(From Blue''s Perspective)


    "I am Calix Elver. I will be guarding Your Highness today," a boy no more than sixteen said, bowing. There was no way he was going to be more than sixteen.


    "Come back as soon as you are done," Demetrius said. "I don''t mind you looking around. It''s just you don''t know the ways much..."


    "I understand," I said. "I wille back soon. But..."


    "What?"


    "Calix- how old is he?"


    "How old are you? Sixteen?" Dem asked, looking at him.


    "Yes, Your Highness," he replied.


    "Why is a sixteen-year-old here?" I asked. "He... He is not eighteen yet. But why is he in the knights'' squad? He should still be training or something."


    "If Your Highness is worried about my skill, I can guarantee you that I can protect you very well," Calix said.


    I sighed. "I am not worried about your ability. It''s just... If you are not eighteen, you should not be doing such things."


    "We can talk about itter," Dem said.


    I red at him. "Get me someone else," I said. "And you better have an exnation why a sixteen-year-old is already a knight. No matter how skilled someone is, sixteen is not an age when you should do this. He is a kid, for god''s sake!"


    Calix turned red hearing me say that out loud. Perhaps I was hurting his feelings right now, but it was not intentional. If a sixteen-year-old was a knight, then it meant he also went to wars. And in wars, it did not matter how old someone was. All they cared about was winning. I could not even think of a sixteen-year-old going to such ces just because they were skilled.


    It was not just physical strength; it was about their emotional health. How was a kid going to grow up witnessing killing at such an age?


    Everyone was surprised seeing me like this since most of the time, I did not even talk too loudly, but I literally yelled and that was also at their king. But before he was a king, he was my husband. And I needed to tell him off if he was wrong.


    "Ha, alright," Dem sighed. "Bring me Abel."


    Some servants quickly went to get Abel and came back with him. He was in his twenties it seemed. He sported light golden blond hair with forest green eyes.


    "Guard the Queen and make sure she is safe," Dem said. "Don''t leave her side."


    "... Yes, Your Highness."


    He looked like he did not expect it at all. He seemed to be an adult, so it was no problem for him if he was the one to guard me.


    "I will be leaving them," I said as Dem helped me in the carriage. He looked like he did not want to let me go. It was not like I was leaving forever and that was exactly what he was afraid of even though I had told him countless times that I was not going to leave his side.


    "Come back as soon as possible," he whispered into my ear.


    "Yes, I will," I nodded.


    The carriage started. I looked out the window and watched Dem looking at me. Did he have to have that look on his face that made me think that I was doing something wrong?


    Abel was riding with the coachman while Perita and Ruby were riding with me. Perita was looking at me in a weird way while Ruby had a straight face as she almost all the time did when she was with Perita. I still did not understand much why she did not like Perita.


    "Why did Your Highness stop Calix?" Perita asked. "He is a great knight even though he is young. His Highness found him on a battlefield three years ago and after seeing him fighting for his life there, he brought him back and trained him. Calix was blessed in swordsmanship and so he finished his lessons pretty early and got a good ce in the Imperial knight squad.


    He even had been to war and he was also in the first line squad."


    "No wonder," I mumbled. "I have to talk to Demetrius about this after I go back."


    "But why?" Perita asked.


    "Well, isn''t it obvious? Sir Calix is only sixteen. No matter how blessed someone is in swordsmanship, sixteen is not an age when someone should take part in wars. Ourw also says that someone is qualified to join the knights'' squad after eighteen," Ruby said.


    "But Calix is a special case," Perita argued. "His Highness, the King, himself gave him permission and chose him."


    "That''s why Her Highness will talk to His Highness so this kind of thing does not happen again," Ruby said. "Please ask no more, Perita. Her Highness is resting, so let her do so."


    I leaned on Ruby''s shoulder who was sitting beside me. I was feeling awful because my head was filled with thoughts. But more than that, I was disappointed by the carriage ride.


    I thought it was going to be fun. But not long after, I was proven wrong. The carriage ride was notfortable at all. My waist felt like it was going to break. If my bottom and the seat became one, I would not be surprised.


    "Your Highness must be tired," Ruby said. "You came right after practicing and could not even rest. Your Highness really needed not to help me this much..."


    "It''s nothing," I said. "I just have a headache, that''s all."


    "Is it because of the bun? Is it too tight?"


    Ruby had tied my hair in a French twist bun. It was not too tight. I would rather say it was much morefortable than some of the other hairstyles that she did. It was not called French twist here though. They called it something else, but I did not bother to remember.


    I was wearing a ck gown as usual and it was also toovish. It was nothing abnormal anymore. I had somewhat gotten used to it as well.


    "No, the bun is okay. I don''t know. I am just tired," I mumbled.


    "Your Highness can sleep if you want to," she said. "I will wake you up when we reach there."


    I could not sleep wellst night. The workload had increased and so did the special exercise with Dem. It was not like I was happy that we could get intimate again. I just still could not suit the new routine. It would take me a while since I always took a while to get used to things.


    "Are you a virgin, Ruby?"


    "Pfft... Why is Your Highness asking that?" Ruby asked.


    "Just tell me. Are you?"


    "Yes... Well, I could not find my dream guy, so I did not do it," she said.


    That was a worrying thing. Luc was a virgin too. So, none of them had any experience when it came to these kinds of things. It was true that Dem and I were virgins before our wedding as well. But at least, Dem studied a lot about it and was truly enthusiastic though it was not the same case for Luc. He was not interested in anything like this.


    And that was the problem. I should tell Dem to talk to Luc about it and give him advice about what to do and what to not do since Luc was not someone who was going to even try to learn it in any way.


    "Don''t worry, Ruby. You will have a great wedding night. Trust me," I said determinedly.


    "What is Your Highness talking about all of a sudden?" she asked, turningpletely red.


    "You know about sex, right? If you have any hardship, ask me about it. It is a field I know a bit about," I said. "I will tell you all I know, so you can get help for your wedding night."


    It had been a long time since Ruby had been my personal maid, so I did not feel much shy around her anymore. We had gotten very close as well. Perita and I had not reached that level yet, but we were a bit close too.


    "Your Highness is really something," she chuckled. "No Queen would go this far to help a mere maid."


    "You keep saying that. I told you it''s nothing. We are more like friends at this point after all," I said.


    "So, don''t worry, and let me help you as a friend."


    "Your Highness wanna have some peanuts?" Perita asked.


    "Where did you get them?" I asked as I took a few peanuts from a pouch that she offered.


    "I carry them with me all the time," she said. "Ruby, have some too."


    My arms felt a bit empty since Sapphire was not with me. Ava had been taking her to y with her these days. She seemed to like Sapphire a lot so I did not stop her. And besides, I could not y with Sapphire enough. She might get bored.