The palace definitely opened its gates wide for its Princess, already decorating the whole place to celebrate the grand event. I could even barely breathe there or even think of it as a home. The day I left from here with tears in eyes and memories of my mother, I knew there do come a day when I come back with the same tears and the memories rushing into me. For sure no one there was so welcoming, the maids were busy with there work and ministers turning there heads aways as I always remembered, people bowing to me barely even caring to smile. Did I make the wrong choice? I did doubt for a second but whatever I say this is my country and my people, I'm the Princess of Grensilas.
"Princess, the Queen is here to meet you." the maid said rushing to me, all of a sudden my title looked pretty heavy for me to take and then there arrived the most fake dramatic person I have ever know.
"Haaa, my dear Linstar. Why were you late? You know how long I have been waiting for you." She said moving quickly for a tight hug which was the most unbearable thing for me.
"The Queen was sad to know that you went to Bridstone and will be late to come back home, but as its an emergency she understands it. A mother's heart is always for her kids, so you can't blame her for being hurt." I heard her loyal maid Eura close behind her. Slightly pushing her hands off me, I said "I'm pretty tired and hungry as well. I just need to freshen up, eat something and sleep for a while now."
Even though she understood what I meant, my dear mother had to pretend she did really care about me. Flashing me a knowing smile she turned to her maids and said she'll be eating with me too and also to inform my father to accompany us on the table. I walked away to my room bowing to her almost immediately as she turned towards the maids. A family dinner undoubtedly was going to be a disaster I knew. As expected I sat in the dining hall regretting it alot, I knew that she do call many others than my father to show her love for me. How well did she put up the act of loving me, saying I am in a bad shape now and she is worried about me. She kept on asking the maids to fill my plate whenever I tried to finish it soon and leave. As the dinner ended she did get what she wanted everyone came to me saying how lucky I was to get someone who loves another child like her own, for a second even I thought it did turn out to be like what grandma said but no she is Alisa. I was sitting in my bed, food filled to my throat. I couldn't sleep feeling this full. Thinking to take a walk through the palace I got out the room only to find my father there. I was so surprised that words just came out my mouth even before i got some time to think "why are you here?"
"Come with me Lin, let's take a walk. I do like to talk to you for a while."
"I'm tired to talk right now I ju.." stopping me motioning with his hand he pulled me along with him. We walked for a while in silence and then he stopped in front of the garden fountain "Lin I might not completely understand you. I know you don't think of me any good. Lora can be a bit too much at times but she loves you like her own daughter."
"Yes my Lord, I'm Lora's daughter she do love me." I didn't even realise my eyes fill with tears the moment he mentioned to her as Lora.
"Linstar I didn't mean to.."
"You really believe she loves me like her own daughter? I doubt even you do my Lord, forget stepmother. Honestly everyone here just disgust me, one worse than the other all just wanna take advantage of things." I knew I was being rude but for what they have done this was the least. I was about to leave when he said "Nothing was stolen from Lora, we had to do if for the country's safety Lin. When she died you were pretty young to be in charge and finding another Princess to marry would have been hard, back then our situation was pretty bad so I decided to marry Alisa. We were in love but I sure never hurt your mom due to that. I respected Lora as a Queen, Alisa is just my love and yes I agree she isn't a perfect Queen nor can she be your mother but I definitely feel she is trying and its not just her mistake but you would not let her care for you either. Sweetheart I really love you, I care for you Lin. I was just helpless and I don't expect you to understand me but I hope you will as you grow."
"Goodnight father" I walked away not even caring to turn to look at him. Once I reached my room I closed the heavy door behind and sat on my bed, I wanted to get things off my chest. Grabbing my diary I noted down 'I don't understand why would people want to play the victim card always. They make me feel guilty and am I the villain here. I hope my father see what Alisa is, she might have been his love once but I'm sure not now. She isn't the kind of person my father liked now and I'm pretty sure about that. I wish if I could be a bit more brave, stand on my own and break these rules that I'm bound with. If I could do that, I wouldn't have been like this. In that I do really appreciate Prince Wontel if what I heard about him from childhood is true. He definitely was a rebel, he had his own rules and his own decisions. He was never the face of Ringswold but its power. Even though he is the Prince, he was never bound by rules and now when he became the power of Ringswold nothing had any rules and regulations there. A man like that do definitely marry for love, make decisions for himself and wouldn't care what others think. I wish I do be like that, why was I obsessed with being a good girl from childhood and why was he said to be a bad example. I remember getting called 'like Prince Wontel' whenever I did something against their will and now I feel that I shouldn't have been ashamed of it, he was just living the way he wants. Now after I heard about Prince Torlen Dansle, I started to doubt even the people they told us to learn from. Was he this hungry for power that he planned to assassinate own father?' it was already pretty late and I was tired from all the travelling, I was starting to feel sleep. Even while I was about to doze off, I asked myself did I make the wrong choice?