Shadow wolves: The Prince's Servant (Book 4) - Complete

Chapter 9 - Who will rule?

Emily

Cook looked over at Julius.

“Don’t look at me, I found her like this in the hands of a merchant! She won’t let me comfort her, so I was hoping you could help.” He sounded discouraged and heartbroken.

“Come, my girl. Let’s get you back to your room and clean up.” Cook helped me up. Julius wanted to protest, but the look he received from Cook stopped him in his tracks. She helped me through to the servant’s passages and down to my room.

“What were you thinking, girl?” She sighed.

“I wasn’t! I ran into him by accident, spilling his drink and he locked me up in his wagon!” Tears just ran down my cheeks. “Cook, if Friedrich didn’t hear my pleas, I would be a goner!”

“Yes, well, you know how it is in town. I don’t know why you would even go there. Although with your current state of mind, I guess I could understand. Just don’t do that again! You know my heart can’t take this!” I felt really awful for upsetting her like that.

“I’m sorry Cook.” She cleaned my wrists that had turned a bright red, and in some places, had dried blood, wrapping them with a clean cloth, so the wounds wouldn’t get infected.

“You are very lucky my girl, longer than just today and things would have been a lot worse.” Cook frowned.

“I know. I know how stupid it was.” Looking down at the floor, I thought about what could have happened.

“Well, it’s all over now and luckily you are home safe. Now go to sleep.” She ordered as she helped me slip under my blanket.

“Thank you, Cook.” I fell asleep immediately and Cook tucked the blanket under me.

Julius

“How is she?” I nearly gave Cook her second heart attack for the day.

“Sunny! You are going to kill this old woman!” She tried catching her breath, forgetting all formalities. “She is sleeping, your highness. Losing her father in such a way was too much for her. Then having to deal with this thing with the merchant. I don’t know your highness. I honestly don’t know.” Cook shook her head.

“Will you let me know when she wakes?” I felt so vulnerable. Sadness flashed through my eyes. Cook nodded, not knowing what else to say. Walking into my office, I found my mother standing by the window, looking out. She turned around the moment I walked in. Her face was red with fury.

“Why? Why did you have to rush after a servant girl? But you let the Princess slip through your fingers? Do you not understand that the alliance between our families can save our kingdom?” She started to rant.

“Mother …” I said through clenched teeth, but she wasn’t finished.

“No son, now you listen. Anna’s father had a rich kingdom. Enough to boost our empty treasury and strengthen our trade again. We will be able to rebuild our plantations. Get rid of the filthy merchants! Our nobles will flourish and the towns' people will be able to earn a living.” I felt shocked that she actually knew about all of this.

“Mother! Did you forget about the curse on our land? Even if we get gold, the land is dead, nothing will grow! Is it always just about money and luxury for you?! You don’t give a damn about the towns' people! You never have. Why do you now? They have always just been commoners in your eyes!” I spoke over her as she tried to justify her behaviour.

“Surely an old woman can have a change of heart.” She shrugged.

“Yes, that is true, but I don’t believe you, mother. I have had a lifetime of you looking down on people. I know you well enough to know that you will never change your views of the town's people! I will not marry Anna and that is final!” I shouted.

“UGH! You will regret your decision! We will be lucky if her father doesn’t declare war! A bargain was struck, and now you are not keeping your end of it!” She stormed over to the door.

“I did not make the deal, mother. The person who did is dead. If the King wishes to declare war. We will have war!” I shouted at my mother. We stared at each other, but she gave in first. She stormed out of the office, slamming the door closed behind her.

Emily

A commoner funeral was nothing like a royal funeral. I woke up early, and my eyes felt puffy from the day before. My wrists burned badly. I washed my face and met Cook in the kitchen. One of the other girls will be standing in for us today. Most of the dishes for the day had been prepared the day before and only needed to be put in the oven. Today, we went to see the undertaker to arrange for the funeral the next day. It would be a simple service next to the grave. It would only be me and Cook present, with the priest delivering a short service. I asked that it would be done early in the morning, so Cook and I could return to work as early as possible. My father would be buried in the town graveyard, with no tombstone. I didn’t have the money to have one put up. I was too young to remember where they buried my mother, so he would just have to go wherever they buried him.

My heart was done crying. Numb from what I had been through. We returned to the castle, Cook returning to the kitchen while I cleared out my father’s room. There was nothing left showing that he lived. No keepsake from my mother, nothing. I was an orphan with no proof that I ever had parents. He would be buried in the only clothes he owned. His chair went to a needy old lady in town. That was it. The room was empty. Not having anything else to do, I returned to the kitchen. Taking a knife, I walked over to my corner to start peeling potatoes.

“Girlie, I don’t think you should be doing that in your condition,” Cook frowned.

“I’m fine, thank you, Cook.” I didn’t sigh, or smile. I was just numb.

“Those wrists won’t heal and then soon you won’t be able to work at all. Leave it. I will call one of the other girls to help. You go and rest.” Her voice was softer this time.

“I can’t afford to, Cook. With my father dead, I will probably be sent back to live in town. I will need the money.” I sounded completely different from the young girl that used to sit behind the wall.

“I am sure they will not …” She started but I interrupted her.

“Cook, I need this please.” My pleas made Cook’s heart break into a thousand pieces.

“All right then. Just be careful. I would hate to lose my best kitchen girl.” She smiled sadly.

“I will.” Silence fell throughout the kitchen as we spent the day preparing breakfast, lunch, tea, and so on.

Julius

I walked into the parlor after being called by my mother to join her for breakfast.

“Mother, I am in no mood to hear anything about alliances, so if that is why you called for me, I will be leaving.” I started before even greeting her.

“Morning Julius, please sit down, that is not why I wanted to talk to you. Please.” I joined her at the table in the early morning sunlight. The parlor was designed for ladies. The chairs were covered with silk flower designs and ended off with white lace. Small tables were between all the groupings. It was another large room in the castle meant for entertaining large groups of ladies. My mother had, over the years, chosen a corner where she had a table put in and created a small area for her to have breakfast. The window frames were all painted white and the curtains were made of white lace. There were delicate chairs, with intricate designs around the top and sides of the back. The couches had the same designs. The coffee table legs shared the same design. Whoever had this room done, must have had a lot of money paid for this kind of detail. My mother’s table and chairs, although painted white, did not share the same delicate design.

“What do you want mother?” I asked when her ladies served breakfast.

“I hear the father of the kitchen girl killed himself.” She looked up from her food.

“Yes and?” I raised a brow.

“I hear he did it in the servant’s quarters, blaming her for his death, before killing himself?” I sighed.

“Where are you going with this mother? I don’t have time for your games.” I sat back in the chair not feeling hungry anymore.

“Do you know why he did it?” She raised a brow again.

“Because he was selfish, cruel and wanted to hurt her as much as he could.” I blurted it out, still feeling angry at the old man.

“Oh. I wasn’t made aware of that.” Looking up at her handmaiden, with a scowl on her face. “Now that Princess Anna has left Julius, I want to know what I can expect will happen next. I am still the Queen of this kingdom and I wish to be kept informed of everything, so I can decide what will be the best for the kingdom.” She carried on eating and I felt confused.

“Excuse me, mother? Did I just hear you right? You want to take over running the kingdom after father named me his successor?” I scoffed.

“He never named you his successor. I am the Queen, and I am to take over.” She stood by her point, not looking me in the eyes, carrying on with her breakfast.

“Well now mother, finally you have shown your true colours. Your greed has even made you stab your son in the back!” I hissed.

“That is not true, Julius. You didn’t want to marry Princess Anna, insisting on carrying on with that common girl. I have no other choice but to declare you incompetent and take over. I have arranged an alliance between our kingdom and King Angus. We are to be wed four weeks from now.” She didn’t look at me.

“What? Anna’s father?” I exclaimed.

“Yes, he will be the new King.” Still, she didn’t look at me.

“You will let him take over my kingdom?” I was completely dumbfounded.

“It is not your kingdom, Julius. That is where you are mistaken, son. I spent a lifetime by your father’s side. I have just as much right if not more. The decision has been made, and you will fall in line.” Her calm tone made me lose my temper. I slammed my fist on the table and stood up. China plates, teacups, silver cutlery and breakfast flew everywhere.

“This time you have gone too far mother!” My face went red with fury as I walked out of the parlor. “She is not to send any communications without my approval. Do you understand!” I ordered her guards.

“Yes, your highness.” They looked wide-eyed at me.

“She is to be confined to her rooms until I decide otherwise. Should you not do what I order, you will face the gallows!” My fury grew with every word. My guards stood behind me. “You two! Join the Queen's guard. If my orders aren’t followed, I want to know immediately.” I looked back into the parlor at my shocked mother. “This is not your kingdom anymore. You will do what you are told, old woman!” With that, I walked off back to my office. Ever faithful, Friedrich walked a few steps behind me. “She is a snake! I can’t believe she would go this far, Friedrich. I need men I can trust to take over as her guards, until I can have her move to the cottage where she can’t cause any more trouble!”

“I will look into it for your highness.” He nodded.

“Thank you.” Friedrich disappeared, and I walked down to the kitchens to check on Emily. The kitchen echoed, with Cook bashing about with pots and pans like she normally did. Talking to herself, telling the spices to make the right taste. I spent many hours as a child sitting at the top of the stairs, listening to her. She sounded like a fairy-tale sometimes, the way she would talk to everything in the kitchen. I sneaked down the steps to stand quietly looking at her, waiting for her to turn around and look at me.

“Holy cr@p!!” She jumped when she finally turned, seeing me leaning against the wall. “One of these days highness, you will be carrying my cold dead body out that door, because you gave this old woman such a scare!” I heard a shuffle in Emily’s corner. Immediately looking in that direction, I saw Cook shaking her head.

“I can’t just leave it. I need to talk to her.” I whispered, and Emily looked around the corner.

“It’s okay Cook. We can go for that promised walk, if that is okay with you?” We both looked stunned at her reaction, and Cook nodded. Emily washed her potato-stained hands, walked out the door, and she waited for me.