Chapter 7

Walking back to the sunroom seems like the scariest thing I've ever done. My fingers move frantically, playing with my skirt. I have to remind myself that a lady isn't supposed to act like that and reluctantly I let go of my skirt, moving my hands to my sides.

Persephone is in front of me practically dancing. "Come on!" she calls out, looking back at me and Drew. "We've got to tell mother. She will be so happy."

"I still don't know if this is a good idea," I whisper to Drew. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Drew grabs my hand and squeezes it. "I'm positive. Just imagine, you, a princess. You could get away from this all and be on the other side of things for once."

"But who says I want that?"

"I do. I mean, if you're really the princess, you could make life better for all servants in this country and maybe even the whole world! Just think about it. You could help so many people, even more than you already do. And you would have the full support of the townspeople, I just know it."

"Like that is a big help."

We round the last corner leading to the sunroom as I stop walking.

"I can't do this," I say loud enough for Persephone to hear. "I really can't."

She turns around, saying, "Of course you can do this. We'll be with you the whole time and I'll do the talking. All you have to do is tell mother what you've just told me, that's it." She knocks on the door before entering. Both women look up and as we walk in I think I see a shadow of a smile pass over the queen's face. I squeeze Drew's hand, hard.

"Mother, I think the woman was right," Persephone says as she stands beside me, shoving me closer to the queen.

"What do you mean 'the woman was right'?" I ask her, turning around.

"A woman from the village came to the castle a few days ago saying she'd seen the lost princess in her village. She told us of a girl who looked like an older version of the princess only with brown hair, who always buys colored lenses from her every few weeks. She said the girl was supposedly a maid working for some duchess living on the edge of the town. Most people at the castle thought she was just making things up, but Mother and I, we wanted to investigate for ourselves. And now here we are, with you."

"Lady Tragale," I mutter, remembering the old woman who I always go to for my lenses. "Why am I not surprised she came up with a story like that?"

"If lady Tragale is your source you can count yourselves lucky it wasn't a pretty story," Drew says. "She is known as a kind, but terribly unstable woman. She's what we call a Lost Brain, in the past she was a very wise woman but now all she does is call out nonsense."

"This-this can't be true," Madame mutters, her eyes darting from the queen to me and Persephone, and back again. "Your majesty, you can't believe anything a Lost Brain says, all they ever tell are stories, stories that never really happen."

"Well, sometimes even the most scatterbrained person can tell words of truth," the queen says calmly, standing up. "Come here, my child. I would like to look at you myself before I go and make assumptions."

Slowly I walk towards the queen.

"Tell me, what is your name, child?" She asks me as she walks around me, looking me up and down. While she holds up my chin, moving my head in different directions I say, "My name is Em, your majesty." She closely studies my hair, also taking a good look at the roots, the golden color lighting up in the sun. Lastly, she pulls down my left sleeve studying my left shoulder blade. She probably finds what she's looking for because she calls out in triumph.

She walks back to her former spot right in front of me. "Do you know you have a little heart-like birthmark on your shoulder blade?"

I hear Persephone catch her breath. "No your majesty, I didn't. Why did you want to know, if I might ask? Is it important somehow?"

The queen's smile seems to light up the whole room. "That birthmark only exists in the royal family. Having that birthmark proves that you are, in fact, my daughter."

Shocked I take a step back and at the moment I feel like my legs are going to give out under me, I feel two hands holding me up, pulling me into a chair. I look up seeing Drew's shocked face stare back at me. "Thanks," I say. I try to say more but the lump in my throat is back with a vengeance, making it impossible to say anything else.

He nods once before walking away, out of the room. 'Wait', I want to scream at him, but it seems I can't do anything more than look at my hands without actually seeing them.

"Em?" I hear someone say, from somewhere far away. "Are you alright?"

I try shaking my head, but before I can my eyes start closing and I slide off of my chair into a welcome sleepless dream.