49 The Funeral X (2/2)

She watched as Queen Heloise's eyes narrowed slightly, sounding out whether Hilde meant anything more from what she said or from how she said it. The younger woman kept her small smile in place.

Didn't the Queen say it herself? If you give the enemy the reaction they're fishing for, you lose.

So Hilde will not rise to her sister's bait. She'll let her stew in her frustration instead.

In its own way, doing this was satisfying too, except she had lost the capacity to feel pleasure after inflicting a wound on others. She did it this time with grim and detached purpose.

Finding in Hilde no foothold, Queen Heloise turned her efforts elsewhere.

”Don't you also find their similarities striking?” she asked. She was facing Lady Ilse now, but too late, Hilde realized the bait thrown earlier might attract another target. If she'd also seen Gisela's reaction to Theodar's return… ”The Lord General was perhaps more grief-stricken than I assumed, for his mind to be affected so. We now know he does not, but if he'd truly wanted Princess Hilde under his thumb, wouldn't trying to marry her into his family be the easier method? Why raise the convoluted matter of trying to make her a general? It only planted false and unnecessary expectations in many.” Smiling indulgently, she shook her head. ”Was he thinking I would object to that match? I would not – I had always been open to one day joining our families together.”

For three heartbeats, that statement was met with absolute silence.

”That's…” Lady Ilse began, but she was unable to continue in the end and swallowed instead. In her eyes, though, the words she wanted to say were clear: ”That's just terrible.”

Of course, politically speaking, there was nothing wrong with what the Queen just said. As for its humanity…

With rare and admirable control, the Lady had at least managed not to glance towards her younger niece's direction.

It would have been fine, though. All anyone would have seen if they'd looked at Hilde's face in those moments was that same smile, bland and absolutely devoid of meaning.

Then her aunt went on: ”I say no to choosing that boy, no matter whose son he is. But on one score, I completely agree.” This time, with all intent, Lady Ilse turned to Hilde. ”Niece, I say it's time for you to abandon the pursuits of your childhood. After all…” She had the grace to draw in a heavy breath, knowing the words she was about to say were equally as terrible as the Queen's had been. ”This timing – isn't it quite auspicious?”