His Princess Mate

1 - Return Home

დ Rose დ

The train ride had been somewhat exhausting; however, the ride home was even more tiring. When the coach entered the property of my father, I leaned forward and gracefully glanced out of the carriage window. The land was just as beautiful as it had been six years ago. We passed through the opening of the huge metal gate, and I looked down at the draw bridge as we smoothly traveled over it. I gasped in absolute delight when the castle came into view. Square towers were set firm and strong for the most impressive defensive line and are connected by the fortified, thick walls that were made of glorious golden stone. The ornate windows are generously scattered around the walls of the castle in seemingly perfect regularity, along with distorted crenelations for archers and artillery. It was such a magnificent sight that I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, even if I wanted to. Statues of past Kings stood proudly a lined outside the castle stairway, serving as a reminder of those past. The castle, itself, had clearly stood the test of time and it was evident that the staff intended on making sure it stayed that way for many ages to come. Although the castle stood tall and well, it had begun to show cracks here and there which revealed its aging history. I had returned home in the summer and even though I felt exhausted, I couldn’t help but admire the luscious field of grass that was surrounded by neatly trimmed rose bushes. The delicate bloom of roses represented family and love and it symbolized heartfelt emotions that I quickly tried to push aside. There wasn’t a single weed in sight and each rose bush stood as tall as four feet high. The pathway leading up to the stairway of the castle is marked with large, rounded stones and it curled around the garden, giving many an elegant way of exploring the glorious garden and all it had to offer. When the carriage came to a slow stop, I waited for the horseman to open the carriage door. With his offered white-gloved hand, I forcibly took a hold of it and gently stepped down onto the stoned pathway. I glanced behind me and smiled as right in the center of it all, stood the ornamental fountain, which was complemented by its surroundings of roses, flowers, and other plants. The fountain stood tall with its three classic tiers and its elaborate acorn finial that sat right on the tippy top. It was a sight to behold as the rain-like water cascaded into the rippling pools of water. I had arrived at just the right time of day.

“Madam?” I quickly glanced back and noticed the butler standing on the last step. “Welcome home, Madam,” he said warmly. He stood tall and proud, his greying hair was swiftly swept to one side and was neat and tidy. I couldn’t help but admire his stature and I smiled politely at him. The butler returned my smile with one of his own and I adored his black suit with the sparkling white shirt and tie. He certainly played his role to perfection.

“Thank you, Sir,” I replied sweetly with a small curtsey. I need not worry about my luggage as I knew it would be taken care of. I gracefully tugged on my large, ruffled bottom skirt and stepped lightly as I made my way toward the butler and the stairway.

“Did you have a pleasant trip, Madam?” he questioned as he offered me his arm.

“I did, however, it was quite tiresome,” I said as I happily accepted his arm. “Is my father around today?” I enquired carefully as we took the stairs up to the main door. I was rather curious as to whether he would be around to welcome me back home after all these years.

“Unfortunately, he had some business to attend to, Madam,” he informed me sadly. I nodded thoughtfully as the main doors opened. It was then that I realized that I had been gone so long that I recognized no one except for the butler.

“Madam, I would like to introduce to you, Miss Viviane Scott,” he said, and I smiled over at the young female, who had given me a friendly smile and a curtsey. Her blonde hair was neatly tied back in a tight bun and her black dress was clean and neatly pressed.

“Madam Adlay,” she greeted politely.

“Miss Scott will lead you to your bedchamber and see to all your needs,” he explained. “Would you care to freshen up before tea?” he then asked.

“I would, thank you, sir,” I said as I let go of his arm. The butler, whose name I couldn’t remember, gave me a quick bow before leaving me alone with Viviane.

“This way, Madam,” Viviane said as she waved me toward the large staircase that stood grand in the center of the large room. I took a moment to look around and I couldn’t help but smile. I could still feel my mother’s essence in the décor and atmosphere, and it made me feel overwhelmingly heartsore. The foyer was glamorous in design and the large, bifurcated staircase demanded the attention of anyone that entered. The concrete floors shone in the sunlight that seeped in from the large windows and paintings on the walls stood proudly with a secret history that made me tingly with excitement and curiosity. I finally tore my gaze away from the surroundings and followed Viviane up the grand staircase, and I admired the deep red royal runner that graced the steps. Far too many years had passed and although I was relieved and rather happy to have returned, it was still an odd feeling. This had been my home as a child and even though I recognized some things, it was as if everything was new to me. Almost as though I was seeing everything for the first time. Viviane arrived at two large doors and gently pushed them open to reveal my bedchamber. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember if this had once been my bedchamber before. However, as I stepped over the threshold, I gasped in delight as I took in the room that was mine. The ceiling was high, and the windows brought in the natural glow of the sun. The dark purple drapes that hung alongside the windows looked spectacular and complimented the room perfectly.

“This is wonderful,” I muttered more so to myself as I glanced over at the large king-sized bed that stood to the one side. The four-posted bed was inviting with the netting and similar purple drapes that lazily hung on the dark wooden frame. I wasn’t at all surprised to see that my luggage was already beside the tall dresser and while I had been wandering around the room, taking in every detail, Viviane had begun to unpack. I continued to wander around the room, and I came upon a single door. I curiously pushed it open and once again I gasped in absolute delight to find my very own private bathroom. This was definitely not my childhood bedchamber.

“I’ll be back shortly, Madam Adlay,” I heard Viviane call out and I went back into my room and gave her a curt nod before I headed over to the dresser. She had done a fine job of arranging my garments and other personal belongings and I gently removed the light blue satin gloves from my hands and placed them on top of the adjacent table that had a wonderfully large, rounded mirror above it. As I glanced at my reflection, I couldn’t help but see my own tiredness reflected in my appearance. My hands went up to my honey blonde hair as I tried to force the loose tendrils back into place. When I was finally satisfied, I ran my hands along my skirt before I headed back to the doors. Viviane hadn’t returned but this was my home, surely, I was permitted to a bit of exploring. I wandered down the hallway, taking in the artwork that graced the walls and the fine runner that cushioned my steps as I walked. I had, of course, hoped that my father would have been here to welcome me home, but it seemed somehow acceptable that he wasn’t. All of the double doors were closed, and I wouldn’t dare enter any room, even though I was searching for the library. That was one room that I did remember. The countless hours I had spent there with my mother, reading, and exploring the world of literature. I came across a single staircase and I slowly descended into the staff living quarts of the castle. “Oh!” a voice suddenly screeched out and I turned around to see Viviane standing there, she had her hand over her chest, and I smiled apologetically.

“I apologize, I was exploring,” I hurriedly explained. “I didn’t mean to startle you,”

“It’s quite all right, Madam Adlay, I was just on my way to collect you,” she replied. I took a moment to admire her blonde hair that now almost appeared white, I realized that the lighting had been playing tricks on me earlier as I gazed upon her young face. She was by far, younger than me. It was quite fascinating but when she moved to escort me out of this area, I hurriedly followed her without any further conversation. This was all so new to me, and I was starting to wonder if I would forever be alone in this castle. Viviane led me to the sunroom, and I immediately enjoyed the natural warmth it provided. I wasn’t at all surprised to see that the mid-day tea was already served and waiting on the smaller wooden table that graced the center of the room. Alongside the tray of tea was an assortment of sweet treats and I spotted the jam biscuits that I used to enjoy. Viviane gently poured me a cup of tea as I sat down on the large armchair, making sure my skirt was not to be crinkled in any way. Viviane set down the teacup on its saucer alongside me on a small side table. “Would you care for a jam biscuit?” she then asked.

“I would, thank you,” I said as I watched her place two perfectly rounded buttery, jammy biscuit on a saucer before handing it over to me with a serviette. When she was done, she politely excused herself and I was once again left on my own. I was not at all used to being on my own and although I hadn’t had many friends, I had never been alone, nor had I ever lacked a companion for conversations. This would take some getting used to and I slowly took a bite of the biscuit. I closed my eyes as I softly moaned at the explosive flavor that was dominating my mouth as I had remembered. It was crumbly in the best possible way, and I enjoyed the rich taste of the homemade strawberry jam that oozed out of the center. Day one had suddenly been brightened with the delicious treat and the thoughts of being alone and my father drifted off into the background as I enjoyed not only the biscuits but the sweet tea and the view of the garden. As I set the teacup aside, I spotted a folded newspaper sitting on the armchair across from me. Curiously, I stood up and went over to the chair.

‘Third Murder Causes Panic and Upset’ the title sprang off the front page and I frowned as I took the newspaper back with me to my seat.

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