Derek pushed through the front door of the mansion at half past eleven, his suit jacket over one arm and his patience thoroughly depleted.
The council had gone two hours over what was supposed to be a final review session, largely because three of the senior advisors had strong and conflicting opinions about the borders and absolutely no interest in keeping those opinions brief.
He went to the kitchen first, as he usually did, to confirm Kira had eaten. It was a habit he had developed without particularly deciding to.
Ishita was still in the kitchen, wiping down the counter with the posture of someone bracing for impact.
"What did the Queen eat this evening?" he asked, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
Ishita jumped, nearly dropping a dish. "Oh! Your Grace." She bowed.
Derek frowned, tilting his head, staring at her quizzically.
"The Queen… she... ah... she refused to eat what I prepared."
