Netori SSS-Emperor: All Queens Shall Be Mine!-Chapter 14: Hestia Hafna

A knock on her door lifted the queen's gaze. Picking herself off the ground and walking backwards from Akramadia–her goddess' statue, she left the veiled section of her room. Turning to the door the moment she was out, her eyes closed for a moment and her clothes began glowing a golden glow. As the lights dimmed, her near-transparent garb was replaced by a dignified gown. Stripped with golden laces and holding a soothing cream color throughout.

"Who is it?" She asked, holding the urge to use magic to figure it out herself.

"It's me, Your Highness," replied a voice from the other side.

"Hestia? Come in," too familiar to be mistaken, it was the castle's head maid, Hestia Hafna. A single touch from her was said to cure any ailment and her mere presence could lift a room's spirit.

As the door opened and the ceramic doll of a woman walked inside, even the queen felt Hestia's aura lifting a mysterious weight off of her shoulders.

"Today's poison was far too potent for the girls to handle, so I decided to bring the tea to your room myself," said Hestia and yet her lips didn't move at all.

Noticing a tray in her hand along with a kettle and three cups lying on top, the queen directed the head maid to her coffee table. Although her eyes were masked with a curved ceramic arc, Hestia moved with confidence and without stumbling even once placed the tray on top of the table.

"May I sit, Your Highness?" She asked, a faint smile taking over her lips.

Gesturing for the maid to sit on the padded floor opposite from her, Astoria took a seat herself on the low-seating sofa. Placing a round pillow under her arm, she leaned on it with the same arm supporting her head. Bringing her attention back to Hestia, the queen quietly watched as the maid poured them both a cup. However, quickly her mind deviated to her appearance.

Always wearing the same priestess gown that covered her head to toe, along with a fluttering bride's veil locked to her hair, made her seem more like a doll than a human. The resemblance at times grew so uncanny, that her fingers holding the kettle could be mistaken for an ornate fountain gushing tea instead of water. And yet her attire, the gentle mix of cream, brown and gold, often left people captivated by her beauty while she fetched them a cure.

"Why the outfit and masks, Hestia?" Astoria asked.

Chuckling to herself, the maid-cum-priestess lifted the only copper cup on the tray. A dark liquid quivered at its surface, Astoria was no stranger to the poison, but today she felt as though it was drawing her into its darkness.

"I shall answer if you do," bringing the cup next to the queen's cup, Hestia gently poured half of the poison on top of the tea. "Your adoptive son, Wolf defeated William in a spar today. William was brought to me to be healed, and that's when I noticed a lick of a witch's magic on him."

Lifting her head slightly, Hestia smiled at Astoria and picked up a spoon. Stirring the tea with the poison, she set it aside and poured the rest of the dark liquid into her own cup. Stirring it as well, she allowed silence to speak greater than any of her words.

"This again?"

"Yes, this again..." Done stirring both cups, she passed one to the queen and lifted her own. "If you wish to send me those wounded by him during the coming competition, then the least I should know is what I'm dealing with."

Lifting the cup to her mouth, Astoria stared at Hestia until the two decided to take a sip together. The poison burned the queen's throat, and the moment it landed in her belly it felt like shards of glass had erupted inside of her body. Holding her stomach under vice grip, she breathed heavily and continued to struggle through the poison to gain immunity.

"Y-you know already, why are you asking?" Steeling her resolve, Astoria straightened her back and looked at Hestia. "The boy is witch-borne, of course, he has some unfortunate scars from his mother. His mana being corrupted is one, not to mention his memory before the incident..."

Unaffected by the poison that could've killed a dragon, Hestia hummed to the queen's words while patiently waiting for her to finish. And when she did, the maid had but a few words to add.

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"If news breaks out that the only man worthy to be king is a witch's son, what do you presume would happen, Your Highness?" Taking another sip, Hestia stared back at Astoria from behind that mask. "And dare they know that he killed his own mother as a child, what messages does that send to the mothers of our beautiful islands?"

A deep frown took over the queen's face in an instant. Slapping the cup in front of her with the back of her hand, Astoria screamed at the woman centuries older than herself.

"Breathe a word of that to anyone, especially the boy and I'll show you an apostle's might!" Slamming her fist on the table, the queen toppled all three cups and even the kettle. The hot tea scorched Hestia's thighs, but the ceramic woman didn't flinch even for a second. Paying no heed to the pain, she only focused on the queen as she figured that she'd overstepped her boundaries.

"Good thing he doesn't remember then, and you need not worry Your Highness, I would never do something so moronic," bowing her head in apology, the maid heard Astoria getting up with a stomp. Walking away from the table, the queen left Hestia alone while making her way to the bathroom. No stranger to the behaviour, Hestia knew a shower was often all it took for Astoria to calm herself down.

'What is she hiding?' She wondered, certain that there was more to her adopting Wolf than a mere, 'She felt like it that day'.

Lifting her head to the sound of water flowing in the bath, Hestia began to clean the mess the queen had left behind with her. Grabbing a cloth to soak up the tea, she quickly wiped the table. Getting off the ground once her task was done, she collected the tray and the rest of the utensils before making her way towards the entrance.

But while leaving, she couldn't help but stare at the bathroom door. Wondering just what was going on in the queen's head to take such a big risk by allowing Wolf to compete.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," with the crowning of the new king not far from now, Hestia knew that it was only a matter of time until the truth became known, one way or the other. But for now, she had to lay low and keep herself out of trouble. "Easier said than done, isn't it Hestia?"

Laughing by herself, the maid took her depart–leaving only the queen to ponder the question, for how long could she keep these secrets from everyone?