Princess Aurelia walked towards the Queen's chamber, each step feeling heavier than the last. Her heart was anything but silent, numerous thoughts and fears were brewing within her. Why had the Queen summoned her? What could she possibly want now? The questions are spinning her mind and with every moment making her more unsettled than the last.
As they neared the chamber, they were greeted by Queen Selena's personal maid, She was a stern-faced woman whose eyes seemed to pierce through Aurelia. The maid's demeanor was cold and formal, and she barely acknowledged Lora's presence. With a slight nod, the maid gestured for Aurelia to follow her inside, which meant leaving Lora behind.
Aurelia wanted to scream, to refuse to go in alone, to demand that Lora be allowed to accompany her. But she knew better, even asking for this much is a crime in their eyes.
She kept her face neutral, masking the turmoil raging within her. How dare they treat Lora this way? she thought bitterly inside. Lora is the only one who had served her with unwavering loyalty, who had been by her side through thick and thin, but still seen as an outsider by them. They considered her as someone unworthy of the most basic respect simply because she was her choice and not their Queen's.
The unfairness of it all gnawed at Aurelia, but she swallowed her anger. There was no use in protesting; she had tried before, and it had only made things worse. Her mother, Queen Selena, had insisted on assigning her a maid of noble blood, someone with the proper pedigree and training. But Aurelia refused because she did not want another puppet of her mother by her side.
That's why she loved to keep Lora beside her who was only loyal to her, but Lora had stayed by her side—though not without consequence.
The maid opened the door to the Queen's chamber, and Aurelia stepped inside the chamber. The feeling of suffocation came as the door closed behind her like a final judgment. The room was as grand as ever, with high ceilings, gilded walls, and the finest draperies hanging like silent witnesses to every conversation that took place within. Yet to Aurelia, it felt like a cage—a beautiful, luxurious cage from which there was no escape.
Queen Selena was seated on her majestic ornate chair at the far end of the room, her posture regal and imposing as ever. Her expression was unreadable, but there was a coldness in her eyes that sent a shiver down Aurelia's spine.
The Queen's presence filled the room, suffocating any sense of ease or comfort. Aurelia felt small under her mother's gaze, a feeling that had only grown stronger over the years.
"Come closer, Aurelia," the Queen commanded, her voice as cool and sharp as ice.
Aurelia obeyed, her steps hesitant but determined. She came to a stop a few feet from the sitting position of her mother, lowering her head in a gesture of respect.
"You wished to see me, Mother?" she asked, her voice steady despite the anxiety clawing at her insides.
Queen Selena studied her daughter in silence for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to read something in Aurelia's face. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she rose from her throne and stepped down towards her daughter.
"I did," the Queen said, her voice deceptively calm. "There are matters we need to discuss."
Aurelia nodded, waiting for her mother to continue. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one more frightening than the last. What does she want? What new demands will she make?
Queen Selena circled Aurelia slowly, her eyes never leaving her daughter. It was a predatory gaze, one that Aurelia had come to fear over the years.
"Where were you last night?" the Queen asked, her voice deceptively calm.
Aurelia's heart skipped a beat, panic seizing her. Where were you last night? What does that mean? Does she know? The thought raced through her mind, and she struggled to maintain her composure. There was no way her mother would ask this question unless she knew something.
But how could she? Aurelia's mind whirled as she tried to think of an explanation, but before she could even open her mouth to respond, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
In an instant, a beautiful vase was flying towards her. Her instincts took over, and she ducked just in time, narrowly avoiding the vase as it crashed into the door behind her with a loud bang, shattering into countless tiny pieces.
The sound echoed through the room, and the tension in the air seemed to swallow her with even greater intensity. Aurelia barely had time to catch her breath before her mother's enraged voice filled the chamber.
"Don't give me your pathetic excuses!" Queen Selena screamed, her voice laced with venom. "How many times do I have to make you understand? Stop behaving like a filthy bitch who cannot even act like a lady!"
Aurelia's heart pounded in her chest, her breath coming in shallow gasps. The Queen's words cut through her like a knife, each one sharper than the last. She stood there, frozen, as her mother's fury washed over her.
"And to think," Queen Selena continued, her voice dripping with contempt, "that it would have been better if you were born a son. You've done nothing but jinx my life by being born as a daughter—a daughter who has no manners, no sense of royalty, no respect for her own station!"
The words were like poison, seeping into Aurelia's very soul. She wanted to defend herself, to explain, but the words caught in her throat. She had faced her mother's wrath before, but this time it was different. This time, the Queen's anger was fueled by something deeper, something more personal.
"You disgrace this family!" the Queen spat, her eyes blazing with fury. "You disgrace me! How dare you defy me, sneaking out like some common whore instead of a princess? You bring shame to this house with your every breath!"
Aurelia felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She stood there, silent and still, as her mother's tirade continued, each word a hammer blow to her heart. There was no escaping this—no way out. She was trapped, caught in the Queen's anger and disappointment.