The Lady-in-Waiting

Chapter 6

Lucinda

I find my way into the dining room. There's a long table and the king and queen of Lopegin are sitting at either end. On the right side, Zora is sitting next to King Edward, probably to suck up to him, and across from Prince George. My mother is sitting on the other side of Zora and everyone else at the table is an unfamiliar face. Where do I sit? I hesitate, looking for an empty seat.

"Sit down, Zora," King Edward says sternly.

I notice that everyone's staring at me, straight-faced, eyebrows narrowed. Is this what it feels like to be truly hated by someone? Even though not a word is being said, the eyes of the people at the table sting my heart. I can imagine what they're thinking. The woman with the white hair is thinking, Wasn't that the girl from the Norillian Christening? The man in the blue and green suit is thinking, She may look harmless, but she's probably about to curse us all. And Zora is thinking, See what it feels like to be me, Lucinda? Yes, I do. But you don't know what it's like to be in an arranged marriage and never be able to date anyone. And you don't know what it's like to feel the pressure of being the future queen of Norillia. I take the only empty seat I can find, which just so happens to be next to my mother. Mother flinches when she looks at me.

"Edward, why did you think it was a good idea to invite her to dinner tonight?" asks Mother.

"I figured I should meet her before she starts her work as a goose girl tomorrow," answers King Edward.

Tomorrow? But I'm supposed to work for Zora until the wedding. How will I become myself again if I'm not working near Zora?

"But I thought I'd be working for Zor-Lucinda until the wedding?!" I cry as everyone glares at me.

"This isn't your conversation, Zorana," scolds Zora.

"You were," says King Edward. "But then I looked back at your, er...criminal record, and decided that it would be best to keep you as far away from Princess Lucinda as possible."

Zora must have said something. She of all people knows about her own "criminal record." A record of which I don't want to be held responsible. What have I done? Why do I deserve this? I am the kind, beloved heir to the throne of Norillia, not a former criminal.

"Your majesty," Zora says in the most annoying version of my voice I have ever heard. "Why is she even eating with us? She shouldn't be allowed to! She could hurt me!"

"If you request so, Lucinda," says King Edward. "Zorana, you must leave the dining room and go home."

Home? Where do I live? Where would Zora have gone? Does she have family that lives in the area? I remember Zora saying one time that her parents were fairy godparents in Lopegin. Once I'm in my guest room, packing, I call Zora's mom.

"Zora?" asks a woman, who's probably my mom, I guess.

"...Mom?" I hesitate to say.

"Zora, it's been years since I've heard your voice!" cries Mrs. Lotinow. "Let me get your dad...David! Zora's on the phone!"

"Zora!" cries David, who's apparently my dad. "What did you want to call us about, dear? We've barely heard from you since the Christening!"

So Zora hasn't talked to her parents in seven years. Well, I guess that's my problem to fix.

"Well..." I start, unsure of what to say. "I'm really sorry for not talking to you! I'm a terrible daughter. I've been in a really bad place, but now I'm better than I've ever been, and I want to make more of an effort to be a better daughter."