The Second Chapter

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It's the next morning, this time I'm warmer. The sun finally peeking through the curtains for the first time in a while. I ring my bell to have my handmaiden, Lehzen, come help me dress. This day feels special, so I have Lehzen help me put on my emerald green dress. It's bedazzled with crystals and embroidered flowers lace up the dress. It's beautiful.

I thank Lehzen and leave my chambers, feeling the urge to "explore" my own castle. I haven't gone to the library in a while. I decide to take the scenic route of memory lane down father's wing.

Paintings of past Kings decorate the walls, each one older than the last. I stop at our own family portrait, staring at how happy we were. Eve was 15, Beatrice was 11, and my tiny body is found being comforted at the shoulder by Dads hand at the age of 9. Even though we were all happy, Mother still had a gloomy look to her. Were my parents fighting at the time?

I leave the painting and stop at my father's golden doors, glowing warmly at me. It was so breathtaking that I didn't notice it was guarded.

"Excuse me," I clear my throat, "Why are my father's chambers guarded?" I ask.

"Your Highness," The guard says in shock, "I wasn't expecting you to come today. Would you like to be let in?" The guards inquires.

I furrow my eyebrows together, odd. But, I'm curious as to why this room is guarded.

"Yes-" My voice cracks, "Yes, I would like to." That was horrible.

They open the doors as I watch the room light up with the curtains opened and the bed clearly used. Who is staying in fathers room? I see the doors close out of the corner of my eye as I look around the room that became alive for the first time in a year. I feel the cool breeze from outside as I sit down at my Dads vanity.

He'd always brush my hair at this vanity when I'd wake him up in the wee hours of the morning.

I see the vanity all cluttered with things i haven't seen before; cologne, exotic spices inside small vials in a ton of bright colours. I pick up one of the vials and open it, going in for a smell. It was fresh, almost exfoliating to the nose. I close it and see the bathroom door behind me open, a dark man with black, tousled wet hair.

He spots me as I leave the mirror and keep my back to him to make sure he doesn't know who I am. Thank God I'm not wearing my crown, I could be lying dead in father's room, just like he was that night he passed.

"Oh, my, I'm sorry I'll get dressed. Do you mind passing me the bottle of cologne, maid?" He says. Phew, maybe I'm not dead if he thinks I'm a maid-- Wait, maid?

"I-I-" I try to form a sentence, but it won't come out.

"Sure," I finally say, picking up the bottle. I try not to make eye contact with him.

"Who-Who are you?" I stutter out,

"I'd rather not say, I know how much you maids gossip. The maids in India aren't that great at keeping secrets either." He answers. So that's where the accent came from. Though it's very subtle. That's why I didn't recognize it.

"Can you at least tell me how long you've been in the King's chambers?" I ask him. If he thinks I'm a maid, I'll keep it that way.

"My, you're nosy." He chuckles, "It's been a couple lonely months, though." He says, noticing how I've kept my head low.

"Hey," He starts, "Why won't you look at me?" His voice turning almost sultry. He then puts his index and thumb on my chin, lifting it up. I look away, trying not to see his face. This strange man's breath is oddly fresh for somebody who's probably only a new conquest for mother.

I can see his face even though I'm trying my best to look away from it. His hair is almost dripping on my face and I feel his piercing brown eyes looking straight at me. He moves his fingers from my chin to squishing my cheeks. My goodness, this guy is rude.

"Look, I'm just trying to intimidate you," He says, leaning to my ear.

"But I'm the most courteous guy you'll ever meet in this polluted world." That sentence sends shivers down my spine as he pats my cheeks and kisses both of them before waving me off.

"You're excused, miss."

What was that? I have to ask mother even though I despise meeting with her. I walk up to her haunting silver doors, looking at the guards to show them I want in. They open the doors and I see my mother talking to Harold, her personal butler. My mother catches me at the doors and asks Harold to grab another chair.

"No need, mother." I start, "Why is there a strange man in father's chambers right now?" I ask.

I see my mothers eyes dart to Harold in shock.

"Is that your new conquest? Dad just died a year ago! You replace him already with sex?" I start rambling. I'm angered.

"Honey, calm down!" She exclaims, "That man is not a conquest, he's uhm, he's- Harold help me what is he again?" She smiles at him.

"He's miss Evangelines guest, a student might you say." Harold answers.

"And, honey, there wasn't any rooms left given how many servants we have brought in due to your father." Mother sighs.

"And, Harold? May you move the guards that let my daughter into his room? They should know that is invasion of his privacy and will be put in a different spot in the castle." My mother says, crossing her arms.

"Of course, your Majesty." Harold says.

Harold leaves and my mother gestures me to sit down again, this time I sit.

"I want to discuss your birthday and about what I've already planned." My mother says, pulling out Harold's tiny notebook. I can't stop thinking about how that student treated me! Even if I made him think I was a maid.

"So, the colours are now fixed up as Cerulean, Cream, Gold, and Peach. Fresh, isn't it?" My mind is blurry, full of images from my father's room; the vials, the man, the water droplets of his hair.

"Mhm." I answer, clearly not listening. But mother didn't care.

"Now, the theme, I'm thinking masquerade? Fun?" Mother asks,

"Mhm." I answer.

"Honey, you have to listen otherwise all you're going to have is one party guest and that'll be Harold." My mother snaps.

"Okay, mother. What's next?"

"I have your dress and fabric picked out, which I know you'll like. Any colour you'd like that dress to be dyed?" She asks. It's a tough question for a person who loves almost every colour.

"Uhm, I don't know..." I then think of fathers favourite flower out of the entire garden,

"Lilac, please." I answer.

"Okay, that's all the help I need from you. I'll send a letter to the seamstress and have Harold pick it up in a week."

She starts writing her letter as she gestures that I'm excused. That went well.

The days pass with flying colours. It was lunch, then I finally got to read in the library, then dinner. I wondered the entire day about that man. I already knew who he was in the castle, but why do I keep thinking of him? It all just seems odd. The castle fell to sleep and the next morning was bustling for preparations of a wedding and a special birthday.

It's Monday lessons. Mother has made me learn many artists on the piano, made me learn many operas, and has had me sew multiple dresses for myself. Which I'll give to the townspeople when I visit this afternoon. Mother has also got Harold to find me a waltz teacher for my birthday. My feet are sore already and I'm dizzy. Everything is blurry from spinning into oblivion.

Two Weeks Later:

My dress came in and they had me measured for the week before sending it to the tailor next week. Haven't heard Evangeline talk about her student at all, must mean he's gone. Good. Everybody is stressed from the planning of my birthday, since it's only a couple weeks away now. Mother instructs me to not look at the ballroom because she wants my entrance to be the first time I look at the so-called "paradise" ball she's planned. Once I'm done my measurements, I excused the town seamstress and went immediately to my vanity. I grab my journal, ink my pen, and let everything out as if it were a letter I was sending to father.

It's as if I'm the grand finale of the circus, walking the tightrope. Watching down on the world spinning underneath my shaking feet. I've stayed in this spot for so long, it hurts. It's as if I'm afraid to continue. Afraid of the circus emptying without me knowing and I fall, failing to impress anybody that bothered to stay. The Earth going black and white as I slowly descend to its dirt. Nobody to catch me.

I close my journal, free of the negative emotions I've unleashed to a mere piece of paper.

I sigh, not knowing what to do. I see my old easel and paints sitting in the corner of my room. The painting sitting pretty on top of it, unfinished. I get up from the vanity and glide towards it in total silence, not knowing why I needed to be so hush.

I approach the painting and touch all the thick and thin strokes of bright and dull paint creating a paradise, made just for myself in a canvas. It was meant to be a landscape of clouds and mountains, most likely somewhere far away from this turned hell.

I pick up the paints and my palette and almost everything I've learned washes back to the surface from the darkest corner. I grab the blues, greens, and white. Then, I immediately start painting clouds that seem to come off the sky and straight to the canvas. Painting the mountains was as if I was creating my first ever artwork, but with so much ease I didn't have to worry about anything.

Absolutely nothing at all.

Letting every stroke take me to someplace else.

A Day Before The Ball:

My final fitting was 2 weeks ago and I haven't seen mother or really anybody since then. I've also been banished from getting anywhere outside of my chambers without permission from mother dearest since everything has to be a surprise. It's absolutely ridiculous and tedious. I'm not even her favourite! What's even more silly is the dancing. I feel like I'm better than my tutor, because I swear he's been stepping on my toes more than I have to him. Mother probably picked the first person she saw in sight in this castle. I think I have waltzing on my list of endless skills that mother has made me do. Though, the waltzing is mandatory for such an event like the 18th milestone in life. When it comes to our family, of course. Today is so slow, it feels like lunch hasn't even happened. It's relatively cloudy today, so no gardens. Sorry, Dad.

"Your Highness," Margaret knocks,

"Finally, some human interaction! Yes, Margaret?" I ask.

"We have a bath preparing for you before your big day, miss." She smiles. Great, I thought I wasn't ever getting out of my chambers.

"Thank you, Margaret. Can you get Harold to ask for permission to travel to town tonight? I would like to purchase a couple things." I smile, making sure I puppy dog eye her as much as I can.

Margaret scoffs and says, "You know, your mom doesn't need to constantly know where you are. I'll sneak you out. I'll also have Aldwin join you for safety." She smirks nicely. Exactly what I was asking for. Thank you, Margaret.

Aldwin and I get in our cloaks, the cold spring breeze hitting our face like ice shards. We jump onto our horses and pray no guards saw us.

Our horses approach the town gates, lanterns shining against the dark, slightly cloudy night. Not late into the year enough for the sun to last until 10 just yet.

We come through and watch as all the bustling streets by people scrambling to buy last minute gifts for the royal family.

"What do you plan on purchasing?" Aldwin asks, pulling his hood down.

"I don't know, really. All I know is that I'm giving some gold to those in need. You know, since mother doesn't want to." I chuckle. It wasn't a joke, though.

"Why? They'll probably spend it on alcohol and unnecessary items." Aldwin scoffs. As if he doesn't work for the royal family and doesn't get paid enough. Ha!

"Aldwin, rude. And, I prefer to give people the freedom to buy what they like. Whether it's ale or not, still technically quenches their thirst." I argue back. I stop my horse as I find a local shop owned by one of the town jewellers. Clearly weren't royalty maintenance, but it still pulled me in with the gems glowing in the warm light coming out the window.

"Seriously? And I thought the townies would buy unnecessary things. Come on!" Aldwin yells as I scoff back at him, hopping off my horse and into the shop.

"Welcome, may I help you?" The owner inquires,

"No, thank you " I answer, making sure they saw my smile. Hood still up.

I look around, all these locally owned rocks and minerals, shining as bright as valuable gemstones would. I see a necklace and earring set in my peripheral vision, almost glowing like the lanterns.

I trace the shape of the chunky necklace delicately with my fingers.

"That's amber, miss. Do you like it? I have much more than just amber." The owner smiles.

"Amber, huh? How much does this cost?" I ask, not leaving the necklace and earring out of my sight. As if I was afraid somebody would snatch it out of my hands and purchase it before me.

"Just a small amount of 4 dollars, madam." She smiles, almost innocently, not knowing that locals can't even afford amber. I lick my lips,

"How much would you say in gold?" I ask. It was all I had on me. I also forgot to pawn it.

"Gold?" She gulps,

"Probably about a small nugget, right?" I interrupt her thinking.

"Ye-yes I assume so." She answers.

She doesn't even realize that I just bargained her price down to a fraction. Unprofessional. But, if this is the only time I'll buy from this place in a while, might as well bargain.

"I'll take it." I smile, grabbing the set and bringing it up to her counter. I place the gold nugget down, put the jewelry in my satchel, thank her, and leave.

Aldwin and I chat as we give some gold to people we notice are in need and we head back to the castle. We put our horses back in the stable, hang our cloaks up, and go to our bedrooms. I enter into my chambers, yawning in exhaustion. I slip into my silky nightgown and almost instantly jump into bed. Not knowing what will come tomorrow, thinking of how good today was.

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Hello, Reader! If you're wondering, 1 dollar now was worth almost 20 dollars in the 17-1800s and a small gold nugget was about 18 dollars. I'm very inconsistent with writing and I apologize completely! Can't wait to write chapter 3!

Yours Truly ~ Author