simscognito

A smile broke across his face as his gaze settled on Miguel. ‘How’s your day been?’ he asked.

‘Good,’ Miguel replied, then hesitated before saying, ‘I’ve got something I want to talk to you about.’

‘Sure, just let me fix myself a cup of coffee,’ said Diego, moving into the kitchen. A common routine for him these days. 

‘No, papá. Now. It’s important,’ said Miguel, lifting his chin. ‘I want you to meet Dorothy.’

Diego paused beside the coffee machine. ‘I didn’t know you two were getting serious.’

‘I think she’s the one.’

‘Have you two even kissed yet?’

‘No, but we’ve talked, papá. And she’s so interesting. There’re so many pieces to her puzzle that I want to discover.’

Diego sighed. For a moment, Miguel wasn’t sure he was going to respond.

‘Alright,’ he said. ‘If it’s important to you, I’ll meet her.’

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The Queen’s senior advisor regarded him with an expression that could only be described as peeved. ‘Of course I’ve read the news, Dr Suárez. Perhaps you could be a little more specific.’

‘Great. Then you would know about the human sciences being shut down across all Simsland universities,’ Diego retorted with the same level of annoyance that was in Nilsson’s countenance. 

‘I do indeed.’ 

‘Well? Aren’t you concerned?’ asked Diego, his tone curt. ‘It’s definitely not Her Majesty who ordered this. It’s someone else at this court. Any idea who?’

‘I have my suspicions,’ said Nilsson. His reluctance to say more irked Diego.

‘Care to share?’

‘All you need to know right now, Dr Suárez, is that I will sort this.’ 

‘As the Queen’s confidant, I think I have the right to know who your primary suspect is,’ said Diego. 

‘As the Queen’s senior advisor, I have the right to withhold that kind of information until I am certain who’s responsible,’ snapped Nilsson. ‘Now, will you excuse me, I have some suspects to speak with.’ 

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And her peculiar mannerisms…

And while she was still irritating, still a challenge at times, she was also strangely endearing.

‘We’ll stop here for today,’ he said, rising from the silk sofa in the state room. The scent of sea salt emanating from Melody followed him as he stood, sending an unsolicited tingle through his body. 

He peered down at her sitting poised, in her long turquoise dress peppered with white flowers. She stared back, a glint in her shimmering eyes. ‘Now that I understand the proper function of a toothbrush, I declare this lesson a success.’

Diego laughed. ‘You’re getting there,’ he said. ‘Just try not to lose focus.’

‘How do you mean?’ enquired Melody. ‘You tell me to focus on you, so I do. Perhaps if you were a little more specific as to which parts of you, I’m supposed to focus on.’

‘My words, Your Majesty.’

‘Please, call me Melody.’ 

‘Melody,’ said Diego, his tone softer than he expected. 

He gazed at her dolphin-shaped nose, how it defined her face like the centrepiece of a masterpiece. 

‘We continue lessons tomorrow,’ he muttered, somewhat flustered.

‘Looking forward to it.’

And with that, Diego left, confusion building inside him. She, the Queen of Simsland, wanted him to call her by her first name. Sure, he’d called her Melody before – mostly to snap at her. But this was different. She had asked him to. What did that mean?

Perhaps she saw him as a friend. She probably didn’t have many of those. An ache settled in his chest. No wonder Miguel understood her in a way he didn’t. 

His phone buzzed, and he checked it, rolling his eyes at The Simsland Times notification on the screen. He clicked into the article as he headed back to his private quarters, scanning his eyes over the headline.

He paused in his tracks, heart pounding. 

A MOMENT LATER...

‘What is the meaning of this?’ snapped Diego as he stormed towards the state room where Melody was just leaving.

‘What is the meaning of what?’ she asked.

‘You’re shutting down the Human Sciences!’

Melody frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘It’s in the Simsland Times.’

‘It may be, but I still don’t know what you’re talking about.’ Melody folded her arms, annoyance spreading across her face.

Diego opened his mouth to toss her a sharp accusation, when he recalled Her Majesty’s words during their first dag-mál together.

‘You really are clueless aren’t you,’ he said, with exasperation. Then spun on his heels and began striding away.

‘Where are you going?’ Melody called after him.

‘To find someone who actually knows what’s going on in this palace.’

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