36- Hida's Royal Burden

                                        

                                              
Hida spat her drink back into the glass, her tongue already burning and all attempt at etiquette in front of the Queen forgotten in the name of survival. Blair's dementedly proud grin proved she felt no remorse over pulling a stunt in front of the Queen and Consort. Even Edwina had taken a little sip and wheezed; Hida suspected she'd have even tried it on the Royals except that could have seriously dire consequences. Unless the Queen really could hear thoughts just by looking at a person, then Blair could try and get called out immediately. 
"I see Lady Blair Briggs' reputation for entertaining malarky is apt," to Hida's delight and Alaric's obvious dismay, the Queen actually caught on; Hida tried to ignore the worm of adrenaline that this seemed to confirm that the Queen could read minds. 
"Thank you, your Majesty," Blair gave a flawless curtsey and Hida watched carefully so she could try to emulate it herself. "Would you like me to replace the champagne in your glass with the same Hinikian spirit?"
Hida could see the vein in Alaric's forehead throb even as her eldest sibling smiled as if amused, and the Queen's easy agreement to Blair's offer made the vein PULSE. "How can you all like this stuff?" she asked.
Apparently loud enough to be heard, because Prince Consort Levi laughed, "you must be Hida, I've heard you're refreshingly direct."
Hida's shadows had shown her who he was, and what her role in the future would be for him, and yet she was surprised that he also knew of her. "Have you also heard that when I'm a full Knight, I'll one day be your Royal Guard?"
"Pinky!" Alaric hissed at her even as Edwina tried to softly quiet her with a hand on her wrist.
"Pinky?" the Prince Consort sounded like the nickname thrilled him, "I take it your adorable hair colour is the origin of that name?" Hida might be blunt, but she was also smart enough to realize the Prince Consort focusing on her nickname was its own confirmation that he already knew her eventually role as his Knight; how she wasn't sure, but that could be determined later.
"Yes, Prince Levi," she confirmed, not bothering to lie. "My Queen," Hida tried to mimic Blair's earlier courtesy, "thank you for coming to celebrate my loved ones, and I am thrilled to be able to say that Queen Akiyama is my sister-in-law."
Even Blair gave Hida a look as if you say 'you can't say that to the Queen!', but no one dared speak before the Queen could respond. No one but Prince Consort Levi, "you are a refreshingly direct Taroton noble, Pinky; it's going to be fun having you as my Knight."
Her mind's eye flashed to the future her shadows had shown, Prince Levi's current smiling image replaced by the sight of him bloodied, shirtless, and with a crossbow bolt in his shoulder. She still didn't know when or where that assassination attempt would occur, only that it'd fail. She had to push the image from her mind, the rumours of the Queen's magic all too common for Hida to feel like such a thought was safe. So Hida used the trick she always did when trying to calm her thoughts; she didn't try to think of nothing, she simply focused on all the things around her. What she could smell, hear, see, even taste and feel; it was all catalogued without emotional investment and let Hida simply deal with what was at hand. 
"Thank you for such confidence," Hida gave a slight curtsey, not actually certain what protocol was for receiving a Royal compliment. 
"I'd hoped to allot you a more typical childhood and training regime, Lady Hida," Queen Akiyama HAD known about Hida's future as a Knight for the Prince, "but given your precociousness, it may be prudent to give you more specific training." 
"That sounds ominous, my Queen, but I accept," Hida's immediate response elicited several smothered laughs, one sigh, and a slightly amused quirk to the Queen's polite smile.