ROSABELLA'S POV
"Your Highness, would you like the corset to be a little tighter?"
I glanced at myself in the mirror while pushing down my dress. I couldn't recognize myself. The woman in the mirror was no longer the mere woman I was. In the period of a few weeks, she had become the Queen.
The Queen of the people she once grew up with.
I looked down at my palms. The slightly pale palms with nail painted in dark red. It reminded me of blood.
The blood of the people I had killed.
My own par-
"Your Highness, is the corset alright?"
I looked at the reflection of my maid Mia. She had been appointed as the head of my maids. She looked like she was in her late thirties, maybe. She had a curvy figure, with her short brown hair that were combed in a respectful bun. She wore the formal outfit of the Lormeian loyal servants. A light red, almost pink, cotton gown. While cotton was the cheapest and the most affordable fabric, silk was only worn by the royals and ministers in the council.
I smiled at her while trying to resist the urge to rip the silk off my skin. The skin that had worn nothing but cotton for twenty five years.
"No, thank you Mia. I like the corset the way it is."
She was talking to the other two maids, Lara and Delilah. Lara, with her Swedish origins, specialized in making hair. She too had her auburn hair combed tightly into a bun. Delilah had just been promoted from being the ground maid to one of the royal ones. The ground maids were usually the maids that were just appointed to work in the castle. She looked the youngest out of all the three. Probably around nineteen.
However, she didn't fail in being charming. With her lovely personality and her honey-colored skin, she didn't fail to turn the heads of the guards outside my room.
"Oh alright, then your Highness. Would you like to be escorted to the court? There is still some time before the court shall officially be adjourned, but you can leave early, if you wish."
I looked at the clock that hung delicately in my room; on the wall right above my bed. It was still six in the morning; the sun had just rose.
I looked back at Mia and nodded.
"Please call the guards. I shall like to have an idea of the court before it is officially adjourned."
Mia nodded and curtsied. She hurried off to announce the guards outside about my choice. Meanwhile, Lara and Delilah stood in the corner; without making a sound.
"You don't need to be so quiet, you know. I would like if there were someone to talk in the still silence of my chamber."
The two of them looked at each other and then back at me; their eyes larger than I had ever seen them to be.
"Y-Your Highness, I think, we misheard you. Our sincerest apologies. Would you please pardon?"
I chuckled and flicked my hair behind my shoulders. I didn't like the feel of something touching my neck. It always made me shiver. I didn't like that.
"I meant exactly what both of you heard. I had like if you spoke. To each other. Or even to me."
Lara was the first one to break free from the shock, she giggled nervously and looked at Delilah who was still looking at me with her eyes wider than an owl.
"T-That would be delightful. Thank you your Highness. We will make sure to make more conversations."
Lara curtsied and hurried behind Mia, while Delilah couldn't bring herself to move.
This was my first day with them, and I was sure I had a handful of maids to myself.
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"Would you like us to stay with you, Your Majesty? Or would you rather have us wait outside until the court is adjourned?"
I was too occupied with looking around the court that I forgot there were at least a dozen guards and a head maid waiting for my answer.
I still had an hour before the court was adjourned. I could use this time for myself.
"I would like to spend some time on my own, dear. Thank you!"
Mia's eyebrows almost raised comically. Was it not normal for people to be nice to their maids? After all they were people too.
She then hurried off, with the guards following her almost too quickly.
I sighed and took in another deep breath. I had been taking a lot of deep breaths in the past few days to calm my nerves.
I was going to meet my council and its members for the first time today.
"My Bella, remember, the first impression is always the last impression. Not all of them have the power to erase memories like us. So they won't be able to forget their first impression of you."
My father's words played in my head as I began to walk down the court, toward the throne I was going to sit in. I had already been here once, in my coronation. But now that the whole room was empty, it felt like a completely different place.
With the seven seats cordially arranged on each side of the room and the curtains lifted from the windows, to let the light come in, it felt like a place I didn't belong in.
This was going to be my first day, dealing with my subjects. Solving their issues and helping them live a peaceful life.
I was informed earlier today that three of the peasants that had some problems were going to be brought in.
Was I wise enough to solve their issues?
I shook my head, trying to shake off the nervousness and these thoughts along with it. However, I failed.
I looked back at the throne, the one I had sat in yesterday. There were three steps before I could reach the throne. Beside the throne there were two statues of Daeg, one on each side of the throne. Beside the statues there was a gigantic mirror. It reflected the light that came from the windows and pushed it back on the council members.
I heard a little commotion from outside the doors of the throne room and I immediately brought my guard up. My hands were pushed against my waist as I checked the placement of my crown. It had been decorated with delicate red rubies. When the doors to the room opened, one hand immediately went to the sword that was attached to my waist.
The sword too had one ruby.
The twelve members were all talking loudly, some of them had their serious faces on while the others were smiling. Some of them were even laughing.
I had memorized almost all of their names the night before. I didn't want to be put into a situation where I couldn't address them just because I didn't know their names.
I swiftly sat down on my thrown, and cleared my throat when none of them tried to bow.
The moment I cleared my throat, all of them stopped talking. The ministers who had smiles on their faces, dropped the smiles. All twelve of them, along with their two sons, stood in a horizontal line in front of me.
"A pleasure to meet you, your Majesty!"
While bowing in unison, all of them announced loudly.
"The pleasure is all mine. You may take your seats."
They all nodded their head and began to take their designated seats. Only two ministers had children that were of the age to be brought into the castle.
Usually, one of the children of the ministers took their father's place once he dies or wants to retire.
Sir Edgar had a son, named Alcott, while Sir Cameron had a son named Edward, and both of them were brought to the castle to learn from their fathers.
Alcott was a nineteen year old boy who had just become eligible while Edward, being twenty five, had been coming to the court of our previous king, may his soul rest in peace.
Once they had taken their seats, Sir Cameron, stood up, and bowed at me once again. After that he looked at all the other member of the court and began to speak.
"Today, we gather to witness our Queen, Queen Rosabella Agapov, to adjourn her first court, and hopefully followed by many others. Please bring in the first peasant and let him or her present their issue."
I wanted to rub my palms together, to bring back the warmth that this nervousness had taken away. My stomach felt like a deep pit and all I could do is keep my game face on.
Breathe, I told myself.
Breathe, and let it go.
Breathe, Bella, and let them think you know what you are doing.
Breathe and fool them while not making a fool out of yourself.
I can do this, even when a huge part of my brain thought I couldn't.
Because at the end, it didn't matter if I could do it.
All that mattered was that I had to do it.