Respectfully
Content Warning
Ableism
Queen Aquaria sat by her desk, reading off the words she had written as a knight from her guard sat opposite of her. She'd been writing this public address carefully. It was her first one as acting Queen, and about the future of the kingdom going forward. And thus, she wanted to be sure there was no miscommunication.
"...And that about concludes the presentation. So, how did it sound?"
The knight, leaning forward onto the desk in a most un-knightly way, mulled it over, his eyes visibly rolling upwards as he began to think.
"...A bit too wordy, like you're mostly talkin' for the sake of it. Give 'em a nice short greetin' that leads into what happened t' put you in charge, THEN put most of yer effort towards explainin'. An' don't be afraid t' let yourself breathe a bit, 'specially since that lets the crowd take in what ya said too."
"Hm... I suppose you're right on that front, Delenus, seeing as you are a master of talking for the sake of it. I'll be sure to add a note for that in my next draft and pare it down more."
Delenus looked proud for a moment before that slight processed. Then he just chuckled. "Hey, gotta keep the new blood informed, am I right? 'Specially royal blood."
The queen and her knight had a short but very eventful history with one another. Aquaria's father, the late King Azulos, had been victim of an usurpation from his brother, and Aquaria herself had been locked in a prison cell until Delenus helped break the lock. From there, the two traded barbs with eachother under the stress of the situation as they fought their way through seemingly hypnotized guards to drive the usurper out. And while they managed to do so, he escaped with his life thanks to the usage of a bound demon to distract from himself.
And now they were left with a populace who had no idea what happened to the king, a royal guard who mostly have no memory of the event, and a long list of things to learn as she goes. But with Delenus as someone who personally knew Azulos, she felt it fit to make him her advisor, to the confusion of most other knights in the guard. He was uneducated! Irritable! He was clumsy and improper! He barely made the certifications!
But that's not what Aquaria had seen. He was indeed a bit clumsy, and a bit irritable, but he was also very rational. He showed verbal disrespect to authority, yes, but still followed orders as best he could unless he was sure he had a better idea. And that's why she felt she could trust him the most. He saw her not just as a queen, but as an equal.
After another half-hour of discussion, both about the address and general affairs, Aquaria yawned as she felt the fatigue hit her. "I suppose that's about enough for the night." she said, still on the tail-end of the yawn. "What say we reconvene tomorrow and give it one final pass for the day after?"
He rolled his neck as he stood up. "Sounds good, queenie. Turek n' I will report to the captain 'n he'll send the night shift guys to stand watch. G'night!"
As he opened the door, the knight standing guard outside looked over at him and nodded. As Aquaria heard them get called over to talk about something else, presumably to trade off, she got her things and got ready to head to her chambers for the night.
The next morning, Aquaria woke with slow stretch, a bizarre half-remembered dream disintigrating in her head, and got dressed to meet her guard.
"Good morning, Sir Turek. Good morning, Sir Sekaider." Aquaria said in a calm but cheerful tone.
"Good morning, my queen!" Sir Turek said in reply.
"Good morning, Lady Iizali!" Sir Sekaider said.
...Odd. Usually Delenus says something like 'Morning, Queenie.' Barely has the strength for much else in the morning. Must be excited about something!
"My, you're full of energy today!" she said to the two of them as she motioned for them to follow behind as she headed to the dining hall for her and the guards' breakfast.
"So, Sir Sekaider," she said, looking back at him with a warm smile. "What has you in such a gracious mood today?"
"Nothing, my Queen, Just doing my job!"
... He usually jumps at the bit to tell her about incidental things he thinks about. Even Sir Turek seemed a bit put off, and he was one to roll his eyes at Delenus's demeanor.
"... I see, Sir. Well, let us carry on."
As they made it to the banquet hall, the aroma of freshly-cooked bread and meat filled the air. It was almost intoxicating to the senses. As the trio fanned out, Aquaria sat at her place and began to chip away at her serving. But inevitably, her eye fell back to Delenus. He hadn't even removed his helmet to eat. Usually he at least loosens the mouthplate to start gorging himself. No matter what she knew of anyone, she knew from experience a lack of appetite was never a good sign.
After breakfast, she met with Turek and Delenus again, and walked towards her office proper.
"...Sir Sekaider. Would you mind speaking with me in private?"
"...Yes, Lady Iizali, of course not!" He said. There was a very slight crack in his voice at the start, as if he had been taken by surprise. Aquaria motioned for Sir Turek to stay on guard outside as she invited him in and gently locked the door behind her. She saw him flinch as the tumblers clicked.
"Okay," she said, voice equal parts flat and focused. "So what seems to be the problem, Delenus?"
He stammers. He clearly wasn't expecting a personal talk this early, whatever he had going on. After a few seconds of being unable to find his tongue, he let out a low sigh before turning around. "I-... Before I go on I. Need to get somethin' off my chest."
She seemed perplexed, but nodded. "Of course, Sir knight. You're welcome to talk about whatever you need."
He sighed. "It, ain't quite just talkin'. Some showin' too." And with that, he did something he hadn't done infront of her before; Removed his helmet in full.
She waited with bated breath as he clicked the buckle on the back, slid it off his head and placed it in the chair beside him. A head of firey orange hair, curled and a bit greasy from the lack of care taken to maintain it, and a pair of antenna swept back, but pointing outward. But most prolific were... what surely used to be a pair horns, now resembling tree stumps. As he removed the mouthplate, the flat growths on his head were paired with sharp teeth he flashed briefly if only to show them off. His hawes slid open to reveal that the purple shade of his eyes was merely bloodshot pink sclera hidden by deep blue.
Aquaria turned her head to one side. She'd seen people like this before; people who had been changed irreversibly by a parasitic serpent that tried to puppet them around. People who faced a fair amount of scrutiny in her kingdom despite the lack of any contagious aspect to their affliction, simply because they were more irri...table.
She guesses that explains his demeanor at least. At last, she found the words she had been looking for. "It's... not what I expected, mind... But is that all?"
"I... A couple guys found out about this. Said they'd tell you if I didn't shape up. But since ya called me in anyway, I... figured i'd at least do it on my own terms."
She raised an eyebrow. That sounds far more like him; A bit spiteful, but only when shown spite to start out. "...Why in the fragments' names would this matter to me? Furthermore, who would dare assume I'd get rid of the only man I trust to give me a straight answer about anything because his mouth's a bit pointier than most?"
He stood there in silence before he hung his head low. His lips pulled up against his teeth in a wide grin as he let out a few wistful snickers.
"You really are yer parents' daughter. Said about the same thing when they let me join."
That... made her smile a bit, despite the tear in her eye.
"I'm flattered. Now... let's say we write up a report of what you were told to go alongside the address, hm? Sounds like the perfect chance to re-establish the ground rules my father set up amongst the guard. Especially since people seem to think they all dissolved with his passing."
Delenus snickered again, this time with a more impish mirth in his voice. "It'd be my pleasure, queenie."