The Tiger Within 263 Lady Chay

"Your understanding of music has made your dancing more impressive, my dear." Clovis praised her, and Raina glowed with pride.

"I have also been watching the fairies dance. I'm getting quite good, Father." Raina replied with a smile.

"Yes you are. Shall we go see your grandmother now? I know she is eager to see you all dressed up." Clovis added and Raina's eyes lit up.

"Yes please! Grandma Evelyn and Kyera should be over there." Raina led him toward the older woman, looking concerned in her chair. He could sense something was wrong. There was a lot of twittering and discussion in low voices as though  something was being rumored already.

Evelyn smiled as her granddaughter curtsied and greeted her like a princess should. There was a sweet elegance about the perfectly mannered child. "I am so glad to see you, Princess. You look marvelous, whose dress are you wearing?" The Empress asked with a smile. Raina smiled proudly smoothing the dress over her hips.

"A very very talented young lady from the Little Circle. She and her blind grandma make the prettiest clothes, Empress." Princess Raina raved about the experience of designing her own dress while Clovis looked around the room. He couldn't quite find the source of all the whispers that traveled around the room.

His curiosity was peaked as he noticed two servants cleaning up spilt tea and a rather concerned guard glaring at his childhood friend. The amount of pure annoyance in his eyes was astounding.

"I will be right back. Stay with Grandma, Raina." Clovis ordered before slipping away. Lazren noticed him coming and turned, making himself available for the prince. However, a slender young woman got between them both.

"Fourth Prince, come here please. Something awful has happened. You must speak to Lady Ramira." she pleaded and Clovis frowned, caught off guard. He recognized the girl as the Prime Minister's daughter Chay.

"Lady Chay what happened?" Clovis asked getting a sickly feeling in his stomach. What beneath the sky had he missed! That dance was only five minutes long. How much could happen in… he refused to finish that thought. There was enough trouble without tempting fate.

As he approached Lady Ramira she did indeed seem less than content. "That village maid servant couldn't handle the crowd and was trying to carry two cups of tea. Naturally she was not blessed with grace like our Lady here. The foolish woman tripped and caused a misunderstanding between Lady Ramira and Second Prince Alexi." Chay explained, failing to be kind about any of it. There was a sharpness to her blunt att.i.tude that rubbed him the wrong way.

"Lady Chay, come now she hardly meant to caouse such trouble. Simple women like that arent schemers. They don't have the mind for such things." Lady Ramira chided her though internally she was pleased. It would be so much easier to make this work in her favor if she didn't have to paint the picture herself. Being gracious was a important quality in a princess.

"Oh, I see. Well then, I am sure we can settle this when Alexi comes back. He is many things, two of which being Kind and considerate. He will listen to your side, I am sure." Clovis replied trying to sooth. The two women. He still wasn't quite sure what had actually happened.

"He won't! He even scolded our lovely Lady for no reason. Claiming she spilt the tea. How could he say such things? Just because that woman behaved like a white lotus! She is no victim to anything, save her own lack of grace." Chay replied her voice begging for justice. Clovis frowned looking to Ramira for further clarification.

"It wasn't too bad, Your highness. It was just a misunderstanding and the girl was scalded by the tea. She couldn't help but look pitiful and helpless." Lady Ramira tried to explain, seeming as though she was trying to make excuses for the girl. However her words deepend the misunderstandings. Clovis hummed softly in thought.

"We will get to the bottom of this, Ladies. I am sorry this has not been too pleasant an experience. We will try to make up for that, shall we? Have you seen Raina since she was a baby?" he asked honestly wis.h.i.+ng to get back to his family.  Part of him hoped she had returned by now.