Royal Mess

Chapter Twenty-Two

April 2221 

 I would never allow myself to be spoken to like that again, I thought, as I headed out into the cold chill of night. 

"Trixie, wait!" Nathan yelled after me, as he followed me out. 

I didn't even turn back to him, just continued to walk onward through the palace's gardens.

I didn't feel like talking to anyone right now, in all honesty. 

I had been insulted for the last time. 

I was good enough, and I knew that I deserved better than to have been spoken to like that by Madame Vivienne, of all people. 

Diane soon headed towards us, too. 

"Trixie!" she exclaimed. 

I turned to her and felt my eyes still running, again. 

She took a step towards me, then, and began to dab at my eyes with her handkerchief. 

"Whatever is the matter, darling?" Diane asked me. 

"Vivienne," I choked out. 

Diane's eyes widened a little, but then she sighed. 

"She can say some horrible things at times, Trixie. I am sorry. Don't take any notice of it," she said. 

I moved away from her then, holding onto the railing of the staircase nearby. 

I turned back to her and felt my eyebrows furrow together. 

"How can I not? How can I choose to ignore it when she has insulted me like this?" I asked then, willing myself not to cry again. 

Diane sighed once more. 

I hadn't been expecting any more company, but I soon observed, as my sister lifted her skirts a little so that she could run down the stairs towards me. 

"Trix!" she yelled, as she came to stand beside me, taking my hands in hers. She moved some of my hair out of the way of my face and sighed, "How are you doing? Are you okay?" she asked, tilting my head up a little so that I could meet her gaze. 

"I'll be fine," I said, hardening my face as I replied. 

I just didn't want to think on it much longer.

Madame Vivienne could be a tormenting soul. I didn't want to recall a word of what she had said.  She almost wasn't worth my thoughts. 

I suppose deep-down I carried this vulnerability, in the form of the belief that I couldn't be a princess. Madame Vivienne had taken that and used it against me. 

I exhaled in irritation; my sister just looked towards me with an apologetic expression, but she shouldn't be the one feeling sorry. 

I heard Nathan begin to mutter to his mother, from behind me, then. 

"She won't talk to me. Do you know what happened? Did you see?" he asked. 

"Madame Vivienne-" she started to say. 

I turned to see Nathan's gaze become much colder, and he turned to me then, with an apologetic expression. 

It only lasted so long, before his features moved into a much more serious expression, once more. 

"Are you seriously going to allow her to bring you down, Trixie?" he whispered. 

"She said the most hurtful things, Nate. I'm hardly going to just forget it," I replied.