Noah
Mushroom soups, green vegetables with tomatoes almost the size of peas, beef sliced almost as thin as paper , noodles in several bowls and chicken wings on almost every plate.The servers, all dressed in white tunics move wordlessly to and from the table, keeping the glasses full with wine.
The head chef, Gordon with his hands behind his back was a great artist of food. In the large kitchen, he prowled the entire area, moving back and forth.
He cared dearly about our words, taking them to heart sometimes.His eyes had a strange sunken look and his cheeks glowed under his numerous wrinkles. I stared at the people whom I called, family. My father wasn't seated at the table because of his health and I was told, he ate at his chambers. My mother on the other hand, was eating vegetables slowly, her fingers twirling around the fork and then my sister Ruby, whose left hand was holding a napkin in the right hand and in the right, held chopsticks for the noodles.
And then Uncle Eli and lady Eugene who sat side by side, sipping chicken soup with spoons.
"I think this chicken soup seems a bit bland, Gordon." Eli commented in between taking small sips of the hot soup, "It seems your talent in cooking is now-"
Way to go Eli, I thought with my knuckles gracing the table, but then I knew I had to interrupt.
"Why don't you appreciate Gordon first? He has been quite the chef for years and if it's too bland, you can just ask for salt." I gritted my teeth.
"W-Why can't I criticize it? I have a right to acesss and judge his cooking so it can be better." Eli stuttered before coughing slightly.
"At least be thankful that you have something to eat instead of being a fucking asshole." My threshold had reached the limit as I noticed Gordon's hands trembling. From a young age, I had noticed that he had grown sensitive about criticism but he always seemed to shrug it off so as to act professional.
"Language, son." My mother warned by tapping a tea cup with the side of her spoon.
"Maybe Boston taught him how to speak like that towards his own family." Eli shot a snarky smile at my mother.
I dismissed Gordon with a wave of my hand. He didn't have to watch or listen to Eli's annoying remarks.
"I should have taught him more manners, my Queen." Eugene spoke firmly before slicing chicken with a fork.
"Just like the way you taught Rose." My lips curved into a grin.
And then, there was utter silence. I was sure that Eugene wanted nothing more than to rip my head off my neck at that exact moment.
Rose was their daughter who went on an holiday to New York city and never returned since two years ago. There was no way she could be forced to return because of the royal image. Rose blackmailed her parents by yelling over the phone that if they dared hired men to kidnap her in New York City or if they forced her to, she would ruin the royal family for good.
The last time I had spoken to her, it was about six months back. She seemed fine, happier but I was sure she was still back on opiums. Eugene always wanted Rose to be the perfect daughter with good manners with a submissive attitude and a quick learner.
But Rose wanted more. She wanted to explore the world, make new friends apart from the maids that clean her room and make new rules for herself.
"You have finally succeeded in ruining the atmosphere." Eugene wiped her lips, careful enough not to smudge her lipstick.
"Mission accomplished. Boom!" I recoiled in my seat, enjoying the thrill that came with it.
"Noah, I can't believe you. How could you speak like that to your aunt? " My mother objected, dropping her spoon on a plate.
"He is desperate to make everyone lose their appetite." Eli hissed.
"But why are we avoiding reality? Why isn't Rose here? She's family right?" I spoke again, my gaze fixated on Eugene.
"You know where she is so stop with the distasteful jokes, Noah." Eugene spoke again.
I chuckled lightly, my eyes facing my shoes, "It hurts, doesn't it, Eugene? It hurts so badly when your precious Rose is a mannerless child who loves to feed on drugs."
"Noah." My mother warned, "-stop it!"
"I will not stop it, mother." I finally uttered, feeling a sense of deja vu in my throat, "Eugene loves to speak about proper manners, class and elegance of a royal but her child is none." I paused, "Then why berate me constantly about it? I'm sick of it. I'm sick of Eugene pushing around everyone to be perfect."
"So you have a personal grudge against me?" Eugene propped a hand under her chin and signaling to my mother that it was fine with a bat of her eye lashes.
"No, I don't." I spoke before turning towards Eli, "As your husband said, we need to criticize what is wrong so it can all be better."
My mother simply sighed and stopped eating, her hands folded across her bosom.
"Can you stop acting like a child? You're hurting my wife." Eli bellowed, placing a palm over Eugene's.
I smirked, "I'm not the serial cheater."
Eli got the message and bit his upper lip, a pang of pain evident in his eyes and body language.
"I have had it with you, son. This is unbearable. Goodnight." My mother spoke with glossy eyes as she rose up on her feet as quickly as she could and walked away while yelling at a maid to get a bath ready for her.
"Ruining things seems to be your hobby now, I wonder what will happen if you ever become King." Eli muttered with a frown, "Total chaos."
"At least, I'll be King. What would you be?" My heart twitched at the way my mother stared at me before she left. She probably thought the dinner would be fun, filled with stories and tales.
"I will be going to my chambers since Noah has succeeded in ruining my appetite." Eugene smiled at her husband before gracefully shifting the chair backward before walking briskly towards the stairs.
"I would be right behind you, my love." Eli shouted, jumping out of his seat, "You are a shitty person, Noah." he whispered, shooting me a death glare before walking away.
I scoffed and laughed aloud.
I was the shitty person?
At least I wasn't wearing a mask over my face like Eugene who pretended to be the devoted wife who would stand beside her husband regardless of how many holes he had fucked.
I took a sip of the wine, burying my thoughts and abandoning the scenery that had unfolded before me.
I stared into the empty space, void of any beating hearts but mine alone.
****
"I'm sorry, Mother." I muttered for the third time while staring at the sky that was splattered with stars. My hold on the metal of the balcony rim was firm.
Dressed in a white robe, my mother refused to look at me. She often did that when I did something really bad.
"I refuse to believe that. " she simply responded, her facial expression void of any emotions.
I felt a lump in my throat and impulsively I swallowed.
"I just don't like them, Mother and you know—"
"And I asked you to stop." she yelled, her fist clenched and her hand shook, her mind struggling not to hit me across the face, "Why didn't you listen to me?"
"Mother—"
"Ever since you came back, you have being acting strange and out of it, Noah. If you want the throne to be yours,you need to act like it." She raised a finger to emphasize her point, her eyebrows scrunched together.
"Everything is all about the throne and the royal image. What about me?" My eyes turned misty, "When will I get to live?"
My mother's shoulders rolled and she sighed, "You're living, Noah."
"No, I'm not. You want me to pretend to like Uncle Eli and Eugene." I fought the will to yell but my voice still echoed through the night.
"Family is Family. No matter how much you distaste their principles. You need to learn that they're the only ones whom you can trust." She took my right hand in hers, making slow circular movements on my palm, "I may not like Eli's recklessness and his constant embarrassment of the royal family but he is family."
"So you don't like Uncle Eli as well?" I quizzed with a playful wink.
Her eyes lighted up in amusement as she slapped me playfully on the shoulder, "I never said that."
"I'm truly sorry, Mother. I promise to be on my best behavior no matter how much I get provoked....by anyone." I promised with a smile.
"I hope so, my boy." A kiss was imprinted on my cheek and I smiled to myself at my silliness.
"H-How about you go to town tomorrow with the secret service and familiarize yourself with how it works?" She muttered after a few minutes of silence.
I chuckled lightly, "So you want me to look around in a vehicle with the royal secret service?"
With a wave of her hand, she spoke, "I wasn't referring to that at all but...."
"But what?" I quizzed further and when I saw her hesitation. I knew something was definitely wrong, "Mother, what did you do?"
"W-Well...." She paused and cleared her throat, "I might have set you up to meet Matilda."
"Who's Matilda?" Confusion brewed in my senses.
"She's the Duchess of Arendelle..." Another pause, "She's actually a great girl from what I heard. Quite charming and she's so humble."
"Are you trying to playing matchmaker?" I crossed my arms.
"Oh no, I'm just being a Mother.and you need to relate with more people." She smiled.
"What happens if she's uninteresting?"
"She'd definitely be your type." Her eyes gleamed with joy, "and don't you dare play hard to get."
"Well I have to." I chuckled lightly, "I have to be extra careful and I'm also doing it for you."
I saw the happiness in her eyes and my heart fluttered in joy. I grabbed her shoulders gently and began to walk.
"And be on your best—"
"I know. I know." I laughed at my hysterical mother who always seemed tough and meek at the same time.
My mind spinned with different thoughts with one question.
Who was Duchess Matilda?