Pot sat in a room inside of Ella's mind. He sat across from their newest edition to the vampire queen's cabinet. The cauldron could imagine Ella making a pun out of the shelf. A member of the cabinet that is himself a cabinet? Perhaps.
"As a most senior official of our majesty's office, it is my duty to initiate you. You will learn the ropes and what it means to be a part of Her good graces."
Palentis seemed to observe himself, taking in his new form. "I already feel like I am leagues stronger than I was. What is this place, by the way?"
Pot would have clicked his tongue if he had one. He could still emulate the sound, but it would be unbecoming for him. The new generation was already starting off on the wrong foot. They did not pay respect to their elders. It was natural for Pot to hold himself in high regards as his majesty's chosen. He still remembered the day he'd been selected. It was fresh on his mind.
There was a point in Pot's existence where he wasn't aware of what his purpose was. He was a bundle of spirits, much like an organism composed of cells. Each one had their own thinking mind, but it was limited to simple tasks. Mortals felt pleasure or pain, and spirits had something close to that.
They obeyed the will of magic. They existed within the world and without at the same time. One spell user could summon a being like Pot, a clump of spirits, and launch them at their will. It was natural that spirits obeyed the commands of stronger magic users. One could use magic without the spirits, but that's why the veil spirits existed. They cleaned up the imperfections of other mana users.
Though, there were no imperfections in Her Majesty. The moment she arrived, she was destined to claim a being like Pot. Spirits were attracted to her, and that feeling manifested even more when she used magic. Pot often wondered why such an otherworldly being acted so worldly. Sometimes even less than that...However, it also put him and others at ease. It was as if she was humble by her very nature.
He was drawn into a vessel by her nurturing hands, and he awoke to stare at the world with an eye for the first time. It was a strange awakening to finally see colors and the spectrum of mortality that living beings called their realm. And ever since then, he was drawn on an adventure that stirred newfound feelings in his being.
Yet, Palentis looked at him differently. The shelf didn't see the same nobility that Pot's queen saw in him. If anything, it looked like the shelf was planning to take over Pot's spot. Though, Her Majesty would never let that happen, would she? I am the cauldron! I am the one that exists to lay the foundations of her energy drink empire!
"Listen closely, Palentis. Any disrespect towards Her Majesty will not be tolerated. Any disrespect towards your senior butler will also not be tolerated. As a servant in training, you will obey me and follow after. Her Majesty above all things and Naela as slightly below her. We are servants. Do you understand?"
Palentis's white wood moved up and down, groaning with an affirmation. "Yes, Sir Pot! My apologies!"
Good, good, it seems that he is still a bit shocked from earlier. Though, maybe I was too harsh on him? Pot cleared his nonexistent throat. "Well, there is plenty of room for errors. I don't expect you to follow every order exactly. Just remember that Our Majesty's safety comes before anything else."
It looked like the shelf wanted to say something, but he wisely kept his wooden chaps closed.
"Now then, allow me to explain some things. This place we are in, Her Majesty calls it 'Inventory'. It is a place that can stop the relative time of items, but it works differently for us for whatever reason. I have not asked for her opinion on this matter, but I am sure that the mistress is very wise to the situation."
The cauldron received a look of affirmation from the shelf, but he did not continue speaking right away. If Pot wanted to follow in Her Majesty's footsteps, it was good to consider timing. One of the queen's greatest strengths was her ability to hand out wisdom on the fly. She understood a tenet that many master's didn't. Her time was immortal, so living in the present was a better proposition. If Pot explained everything at the beginning, he would only be doing a disservice.
Pot shook his body, his bat wings flapping in his agitation. I always overlook so many important details! How can I be prescribing values of her without following in her footsteps?
The cauldron was not completely deluded. He knew that Her Majesty said things that were often out there, perhaps unpalatable by normal people's standards. But She was not a normal person. She was something much more profound. Pot was certain there were nuances in her every move. It was something to be studied. The way she fumbled about in social interactions, only to have the upper hand in glorious battle.
"Sir Pot?"
Pot feigned a cough. "Right, where was I? It is important that we pay attention to anything our mistress does. There are clues hidden in her every action."
The cauldron still remembered the only time he'd ever fibbed in his life. After all, it had happened not that long ago. The truth was that he never closed his eye. He'd witnessed Her Majesty and Naela in such a tender act. The kiss they shared was burned into his mind. But for the sake of her privacy, he did not look at anything further than that. After all, no matter how much he wanted to observe her, he also didn't want to be turned into a bunch of pink ashes.
"There are clues in the Great One's actions? What do you mean?"
"What I mean is that you will need to pay attention properly from now on. I promise that you've never experienced anything like her, nor will you ever experience it again. Witness it all, my student. Take it all in stride...shelf."