To the Queen’s reply, Maria merely gave her a small smile and quiet laugh. She’d been ready to reply about how she hadn’t necessarily meant entertainment of that nature, about how she was sorry for the wording…but she was silenced by Abby chiming in. The smile was unnerving, eerily so as though she knew what she’d fought so much to keep hidden.<span style="font-style: italic">No, Abby couldn’t possibly know what’s going on…</span>came a thought, though her face never wavered, merely offering her sister-in-law a smile and nod as she went about taking up her tea and sipping gingerly from it.<span style="font-style: italic">No, she couldn’t possibly know. Brádach is too cautious for it to be known. He leaves no trace behind of his presence. He’s never seen anywhere improper. Abby’s just being her usual self to be herself. Don’t let her get to you.</span>All the coaching in the world, however, didn’t remove the feeling that was growing in the pit of her stomach that somehow, someway, the woman had found out a secret that would get them all killed on a grand scale.<br/><br/>Now, there comes a time in every person’s life that they regret what’s been said. Perhaps it was saying something cheeky to someone of higher caliber and sway than yourself and earning a trip to the stocks. Maybe it was letting an infidelity slip while speaking to the one that you’re actually betrothed to.<br/><br/>For Maria, it was asking the guttersnipe about what she’d been up to.<br/><br/>Without much thought, that thought alone wasn’t terrible. Pleasantries are often exchanged between those no better than strangers and nothing ever comes of them. Though the pair weren’t on good terms, pleasantries weren’t a death sentence. They were often just that, pleasant. With Abigail, they were strained to say the least, but they’d begun simple enough. What investments she was keeping an eye on, Maria couldn’t have hazarded a guess, and she wasn’t all too concerned with it.<span style="font-style: italic">Likely those she lays with. Nothing important.</span>Yet, as the conversation continued, her harmless question seemed to spurn along another conversation that acted as the perfect segue for what Abby had truly wanted to rub in Maria’s face. No doubt, she’d have gone on this makeshift trip without her mother’s consent, but now that she had the blessing, there’d be no reason to hide her true agenda.<br/><br/>Simprina lingered behind the Queen and the Princess, watching Maria through a furrowed brow. Even she knew what the other woman was alluding to and it was angering that the Queen was so oblivious (by choice) to what her daughter did under their name. She was no better than a common strumpet, lying on her back for any man with a pulse, but this family allowed it. Worse still, she was doing it purely to get back at her Princess, her lady, for whatever she construed as insult against her person some time ago. They’d never gotten on like family should have, only Abby the one to remain cold to Maria.<br/><br/>It was becoming abundantly clear, however, that things were about to get more complicated for the ranger and her Princess if this woman had her way. Making a note to speak to Brádach when he came back, all she could do was offer Maria a comforting smile as she kept her face clear of any hint of discontent.<br/><br/>Inside, Maria was furious.<br/><br/>“I’d like that very much,” Maria replied to Abby with a soft smile and a nod, voice assured. “You’ll have to tell me all about your exploits at some point. Stories of a younger you. A muliebral you…” With that, she took another sip of her tea and replaced it to the table’s surface as she folded her hands in her lap.<br/><br/>Stepping forward, her lady-in-waiting offered some snack cakes and the like for the trio to partake of as their chatter continued.<br/><br/>“Pardon my otherwise unrelated question but, have you heard anything from Veruu, mother?” she asked next, curious as to what the Queen knew. The “mother” of it all still felt weird to her, but she was trying for the Queen’s sake, as she’d requested it “The last I heard from my father, things were alright though he’d been feeling a bit under the weather; I expect it was just mental strain.”