New Chapter of Highest Tier (May 2021)

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Archdemon Empress Luna

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'I'm alright with it.' Luna replied. 'But we have to pay attention to the Summer Monarchs or we might sound like idiots if they ask about something.'

'Wife. I just want to make this clear about doing something for others and this is a clear example.' Apollyon began as he went on with his sermon, invading her thoughts laced with mental frequencies of anger—of winning at all costs.

Luna just allowed it because her husband meant well.

'If my mother was hell-bent on hating you for no reason, Princess Ourania wouldn't be necessarily kind to you just because you acted like a court attendant for her in one day.'

Ah.

She hated to admit that her husband was right. 'Some people don't feel obligated to be amiable just because you did good things for them. That's not how it works. 'Do you understand?'

Frowning, Luna didn't nod, or the Summer Monarchs would think she had gone crazy since all eyes were already on her for creating a scene.

'Yes , husband.' Luna replied to Apollyon in her musings dryly. 'I will just leave them alone. You and your mother is correct. I am not a host of this tea party. There is no point for me to act like a servant.'

'The Summer Monarchs wouldn't see that as an act of goodwill. You are asking to be stepped on by the other Monarchs if you continue this route.'

She almost snorted, and Princess Sapphire had looked up from her plate to throw her a sideways glance. 'Let them try and I will let them see how to summon a demon snake spirit.'

'Wife. Let's stay out of trouble here.' Apollyon picked up his teacup and brought it close to her nose, smelling the relaxing aroma. 'The Summer Courts might be quick to turn on us just like the Spring Courts did. It was a shame I considered Prince Aspen a friend.'

'Well, they wouldn't have gone through the pains of spying on you and convinced us to visit the Summer Courts if they were just going to betray us all over again.'

Princess Ourania was hiding her hatred in the form of brutal honesty. Watch her behavior carefully just in case.' Apollyon warned.

'Don't worry, Apollyon.' Luna thought kindly as she looked at her in the eye. 'They are still your family. Give them a chance to prove themselves. If they don't, I'll let them see what an Archdemon is made of.'

Luna could hear Apollyon's dark chuckle, and it was the best thing she had heard—no, thought—in her mind all day.

Lastly, Queen Titania poured the warm red liquid of hibiscus tea on Princess Ourania's teacup as she sat back down her bergère.

At that point, Princess Ourania was done preparing the cake slices and sandwiches for the Summer Monarchs who can eat real food.

Luna sighed as she also recalled what happened at Ostara.

How many times did she have to witness this abomination, throwing the fact that she couldn't eat this sweet stuff just like she used to do when she was an Amazon?

"You should know your place in the Summer Courts, Empress Luna." Princess Ourania said sardonically as she flipped her flaming orange hair towards her back, exposing a creamy shoulder of her gauzy aquamarine gown.

The quick, jerky movement also sent the white flower petals dropping from her headdress.

Clenching his fists, Apollyon glowered at her as he opened his mouth to defend Luna, but his mother was quick to amend that since she couldn't handle any backlash from her son, who never knew how to hold things back.

Raising a finger in front of Apollyon's scowl, she continued, "Now, I am not saying this in a mean way, Vampire King."

Princess Ourania also looked at Luna for good measure so that she wouldn't be left out.

"I want the Empress to just sit back and relax! She gestured at all of them with her hands and exclaimed. "The more she argued with my mother over serving tea—Apollyon's mother paused dramatically and emphasized, "—over serving tea in another Realm above all things—" She repeated, pinching her lips together as she exhaled. As if it took everything for her to explain herself in a complete statement. "What Monarch in their right mind desired to be a servant in another Realm that wasn't hers?"

Wincing, Apollyon's mother jutted her chin and peered at Luna. "Just feel honored, darling, and we will continue this discussion about the Spring Courts now that King Oberon and Queen Titania are here. " Princess Ourania went back to placing some fruit cakes over her plate and muttered to herself. No need. They could clearly hear that. "Both of you are so impatient."

Princess Ourania clicked her tongue.

"Like I said before me and my husband arrived, my dear grandson and grandaughter…." Queen Titania's light blue eyes went soft, filled with an inner glow. "We apologize for taking too long to get to you."

Raising an open palm, Luna said, smiling warmly at her. "It's alright. Queen Titania. You don't need to apologize."

Princess Ourania made a sudden noise in her throat.

"The atmosphere can easily shift when one met someone else that is higher in the hierarchy. You were so quick to judge me from my past but you were quick to pardon others and accept their excuses." She said to no one in particular before she cut off a tiny slice of her lemon-yellow cake coated with buttercream and took a bite.

Placing his teacup back to the sauce, Apollyon pressed a finger to smile lips. "Queen Titania wasn't the one who left me, Princess."

"King Oberon and I have a lot of responsibilities in the Summer Castle today." Queen Titania said. "The weather went overboard that it had set the Castle's turrets on fire. It is so hard for us to extinguish the flames as we carried the water from the ground up. Nobody knew where these fires originated. Everyone was asleep."