“So, what are we to do?” Alice asked Nodoka as she sat back down at the low table.
“Well,” Nodoka said, deep in thought. “We don’t know where my son is right now, so we cannot very well have him meet you. Though I would very much like to see my son wed to such an obviously mature and responsible girl such as yourself, I do not feel it would be right to pressure him into an engagement.”
“That makes sense,” Alice nodded.
“Well,” Nodoka continued. “You said earlier that you do not have many pressing responsibilities as… Queen?”
“Well, there is the occasional dispute, or public address,” Alice confessed. “But most disputes go through my counsel first before being passed on to me, if needs be, and any public addresses are usually planned and scheduled months beforehand.”
Nodoka smiled.
“Well, can you arrange to spend some time here with me?” the lady asked her. “I do find myself somewhat lonely here all alone, and it would give us both a good chance to get to know each other.”
“Well,” Alice said, thinking on this.
Nodoka seems a fairly nice, polite person, from Alice’s first impressions. After many years as a ruler, Alice thought herself quite the judge in character, and she got the emphatic feeling that this woman was ‘good people’.
This would also give her a chance to get away for a while, a kind of vacation of sorts. It would also serve the double-purpose of letting her get to know Nodoka better, and have a better scope of things when, and if, the woman’s son showed up.
Besides, it would be rather fun.
“Very well, then,” Alice said with a small smile. “I shall send for my herald, and make the arrangements. Will we require any more funding for food, or other such incidentals?”
“Well… I have managed rather fine on my own, though the budget has been rather tight. If I got a small part-time job, I should be able to support us both,” Nodoka confessed.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Alice said with a small smile. “I have more than enough money to be able to spare a little for living expenses, at least.”
I had best not mention, Alice thought to herself, That this ‘more than enough’ includes the fact that I am not called the ‘Gold Queen’ for nothing. Money has a way of corrupting some people, and it would truly be a shame to see this kind woman turned bitter by greed and abundance.
“Well, if it’s not too much of a bother, I guess,” Nodoka frowned to herself.
“Oh, I insist,” Alice said with a slight bow.
“Very well, then,” Nodoka said, as if everything was in right order. “Would you like another glass of lemonade?”
“Oh, I think I’ve had enough,” Alice confessed, starting to stand up again. “If you’ll excuse me for just a few minutes…”
And with that, she walked once again to the bathroom, and wondered to herself just why she had drank so much lemonade. It was so good, but really, she should be better than that.
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(Posted Mon, 15 Nov 2004 17:51)
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