201 Decision Maker

"My King," Eskyl said slowly, "You can't be serious?"

Eskyl had never known his sister could be this stubborn. At the beginning of her reign, she had tried on multiple occasions to voice her own opinions and make her so-called decisions for the greater good. 

"I think I made my wishes very clearly," Sylvy announced as she looked directly at her brother. 

Her brother was livid. She could see it in his eyes. She had struck a nerve in him but she never expected him to react the way he did next. Eskyl walked over to Sylvy's side and was about to grab hold of her chin when she swiftly swiped his hand away. 

It was a reflex reaction. 

Her defiance angered Eskyl. At that moment, fury blinded him. He slapped her across the face. 

Pak!

The sound of the slap rang out through the room. Tinee gasped in surprise.

"Eskyl! What do you think you're…"

"You're just a maid!" Eskyl shouted at Tinee as he glared at her with flared nostrils, "You have no right to speak to me." 

Sylvy could hear her heart beating in her ears, the sting of the pain on her cheek burned her skin. It felt as if someone had burnt her cheek with hot water. She subconsciously raised her trembling hand to her cheek. 

She shifted her gaze to her brother. 

The grin on his face, with not a hint of remorse. 

"Without me, you're nothing," Eskyl said monotonously.

Finishing his sentence, he readjusted the collar of his shirt and turned to leave the room. But Sylvy was not letting him leave. She slammed her hands down on the table and shot up from her seat. 

Both Eskyl and Tinee jolted as the sound of the slam. 

"I am your King!" Sylvy commanded. 

Her voice was shaking and so was her entire body. Both of her hands were curled into fists, trembling by her side. Waves of emotion were holding her back. The thoughts that raised through her mind, the voices she heard at the back of her head. 

She wanted to let all of them out. She could feel the tears brimming at the side of her eyes. She could feel the lump stuck in her throat. 

"I make the decision, not you," Sylvy could not hold herself together. 

His words had shattered the barrier she worked so hard to build over the years. The indifference she showed to maintain a sense of pride. All of that came crumbling down with his one phrase. Eskyl did not even turn back. 

He knew he had won, he could not get rid of the smirk on his face. Before Sylvy could say anything, Eskyl left the study room. Right before he left, he turned around and bowed. 

"If your Majesty has no need for me now, I will take my leave," he said. 

With that, he gave her one last look of disgust before closing the door behind him. As soon as the latch on the door clicked, Sylvy was a mess. She could no longer hold everything in. But there were no tears that trickled down her cheeks. 

"Sylvy…" Tinee called out to her King but Sylvy stopped her. 

"No," Sylvy muttered. 

She covered her face with her hands, still shaking like a leaf. In her mind, a voice whispered to her. 

-Take in deep breaths, deep deep breaths. You can do it.-

With the voice in her mind, Sylvy took in deep breaths. 

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

Inhale. 

Exhale. 

Tinee did not move, nor did she make a sound. She stood there by her King's side as she calmed herself down. Soon enough, she was no longer shaking, she was calm. But the fact of the matter still remained. 

Was she truly powerless?

When she fully recovered, Sylvy spoke, "Tinee,"

"Yes, my King?"

"As soon as the negotiator arrives, bring them to me," she said. 

Tinee bowed, "As you wish, your Majesty. I will see to it that it is done."

For the rest of the day, Sylvy looked through the requests that had been sent to her by the nobles and her people. Most of the requests had already been filtered through by her ministers so all it needed was her stamp of approval. 

By the time she was done, it was already dark outside. Sylvy had finished her second pot of coffee just as her work was completed. She stood up from her seat and stretched her stiff muscles. 

"Shall I get them to prepare dinner, your Majesty?" Tinee asked. 

She paused in thought for a moment before replying, "Have them prepare something and bring it to my room." 

"As you wish, I will get the kitchen to prepare it after I accompany you back to your room."

"No need, I can return to my room on my own, you go get dinner prepared. And have some dinner yourself too," Sylvy said as she walked towards the door. 

She did not give Tinee any time to reply as she swiftly opened the door and left the study room. As soon as the guards who stood watch outside the room saw their King exit, they immediately bowed their heads and saluted her. 

Sylvy glanced at them both. She noticed that the royal guard on the right had a familiar light pink butterfly pin pinned on the side of his collar. Seeing the pin brought a smile to her face, but as soon as she could feel the twitch of her lips, she quickly reminded herself to remain Kingly. 

Tinee came out of the study room, just in time to witness the scene. She instructed the guard with the pink butterfly pin to escort the King back to her room. The guard looked up at Tinee and saluted her before turning his attention to his King. 

With that, Sylvy returned to her room with the company of a royal guard. The hallways were not busy at that hour for most of the castle staff and ministers were all having their meals in the various rooms and halls. 

As the King, Sylvy would sometimes eat with her ministers in the Hall of Lilies. But since she had ended her duties late today, she decided to have her dinner in the privacy of her own quarters. 

Seeing that the guard was silent mystified Sylvy. How long more was he going to play pretend? 

Did he really take Sylvy for a fool?