The day Shantra decided to venture out into the world a bit more was beautiful with a cool breeze and not a cloud in the sky. She’d had so much success over the past few days that she was feeling confident and strong. It was a wonderful feeling to be so free, not have to hide any longer! She felt…liberated!
Coffee was her highest priority this morning, and then food. She was famished after another active night in Laithir’s arms, and she was both relaxed and starving!
The snarky voice was Shantra’s first indication that the luster had come off of her day. “Goodness! Here she comes! Finally!” Julia snapped.
Linda laid a calming hand on her daughter’s arm as Shantra hesitated just inside the doorway to the dining room. “Dear, Shantra is shy, and we just need to help her feel welcome.”
Shantra had thought she’d waited late enough in the morning so that these two would be finished with their meal and gone from the room. Obviously, her assumptions were incorrect.
She pasted a bright smile on her face, refusing to let them get to her like they had that first day. “Good morning, ladies,” she said and poured herself a cup of coffee. She placed the cup at one of the settings before moving off towards the breakfast buffet.
She’d just placed a portion of eggs on her plate when she heard the question that made her stomach tighten with uncertainty. “Are you sure you want to eat that, dear?” Linda commented.
Shantra had no idea what the woman was talking about. “Breakfast?” she asked as she continued to load up her plate with eggs and fruit. “I’m starving,” she told the ladies. Not mentioning that Laithir was again the cause of her hunger. He’d been voracious last night, but at least they’d taken time to eat dinner. Although they’d been in bed during their meal. And naked.
She turned away before the other ladies could see her blush at the memories.
“That’s a very large portion, dear. And you have to maintain an image now, right?”
Julia shook her head. “Angela was always very conscious of what the pictures would look like the next day in the news. She rarely ate breakfast,” she commented, pretending to talk with her mother.
Linda nodded her head. “Well, it’s a good thing we’re only having coffee dear,” she told Julia. “We can fill in for the public pictures when dear Shantra has one of those days.” The women cringed, and both of them nodded.
Shantra had no idea what they were talking about. “What kind of days?” she asked.
Julia smiled gently, looked down at Shantra’s plate then back at her. Julia tilted her head, trying to appear helpful, but Shantra felt like the woman was only being patronizing. “You’re the image that will be seen by the world, Shantra. You should know that what you eat this morning will go directly to the hips by this afternoon and if you get fat, which you will if you eat all that, then Laithir will be embarrassed to be seen with you.”
Linda nodded in agreement. “And you really shouldn’t be monopolizing Laithir’s time as you did the other day, dear. He has a great many important things to deal with. As his wife, you should know that and make sure that he isn’t distracted by your insecurities.”
Shantra’s fork clattered to her plate and she jerked, startled by her clumsiness.
“Goodness dear,” Linda held a hand to her throat as if she were offended. “Please tell me you’re not this uncouth at state dinners!”
Julia tsked and shook her head. “Maybe that’s why she hasn’t started to plan her first party,” she offered out as a possibility.
Linda looked at Shantra with what one might assume was concern. “Is that the issue, dear?” She tsked. “If that’s the case, there is no problem. Julia will step in for you during those affairs,” she said, and Julia’s shoulders went back with pride. “At least until we’re sure that you won’t embarrass anyone. And we’ll show you how to act, how to hold yourself. We’ll guide you through.”
“Maybe we should give her lessons?” Julia offered.
Linda’s eyes lit up. “That’s a wonderful idea,” she agreed. “We could start by…” and the two bent their heads together, starting a list and leaving Shantra out of the conversation.
Shantra could not believe how insulted she was by these two women. They were hurtful and offensive, and there was absolutely no way she was going to allow them to step in for her during state dinners, in news photographs or even allow the two vicious women to plan her first party. “If you’ll excuse me,” Shantra said, with as much dignity as she could muster under the circumstances.