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Silaena was seven years old when she first became aware the Queen wanted something from her.
It was early afternoon in midsummer, and she and Marius had been sent to their playroom so they weren’t underfoot. A fine carriage had rolled up to the house shortly after lunch, and judging by the look on Mama’s face, whoever it was wasn’t supposed to be here. She’d sent them away with Marja, who chattered happily and held their hands in a vice grip, clearly trying to distract them from the tantalizing mystery of who had their normally calm and composed mother in such a tizzy.
Silaena and Marius were not the type of children to take such a thing as being sent away from the excitement easily. Indeed, the gears had already been spinning in her mind as she sat in front of her tea set, arranging the cups and plates to suit her taste. Perhaps she would insist on real refreshments for once. Marja was famously weak-willed when it came to them. But it turned out that there was no need, for no sooner than she had opened her mouth to ask than a knock, firm but polite, sounded at the playroom door.
Marja bustled over, then uttered a loud cry and dropped into a hasty curtsy when she saw who was on the other side. "Y-your Majesty!"
Through the door walked the Queen. Silaena knew she was the Queen because Mama had told her so. Her portrait hung in the dining room, and during her phase of asking any and every question that popped into her mind. It occurred to her to ask one day over lunch, when both Daddy and Papa were busy and only Mama was around. That last part was important, because even at this young age she had a suspicion that either one of them might have said something different. Probably something bad, but Mama wasn’t much in the mood for jokes that day.
"That's the Queen," she said simply, not looking up from buttering the crumpet in front of her. As she swiped strawberry jam across it, she added, "She's your...our cousin, I guess."
That didn't seem right to Silaena, because she knew what cousins were, and to her knowledge none of her parents had siblings. But then Mama had popped the crumpet in her mouth and she was far too indignant to push the matter further - that was her crumpet Mama was supposed to be buttering, after all!
Now here they were, just a few weeks later. She regarded the Queen coolly. She looked nothing like Mama and Papa, being that they were tieflings and she was not, so that only left Daddy to be related to her. But she was fair where Daddy was dark, and her golden hair didn't seem to glow like his did. How could this woman be a relative of theirs?
"Hello, children," the Queen said, coming to a stop at the head of the table. She clasped her hands in front of her and smiled down at them, looking everything like a Queen should. Silaena didn't trust her one whit, and glancing at Marius, she could tell her brother felt much the same. "My name is Galfrey, and I'm -"
"You're the Queen," Silaena said, without preamble. Marja gasped behind her, looking a mixture of abashed and horrified, but the Queen's smile didn't falter.
"Yes, I'm the Queen. And your cousin, as it turns out." Galfrey was careful to hold Silaena's gaze as she said that last part, not even daring a glance at Marius. It bothered her for reasons she wouldn't be able to parse until she was older. "Might I join your tea party?"
Why the Queen wanted to join a tea party where no actual tea was being served mystified her, even at the time, but let it never be said their parents didn't teach them manners. They just taught them to be selective with them, and this seemed like one of those times to put them on display.
"Of course," she said with a nod, carefully picking up the giant rabbit seated next to her. Doctor Mochi would just have to sit this party out.
"Thank you." Galfrey made an admirable show of sitting down on the chair, but all the grace in the world couldn't change the fact it was meant to seat children or stuffed animals, not a full-grown person. Even Mama usually went in favor of the floor. As she got to work pouring her a cup of not-tea, she said, "There is something I wanted to discuss with you, Silaena."
Try as she might to be her father's daughter, Silaena couldn't help but feel nervous at this. She was only seven! Whatever the Queen wanted to talk to her about probably couldn't be good. Still, as she set the cup down in front of the Queen, she nodded slowly. From across the table, Marius watched them hawkishly, his tail twitching every so often in a way that betrayed his own discomfort.
"You love your family very much, don't you?" It was a straightforward question, and one that took her completely aback.
"Yes!" she said without a second thought, eyes bright. She grinned at her brother, who didn't look happy at all. "Mama and Daddy and Papa are so much fun, and Marius is my best friend!"
It was hard for Silaena to understand the expression on Galfrey's face. She smiled, something she always thought people only did when they were happy, but her eyes were also sad. "I'm sure he is," she said softly, glancing back down at the tiny, empty teacup she held pinched between two fingers.
"Do you have a best friend?" Silaena asked, thinking perhaps that was the reason the Queen looked so sad. Maybe talking about her friend would help.
"It's...been a while since I had someone I could consider my best friend," Galfrey responded, brows furrowed as she glanced away momentarily. When she turned back, her smile had returned, albeit smaller, not as bright than before. "Perhaps you'd like to help me with that?"
Now it was Sileana's turn to scowl, though hers was in confusion. Before she could ask why the Queen would want a seven-year-old as best friend, there was a hurried rustling from the door. They all turned to see Mama walking into the room, her hands bunched into fists at her side and her normally full lips pressed into a thin line.
"Galfrey," Mama said, her voice tight, tail lashing behind her so fast there was an audible whooshing sound. The only other time she had seen her mother so agitated was when Daddy accidentally ruined some of her plants with one of his pranks in the garden. It was a rare sight indeed, and true to her nature, she found she was more curious than scared of her mother's wrath.
"Countess, I assure you there is no cause for concern. I merely wished to have a conversation with your daughter about the matter."
"A conver - she's seven, Galfrey! She won't even understand what you're going on about!"
"What are you going on about?" Silaena asked. Both women whipped their heads to look down at her again, and she had to smother her giggle at Mama's cross look. This must be why her parents were always giving each other such a hard time - it was fun!
The Queen shot her mother a triumphant look, then said, "The reason I decided to visit today was to see if perhaps you'd like to visit me in the capital on occasion. With you mother in tow, naturally." The last part was directed at Mama, clearly intending to soothe her. It didn't work - if anything, Mama seemed even more furious.
"She's too young, Galfrey. Why couldn't this have waited a few more years?"
That made her a little bit angry. Mama had never implied she was too young for anything before, so why start now?
"Yes, I want to go!" she blurted out before the Queen could say anything else. She instantly regretted it - her mother's face fell so quickly, anger dissipating and hurt taking its place so quickly that she almost felt ill.
"Excellent," Galfrey said, though her tone suggested otherwise. She glanced at Mama, softly adding, "I'll take care of all the accommodations, and you're free to accompany her the entire time Counte...Ariadne. I promise to show you that your reservations are unfounded."
With that, the Queen nodded at her and Marius and then left the room. When she was gone, Mama sank to the ground in front of their table. She looked so lost and sad, reaching out to toy with the teacup the Queen had abandoned. After a moment of indecision, Silaena walked over and wrapped her arms around her mother. Instantly she was grabbed, pulled into an embrace so tight and fierce she almost panicked. The tears she could feel on her neck didn't help.
"I'm sorry, Mama," she whispered, unsure of what to do. How did a child comfort their parent, instead of the other way around?
"No, I'm sorry," Mama said, pulling back and wiping the tears from her eyes. She tried to smile, but it was neither convincing nor reassuring. "I shouldn't have tried to take your choices from you. I should have known how you'd react - you are your father's daughter, after all."
That was all that was said on the matter. Mama joined them for the rest of the tea party, seeming to cheer as more time passed. A few months later, she and Silaena did indeed go to the capital for a week, where they stayed in the Queen's palace. They were forced to attend every function the Queen did, and at the end of their stay when Galfrey invited them back, Silaena took the liberty of turning her down with a blunt “no” that only a child could get away with.
While that was far from the end of it, the smile on Mama's face as they drove away from the flustered Queen still warms her heart to this day.