Ragtag Daily Prompt: Ramble

When they came to tell Tata Sous-sus that the King was dead, for a split second the thought crossed her mind that they’d come to proclaim her Queen. Such fancies were quickly dispelled when the herald announced, “Long live Queen Pirouette!”

“Long may she reign,” replied Tata dryly. “Where is Her Majesty now?”

“She’s in her private chapel, no doubt praying for the soul of our sovereign- er, that is, our late sovereign.”

“I must go see her now. She must be distraught,” said Tata smoothly. She continued, “Why, even when she was a little girl, I was the only one who could comfort her when she was so distressed, as in the case of her parents. I’ll never forget the day her father was killed in a hunting accident. It was just awful. And then there was her mother’s demise, even worse…”

She continued to ramble in her speech until the herald interrupted her, rolling his eyes. “I really must reiterate Her Majesty’s insistence that she remain undisturbed until she was done with her devotions.”

Folding up her hand fan, Tata used it as a weapon, poking the startled man in his chest. “Young man,” she hissed. “You will conduct me to the Queen now, or I will make it my life’s mission to see you dismissed, and not just dismissed, but chained up in a galley, rowing until your scrawny back breaks!”