the question. Has King Eugeon executed another will since the one he penned five years ago?"
"No," Lavitor shook his head. "I would not even think to ask for another one. I am just grateful that you managed to get him to agree to the last one. Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious," smiled Naveena as she rose and stood facing Lavitor. "Then you are still named as regent?"
"Of course," nodded the king's advisor. "I am already running the kingdom anyway, so it makes a great deal of sense."
"Yes, it does," Naveena said in a monotone voice as she stared into her husband's eyes. "There is something that you must do today. Listen closely."
Lavitor stood facing his wife with a bland expression, his eyes glazed over. Her words flowed softly in a monotone that could not be heard a few feet away, but the king's advisor offered no reply, nor did he give any indication that he even heard her words.
When she was done, Naveena turned and left the room. There were no words of farewell, nor any promise to see him later. The wisper moved swiftly through the halls of the palace and down the stairs. As she approached the office of General Ortega, she grabbed a nearby servant.
"The king has ordered a bath," she said to the servant. "Arrange it immediately."
Without waiting for a response, Naveena continued on her way and entered the general's office. The general looked up and recognized the wisper. His expression betrayed his displeasure of the visitor.
"I came to apologize for my outburst earlier," Naveena said without preamble. "It was uncalled for, and I am sorry for my words."
The general's brow wrinkled with puzzlement as he gazed at his visitor. His hand ran over his baldhead as if he were searching for the words to say in response to the apology.
"I guess I get so passionate when I think of Zalman and the hurt that he has brought to both the royal family and my own, that I forget my station," Naveena continued. "You cannot imagine how embarrassed I am about my behavior."
General Ortega blinked and his lips quivered between a smile and a frown. It was as if he could not decide if what he was hearing was the truth or not.
"You must understand my position, General," the wisper continued. "I have had the responsibility of raising two very special boys. Those boys are the future of this country, and I love them both dearly, but it pains me everyday to think of the reason for my being in the palace. If Zalman had not perpetuated a gross, malignant evil upon this country, those two sweet boys would still have mothers alive to take care of them. There is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could shove a knife into Zalman's body and twist it with all my might. I know that is not the proper way for a member of the Court of Borunda to feel, but it is exactly the way any mother would feel towards an evil person that had harmed her child."
"And you have grown to be their mother," the general nodded sympathetically. "I do think I now understand you, Naveena. I am sorry for having misjudged you in the past."
"It is not your fault, General," Naveena smiled meekly. "I too often give little regard to how others see me, and one cannot be blamed for getting the wrong impression of me. It is entirely my fault. I should be more conscious about appearances, but frankly, raising two strong-willed boys is an extremely time-consuming job. They are both extremely intelligent and that keeps me on my toes at all times."
"Well," the general smiled warmly, "I have to admit that you have done a magnificent job. Prince Garrick impressed everyone last week with his new duty roster. Frankly, I had to scold some officers for failing to notice the needed reforms before the young prince pointed them out. Both you and Lavitor are to be congratulated on the fine young men you are preparing for this country's future."
"I thank you for your warms words," smiled Naveena. "I will make it a point to relay them to the king's advisor. Perhaps it will lift his
"No," Lavitor shook his head. "I would not even think to ask for another one. I am just grateful that you managed to get him to agree to the last one. Why do you ask?"
"I was just curious," smiled Naveena as she rose and stood facing Lavitor. "Then you are still named as regent?"
"Of course," nodded the king's advisor. "I am already running the kingdom anyway, so it makes a great deal of sense."
"Yes, it does," Naveena said in a monotone voice as she stared into her husband's eyes. "There is something that you must do today. Listen closely."
Lavitor stood facing his wife with a bland expression, his eyes glazed over. Her words flowed softly in a monotone that could not be heard a few feet away, but the king's advisor offered no reply, nor did he give any indication that he even heard her words.
When she was done, Naveena turned and left the room. There were no words of farewell, nor any promise to see him later. The wisper moved swiftly through the halls of the palace and down the stairs. As she approached the office of General Ortega, she grabbed a nearby servant.
"The king has ordered a bath," she said to the servant. "Arrange it immediately."
Without waiting for a response, Naveena continued on her way and entered the general's office. The general looked up and recognized the wisper. His expression betrayed his displeasure of the visitor.
"I came to apologize for my outburst earlier," Naveena said without preamble. "It was uncalled for, and I am sorry for my words."
The general's brow wrinkled with puzzlement as he gazed at his visitor. His hand ran over his baldhead as if he were searching for the words to say in response to the apology.
"I guess I get so passionate when I think of Zalman and the hurt that he has brought to both the royal family and my own, that I forget my station," Naveena continued. "You cannot imagine how embarrassed I am about my behavior."
General Ortega blinked and his lips quivered between a smile and a frown. It was as if he could not decide if what he was hearing was the truth or not.
"You must understand my position, General," the wisper continued. "I have had the responsibility of raising two very special boys. Those boys are the future of this country, and I love them both dearly, but it pains me everyday to think of the reason for my being in the palace. If Zalman had not perpetuated a gross, malignant evil upon this country, those two sweet boys would still have mothers alive to take care of them. There is not a day that goes by that I don't wish I could shove a knife into Zalman's body and twist it with all my might. I know that is not the proper way for a member of the Court of Borunda to feel, but it is exactly the way any mother would feel towards an evil person that had harmed her child."
"And you have grown to be their mother," the general nodded sympathetically. "I do think I now understand you, Naveena. I am sorry for having misjudged you in the past."
"It is not your fault, General," Naveena smiled meekly. "I too often give little regard to how others see me, and one cannot be blamed for getting the wrong impression of me. It is entirely my fault. I should be more conscious about appearances, but frankly, raising two strong-willed boys is an extremely time-consuming job. They are both extremely intelligent and that keeps me on my toes at all times."
"Well," the general smiled warmly, "I have to admit that you have done a magnificent job. Prince Garrick impressed everyone last week with his new duty roster. Frankly, I had to scold some officers for failing to notice the needed reforms before the young prince pointed them out. Both you and Lavitor are to be congratulated on the fine young men you are preparing for this country's future."
"I thank you for your warms words," smiled Naveena. "I will make it a point to relay them to the king's advisor. Perhaps it will lift his
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