Beffiting a Queen

Chapter 8: The realization

After cleaning every inch of the castle without any interruptions i was finally allowed to go back to my room. I pulled out my mothers letters from a hidden board underneath my bed and took the letters to an abandoned part of the castle. As i started to read i saw Prince Adrien sitting on top of the castle stairs. I quickly hid the letters in the back of my dress and tried to leave without he becoming aware i was there. He quickly looked up and ran towards me.

He asked, 'Are you trying to avoid me now that you know who i am? Are you disgusted by me now?' I wanted to tell him i loved him more that life itself, but i knew that would only complicate things. He had no idea who i was, nor where i came from. I wasn't just some nobody who was born in an asylum. I had Tritanian and Deltanian blood running through my veins and the worst of it all was that i wanted revenge against his kingdom and everyone in it.

As he neared my face wanting to kiss me, my step sister walked by and asked what we were doing here. I backed away from him and looked at the ground near my feet and told her i was just helping the prince pick up flowers for his beautiful bride to be. Luckily we were near the queens garden, I excused myself and hurried back to my room.

I kept getting sidetracked whenever i was about to finish reading my mother's letters, but now that i was in my room nothing  would disturb me. As i continued on reading I had come to the realization that my grandmother was no ordinary woman, she had been the princess of her small village that was mostly populated by violet eyed women. They were like a coven of priestesses that made it a goal in life to heal others. My grandfather had actually stolen my grandmother from her tribe and had massacred every last one of them.

My grandmother was devastated by what had happened that she poisoned herself in order to escape my ruthless grandfather. It was also believed that women born with violet eyes possessed certain healing abilities. My mother was also killed because she knew too much and wanted to make sure my grandfather never ruled any kingdom ever again. I had to get the truth out just as my mother had tried before she was institutionalized, but i knew that would be no easy task.

I decided to gather my thoughts and take a break from my mother's letters. As I stepped out to the garden Queen Gwenovere hurried me to the parlor to set up a table for Prince Adrien and Princess Lucinda. They would be dining in tonight and although it pained me to think of him with someone else, I knew it was better this way. The queen told me I was not to leave this room in the case that they needed something. As night fell they entered the parlor and Prince Adrien looked as handsome as ever. His long silver hair glowed with the light that entered through the windows from the full moon. He tended to Princess Lucinda the entire night and paid no attention to my presence.

After dinner, they proceeded to his bedroom and the thought of that made me feel pathetic. As they began walking out of the room, I began picking up their silverware and glass cups they had  used and without noticing I shattered a glass cup in my hands. The pain should of been excruciating considering the fact that my palm was bleeding all over the ground, but it wasn't. Adrien turned away and walked away with Princess Lucinda by his side, his reaction was enough to kill me right then and there.

I knew it was ridiculous to think he would run over to help me. I was just some lowly maid who was there to please the prince and nothing more. After I cleaned up after myself, I went downstairs and couldn't get the thought of my step sister touching Adrien out of my head. It should have angered me, but I was no one to him and what made me think that I could ever be his bride? 

That night I tossed and turned all night and got up before sunrise to watch it from the castle steps. Everyone I the castle would be asleep as always, except for Adrien. I bowed in front of him as I should of done from the beginning because he was a prince and I was the help. He told me to have a seat and began to tell me why he would go around the castle masked like some vigilante. He felt imprisoned by his mother and his only escape and opportunity to leave the castle grounds was thanks to his disguise. 

He had gotten away with it for so long until I came along. No one had ever caught a glimpse of him and he planned to keep it that way.  As he was about to apologize, I interrupted him and told him there was no need for an explanation because I didn't love him. Those words that came out of my mouth made me sick and bothered Adrien even more. I knew I had to leave that castle soon. At that moment I wanted Adrien to hold me in his arms and kiss me, but I knew that was wishful thinking.

That night Queen Gwenovere asked to speak to me in private. She seemed concerned and told me that something was brought to her attention. I knew it had something to do with Adrien, she no longer needed me and would be returning me to the asylum. Those words pierced me to the very core. She informed me that although she wanted her grandchild to have eyes as beautiful as mine, her grandchild had to have royal blood which I had none of. It was comical how wrong she was about my lineage. She assumed me to be some peasant from mediocre parents, in fact she would topple over if she were to learn that I had the blood from two of the most powerful kingdoms next to hers.

She would be sending me back tonight by carriage and I knew this was my chance to escape. As I gathered my only belongings, I took a look back at the castle and tried to catch one last glimpse of Adrien, but I had no such luck. As we exited the castle and headed towards the valley that lead to town, I jumped out of the carriage only to fall down a hill that lead to the small town of Aquatria.