Encouraging Words
OPAL
I didn't think anything could happen that would cheer me up, but I was mistaken.
Aunt Janice has decided to pay me a visit, and the sight of her face just makes my heart soar. Honestly, I'm beyond happy that she's here.
"Aunt Janice," I say softly against her hair as I try to hold back tears.
She runs her manicured nails through my hair. While still holding me close to her, she asks me, "How have you been, my doll? And tell me the truth. You know that you can confide in me."
I step away from her and sigh. "Oh, Aunt Janice. There's so much that I have to say to you that I don't even know where to begin."
"Let's find a quiet place where we can talk. Where can we go?"
"I think my bedroom is the safest option."
We head there together, and I lock the door. Then, we sit on the bed and she makes a move to grab my hand. I gather my thoughts for a handful of seconds before starting to speak. I explain everything that's happened since the marriage, and she's shocked, to say the least. I haven't had the time to fill her in on anything.
By the time I'm done, her face is pale and her hands are shaking.
"By the goddess, this is my fault," she laments. "If I hadn't coerced you into having a little fun, this would never have happened. I can't begin to imagine how embarrassed you must've felt when you saw him!"
I nod. There's no point in denying it.
It was absolutely mortifying and still is every time I think about it. And the way he looks at me at times doesn't help, because I have the feeling that he's thinking about that night. I say to her, "I don't know what his deal is, Aunt Janice. Why did he do that? He knew exactly who I was, yet he still slept with me."
"To be honest, Opal, I have no idea," she reveals. "What does he say? Have you spoken to him about it?"
I scoff. "We don't get along. Things have only gotten worse after I nearly killed his father."
I leave out the part where he apologized to me, and I don't know why.
"This isn't good. You two have to come to an agreement for the sake of your subjects. He's the Alpha Prince, and you're now a princess, Opal. You're going to rule the city one day. Lives will depend on you. What are your duties so far?"
"That's another thing. There are none. He told me there'd be a meeting for us to discuss it, but nothing has happened so far. It's only been a few days, though. I don't know."
"You need to ask him about it. Assert dominance."
I rise from the bed and start pacing the floor. This whole situation is so frustrating to me—it's so hard for me to concentrate. "I don't know, Aunt Janice. Sometimes I have this feeling like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm not cut out for this. I just want to go home, where it was safe. I know Dad can be such a jerk sometimes, but until this whole marriage thing came about, he never treated me this way. He was fair to me."
Aunt Janice stands up and takes my hands in hers. "You can't think this way, Opal. You're stronger than that and I believe you. All you have to do is believe in yourself and put all this aside. I know the situation isn't ideal, but think about it—now, you have power. You're arguably the most powerful woman in the city right now!"
Her words give me a bit of encouragement, but I'm reluctant to show her just how little I care about power and all these responsibilities when it comes at the cost of my happiness and peace of mind.
"Opal, I've always dreamed of big things for you," she claims as she kisses my cheek. "I know you're capable of this. You're strong. Independent. You're at an advantage, too."
"I don't see how that's true," I counter, referring to the last part of her statement.
"How not?" she asks before smiling. "If he didn't put an end to the engagement, that means he liked it. Or rather, there's something about you that he finds intriguing."
For some reason, my cheeks start to color. I never thought about it this way before.
"No, he's cold to me," I argue. "His family—"
"His mother is probably upset that she'll lose the title of Queen Luna. And his sister? She was the only woman in his world, making decisions and being on his side, until you arrived. It's normal for younger siblings to feel jealous."
"Is it?" I ask doubtfully.
Aunt Janice's smile doesn't falter. "Take my advice and talk to him. Do it tonight. You have to show him who you are—show him you can be fierce. Show him you want a piece of all this and that you're eager to make some changes. Be yourself. Your true self."
"Thank you, Aunt Janice."
We embrace, and she tells me that she has to get going. It's the worst bit of news I've ever received because while she was here, things felt bearable, but I have to keep her advice in mind and impose myself a little bit.
I don't want anyone to think that I don't care—if my father arranged this for me, it was with Bruce's consent, and if that's the case, then there has to be something about me that motivated him to say yes.
What could it be?
I pace the bedroom for some time, letting my ideas brew and mature in my mind. One thing is sure—I feel a lot better about this whole thing and I never thought that would happen.
Never.
When dinner is announced, I head downstairs with my head held high. There's no reason why I should feel small when next to these people—I'm not responsible for how they feel about me. They're the ones who are being unnecessarily rude. They're the bad hosts.
Everyone's seated at the table, except for Bruce. I was kind of hoping he'd be here because I wanted to have a chance to talk to him about duties. I don't have too many ideas of what I could do to change the city, but I'll be present at the meetings, get acquainted with everything, and then the ideas will come.
I just need a bit more time.
With that thought in mind, I actually manage to enjoy dinner.
It's delicious.