measured curtsey. "Your Majesty, I, Sigrid Aethermor, have arrived in accordance with your request," she stated, her voice smooth and devoid of anxiety.

Queen Evelyn offered a sharp, cynical scoff that echoed off the high vaulted ceilings. "My request? Do not insult my intelligence further, Duchess. You boldly implied in that intolerable missive of yours that you desired an audience with me, practically demanding this meeting."

Before the Queen could offer permission, a quiet palace maid hurried forward, placing a velvet-upholstered chair several paces from the royal dais. Sigrid seated herself with practiced elegance, smoothing the luxurious fabric of her skirts across her knees. "I framed it as such because the matter is of extreme urgency, Your Majesty. Surely you are well aware that my account regarding Prince Ragnar’s abhorrent behavior toward me at the lower districts was entirely truthful."

The Queen’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as she leaned forward, her emerald robes rustling. "I am aware of the rumors, yes. But why should I place any faith in the notion that you possess tangible evidence of what transpired that evening?"

Sigrid allowed her lips to curl into a subtle, tranquil smile. "Why would I risk inventing a falsehood when it offers me no tangible benefit? To fabricate such an accusation against the royal house would be exceedingly foolish, and even I am not so careless, Your Majesty."

Queen Evelyn frowned, her manicured fingers tightening against the carved armrests of her chair. "Risky? You speak of risk as though you do not thrive upon it. You had the utter audacity to send a letter demanding a private audience with the Queen of this realm. It makes one wonder why you did not direct your bold request toward the King instead."

"The King is a remarkably busy man with the weight of the state upon his shoulders," Sigrid replied smoothly, tilting her head with quiet nonchalance. "Besides, a conversation with His Majesty would not have proven nearly as interesting or productive."

The Queen studied Sigrid’s motionless posture, her expression shifting from irritation to a cold, calculating scrutiny. "Sigrid Thea Aethermor... your sister Maria assured me that you were a delicate, foolish girl with no mind for governance or strategy. Yet sitting across from you now makes me question her judgment entirely, giving me yet another reason to doubt whether your sister is a suitable match for my son."

Sigrid let out a soft, melodic chuckle. "Oh, I assure you, Your Majesty, I believe my sister and Prince Ragnar are a match made in heaven."

Queen Evelyn’s gaze hardened. "Now, let us dispense with the pleasantries and begin. How am I to know that you actually have a reporter who witnessed that incident? And why, pray tell, have I not heard a single whisper of this scandal in the capital gazettes?"

"You simply have to take my word for it, Your Majesty," Sigrid said, her crimson eyes glinting with absolute composure. "Besides, I am hardly foolish enough to request an audience with the Crown without holding a definitive trump card."

Queen Evelyn scoffed, leaning back against her gilded throne. "And what is it that you truly desire in exchange for keeping this information buried? Riches from the royal treasury? Or perhaps you seek to displace your sister and claim the title of Crown Princess for yourself? Though I suppose if Ragnar refuses to set Maria aside entirely, you would settle for being taken as his secondary wife."

"Do not make me laugh, Your Majesty," Sigrid interrupted, her tone dropping into a flat, decisive register. "I desire nothing to do with the Crown Prince, nor do I have any wish to take Maria’s place at his side."

The Queen’s eyes widened in genuine astonishment. "Impossible. Only a foolish maiden would turn down the opportunity to become Queen, or pass up the chance to ruin a sister who once overshadowed her."

Sigrid giggled softly, though her eyes remained sharp and analytical. "Trust me, Your Majesty, I have no desire to sit upon the royal throne alongside the Prince, nor do I wish for you to strip Maria of her engagement." Internally, Sigrid’s thoughts turned dark and lethal. I intend to ruin Maria with my own hands. If her downfall comes too swiftly at the hands of the Crown, I will not have the satisfaction of watching her break piece by piece.

Queen Evelyn let out a dry, humorless laugh. "You reject the royal house as if you did not marry the Duke of Aethermor for the exact same grand ambitions. You sought his vast fortune and his formidable title to elevate yourself."

"You are not entirely wrong in your assessment," Sigrid conceded smoothly. "However, I would have gladly married anyone else—be it a mid-tier baron or even a lowborn commoner—before I ever allowed myself to be bound to the Crown Prince."

Queen Evelyn snapped, her composure shattering as she stood up from her throne in a flash of deep green silk. "How dare you speak of my son with such blatant disrespect in my very presence!" she demanded, her voice echoing with thunderous anger. "Do you not know your place, girl? Do you hold no value for your own life?"

"Your Majesty, I request that you calm yourself," Sigrid said calmly, remaining perfectly seated. "You are the Queen of this realm, and such outbursts are hardly befitting your noble status. I merely stated a personal preference regarding the Prince. I find him undesirable. There is no reason to take my personal tastes so deeply to heart."

"You stand there and insult the bloodline of the Sovereign before your Queen!" Evelyn’s breath came in sharp, furious gasps. "I could have you bound in iron and thrown into the lowest dungeons this very instant!"

"And risk angering Soren?" Sigrid countered softly, raising an eyebrow. "Risk provoking the realm’s most powerful Duke? Especially now, when the dark clouds of war are looming over our borders?"

Queen Evelyn froze, the color draining slightly from her face. "How... how do you know of that?"

"Soren keeps me fully informed of state affairs," Sigrid lied seamlessly. In truth, Soren had spoken nothing of the sort; the knowledge stemmed entirely from her memories of her previous life. She remembered clearly the bloody conflict with the neighboring Kingdom of Engrosia—a war where Soren was dispatched to the front lines, only to return victorious, laying the groundwork for Ragnar’s eventual coronation.

The Queen stared at her for a long, silent moment before exhaling a bitter breath. "Though your sister is a fool, she was correct about one thing. You are a wicked, dangerous woman."

Sigrid placed a delicate, gloved hand over her chest, feigning deeply hurt innocence. "You wound me, Your Majesty. I am merely a loyal subject."

"Enough of this ridiculous pretense!" Queen Evelyn barked, pacing toward the large arched window overlooking the palace gardens. "What is your price? State your terms so this matter can be concluded."

Sigrid rose gracefully from her chair, her tall posture radiating absolute authority as she looked the monarch straight in the eye. "I want you to officially appoint Maria as the Crown Princess immediately."

Queen Evelyn turned around, her expression contorted in utter bewilderment. "Just that? You came all this way simply to demand her elevation?"

"Precisely that. Nothing more, and nothing less," Sigrid stated firmly. "I want Maria crowned as the official Crown Princess within a month’s time."

"She is not yet fully trained in court etiquette, and that completely defies standard royal procedure," the Queen argued, though her voice lacked its previous fire.

"That is my one and only condition," Sigrid replied, leaving no room for negotiation.

Queen Evelyn closed her eyes briefly, letting out a harsh sigh. "Fine. It shall be done as you wish." Turning back toward the window, the Queen looked down at the courtyard below. "You and the Duke seem remarkably aligned. It is quite surprising, given that he is a ruthless, emotionally detached monster."

"Do not insult my husband in my presence, Your Majesty," Sigrid warned, her tone dropping into a dangerous, icy chill.

The Queen scoffed, holding her head high. "I am the Queen of this realm; I shall speak as I please. Soren Aethermor is a beast, and he will remain one until the day he dies. I advise you, Sigrid, to flee his side before you suffer a terrible fate at his hands."

Sigrid observed the intense, personal hatred burning in the Queen’s eyes—a familiar, toxic malice that mirrored the bitter resentment Soren harbored whenever he spoke of the royal family. Realizing she had achieved her objective, Sigrid bowed her head with cold formality. "I shall take my leave, Your Majesty."

As Sigrid turned toward the heavy mahogany doors, Queen Evelyn called out one last time, her voice laced with venom. "Goodbye, Duchess. Do not expect things to go your way when next we meet."

Sigrid paused at the threshold, offering a soft, melodious laugh. "I highly doubt that, Your Majesty."

The moment the heavy doors slammed shut behind the Duchess, Queen Evelyn’s composure completely collapsed. Shaking with unbridled rage, she launched her foot forward, violently kicking the velvet chair Sigrid had just occupied, sending it crashing against the stone wall. "Insolent, ungrateful wrench!" the Queen shrieked, her chest heaving as she paced the length of the room. "To speak to me—her Queen—with such blatant disrespect! To look upon me as though I were something beneath her boots!"

The image of Sigrid’s crimson eyes burned in the Queen’s mind—eyes that had stared back at her without a single trace of fear, as if capable of peering directly into her soul. Her mind flashed backward to a memory long suppressed, recalling another woman who had possessed the exact same striking face, the same regal bearing, and the same terrifying, unyielding gaze.

Hissing through her teeth, Queen Evelyn kicked a small side table, sending a fine porcelain vase shattering across the marble floor. "She really is thoroughly cunning... just like her wretched mother."