Paul kindly carried around the giant carpet for me as we continued visiting shops. I went to a glass maker’s shop with lovely vases on display along with plates and other such items. The glass maker turned his nose up at me when I entered but said nothing.

I called to him, “hello! It’s good to meet you!”

The man glanced my way and waved at me without a word. Terry looked wary and whispered to me, “I don’t like this guy…”

I shrugged. “I’m not offended.”

I looked at all of the glass wares he was selling and my eye was caught by a pretty red vase for holding flowers. Red reminded me of Paris♡. I turned to the glass maker and asked him, “how much is this one?”

The glass maker, who clearly wanted me out of his shop, replied, “that one is ten gold.”

I was unwise when it came to the appropriate amount things should cost. Paris hadn’t given me enough spending money to afford it. I frowned sadly.

Paul said to the man, “that’s outrageous. There’s no way this vase could be worth that much. Are you trying to swindle the queen, sir?”

The glass maker looked visibly uncomfortable and then cleared his throat. “Five silvers please, My Queen.”

Because I wanted him to like me, I paid him a gold and I asked him, “how’s business?”

“Fine.” He replied shortly.

I scratched my cheek, trying to think of a way to get him to open up. “Your glass wares are so pretty! I wish I could make them! Can you show me how?”

The man’s eyes turned black and he said darkly, “you got what you wanted. Get out.”

“Don’t speak to the queen like that!” Terry said protectively.

I held up my hand as Terry and Paul both took defensive postures. “It’s alright. Let’s respect his wishes.”

We left the man’s shop and I sighed. There were probably many more like him…

And there were. We visited the marketplace along with dozens of more shops (in which Terry began to complain of boredom and his feet hurting) and far more of the citizens of Nui were ruder than they were kind. Many of them opened up to me as I tried to get to know them and seemed to change theirs minds about me, but others weren’t swayed.

Paul wouldn’t let me hang around those people who didn’t seem to like me very much and would haul me away if he thought the situation got too uneasy. I tried to trick Paul by pretending to accidentally head closer to the lower city, but he said, “My Queen! You shouldn’t cross lower than you already are!”

“Oh! I didn’t even realize!” I lied.

I ended the day by visiting the florist. I turned to Paul and asked him, “what’s your favorite flower?”

He was silent for a moment and looking very thoughtful. After a moment he answered, “lilies.”

I turned to Terry. “What’s yours?”

Terry crossed his arms. “I don’t have a favorite flower! That’s for girls.”

Paul surprisingly laughed a little at that and I thought his eyes looked a little shiny—like he was holding back tears. He was silent for almost the whole trip and I thought him quite intimidating. What a strange thing it was to hear him laugh at mine and Terry’s squabble.

I said to Terry, “tulip it is!”

I purchased the lily and tulip for Paul and Terry respectively, and a red rose for Paris and a yellow one for myself.

“Put them behind your ears!” I said to Terry and Paul and clapped my hands together excitedly.

“No way!” Terry protested.

Paul chuckled and stuck the lily behind his ear with tears in his eyes. He asked me, “how do I look, My Queen?”

“Very dashing!” I answered, glaring at Terry.

Terry groaned and, not to be outdone, stuck the tulip behind his ear. I giggled and said, “you look dashing too, Terry!”

I picked up the sword the blacksmith made me before we headed back to the castle. The blacksmith said proudly that it was some of his best work because he had me as a muse, and it was indeed, a very pretty sword which was lightweight and finely crafted. On our way there, Terry told me of the knight in the castle he was squiring for.

“He’s been teaching me more swordplay techniques, but otherwise, without any wars or battles happening, I mostly just clean his armor and sharpen his blades.” Terry told me. “Speaking of which, we need to have another lesson, Mimi!”

Paul interjected, “she is the queen. You should not use her name.”

Terry exchanged glances with me and he rolled his eyes. I chuckled a little under my breath.

__

When I arrived back at the castle, I asked the slaves to lay out the new carpet in mine and Paris’ quarters and then I put the fajurn flower along with the yellow and red roses in the red vase I had bought.

As I sat on the bed and admired our new carpet, I sighed in comfort. I felt really happy for the first time in a long time.

Paul seemed very nice, albeit very quiet. I thought about his almost-tears when I was buying flowers and wondered what had made him sad.

I thought very intently for a moment and wondered if he could be brought to be as loyal to me as Terry was. Terry was so sweet and open-minded and he got something that was invaluable to him out of his friendship with me.

Perhaps I needed to find out the thing that was invaluable to Paul and give it to him.

Before bedtime, I got in a sword lesson with Terry (I was slightly improving, but my skills were nothing compared to his), and then I asked Terry something I’d been meaning to for awhile once we finished, “Terry, is it okay for a queen to be a physician? I’d love to learn so I can help the wounded.”

Terry cocked his head to the side with a little smile. “Why?”

“Well… What if you or Paris get hurt and I’m the only one around?” I replied.

“I see nothing wrong with you learning the trade, but you have to ask Paris, not me.” Terry replied.

“Very well…” I answered uncertainly. It was okay if Paris didn’t approve my request, I just didn’t want any man I loved to be wounded for me and have no skills to be able to help them recover.

__

Paris was very late to bed that night and he looked exhausted when he clicked the door open. Seeing the rug perked him up a bit and he couldn’t help but grin. “Did you buy this lovely rug for us?”

I nodded and replied, “there’s something else, too.”

He looked around until he spotted the red vase and then we both strolled over to it together. He took the fajurn out of the vase with sparkling eyes. “This is so beautiful.”

I leaned on his shoulder and told him, “there’s an old story Mother used to tell me about a prince who transferred his soul to the fajurn flower and gave it to his princess whose soul was stolen by a wicked mage so that she could live. I’d… I’d like to figuratively give you mine.”

Paris looked at the flower with love and tears brimming in his eyes and then placed it gently back in the vase and took me in his arms. “You keep surprising me… I must remember to do something equally nice for you. I can’t believe you actually humored my drunken request.”

I held him close with tears in my own. “Just knowing you love me so much is enough…”

I sat on the edge of the bed and said mischievously, “although, you do still need to give me some children.”

“My dear, I was very worried and stressed out today because I was informed my brothers are coming for a visit with father in two months, but with you in my bedroom, I fear nothing.”

Before I could ask him any questions, he kissed me and I forgot what I wanted to ask him.

__

In the middle of the night, I saw something very strange. There was a vanity mirror in the bedroom which glinted oddly and shone white for a second. I rubbed my eyes in a daze and stood up to examine it curiously. I put my hand on it and it went through.

Something grabbed me and then pulled me the rest of the way through.

I will write again later.