The Royal Series 02: The Royal Wooing

Chapter 10

LAURICE

"Hi, how have you been?" Queen Eloisa Rockefeller, Dominique's mother asked as soon as she entered the lounge.

"I'm good," I answered and returned her hug.

"OMG Ate Lauren!"

"Young Lady!" Queen Eloisa called out Eliza, Dominique's younger sister.

"Sorry," Eliza sheepishly said before running towards me with small steps.

I welcomed her with a hug and we all took a seat, Eliza and I next to each other while Ma took the single couch. We began talking about the things we have been up to since we last saw each other. Until Eliza asked if I would be staying overnight.

"I can't, I have work and review classes," I told her but Eliza complained.

"Eliza, unlike you and before, Laurice can't cancel things last minute," Ma pointed out to her daughter.

Hindi ko napigilan matawa sa exchange of conversation nila and as Ma told me about the food that she asked the chefs to make, napansin kong medyo natahimik si Eliza and Ma seemed to have noticed it too.

"Something wrong?" I asked.

"None, just happy," she said.

"Because?" I asked kasi I know that whenever she says something like that openly, there's always a reason.

"You're seeing Great Emerald's Crown Prince diba?" Eliza asked. "Prince Christopher Adler Jackson?"

"I've been meaning to ask that, bakit mo ako inunahan?" Ma complained to Eliza, who just laughed but I just looked at them with wide eyes.

"No, I'm not seeing anyone," I told them the truth.

"Weh?" Eliza asked but she pursed her lips when Ma gave her a quick pointed look.

"So is it the courtship stage? Or talks of marriage?"

I ended up biting the inside of my cheek as I failed to find words to tell them. But just from how Ma looked, I knew she understood as she surely had received offers from different princes and nobles asking for her only daughter's hand. Eliza might have received the offers from the bachelors themselves as I do too, I've just been ignoring it for the longest time.

Ma's Lady Maid entered the room and informed us that the food was ready which cut the uncomfortable silence. When we arrived at the dining room, a table I have been a guest to for years, Pa was already there who welcomed me with a hug which I returned.

Whenever I have work in Great Sapphire, they always invite me over for a meal. But something tells me that something is going to be off about this lunch. And I was right as the moment dessert was served, we were left alone in the room. I looked at them but they were communicating with each other through their eyes; where Pa ended up sighing as Ma and Eliza looked at him long enough that he gave up.

"You should start try to start dating again. Or try to see other people."

"That is not how we talked about telling Ate that!" Eliza gasped and I saw Ma put a palm over her face. "Ako na nga!"

"What is this about?" I asked and nearly stuttered because this was so out of the blue.

"Ate, we all love you like family kaya we just want you to be happy," Eliza said. "Maybe it's time that you...try seeing others."

Binaba ko yung spoon na hawak ko and listened to Eliza talk.

"Look, we don't know about what your parents think about your relationship in the future right now," Ma interjected, "but I, we, think that maybe you're either not ready or worried about what we'll think if you get into a relationship. And we want you to know, that we'll even be glad if you get into one."