Subtle Sovereignty | Chapter IV: Muted Desires | By Twisted Eternal Wolvetta
"I believe Natsuki deserves a break." Shizuru said once they were settled within the privacy of her quarters. "Come." Seizing the Spymaster's hand, she guided her towards the sitting area. "I wish to speak with you."
Oh, didn't Natsuki know it. Given no choice, she was herded towards the settee beside the fireplace and coffee table. Sitting down, she apprehensively glanced around. She had never been this deep inside the Queen's quarters before. Even as the Spymaster, this was a first. Natsuki had never voyaged past the meeting chamber. "What's this abo—" An index finger deftly sealed her lips.
"—A break." The sovereign interrupted, repeating herself. "I believe Natsuki deserves it."
"B-but why?" Natsuki mumbled against the digit, glancing at the hand placed upon the settee beside her. The Queen edged over, smiling. "H-huh." What's she scheming this time?
"Does Natsuki not remember it is soon her birthday?" Shizuru invaded her personal bubble, contently observing her restlessness. She's so cute. Furthering her inspection, she watched as her adorable Spymaster fidgeted. "...Natsuki?"
Oh. Natsuki sheepishly veered her gaze from the monarch. "I forgot, but… so? No rest for the wicked."
"Wicked indeed…" Shizuru chuckled, finally easing away. "I wanted to discuss possible preparations—during completing written work together, mayhaps?" She quickly added, knowing that this was the easiest way to lure Natsuki in. If there was no genuine reason to be here, her Spymaster would flee.
"Writing? Detailing what?" Natsuki eyed her suspiciously before turning her attention to the nearby table. Here there was a stack of parchment beside inkwells, quills and candles. Typical Shizuru. She had organised everything before she had been made aware. A sigh escaped her. "I guess I don't have any choice, do I?"
"Perfect." The Queen smiled happily, standing up and approaching this workplace. "I require help with foreign affairs. As you can imagine..." Her fingers brushed against the table as her gaze returned to Natsuki. "...Recent incidents have been especially complex."
The Spymaster wasn't sure if Shizuru was lying. Did she truly need aid? Nevertheless, the Queen's order was always fulfilled.
By the time they were finishing up, it was the late afternoon. Natsuki didn't dare think how long they had been working. Exhaustedly, she slid the final parchment away and pressed her forehead to the table. "Ugh. I hate writing. One mistake ruins a whole document, ink gets everywhere… My hand hurts."
"Do you dislike writing?" Shizuru watched her with amusement. Though Natsuki was the daughter of a lesser noblewoman, literacy was relatively new for her. Natsuki's mother had taught her what she could, but it had been difficult. The father, killed during the Wind-Lute War, had forbidden it. Shizuru was curious about Natsuki's past, but she rarely spoke about it. She was still unsure whether her father had been aware of her militia role. Had he even been alive at that point?
"It's painstaking and complicated." The Spymaster hadn't written about something half-hearted in… well, years. Angling her head, Natsuki rested her temple against the desk. She was a little jealous of Shizuru's handwriting. Her hand was as graceful and exact as a monk's. Pushing herself up, she looked to the Queen's parchment before her. As expected, it was beautiful. "When did you learn to write?"
"Age three. As I am of Windbloom and Zipangese descent, my future was concerning. My sex made it incredibly unlikely that I would become Empress of Zipang." The monarch murmured, placing her quill back within the inkwell. "The Zipangese ruler must be the eldest son from the male line. That is my cousin. I myself? Well." She cracked a smile at the Spymaster who's face scrunched up. "I was trained in case my Windbloom uncle died without an heir. As you can see, as unlikely as that was, I became Queen."
"How has the Zipangese royalty not died out with such a system?" Natsuki felt their system had been bad enough. What with the eldest male becoming King, even if he has an elder sister. But Zipang's? "Has Zipang even had an Empress?"
"A few, though they are temporary until the Crown Prince is born. But, enough of that." Leaving her parchment to dry, Shizuru eased from her chair and rounded the table. Approaching Natsuki, she landed a hand upon her shoulder. "Shall we have a drink by the fire?"
Natsuki looked at her warily, spotting a twinkle within the woman's eye. Whether it was from the fire's embers reflecting or something else, the Spymaster didn't know. "I could do with a few." She sighed. What's she getting herself into? Natsuki was unsure whether she even wanted an answer.
"A few?" The sovereign chuckled, heading towards the door. "What would you like? The cellar has a supply of wines, ales, meads, rums, gin and whiskey."
"Huh, gin, I guess?" Natsuki shrugged, watching Shizuru open the door and waft her fingers towards someone.
"Please fetch a bottle of gin. Oh, and wine." Something was asked before Shizuru continued: "Red, yes." Shutting the door, the Queen sat herself down upon the settee. "Natsuki, come here." She shot her an amused glance, a smile forming as she received a confused look. "Come here."
Should Natsuki seriously be considering this? She continued to pointedly stare at Her Majesty before releasing yet another defeated sigh. Again, did she have a choice? Of course not. Picking herself up, she stretched, the ache mildly leaving her muscles. Heading towards the settee, she hesitated when a lady in waiting entered. The woman bowed—with a tray and all. Atop the silverware were two bottles, glasses and a cork opener. Once she placed the tray atop the coffee table and departed, only then did Natsuki sit.
Noticing that the Spymaster sat some distance away, the Queen tutted. "Natsuki." She rebuked softly, wrapping an arm around Natsuki's waist. Dragging her closer, she reached for an empty glass. "You must sit with me, not far away." She teased, pushing the container within Natsuki's hand. "Allow me to get your drink."
"Getting me drunk now, Viola?"
Her comment made the Queen pause briefly before grasping the gin bottle. The glass clinked against her sovereign ring, causing Natsuki's ears to twitch. "Hardly." Shizuru drawled. What kind of monster would she be to make Natsuki hers through alcohol? Yes, the monarch very much wanted her Spymaster. However, she wanted her heart.
A/N: I will be taking a short break from this to concentrate on other stories. In the background I will likely develop Subtle Sovereignty's timeline. I'm not actually sure how or when this story should conclude. Anyway, we'll see how these two get up to no good later.
PS: I want to add it's unreal how much motivation and fun I've felt reading your reviews! Writing this feels like I got teleported back into 2010 when the fandom was still strong. Are some of you new? I've noticed my viewer numbers have shot up this month.
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