Chapter 100: A Regal Interlude
The door swung shut behind the two students with a soft click, plunging the brightly lit space back into a pristine, almost eerie silence.
The moment the latch clicked, the air in the laboratory shimmered. From behind a tall, ornate cabinet, seemingly carved from dark, ancient wood, stepped a figure of regal grace. Queen Regina emerged as if from thin air, her movements fluid and silent, her opulent gown flowing around her. Her ash-blonde hair, braided with strands of moonstone, cascaded down her back, and her eyes, the color of deep, clear ocean waters, held a knowing amusement.
"Satisfied, Scarlett?" Regina’s voice was a soft murmur, yet it filled the room, caressing the very air. Her gaze swept over the precise order of the laboratory, the remnants of the brewing tea, and finally settled on Scarlett. A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on the Queen’s lips.
Scarlett turned, her demeanor instantly shifting. The sharp, commanding scientist melted away, replaced by a nuanced mix of deference and quiet frustration. "Satisfied, Your Majesty?" she repeated, her voice losing its edge, becoming softer, almost defensive.
"I completed your request. The tonic was administered." She paused, a flicker of something raw entering her eyes. "Though your little pet made quite a fuss." She gestured towards the door with a dismissive flick of her wrist, clearly referring to Shade.
Regina chuckled, a low, melodic sound that held no genuine humor, only a subtle undercurrent of amusement. "Indeed. He has grown quite... possessive. Just like his master, don’t you think? You could have controlled your words more, though." Her voice was sweet, laced with a gentle chiding that still held the weight of authority.
Scarlett stiffened, a defensive tension in her shoulders, a silent protest. "You know that was my limit, your majesty," she tried to keep the formality with the Queen.
"What’s with the formality? It’s just the two of us here anyway, you can call me like how you usually do."
Scarlett looked away. "I cannot do such insolence, your majesty." She insisted on keeping the line between the two of them. "I have done what you said. Is that not enough, your majesty?"
Regina merely smiled, a knowing curve of her lips. She moved across the laboratory with unhurried grace, her silken gown rustling softly. This appearance was something Regina allowed only Scarlett to see. Something the two of them kept like a secret.