345. Shuffling Posts

“Here,” Captain Hughes said, tossing a thick envelope filled with documents onto the lounge table as he sank into an adjacent armchair.

“What’s this?” Vice-Captain John asked immediately, picking up the packet.

Sitting right next to them, Dame Aisha took a slow sip of her tea before chiming in. “It looks like official military posting orders.”

“Are these about the upcoming Flask County reclamation mission?” John muttered, breaking the wax seal and unfolding the paper to scan the text.

“It’s been a while since all three of us actually sat down together like this, huh...” Aisha commented idly.

Her casual tone was instantly cut short when John snapped the papers taut, his eyes widening in sheer shock. “Wait... are these real?!”

“What, do you think I would forge Her Highness’s personal signature?” Hughes chuckled, picking up a cookie from the lounge table with a smirk. “And just to be clear, she did this completely unprovoked. It was entirely Her Highness’s own idea.”

John set the document down on the table, staring straight at his commanding officer. “But why?”

“What exactly is written on there?” Aisha asked, her eyebrow raising as she set her teacup down on its saucer.

“Oh, nothing major. Just Her Highness completely swapping John’s current posting with mine,” Hughes smiled, folding his arms across his chest.

“Ah. So John will be escorting the incoming immigrants from Otto City, while you will be the one leading the mission for the Flask County operation?” Aisha nodded with an approving smile. “That’s fantastic news, isn't it?”

“No, I... I just don’t get it?” John asked again, his brow furrowed in deep confusion.

Hughes let out a heavy, dramatic sigh. “What is there to not get? It’s pretty simple, isn't it? Her Highness caught wind that Katrina is pregnant, so she decided to alter your deployment parameters so you can return to the city early and be by her side.”

“No, no, I understand that part, but... why me?” John questioned, shifting uncomfortably. “I don't want Her Highness to ever show special favor or give extraordinary attention to a common soldier like me...”

Before he could finish his thought, Aisha leaned over and sharply flicked his forehead.

“Ow!”

“Can you believe the nerve on this guy, Captain Hughes?” Aisha said, huffing out a breath. She turned back to John, crossing her arms. “It means you are officially recognized as part of Her Highness’s 'inner circle' now. She values your loyalty enough that she doesn’t want you stationed away from your pregnant wife for months on end.”

John tried his absolute best to maintain a strict, professional military posture, but it was incredibly difficult to suppress the massive grin spreading across his face.

Hughes chuckled heartily at the sight. “You really should be grateful, John. In the past, if Her Highness wanted to secure someone's ultimate loyalty for her inner circle, she would have tried to drag them into her bed first. She has changed an immense amount over the last year and a half.”

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Aisha suddenly froze, her eyes widening slightly as she paused mid-motion.

John, entirely missing her sudden tension, let out a mock gasp and chuckled. “Does that mean she tried to sleep with you back then, Captain Hughes? What about Miss Alice? Aren’t you two her closest childhood friends?”

“Oh, it was the absolute worst,” Hughes recalled, letting out a nervous, strained laugh. “She made her move right when I had just started courting Alice. Fortunately, Her Majesty gave her a legendary earful for it, so I managed to escape unscathed.”

“Well, I suppose I wouldn’t ever have to worry about that anyway. It’s not like Katrina and I are followers of the Solious faith anymore,” John noted lightheartedly, leaning forward to take a few bites of the cookies.

Aisha remained completely silent throughout the jovial exchange. Her gaze was locked onto the tabletop, her mind racing as she carefully processed Hughes's casual words.

“Changed…” she thought, the image of the otherworldly soul shape of a lady manifesting on the hidden altar flashing vividly behind her eyelids. “A complete transformation over the last year and a half…”

“Captain Hughes...” Aisha interrupted quietly, her voice drawing both men's attention. “You said Her Highness ‘changed,’ right? But she would have tried to act like her old self at least a little bit since John is of Herptian Faith as well, wouldn't she?”

Hughes nodded slowly, looking at her with a hint of confusion. “Well, yes, she would have. She did soften up recently. It wasn't an instantaneous overnight flip, though it certainly felt rapid so I think she won’t.”

“Changed...” Aisha muttered under her breath, a knot of dark suspicion tightening in her stomach.

Suddenly snapping out of her trance, she looked up and asked, “Captain Hughes, is Alice free for lunch today? It’s been a really long time since the two of us just hung out. Could you pass on a message that I’d love to grab a bite with her?”

“Huh? Yeah, sure, I can do that,” Hughes nodded, though he couldn’t quite decipher the strange, heavy mood that had suddenly overtaken the Dame.

That Evening, Miss Fillian’s Diner, Kim City, Kim Island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna Empire

“It’s truly been a while since we hung out, Aisha, but it was quite odd that you asked me out entirely out of the blue,” Alice said with a warm smile, slightly adjusting her spectacles as she slid into the chair across from her.

“Ah… I just thought that we should,” Aisha replied vaguely, flagging down a passing waiter to order some food.

Alice instantly raised an eyebrow, a keen glint in her eyes. “It’s usually always me who has to reach out first, so this is definitely a historic first.”

She turned her gaze toward the front stage where a new play was just beginning to tune up, while Aisha let out a nervous chuckle. “Of course... why wouldn’t I want to hang out with my close friend? You tell me, how is little Mina doing? And how is your work handling everything back at the castle?”

Alice just sighed, a knowing smirk playing on her lips. “Aisha… you know I am pretty great at picking up on subtle cues. I’ve worked alongside Ravenna to build her political faction ever since we were kids. But my goddess, do you absolutely suck at this.” Tapping her fingers rhythmically against the wooden table, she caught the waiter's attention again and asked, “Bring us a bottle of wine, please.”

Turning back to Aisha, her expression grew sharp. “So just be straight with me. What is it?”

“Ah... yeah. You caught me. I did have something specific to inquire about,” Aisha admitted, completely giving up on trying to be discreet. She leaned across the table, her voice dropping to a confidential murmur. “Alice, you have been by Her Highness’s side the longest, right? She even considers you an elder sister of sorts.”

“Of course she does, She even used to call me Elder Sister at one point” Alice replied, her focus shifting entirely onto Aisha now. Her years of highly honed political skills instantly kicked in, silently scanning the Dame's every micro-expression and twitching movement.

Aisha hesitated for a fraction of a second before plunging ahead with the question that had been eating her alive all day. “Would you say... Her Highness changed over the past year? Do you think she has shown any odd behavior?”