章 24: The Queen Wants to Return

Elowen let out a long, weary sigh as her golden eyes glanced up at the magic clock on the wall of the council room. The softly glowing hands of the clock showed that it was already past ten o'clock in the evening. Another long day, another night that had stretched far beyond what she had expected. Meetings, discussions, political maneuvering—it seemed like there was no end to it all. Her mind wandered as she stared at the clock, its quiet ticking almost mocking her exhaustion. She remembered Mikhailis mentioning once, quite casually, that in his world, they used a similar time system. She smiled faintly at the memory, though the smile faded just as quickly.

"Your Majesty, it won't be much longer," came the low, steady voice of Aelthrin Vorys, her prime minister. His silver hair gleamed under the soft light of the council room, and his sharp blue eyes glanced up from the papers in front of him.

"Just a few more documents to go through, and we can conclude the meeting for today," he added, offering her a small, knowing smile which made her smile as well as she realize that perhaps she just made herself too easy to read.

Elowen nodded slightly, though the weight of the day still pressed heavily on her. Aelthrin was sharp, always knowing the exact moment to intervene, to guide things along when her focus waned. Still, even with his steady hand, the hours were wearing her down.

Vyrelda, her Queen's Knight, stood quietly to the side, her imposing figure a silent reminder of the strength Elowen always had at her back.

The knight's long blonde hair was tied back neatly as always as if the long standing of duty didn't bother her appearance even a bit, and her green eyes scanning the room for any hint of trouble, though tonight was quiet.

Vyrelda's presence was always a comfort, even if the knight rarely spoke during council meetings.

"You're holding up well, Your Majesty," Vyrelda said softly, her voice low and controlled, as always. But there was a hint of warmth in her tone.

Elowen nodded again, offering a tired but grateful glance toward her knight.

"I'll manage," she said, her voice calm, though there was a thread of fatigue beneath it.

The council continued, Aelthrin walking her through several more documents, discussing matters of trade and diplomatic tensions with neighboring regions. But all Elowen could think about was the royal chamber—her escape for the night—and Mikhailis.

Mikhailis… Her mind drifted to him again, the strange and eccentric man who was now her husband.

He wasn't like anyone she had ever met before, and he had brought with him a sense of unpredictability she wasn't sure how to handle. But despite his oddities, there was something about him that calmed her.

He had a way of making everything feel just a little bit lighter, even on days like this when the weight of the crown felt unbearable.

"Your Majesty, shall we conclude for the evening?" Aelthrin's voice snapped her back to the present, his blue eyes watching her carefully to make sure his words won't make the situation worse.

"Yes, I guess let's finish here," Elowen replied, standing slowly from her seat.

Aelthrin and Vyrelda both bowed their heads slightly as she left the room, the heavy doors closing behind her with a soft thud.

The hallways of the palace were quiet, the only sound the soft rustle of her gown as she walked. The weight of her duties pressed heavily on her shoulders, and another sigh escaped her lips. She had hoped for a quiet night with Mikhailis as she already couldn't meet him at day, and now she couldn't even go back on time. It was late—far too late for anything more than collapsing into bed.

"I guess he must be already sleeping, perhaps? It's already this late, after all," She muttered under her breath with a slight of hope could be noticed by those who are sharp.

When she reached the royal chamber, another sigh escaped her lips. The door was slightly ajar, and as she moved closer, she heard something strange.

Voices.

Soft, giggling voices.

Elowen's brow furrowed in confusion.

It sounded like… girls?

Her heart skipped a beat, a sudden, irrational thought flashing through her mind.

Was Mikhailis… cheating on her?

On their second day as a couple?

She pushed the door open slowly, her hand trembling slightly, unsure of what she would find.

Inside, the scene that greeted her was not at all what she expected. Two maids—one of them Lira, Mikhailis's personal maid, and the other a peer of hers—were sitting on the floor, completely engrossed in something she had never seen before.

A large, glass object—a device of some kind—was mounted on the wall, glowing with images and light. Elowen blinked in confusion as she stepped further into the room, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

On the glowing screen, there was a scene playing out, a castle, politics, and people dressed in strange clothes. It was actually a drama of some sort—Chinese, in the setting of a political romance but Elowen didn't recognize it as she's not particularly informed about the 'cultures' of Mikhailis' world—and the two maids were utterly absorbed, their eyes wide and focused. Every now and then, one of them would squeal softly, especially during what seemed to be a romantic scene.

Elowen's gaze drifted from the screen to the rest of the room, and there, in the far corner, stood Mikhailis. But instead of lounging or talking to the maids, he was dressed in a long white coat—something that reminded her vaguely of a scholar—and he was standing in front of a large, floating image. It looked like some kind of machine, suspended in the air, made of glowing lines and shapes. His glasses were perched on his nose as he stared intently at the image, muttering to himself as he adjusted the floating lines with his fingers.

"What… is all of this?" Elowen finally asked, her voice breaking the quiet.

The two maids jumped, their heads whipping around to face her, their faces flushing with embarrassment as they scrambled to their feet.

"Y-Your Majesty!" Lira stammered, bowing deeply.

"We… we didn't mean to—"

"It's alright," Elowen said softly, holding up a hand to stop her. She wasn't angry, just… confused. Her eyes drifted back to the glowing screen.

"What is this?"

"It's called a television," Mikhailis said casually, not looking up from his floating machine design.

"Think of it as… a magical device that shows moving pictures. People in my world use it for entertainment."

Elowen blinked, her eyes moving from the television to Mikhailis and then back again.

"Entertainment…?"

"Yep," Mikhailis replied, finally glancing over at her with a small, amused smile.

"They're watching a drama. Something about castles and romance. I think they're hooked on it now." He grinned, a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Elowen raised an eyebrow, still not entirely sure what to make of the strange device, or the fact that her maids were so thoroughly entranced by it.

"And… that?" she asked, pointing at the floating machine diagram in front of him.

"This?" Mikhailis waved a hand at the hologram.

"Just a little project I'm working on. Something from my world. It's called a hologram—basically, a projection of a design I'm working on. I use it to build and plan things. Makes life easier when you can see everything in 3D. I could perfectly design everything effectively, after all,"

Elowen's confusion deepened, though she could see that whatever this was, it wasn't something she needed to be worried about.

"A hologram… television…"

Mikhailis chuckled, walking over to her and placing a gentle hand on her arm.

"Don't worry, wifey. It's all harmless. Just some toys from my world."

She glanced at him, her eyes softening a little.

"I wasn't sure what to think when I heard voices… I thought—"

"You thought I was cheating on you?" Mikhailis finished with a grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Again.

This man has seen right through her mind, her bluff that was supposed to be polished as a queen.

Elowen felt her cheeks heat up slightly, embarrassed that she had jumped to such a conclusion.

"I… yes, maybe."

Mikhailis laughed softly, his hand squeezing hers.

"Don't worry. I might be eccentric, but I'm not that kind of idiot,"

The maids, still standing awkwardly to the side, exchanged nervous glances, clearly unsure of what to do. Elowen noticed their discomfort and waved a hand dismissively.

"It's alright. You may go."

They bowed quickly, murmuring apologies before hurrying out of the room, leaving Elowen and Mikhailis alone. The room was quiet again, save for the faint hum of the hologram.

"So," Mikhailis said, his tone light and teasing as he pulled her closer,

"how was your day?"

Elowen sighed, leaning into his touch.

"Exhausting. It's always something with the council…"

Mikhailis nodded, his expression softening as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Well, you're home now. No more council, no more politics. Just you and me."

She smiled, feeling the tension of the day melt away as she rested her head against his chest.

"Thank you, Mikhailis."

"For what?"

"For making things feel… lighter."

He chuckled softly, brushing a strand of her silver hair away from her face. "Anytime, wifey. NOw let me have you the long-awaited room tour,"

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