The Kingdom of RiverNight- The Tale of the queen and her knight

Chapter 10-The Knight's dinner, part two

The meeting finally ended and both the queen and her knight were hungry. 

"So..." Alex began "that was a little intense". Alex pointed behind her at the building they just emerged from.

The queen didn't respond, she was lost in her own thoughts. They continued walking towards Alex's family's home for dinner. They walked in silence, but both felt peaceful even if the unknown was waiting for them tomorrow.

They arrived at the home and this time Alex ran into the home to hug her son. The queen followed behind Alex. Alex picked Thomas up, trying to hug him with all her might. But, he wiggled free and ran to the queen. 

"Your majesty, I made you something!" squeaked Thomas trying to bow and almost run back out of the room before he finished his sentence.

Alex giggle and shook her head looking over at the queen. "I think Thomas has taking a liking to you" 

The queen smiled and said "I think I've taking a liking to him also."

Thomas returned presenting the queen with a piece of wood. On the wood appeared to be flowers pressed down causing a 3D effect shaping a butterfly. The queen felt her heart burst. No one ever gave her anything for nothing. Here is this little boy she had known for a day. The queen felt tears in her eyes.

The queen was speechless and Thomas stood there unsure if she liked his gift. So he started to shift his feet and looked down at the floor. 

"I know it's not much..."Thomas whispered. 

The queen bent down and lifted Thomas' head so there eyes met. "It's the most beautiful thing I now own" The queen said smiling. 

"It's called pressed art. It's hard but simple at the same time. See I press the flowers on the wood by pounding them. I shaped it to be a butterfly. Then used a little water to give it that effect" Thomas continued to ramble at how he created this and the queen seem to listen to it just as attentively as she did in the meeting about a beast.

Alex and Lilly just stood in silence as the interaction occurred. Thomas was always shy, it's one of the reasons he loves to read. So him opening up to the queen made Lilly and Alex proud.

Lilly continued to tell stories of Alex as a child while Alex pretended she was embarrassed. At times, Alex would try to cover the queen's ear so she couldn't hear or start tickling Thomas to make him laugh so loud no one could hear anything else. 

"What were you like as a kid?" asked Thomas to the queen as he was still giggling from the last tickle attack Alex did.

The queen thought for a moment, her smile fading. She was trying to think of one happy memory from her childhood. Her father didn't chase her around while pretending to be a mud monster. Her mother didn't teach her how to cook. She spent most of her time alone, reading in her library or riding horses. The only time she spoke to her father was when he was telling her she needed to let her darkness consume her so she could win his kingdom's war. The only time she spoke with her mother was when she was when she was belittling her...telling her she wished she never had her.

"I..." the queen began, she could make up a happy memory, but she decided to tell the truth or at least part of it. "My parents were very busy when I was a child so I spent most of my time reading or riding horses."

Thomas perked up. "I love reading too and I always wanted to ride a horse!" Thomas beamed at the queen and she relaxed. Alex reached her hand out, placed it on the queen's knee, and gently squeeze. 

The queen smirked and said "Did you know your mother was scared of horses when she came to the castle?" Alex shot the queen a look and pretended to be hurt.

"I was not scare...."Alex began. 

Thomas roared with laugher and tried to make a horse sound, but it came out more like a trumpet. The whole house filled with laughter. Alex missed this. She missed her family, but she knew tomorrow she would have to leave. The queen looked around the table, she wanted this. She never wanted a family before, but here she was thinking that she would miss this. Even if it was only for two nights, she would remember this feeling forever. 

Time passed quickly and it was now past Thomas' bedtime. The food was amazing again. And throughout the dinner, stolen looks were exchanged by the queen and her knight, which did not go unnoticed by Lilly.

Alex stood and repeated her goodbyes with Thomas.

"I'm going to put Thomas to bed, I'll be right back" Alex said to her queen who knotted her head in response.

Lily was finishing up cleaning their plates. She wiped her hands on a towel and walked over by the queen who was standing near the doorway.

"She is a pretty amazing person." Lily stated looking at the queen. "She has the biggest heart I have ever known. I think she gets it from our mom. Ally is closed off, but when she loves someone... she does it with all her heart and soul..." From a distance Lilly could hear footsteps of Alex entering the room. Alex smiled looking between her queen and her sister.

"Please don't break either..." Lily finished as she walked back toward the table to finish picking up dinner.