His Princess Mate

11 - Dismissed

დRoseდ

“You should be scared, Rose, very scared,” Henry’s words played over and over in my mind in such a way that I either hid in my office or in my bedchamber to avoid my mother. She had moved into a bedchamber across from my father. I knew that things had gotten awkward, and I had no idea how my father was feeling. He, too, had taken to hiding in his office with a very strict instruction not to be disturbed. He took his meals in his office and as far as I knew, he hadn’t even left to go to his bedchamber. That didn’t surprise me, and although I had not gone to see him, I had no doubt he slept on the sofa and used the adjoining bathroom. I sighed loudly as I pushed the bed covers off my body. I did not want to get up. I did not want to face another day trying to avoid my mother. I had heard from Viviane that my mother had not only settled in but that she would come and go as she pleased. I had no idea where she went too and although I was rather curious, I was not curious enough to find out. I got out of bed and headed toward my dresser. It was at that moment that my doors burst open, and I did not need to turn around to know it was Lucinda.

“Good morning, darling,” she sang out. “I see you’ve decided to get up, wonderful!” I slowly turned to face her, and I breathed in deeply at the sight of her. There was no denying her beauty or her grace, but it somehow tugged at my heart. After all this time, she had returned with a pathetic excuse, and she expected things to revert back to the way it had once been? I frowned as she entered my bedchamber, looking around the room, I suppose to see if she had been accommodated accordingly. Apparently, she was satisfied as her gaze finally landed on me. “Well, don’t just stand their child, it is time for breakfast!” and with that, she turned on her heel and charged out of the room. I was left, standing there, feeling both frustrated and ashamed. This was my mother, after all, surely, I could take the time to get to know her. I opened the dresser and took out my garments.

“Good morning madam,” I heard Viviane greet me as she came into the room. “Would you care to have a bath?” she asked, and I nodded as I placed my garments on top of the dresser. I watched her move around the room through the mirror in front of me and I sighed. It would seem that the servants of the castle were happy that my mother had returned. Yet, my father and I felt the need to hide. “I hear Queen Lucinda is planning a grand dinner,” Viviane chatted, and I frowned.

“She is?”

“Ai, she came into the kitchen this morning to discuss it with the head chef,” she informed me as she continued making up my bed. “I overheard the others talking about the menu she has planned,”

“Oh?”

“Ai, madam,” she turned to face me. “Is it not exciting? I still can’t quite believe it, my mother worked here during her reign, you know?”

“I did not know that Viviane,” I said with an annoyed tone etching into my voice.

“Shall I prepare your bath?” she asked. I nodded simply as I watched her leave my room. I sighed before I made a decision. I quickly grabbed my robe and slipped it on before I headed out of my room. No one was around and I hurried along the hallway until I reached my father’s office. Without another thought, I pushed open the door and slipped inside.

“Rose?” I turned to see my father sitting at his desk. He looked both tired and worn out and he had clearly not taken a bath as of yet.

“Father, did you hear?” I questioned as I hurried over to his desk. “Mother is planning a grand dinner party,”

“She is?” he asked, and I nodded. “Well, I suppose she wants to announce her return,” he then said, and I frowned as I watched him go back to the documents in front of him.

“Don’t you find that rather strange? After all this time, she returned and resumes her place as Queen?”

“Queen?” he whispered before he looked up at me. “She…I…” he was at a loss for words, and I watched him as he stood up. “Rose, go and get dressed. It seems that we need to have a talk with your mother,” his voice had hardened, and I nodded before I hurriedly left his office.

Things couldn’t possibly get more awkward, could they? However, as I sat on my favorite armchair, I felt more than just uncomfortable. The woman sitting on the sofa, as beautiful as she is, was supposed to be my mother, and yet, she wasn’t. I was not sure what had changed her over the years, but she was no longer the warm, caring woman I had known before. I knew that even my father was battling with himself as we listen to her tell us about one of her many adventures. My father had bathed and looked a lot better now, but the darkness under his eyes told a different story.

“Enough of this,” I heard him mutter and I glanced over at Lucinda as she had stopped talking.

“What is it, Walter?” she questioned quite harshly. “I take it, you are not interested in hearing my fantastic tales of adventure? Or are you simply jealous that you have not been anywhere in your entire miserable life?” I was truly shocked by her words, and I slowly stood up, causing her to turn her attention to me. “Sit down, Rose,” she then ordered. I shook my head once as I lifted up my hand and pointed my gloved finger at her.

“Have no respect for your King?” I asked her, rather calmly. “You may have been Queen once before, but you abandoned not only your husband and child but this kingdom. You hold no right and no title as Queen, why are you acting as if nothing has changed? When clearly, you’ve changed,”

“Well, Rose…nothing has changed,” she stated with a smile that sent shivers up my spine. “Your father neglected to remove my name as Queen and we never divorced,” I glanced over at my father, who now had his head bowed down in shame. “Unless he does so now, I will continue to be Queen,”

“You are not Queen, you are not my wife, and you hold no right to anything,” my father said as he held his head high. “I may not have changed anything, but you hold no right to carry on as if nothing has changed. Lucinda,” he paused as he stood up. “You are welcome to stay at the castle for the rest of this month, but I request that you leave thereafter,” and with that, he left the sunroom and I sat back down in defeat. He had finally made up his mind.

“Well…” my mother said as she too looked defeated. “I had not been expecting that…”

“What exactly had you been expecting, mother?” I questioned curiously. “You left him. You left me,”

“I am aware of what I’ve done, Rose,” she said softly, revealing a part of herself that I remembered. “However, I had not expected him to reject me,”

“He did not reject anyone,” I said as I stood up. The fire of anger returning in full force. “If anyone rejected anyone it, is you that rejected us,” I declared before I rushed out of the room. However, I stopped by the doorway and glanced over my shoulder at her. “As for your dinner party, I strongly suggest that you cancel,” I saw her flinch, but I did not want to think about her feelings as I hurriedly left the room and headed to my office. I had barely sat down when Viviane came rushing into the room, closing the door behind her. I stared at her in question as she seemed out of breath.

“Ma-dam…Ma-dam…”

“Calm yourself down first, Viviane,” I instructed as I sat back and waited for her. Her flushed features looked quite attractive, and I smiled as she visibly blushed.

“Sorry, Madam,” she said once she was calm enough to talk. “I overheard the others saying that the King is going to dethrone the Queen,” I raised my eyebrow at this and stood up. These rumors, no matter how true, had to come to a full stop.

“Inform the servants that I am calling an emergency meeting,” I ordered before I went over to my small sitting area. “Do it now and do it quickly,” I added as I sat down. Viviane turned to leave, and I quickly informed her to come back with a pot of tea. I sighed as I closed my eyes for a moment. It was quiet and peaceful, and I wanted to take full advantage of that while I still could. Although I had met with the servants before, they were about to get a warning unlike no other. I could hear the soft footsteps of the servants as they all made their way to my office. I opened my eyes and sat up straight. Viviane was one of the first to come in, carrying a tray, which she gently put down on the coffee table before joining the others, who now stood in three rows of six. “Well, it has come to my attention that gossiping is a rather entertaining pastime around here,” I started off. Viviane immediately looked guilty and although I was not sure if she was the instigator, I knew I would deal with her afterward. “I do not care how quickly news travels and I do not care if it is fact or fiction, I will not tolerate that kind of behavior,” I noticed that three of the women looked annoyed and I sighed as I stood up. “I suppose it must be thrilling and you must be getting quite a good laugh at our expense, but you are paid to do a job, not to stand around and discuss private matters!” I yelled out the last word and I quickly took a step forward. “If you want to chit-chat among yourselves on your own time, so be it. However, if I find out that any of you have been socializing during your working time, you will be released of your duties…” I stated firmly. “Without your last p*****t,” I added. “I hope I have made myself perfectly clear?”

“Yes Madam,” they said in unison.

“And that’s Princess to all of you, or did you miss that memo?” I asked sarcastically.

“Princess,” again they all said in unison with a quick bow.

“Good, dismissed,” I waved my hand and went back to the sofa. “Not you Viviane,” I said as I sat down. I watched as she came over and poured the tea from the pot into the cup. “I hope you haven’t been indulging in such activities,” I said softly.

“No, Madam…um, no, Princess,”

“Good, I want you to keep a lookout and let me know if you hear anything,” I said as she handed me the cup.

“Of course, Princess,” she said before I dismissed her. I leaned back against the sofa and took a sip of the sweet creamy tea.

“Well done, Princess,” I looked up to see Henry standing in the doorway, and even though I was tempted to throw my cup at him, I forced myself to smile and invite him to join me.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” I questioned.

“No, this is not a social visit, Princess,” he said, and the smile left his lips. I frowned as I continued to stare at him.

“Oh?”

“No, I’ve come to enquire about your mother,”