Queen Cleopatra looked out across her domain. The sun shone lazily through the white-curtained windows, and embodied her mood. But she couldn't enjoy the lazy sunshine. She'd heard a noise somewhere else in the royal residence, and it bugged her. She must investigate. Her attendant was away for the moment, so she couldn't ask him to do it for her. He was often absent from the residence, much to her chagrin. But finding another one to take his place would be too much hassle, and it would involve her having to uproot her whole court and residence and it was just too much work. Besides, she'd had him since she was a child. She didn't want to have to adjust to someone new now. Better to just stick with the idiosyncrasies she was used to.
Since he was out of the house, what could have caused the noise? She hopped off the couch and sauntered from the parlor, with it's great stone fireplace, into the dinning hall (well, for guests. She ate upstairs away from people), and then into the great expanse of the kitchen. Still no sign of the what had caused the sound. How strange. Maybe it had come from the administrative suite. Attendant had left it closed when he left in the morning, so there was no way for her to go in. In fact, he had kept those rooms closed off for several days, and this was not the first time she thought she'd heard strange noises coming from within. She paused for a moment to see if she heard the noise again. Nothing.
Oh well. Maybe it was just her imagination. The Queen made her way back to the sofa. She considered laying back down, but she decided to go up to one of the windows and peer out. The sun brightened the world outside. It was winter, so the lawn around the residence was brown and had stray leaves cast about, but it still looked warm. She had heard Attendant mutter about the cold, so maybe looks were being deceiving. Cleopatra found she could stare out at the Outside for hours. She rarely went out herself, of course. She had Attendant for going out and fetching things from the market, so why would she even need to go out. Still, it fascinated her, in an idle sort of way. She could see the domains of several others across the expanse of her own territory. She wondered what sort of Queens ruled there (or Kings. She had heard tell of Kings, but she had never met one herself. She assumed they existed. If there are so many tales about something, there must be some truth to them). Where they lean and regal like her? Short ginger hair looking elegant? Who could say. She wouldn't dare visit to find out for certain, anymore than they would dare enter her doma....
There. She heard the noise again. She was certain. It was coming from the closed off rooms. She jumped down from the window, curtain swirling in her wake as she moved quickly across the parlor once more, this time heading into the alcove where the office door was. Closed, as it had been left for days. But she thought she saw something move, from the crack underneath the door. Cleopatra moved closer to the door, then froze. There was the movement again. And a noise. And then...gasp! A word spoken in the Royal tongue! Surely there was no other Queen inside. But what else could have spoken in such a manner? Attendant was still away, and none of his kind could grasp the language of her kind. She walked quickly toward the door, kneeled down on the floor and peered underneath the closed entrance. FEET!! There WAS someone else in her palace. The Queen let out an involuntary moan of annoyance, almost a growl. She heard a similar sound come from the other side of the door. Then, one of those feet attempted poke out from under the door, almost swatting the Queen. She hissed at that. Now she was angry.
When Attendant finally showed up, she would let him know her displeasure, and have him remove the intruder at once.
Since he was out of the house, what could have caused the noise? She hopped off the couch and sauntered from the parlor, with it's great stone fireplace, into the dinning hall (well, for guests. She ate upstairs away from people), and then into the great expanse of the kitchen. Still no sign of the what had caused the sound. How strange. Maybe it had come from the administrative suite. Attendant had left it closed when he left in the morning, so there was no way for her to go in. In fact, he had kept those rooms closed off for several days, and this was not the first time she thought she'd heard strange noises coming from within. She paused for a moment to see if she heard the noise again. Nothing.
Oh well. Maybe it was just her imagination. The Queen made her way back to the sofa. She considered laying back down, but she decided to go up to one of the windows and peer out. The sun brightened the world outside. It was winter, so the lawn around the residence was brown and had stray leaves cast about, but it still looked warm. She had heard Attendant mutter about the cold, so maybe looks were being deceiving. Cleopatra found she could stare out at the Outside for hours. She rarely went out herself, of course. She had Attendant for going out and fetching things from the market, so why would she even need to go out. Still, it fascinated her, in an idle sort of way. She could see the domains of several others across the expanse of her own territory. She wondered what sort of Queens ruled there (or Kings. She had heard tell of Kings, but she had never met one herself. She assumed they existed. If there are so many tales about something, there must be some truth to them). Where they lean and regal like her? Short ginger hair looking elegant? Who could say. She wouldn't dare visit to find out for certain, anymore than they would dare enter her doma....
There. She heard the noise again. She was certain. It was coming from the closed off rooms. She jumped down from the window, curtain swirling in her wake as she moved quickly across the parlor once more, this time heading into the alcove where the office door was. Closed, as it had been left for days. But she thought she saw something move, from the crack underneath the door. Cleopatra moved closer to the door, then froze. There was the movement again. And a noise. And then...gasp! A word spoken in the Royal tongue! Surely there was no other Queen inside. But what else could have spoken in such a manner? Attendant was still away, and none of his kind could grasp the language of her kind. She walked quickly toward the door, kneeled down on the floor and peered underneath the closed entrance. FEET!! There WAS someone else in her palace. The Queen let out an involuntary moan of annoyance, almost a growl. She heard a similar sound come from the other side of the door. Then, one of those feet attempted poke out from under the door, almost swatting the Queen. She hissed at that. Now she was angry.
When Attendant finally showed up, she would let him know her displeasure, and have him remove the intruder at once.
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