Peter took Sophia and her daughter through the halls, and with the greetings of guests along the way, they finally reached a place closer to the inside.
The Queen's Palace.
There were two doors, inside and outside. At this time, the door was closed. With the arrival of several people, the double door was pushed open, and what came to them were Duchess Polya and Countess Vivian.
The two curtsied to Peter and the two princesses.
Because this is the palace of the Queen, no matter how small a person is approaching the Queen, he must be taken seriously.
Johanna and Sofia did not dare to neglect, even though they were holding one arm, they returned the favor with just the right gesture.
Then the four of them walked in.
Sofia was immediately shocked by the queen's appearance.
Queen Elizabeth sat there, wearing a magnificent silver dress with lace woven with gold threads. Her hair, neck and plump breasts were submerged in diamonds.
When she stood up, her whole body seemed to be radiating a dazzling light.
What especially caught Sophia's attention was that there was a black feather stuck in the hair on one side of the queen's head, and the tip of the feather hung down, slightly covering her face.
This beautiful and luxurious detail simply hit Sophia's heart.
Sophia stood in awe.
In Peter's eyes, it was something else.
Auntie suddenly hung up jewelry everywhere she could. I have to say, she really tried her best. Was she trying to give Sophia a kick?
But it can also be seen that the aunt really wants Sophia to be the crown prince.
After all, Louisa doesn't get this kind of treatment at all.
At this moment the Duchess bowed to the Queen and retired.
Peter took out his arm, and Johanna and Sofia immediately saluted the Queen:
"Her Majesty the Great Queen, please allow us to express our most sincere greetings and most sincere wishes to you..."
A long list of greetings.
During this process, Johanna stammered, probably because of nervousness, but she did not forget to kiss the Queen's hand.
Elizabeth held Johanna in her arms and said softly:
"What I have done for you so far is nothing compared to what I will do for your family next. Your children and Peter are as precious to me."
Peter chuckled.
Just listen to the polite words, and you will be a fool if you take it seriously.
A princess, even if she is a crown prince and has a precious heir, then she has seen a ghost.
But Johanna was moved.
Then Elizabeth looked at Sophia again.
Fifteen-year-old Sophia leaned down deeply and bent her knees.
Elizabeth had a faint smile on her face. She could see that this German princess was full of energy and talent.
Moreover, during the questioning process, she spoke and behaved very carefully and looked respectful.
But Sophia felt herself trembling.
She didn't know whether she was shocked by the brilliance of the queen in front of her, or by the powerful posture.
In short, Sophia's answer was very careful and cautious.
If the Queen doesn't ask, she won't even speak!
The interview was almost over, and Elizabeth smiled and said:
"Polya, take the two guests who have come from afar to rest. They are also tired."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Princess Polya said to Johanna and Sophia:
"You two, please come with me."
Johanna and Sophia withdrew again in a series of salutes.
Peter also turned and left, but before leaving, he thought his aunt gave him a thumbs up.
That look of admiration clearly pleased the Queen.
There is nothing that makes a woman feel better than receiving recognition after she has dressed up well.
…
"Mrs. Polya, I would like to introduce you to a palace that is very suitable for rest."
Peter rushed up and said to Princess Polya.
Mrs. Polya responded primly:
"Your Highness, the Queen has arranged a rest room for the two princesses."
Peter said:
"What room could better show the importance of these two princesses than being close to the Crown Prince?"
But Polya remained stubborn and authentic:
"Your Highness, the Queen has issued an order."
He also added an emphatic tone.
Looking at His Highness who persisted in negotiating with Polya, and the female courtier who still refused to give in even when facing His Highness, Sofia couldn't help but be secretly surprised.
She even dared to refuse His Highness's words. This lady looked very difficult to get along with.
Johanna looked at Peter with ecstasy in her heart.
There were many crown princes running for election this time. When they came from St. Petersburg, the attitudes of the Marquis de La Châtadier and Baron Madefield made her understand that things might not be all smooth sailing.
And now, His Highness is obviously interested in his daughter, which is a good sign!
Looking at the old-fashioned lady who kept refusing, Johanna wanted to kick her out.
To prevent my daughter from getting close to His Highness is to be her enemy!
Not to mention living next to His Highness, she would immediately agree to the wedding tonight and was eager to send her daughter to His Highness's bed immediately.
After all, there are so many princesses eyeing her.
In an instant, besides Bestudev, there was Polya on Johanna's list.
Peter mentioned it twice, but seeing that the Duchess of Polya was not interested, he stopped talking.
He nodded to Sofia and Johanna, and then politely left.
Dear friends, there is no need to get too close now. Before completing the necessary tasks, it is better to wait and see the mother and daughter.
After all, as far as he knew, apart from Sophia, Johanna was not a good person.
On the contrary, it is very noisy.
Looking at Peter's leaving figure, Sophia couldn't help but look back again and again.
She understands very well what marriage means to her.
The tragic image of her mother's sister who couldn't get married and was trapped in a wing living with dogs and pigeons for the rest of her life still lingers in her mind like a nightmare.
This time she came to Russia was the moment that decided her fate.
How she wished she could have a word with His Highness.
Sofia left with Mrs. Polya worriedly, but Peter did not go back to the palace directly.
He asked the guard to call the maid and waited not far outside his aunt's palace.
Sure enough, within a moment, the countess came out with the child in her arms.
Peter waved to Vivian, and at the same time ordered several maids to follow the countess and take personal care of Sophia and her daughter after Duchess Polya left.
The countess was greatly surprised when she heard this order.
Judging from the attitudes of the Queen and Her Highness, she almost suspected that the Crown Princess was Sofia before the other princesses arrived.
Vivian didn't expect that she guessed the truth.
Seeing that the countess was in a daze, Peter patted her. The countess suddenly came back to her senses, quickly handed her daughter to the maid, and said respectfully:
"Your Highness, it is my honor to serve you!"
Peter smiled slightly and said:
"Go ahead."
"yes."
Looking at the back of the countess leaving with the maids from his palace, Peter felt a little relieved.