Chapter Seven—Meltdown

Arriving at the stables, I started preparing Lady’s food for the night when someone came barging into the stables. “Robert!”

I groaned upon hearing that voice, a voice that I wouldn’t want to hear for the rest of the night. I started walking towards Lady as I asked, “What is it that you want, Mallory?”

“Why did you end our relationship?” she continued to rant as she approached me. “We had a deal about that, Robert. All of a sudden, you’re ending everything for some unknown reason?!

I sighed before turning around, “It’s for your own good, Mallory.”

“I don’t care what you all think!” she started throwing tantrums like a child when they don’t get their way. “All I want is you,” she held onto my arms.

I removed her hands as I replied, “Mallory, I don’t want you the same way that you want me. From the very beginning, I knew that the kind of relationship that we had will only do us harm.” She shook her head as I explained my side, not wanting to accept the truth. I added, “It’s better to end it now before it ends up hurting somebody else.”

I grabbed my water container and walked back into the castle, not even bothering to take a second look at her. She’s done enough damage today. I don’t want any more of her idiocy to destroy the rest of my evening.

♔♔♔

Walking alone in the halls of the castle, Gonzalo was already waiting for me. “Good evening, young prince,” he greeted as he followed closely behind me.

“Good evening, Gonzalo,” I greeted, handing over my water container to him. “Are there matters that I missed while I was away?”

“As of the moment, there’s nothing, Your Highness,” he replied quickly.

“What are the plans for tonight’s dinner?” I asked.

“As I’ve heard from the cooks, they will be focusing on meat tonight as requested by His Majesty,” he said as we made a right turn to another corridor. “However, your family won’t be joining you for supper tonight.”

I stopped walking, turning around. “Why is that?”

“His Majesty is still in his office, he said he has a lot of things to look into. Her Highness took a very early rest, she said she’s been feeling a bit dizzy. And Her Majesty already proceeded to sleep,” he explained.

Mother is taking an early sleep? That’s a bit odd. Most of the time, whenever James is still in his study and working, Mother is usually in the study, keeping him company. Mother rarely makes this kind of decision.

“Kindly have my food sent to my room. I will proceed to my parents’ room to check on Her Majesty,” I answered.

“As you wish, Your Highness.” He took a quick bow and we went our separate ways.

♔♔♔

As I approached the door of Their Majesties’ bedroom, I knocked on the door thrice and when I didn’t receive any response, I entered. As I opened the door, I saw my mother, already in her bed as a maid attended to her.

“Mother?” I called out, closing the door behind me.

She opened her eyes and looked in my direction. “Hello, dear one,” she smiled.

I walked towards her, kneeling by her side when I reached her.

“Please leave us for a while, Dehlia,” she turned to the maid. She took a bow and grabbed the basin of water, leaving the room.

“Is there something, son?” she asked me as soon as we’re left alone. “Do you need anything?”

I smiled as she asked. Always a mother before a queen. “Mother, I should be the one asking you those questions,” I chuckled.

“I am all right, Robert. I’m just a bit tired, that’s all,” she smiled faintly. “I think I’ve been working too much. I do need some time to give myself a rest.”

She may be smiling and telling me that there’s nothing but through her tired eyes and a faint smile, she wasn’t being honest with me. “Mother, it’s obvious that you’re not feeling well. You always work but you never had days such as this,” I replied, both concerned and confused. “Can you tell me what made you so ill that you had to retire early?”

She let out a sigh as she pulled me up, making me sit beside her. “I don’t know either, Robert. When I arrived home, I suddenly felt very weak and cold,” she explained as she held my hands. “I tried to ignore it but as I continued to work, I felt even worse as the day went by.”

“Did you eat something unusual? Was it something that you drank? Could it be something that you smelled?” questions blurted out of my mouth in the hopes of finding the reason behind my mother’s illness.

My continuous questions made her giggle so softly. “You sound so much like your father when you worry too much,” she smiled. “You may not agree with me, but you’re so much like him.”

I shook my head as I sighed, “Mother, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to call for me. I will come to you as soon as possible and I will bring you whatever it is that you need.”

“Robert, there’s no need for that. I have Dehlia to take care of me,” she answered, cupping my face with her hands. “And once your father finishes his work, he will be the one to take care of me.”

Why does Mother have to wait for James to finish his duties? Mother is much more important than his royal duties. Without his queen, he would be nothing. He should be right here, right now but instead, he’s locked up in his study.

“Mother, we both know that James is always occupied with his duties,” I replied. “In his absence, allow me to look after you.”

She nodded in defeat. “If you must, Robert. Now, go and have your dinner. Let Dehlia back in.”

I kissed her hands. “Take as much rest as you need,” I forced a smile to comfort her, assuring her that everything will be fine and that I will always be here for her.

“Of course, I will,” she chuckled.

I didn’t want to leave Mother without James here but as long as a maid is looking after her, perhaps that’s enough to assure me that she will be okay. I will still check on her early in the morning.

As I stepped out of the room, Dehlia was already waiting by the door, a basin with fresh water in her hands. “Dehlia,” I left the door a bit open, “Her Majesty has called for you.”

She smiled and bowed, entering the room after. As I closed the door for her, I proceeded to my bedroom.

♔♔♔

On my way to my bedroom, I saw my sister heading in my direction, in her night robe. “Elizabeth, is there something wrong?” I asked, stopping on my tracks.

She looked at me as she rubbed her eyes. “Oh, hello, little brother,” she smiled, walking towards me. “I got thirsty and I was looking for my maids, but no one was answering me.”

“Shouldn’t you have one or two handmaidens with you in your bedroom?” I asked, confused.

“Well, for some reason, they decided not to follow that rule,” she yawned, giving her body a bit of a stretch. “Now, I have to walk along these dark hallways in search of someone.”

I giggled, holding her hands. “Why don’t you return to your room and continue your rest? I’ll have Gonzalo bring you some water.”

“Can you have him talk to the maids as well? I don’t demand a lot during the night but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to follow the rules,” she asked, a bit irritated.

“Don’t stress yourself too much, Elizabeth. I’ll have it taken care of,” I reassured.

“Thank you,” she smiled. “What were you doing in our parents’ bedroom?”

“I paid a visit to Mother. She contracted some kind of sickness and she’s not even sure how she got it,” I explained. “Do you know anything about it?”

“I was in the library when the guards informed me that Mother has returned from our aunt’s castle,” she replied. “I didn’t get the chance to greet her because she proceeded to the study and I went to my room immediately after.”

“Ah, I see,” I nodded.

“Who’s looking after her?” she inquired. “Linda or Grace? Or is it our dearly beloved Ms. Turpentine?”

We shared a laugh as she brought up Ms. Turpentine’s name. Ms. Turpentine is the second-in-command when it comes to the handmaidens. She’s known for being quite strict with everything, including us. She always carried a scowl on her face, but she never acted that way in front of Nana Olsa. For some reason, she’s afraid of Nana which is good because someone can still put her in her place when she’s getting out of line. “Dehlia’s taking care of her.”

Her face suddenly painted an expression of confusion. “Dehlia?” she repeated.

“Yes, Dehlia.”

“Robert, we don’t have a maid named Dehlia,” she replied, still confused.

“Well, maybe she’s a new member of the household,” I answered, keeping myself open-minded. Although, now that she has mentioned it, I’m bothered with Dehlia’s presence.

“Robert, we almost have a hundred household members here in the castle and for the entirety of our lives, our parents would introduce newcomers.” She moved close to me as she spoke in low volume, “Don’t you think that’s a little suspicious that Mother has a new handmaiden and we weren’t informed?”

I started thinking about what she said but unless we have an exact explanation from Mother, we can’t assume anything about the new handmaiden. “Well, maybe she was going to tell us but because she was already feeling ill when she arrived, she didn’t get the chance to do so,” I explained. “After all, she had to take her rest as soon as she arrived.”

She sighed. “Perhaps, you’re right. I shouldn’t be worrying too much unless she’s done something unacceptable.”

“Let’s wait for Mother to introduce us to her,” I smiled.

“Well, I’ll go back to my room. I have a massive headache,” she groaned, holding onto her head.

“I’ll have Gonzalo bring you your drink of water,” I repeated.

“Thank you, little brother,” she smiled as she hugged me. “I’ll be going back to sleep. Tell Gonzalo to leave the water on my bedside table.” She left a kiss on my forehead and returned to her room.

I, on the other hand, proceeded to mine.

♔♔♔

As I was approaching my room, Gonzalo was already waiting for me by the door. “Your dinner is inside, Your Highness,” he bowed as I reached him.

“Thank you, Gonzalo,” I nodded as I opened the door.

“Is there anything else I could help you with, young prince?” he asked as I stepped inside.

“There’s nothing else, Gonzalo,” I replied, turning around after I stood behind the door. “But I would like for you to bring some water for my sister. Her handmaidens were nowhere to be seen and she needs it right away.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” he bowed.

“Also, please have a word with the maids. It’s a rule in this castle that at least two maids would accompany a royal,” I continued. “Just because I let you do other duties than guarding me at night, that doesn’t mean they should try and do the same.”

“Yes, Your Highness. I will talk to them first thing in the morning,” he replied, bowing once more.

I then slowly closed the door and headed towards my writing desk where my food was placed. But then, something caught my eye. In the middle of the room was a bouquet, beautifully arranged inside an unfamiliar violet vase, which was put on my tall table. I didn’t request for flowers to be put inside my room, so this is unexpected. I walked towards it to inspect it. This must be some kind of misunderstanding. It might even be for Mother.

But the flowers weren’t just any kind of flowers. They were roses, red roses. But where did all of these flowers come from? I walked around it and saw a note on the other side of the table. I quickly opened it and it reads:

Hello, Robert!

How are you? My apologies if I haven’t sent you any letters yet. But I received news that you have a certain interest in red roses, so I’ve decided to send you a bouquet as a sign of my apology.

Also, I wasn’t sure of how many you would want so I chose the most beautiful roses in my mother’s garden.

I hope these flowers could add a bit of color to your life.

Your dearest friend, Lorain.

A smile slowly formed on my face as I closed the letter. Turning back to the bouquet, it was very thoughtful of her to send flowers. And she really made an effort to send me flowers that I love. I never told her what my favorite flowers are but maybe my mother has. Holding onto the letter, I proceeded to my writing desk, sat down, and began eating my dinner.

♔♔♔

As I put down my used utensils on my soiled plate, I let out a loud burp. That was certainly a scrumptious meal. Three enormous slices of meat, accompanied by some soup, wine, and my favorite dessert, sugared fruits.

Everything was peaceful when I heard someone shouting outside my room. Confused, I stood up and took a few steps forward. Who could be screaming during this time of the night? Before I knew it, the door swung open and Mallory barged in. Her face was wet from all the tears, but she wasn’t just sad. Her face carried so much fury with a hint of confusion and heartbreak.

“I would like to have a word with you,” she gritted, her hands balled into fists by her sides.

Gonzalo rushed into my room, catching his breath. “My apologies, Your Highness. I tried to stop her.”

“That’s all right, Gonzalo,” I let out my hand in front of me, signaling him to stop and calm down. I picked up my tray and walked towards him. “Kindly bring this down to the kitchen. Mallory and I need some time alone,” I continued, handing over the tray.

“Are you sure that you can handle it, young prince?” he asked, worried as he received the tray. “I could send for the guards if you wish.”

“I can manage, Gonzalo. I will call for you if I need anything,” I reassured.

He bowed his head and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

I let out a sigh before proceeding, “Why would you bother me even at the safest place that I have in this castle?” I walked back towards her, standing a few feet away from her. “What is it that you need that can’t wait for the sun to rise? And why would you be shouting during this time of the night when you know some people are trying to sleep?”

“Do you want to know why I’m acting this way?” she asked with a sarcastic smile, taking a few steps forward. “It’s because you ended our relationship without any explanation and at such an unexpected time. What do you even call that?!”

I groaned.

Isn’t this conversation already finished back at the stables? Can’t she do anything else with her life other than bothering me?

“I have nothing more to say to you. Like what I’ve said before, it was for your sake,” I said, walking towards the flowers. “That kind of relationship will never do us any good. I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this for you,” I continued as I paid more attention towards the flowers than to her.

“Where in the world did those come from?” she asked.

I turned around, looking at her. “They are from Lorain,” I crossed my arms. “I’m sure I’ve mentioned her already to you,” I added.

“And you’re smiling when you mention her?!” she raised her voice, her face close to turning red. “You’re happy that she gave you flowers but I gave you my heart and you hated me for it?!”

“Mallory, this matter is not worth fighting for,” I answered, trying to stay as calm as possible. “I assure you that you’ll find someone new. And that person will be the one to love and want you the same way that you do, possibly even more,” I took a few steps forward.

“But that someone is you,” she rushed towards me, clinging onto my arms. “I want you, Robert, and I will love only you.”

“The problem is I don’t feel the same way, Mallory,” I said, carefully removing her hands from my arms. “As I said, I only see you as a sister, nothing more.”

“Why can’t you just learn to love me for real? You learn to do other things, you can do the same in loving me,” she cried, resorting to begging once more. She looked desperate for love, and it breaks my heart when I see her in this depressive state. She doesn’t have to do this; she just has to wait for the right person.

“I would be lying to myself if I try to love someone that I don’t. I’d be lying to you and as a friend, I wouldn’t want that for you,” I explained. “That would be unfair for the both of us and it will just end up hurting one another.”

“I don’t care!” she stomped her foot.

“Well, I do,” I raised my voice, trying to reason with her. “I care for you as a sister and doing that to you would be unthinkable. I’m already going to torture myself for the rest of my life by marrying someone I don’t want. I prefer to suffer alone in that kind of pain rather than bringing you along.”

“If you will not love me—”

“You’ll do what? You’ll tell Nana? The townspeople?” I interrupted her threats, matching them with my own rage that has slowly built up inside of me. Her eyes widened upon my remark. “And what will you be getting out of that decision? Tell me, Mallory.”

She stood there, completely still with stunned eyes. She didn’t move a muscle. Her eyes were just staring at me as if she’s waiting for me to give her the answer.

“As I’ve said before, if you do that, there’s only one thing that you’ll gain. One thing only,” I moved closer to her. “If you tell the people, our reputation will be ruined and we’ll lose everything. And you, along with all the other household members will lose what they currently have. And my care for you as a friend will end. Are you sure you’re willing to do something so foolish just to force someone to be with you?”

“Robert… I just want to have you,” she replied, her voice cracked as she tried to stop her tears from running down.

“Mallory, I don’t have anything else to say to you. This conversation, this matter is finished,” I groaned. “Please leave me alone.”

“I am not leaving until you come back to me,” she protested.

“Are you sure about that decision?” I raised an eyebrow, not giving the slightest hint of fear and worry with her threat.

She nodded as she stood her ground.

I walked to the corner and rang my service bell. “Suit yourself,” I replied as I headed towards my bed. In no less than a minute, Gonzalo arrived with guards and took Mallory away. She was shouting, objecting to their actions but after a while of hearing her struggles, peace was restored.

“Are you all right, Your Highness?” Gonzalo quickly asked.

“Yes, Gonzalo. I just want to sleep. It’s been a long day,” I replied.

He bowed and headed to the door. “Good night, young prince,” the door creaked as he slowly closed the door.

After I was left alone, I took a quick bath and headed straight to my bed. As I closed my eyes, I prayed that I would see Laura in my dreams, the only place where nobody can tear us apart.