"Is this her castle?" she eyed the castle with curiosity.
"Yes, it is" Stayne laughed a little, noticing her gaze.
"She has good taste" she told him and he couldn't believe what he just heard. This will go smoothly he thought. He dismounted his horse then took Margaret's hand to help her off his horse. He offered his arm and she took it following him through the mass of doors and hallways before entering the massive throne room.
"Your majesty, I brought you someone" he said releasing his arm from her grip then lightly pressing his lips to the queen's hand.
"Who is this?" the queen asked.
"This is Margaret" once he had finished talking she gave a small curtsy.
"Hello" she said. She was quite nervous, but why shouldn't she be? She was in the presence of the bloody-big-head. Iracabeth, apparently, wanted to inspect Margaret so she had everyone leave the throne room except Stayne.
"Stayne, why is she here?" she asked, quite curious
"I feel she would fit in quite nicely, your majesty" He told her, hoping this would be all over soon.
You know, your majesty, red is just the perfect color for you and I wouldn't have chosen any other color scheme for you" she said hoping to appeal to the queen. She smiled then told Stayne to take Margaret to her room. Apparently sucking up to her was all you needed to be a member of her court. Once out of the throne room she let out a sigh of relief.
"Do you need anything? You've been in those clothes for a while now, would you like some new ones made?" when he asked that she looked at the dress she was wearing then ran a hand through her hair and nodded.
"I do think I could freshen up" Stayne led her to a large washroom and told some tailors things Margaret couldn't hear. They then took measurements of her and pulled fabrics with assorted designs. She walked in the warm water and ducked her head under the water feeling relief as it hit her skin. She found a black dress with a wide neck and ruffled skirt going down to the knees with a plaid-like design on the skirt. She at first found the dress a bit suggestive but soon saw other ladies in short dresses, so she put the dress on and liked the way it fitted on her.
She walked around the castle, a bit new to the people, but she soon fit in because she was the type who was into the gossip and socializing. Stayne was quite surprised at how fast she was mingling with the other people of the queen's court. "How's your wound?"
"I think it's all healed" she smiled then quickly put her arm behind her back causing Stayne to raise a brow in question.
"What's in your hand?" she was unmoving when he walked to her backside and she quickly turned around to face him again. "What are you hiding, please tell me?"
"Nothing" she laughed at him as if this were a game. He gripped her shoulders but still couldn't see her hand. He moved his hands down to her waist and pinched her softly, not knowing she was extremely ticklish, and she flailed her hands about exposing the hand she had tried so hard to hide.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You know that white fluffy creature with large teeth and claws?"
"The bandersnatch?"
"Yeah… that thing. I opened its den to see what was inside and it scratched me" she confessed like a child caught with their hand in he cookie jar.
"You are really clumsy, aren't you?" he laughed but was slightly irritated at the fact that she injured herself again. Not waiting for an answer he pulled her along to the hospital. A nurse bound her hand and told her it would heal quickly.
She made her way to the kitchen and had tea with Stayne not letting her out of his sight. "I like you". She inched forward and almost closed the space between the two.
"I don't think its pretty safe to say that here" he said, making sure no one saw or heard them.
"Why?" she sadly moaned as she twirled his hair in her finger.
"I don't know how to explain" just thinking of the red queen and her advances toward him were making him nauseated. She walked out of the kitchen and he thought their friendship would be over.
How wrong he was.