My new chambers were extravagant. Too extravagant.
I felt uncomfortable being surrounded by this many things.
My room hung over a garden and I could see the glistening ocean in the distance. But I still hadn't figured out how to get to the garden and I could see all of the magnificent colours arrayed down there.
I wanted nothing more than to be amongst nature, and not these wooden and stone walls.
I had a large room, slightly smaller than the Sovereign's, with a round balcony that overlooked the garden and large windows draped with silken curtains. The bed was in the far left corner of the room and had a certain amount of privacy. There was a dressing screen and a table covered with perfumes and cosmetics. The right side of the room had a sitting area where I was expected to entertain guests with tea and company.
I sat on the yellow divan seat looking at the clouds pass and morph into shapes.
"Your highness, are you feeling well?" Brigitte, my personal servant, asked me, her voice hesitant and her eyebrows drawn in concern.
Brigitte was a woman in her mid-twenties. Her blonde hair was always kept in a white cap, which I had now learned was the dress of maid servants, her white linen dress had a small yellow patch on her shoulder, she'd told me it meant that she was the queen's servant.
I'd retorted that I wasn't the queen. Yet.
The thought of becoming queen still made my stomach churn with uneasiness, and I had known of the fact for over a week now.
"I am fine Brigitte, just bored."
"If her highness does not mind me suggesting, have you seen your library?" She asked, her eyes looking at the ground humbly.
I sat up so I was now facing her, "No, I haven't… will you show me?"
I saw a smile alight her lips, "Yes, your highness, follow me."
I rose from my seated position and followed her. I was now always required to wear corsets and the most elaborate dresses. Although Clara, the maid that always dressed me, said that the queen's official wardrobe was much more elaborate.
I was supposed to wear shoes too, but I was able to get away with just my bare feet or stockings. So far.
Brigitte led me down the long and large corridor of the wing that belonged to the queen. I had accepted that the room was mine but everything else was still too foreign to believe it was true. I couldn't own these floors and walls.
She stopped in front of two large imposing doors. They were not as large as the Sovereign's but they still stood taller than me. They also didn't have those interesting carvings like his, but only had carved vines on the wooden doors.
I glanced at Brigitte who had stopped moving, "Only her highness and the scholars are welcome to enter." She said.
I pursed my lips in annoyance at the stupid rules.
"Thank you Brigitte, you may go."
She nodded her head and smiled as she walked to wherever she went when she was dismissed.
It had taken me awhile to feel comfortable ordering these people around. We were the same, both people.
But I soon understood that the servants preferred to be told what to do and not told to do whatever they pleased. It made me sad that these people had had their freedom taken from them and I could do nothing about it.
I'd asked Brigitte when I'd first met her to tell me what she would do if she was in my position.
The poor woman had looked up at me horrified then quickly dropped her head again.
"What? What did I say?" I had asked.
"It is treasonous to think such thoughts, your highness." She had whispered quietly.
I was horrified, not at my words but at the fact that the servants aren't even allowed to think or to dream.
I pushed my thoughts aside and reached for the golden door handle.
I pulled with all my strength and the heavy doors opened. I stumbled forward from the adjustment of not having to pull the heavy weight of the door and steadied myself.
I raised my eyes and my mouth fell open in shock.
Before me was the most stunning display of architecture I'd ever seen.
I spun in a circle as I took in my surroundings.
The library was actually a huge tower with books and scrolls lining the walls. There were a few chairs and tables for reading and studying scattered about. A winding pathway ran its way along the walls of the tower following the books all the way to the top. I could see light filtering in at the top and supposed that there must be a grand window or a few up there.
I began to move my fingers absentmindedly along the paper and leather. Books had never been a passion of mine but I had owned a few, to teach my siblings and to read for comfort. One was a book a fairytales and one was a book of poems and songs.
The last was a book of the history of this country. It had been given to me by a kind old lady that lived in a small cottage near ours. It had been her husband's but he'd passed away and she couldn't read, she'd seen me reading to my siblings and so, she'd given it to me.
My bare feet were getting a little cold on the stone floor and so I decided I would leave, but first I wanted to see what was up there.
I climbed the slanted wooden path and my eyes caught titles that interested me and some that were of a foreign language.
I soon reached a large balcony that was half the circumference of the tower itself.
It overlooked the entire library. It had a few tables and some chairs. The walls were lined with scrolls kept in sealed containers and a few books here and there.
My fingers began to trail along the stone walls that were reinforced with wooden beams.
At the far end of the balcony I saw a large window and smiled in joy. I was about to run in to it when a familiar voice stopped me.