Arrival and gift

Janice awoke the next afternoon to a soft kiss on her cheeks.

Her nose flared at the familiar musky cologne that wafted to her nostrils. She opened her eyes slowly and let out a sigh as she spotted Jules at the foot of the bed.

His hair looked dishevelled, and she noticed he had discarded his tie and jacket, leaving only the inner shirt which was rolled.

“When did you arrive?” Janice murmured, groggily, whilst sitting up.

She braced her back with a pillow and groaned as she kneaded the muscle at the back of her neck.

She had met with the Queen earlier before she came back to bed to do some training on how to maintain an excellent posture. Five heavy books were atop her head, and each had toppled to the ground the moment she took a step forward.

The queen had hissed, scolded, and insisted she did it over again, even though Janice had looked like she might pass out from standing for too long caused by the rigorous activity.

It had taken up to two hours for her to get the book to