Chapter Six: Mother Knows Best
“What do you mean, he’s not there?”
Both pilots could hear the edge in the distraught princess’ voice. She was already cranky, tired, hungry, sweaty, her head hurt, and the mesh fabric of the lacy dress she was wearing was already clinging to her skin, making her itch all over. They don’t look it, but she’s sure both Becca and Helena felt the same way.
“For their own protection, we separate the monarch, the Empress, and Prince Eric during this time of the month,” Mitchell answered. “Once the full moon lockdown is in effect--“
“Full moon lockdown?” Becca piped up. “What is that?”
Selina cast a sidelong glance at the other girl for interjecting in their chat, but she couldn’t blame her; lockdowns weren’t as common in Rozenberg as they were in Volfenheim.
“It’s a safety precaution implemented during the full moon to prohibit people from leaving or entering the kingdom or other locations, Your Grace.” The pilot looked uncomfortable, pulling on his collar. “We’ve been doing these since the Occults came ten years ago. We set up lockdowns to allow them to roam freely without restraints three evenings a month to bask in the moonlight.”
“And kill humans?” Selina gasped dramatically. “Unbelievable.”
“Fortunately, no one has ever been attacked in all these years.
The princess looked at the window to roll her eyes. “Where is Henry now? Wherever he is, that’s where I want to go.”
“No one knows,” Mitchell said. “Only the Empress Regent and His Majesty’s Royal Guards know.”
“Are you kidding me? He knows I’m coming, right?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“And he will not meet me?”
“For the duration of the full moon lockdown, yes.”
“I don’t understand,” Helena chipped in. “Our kingdom supplies you with enough RHBP to control the occult population. You can wipe them out completely if you want to.”
Selina couldn’t help but admire the queen’s quick wit, playing perplexity while, in fact, she was gathering information.
“I agree. That’s what we do in our kingdom.” Becca leaned forward, clearly interested. “That’s why we have no pests or problems like that.”
“Well—I’m sure you know that Her Imperial Majesty opened the empire’s doors to Occults ten years ago...”
“Who doesn’t?” Selina rolled her eyes. She wanted to kick off her shoes since they were sticky and hot on her feet, but she couldn’t, which made her even more irritated. “The entire world mocked the empire for that. Consorting with monsters… who does that? Our ancestors fought those Occults and now they welcome those pests with open arms.”
“I had no idea the empire had grown into such a fascinating location,” Queen Helena exclaimed. “Thank goodness you brought your firearm with you, Selina.”
“Indeed. I can’t believe they let things get this far out of hand.”
“Kill them on sight, Your Royal Highness!” Becca cheered.
“You can’t do that!” the pilot blurted out, horrified. “His Majesty declared a mandate to protect all Occults. You can’t kill them, or harm them in any way, except to defend yourself if they attack you.”
“That’s preposterous!”
“It’s the law.”
“Well, Princess Selina is here now,” Becca smugly stated. “Things are about to change around here.”
The pilots exchanged another gaze before clearing their throats. They remained silent for the rest of the ride, responding with brief replies and very little else until they announced their arrival at the Imperial City.
“Are public hangings still practiced here?” Selina remarked as they passed by the town square and noticed that they had placed gallows in the center.
“That’s for the traders and sellers, Your Royal Highness,” Mitchell said. When he noticed her confusion, he added, “For weighing their stuff...”
“Oh…”
“... most of the time.”
“I see...” the princess mumbled, no longer interested.
“What, scales aren’t available here?” joked Becca. “Why are you using such an archaic, morbid instrument... and I thought our kingdom was stuck in the Middle Ages.”
The princess shared similar opinions, but she couldn’t express them in front of Volfenfolk. She felt bad about her previous outburst over the Occults, however understandable, given that those were actual monsters. She hadn’t married the king yet, and she can not be seen or heard voicing discontent with the way they handle things at this early stage.
“Becca,” Selina warned quietly. “Be silent!”
“It’s true though.”
“How dare you talk back to me?” The other girl’s response appalled the princess. “Know your place!”
She had no idea what had possessed Becca to insult Volfenheim, their own realm, and respond to her in this manner. Becca was an insolent girl, but not stupid.
Helena shook her head in displeasure, “Becca, sooner or later, your loud mouth will be the death of you.”
The lady-in-waiting stopped smiling and lowered her head.
“We’re here,” one pilot said, taking off his helmet and his headset.
They followed suit, exiting the vehicle, and soon found themselves in the vast grasslands in front of Lyall Palace. The pilot parked the helicopter near the entrance, where ten female servants and at least twenty royal soldiers were waiting for them.
“Welcome, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, Your Grace,” a man greeted Selina as she approached, with her stepmother and lady-in-waiting at her heels. He was wearing a red and gold suit with a white shirt and black cross bow tie and the Volfenheim Royal Household office insignia on his left arm. “My name is Clifford, and I am your butler for the rest of your stay in Her Imperial Majesty’s home.”
“Thank you,” the princess responded distractedly, looking expectantly at the palace’s entrance, knowing full well that Henry wasn’t there to meet her.
“Please follow me.”
The three noblewomen climbed up the steps to the palace while the pilots took off again to who knows where.
“Wow. They weren’t joking when they said he’s not here,” Becca said in a stage whisper, and Selina clenched her fist to contain her rage. It seemed the girl was keen on humiliating her in front of the servants.
“His Majesty is in a meeting as of the moment,” the butler explained apologetically. “We are not sure when it will be over. These meetings can last for days…”
Selina’s face fell a little, but she didn’t let it show. Her father’s meetings were the same. The servants escorted them to guest bedrooms, where they would spend the night. Physicians also attended to each of them, especially Queen Helena, because of her sensitive condition.
As Selina was preparing to retire for the night, a servant went to her room, carrying a silver tray with a tiny velvet box. Inside, there were a couple of tiny, rose-shaped earbuds. Selina took them and put them on while the servant pressed a button on a remote control she was carrying on her apron. A flat-screen TV appeared in place of the oil painting in front of Selina’s bed.
When the TV switched on, a boy appeared on the screen. With his short, curly, jet black hair, porcelain skin peppered with freckles, chiseled jawline, and soft blue eyes, he looked like a 16-year-old cherub. It was the young king; her betrothed. Dressed in his gray jacket, white shirt, and a blue tie, he was looking directly at her and smiling fondly.
“Hi, Selina,” Henry said, his voice loud and clear through the buds. This made a familiar jolt in her stomach.
“Hi, Henr—”
“—this is a recorded message.”
“Oh.”
“I’m glad my guards found you before anything bad happened to you. I should have fetched you myself, but I am swamped with work today. It’s the same reason I am not there to personally welcome you to Volfenheim, but I’ve instructed my staff to take care of your every need. Although your decision to attend Aldervolf University surprised me, it pleases me that you are finally here to join me.”
Selina smiled when she saw the king’s cheeks flushed a little, and he averted his eyes, as if embarrassed.
“As soon as my meeting adjourns, I’ll meet you in Lyall palace for lunch and…” Henry continued. Selina frowned a little when he looked over ahead somewhere behind the camera, and he instantly looked distracted. When he spoke again, it was clear in his voice that he was rushing his words. “I’ll see you soon. Bye.”
With that, the screen went blank and switched off on its own. The Rose Princess sighed.
***
Selina held her breath as she poured the tea from the pot onto her own cup, under the watchful eyes of Henry’s mother, Empress Camilla. The breakfast table was already set, but there were no servants to serve them, just like how the sovereign liked it. With practiced grace, the princess poured the milk next and stirred her beverage back and forth instead of in a circular motion to avoid spillage and avoiding touching the sides. She took a small sip from her cup before placing it back on the saucer without a sound.
It was the morning after the tense confrontation with the werewolves at Lupine Pass when Camilla finally met them for breakfast. Her future mother-in-law seemed friendly, but Selina couldn’t help but think she was under intense scrutiny. Like everything was a test.
“Selina,” the Empress said, making everyone at the breakfast table stop what they were doing. “Henry informed me you had enrolled at Aldervolf University. What are you studying?”
“I’m taking Art History and Literature.”
“You should also take Political Science.” Before biting into her scone, Camilla winked at Selina and said, “You never know, you might need it someday.”
Everyone at the table looked at the Empress with their mouths agape. Selina was especially shocked and did not know what to do or say.
“What?” The older woman looked around at the other women. “Am I wrong?”
“Well, I never…”
“You should. When Henry’s father died, I was on the verge of losing the empire, since I was only taught to be a consort, to be beautiful, and to live in the shadow of my husband. I wasn’t supposed to rule, yet ten years later, here I am. The ruler of the Greater Volfenheim Empire.”
“I’ll think about it, Your Majesty.”
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