Royal Rebel 5 ~ Worlds Apart

Chapter 9: Castle Garden

You yawned and stretched out as you woke from your sleep, opening your eyes to see it was still somewhat dark in your room. You glanced to the clock on the wall, and it only read about four in the morning. You sat up and rubbed your eyes, and then you reached over to grab the glass of water beside your bed.

You heard the creak of a door opening in the hall, and then little footsteps running across the floor. You heard the door to the room next to yours - Amirah's - open, and those feet ran inside. You slid off your bed and found some slippers to throw on, and you pushed your own door open so you could go out and see what the activity was.

You peeked your head into your sister's room, and you saw one of Zelda's toddlers climbing onto the bed. Rhoam sat up and began consoling the small prince, but you realized Amirah wasn't in there with him. You thought about where she could be at this hour, until your pondering was interrupted by a baby fussing.

"There, there," Zelda paced around her daughter's room, attempting to rock the infant back to sleep.

"Hey Zelda," You whispered, catching the tired queen's attention for a moment. "Do you know where your mother might be?"

"Oh, she's probably in the garden... that's always where she goes in the morning." She told you, and you thanked her before leaving her to spend some time with her daughter.

It didn't take you very long to find the glass doors to the garden after you started searching, as they were just in the hall beneath the hall of the royal's quarters. You opened the doors, and the fragrance of all the flowers instantly hit your nose.

"Amirah?" You quietly called, but you didn't receive an answer. You started to stroll along the light stone path that led you through the world of flowers and plants around you. As you neared the end of the path, where a balcony and glass dome was, a stone surrounded by flowers and butterflies caught your eye. And then the scent of coffee registered in your mind.

You finally spotted Amirah sitting at a quartz bench, hidden behind flowers and lush bushes.

"Good morning." You said, startling her, and she quickly looked away from the window and to you. "What are you doing here so early?"

"I always wake up at this hour and come here. It's become part of my daily routine." She sipped at her hot beverage, and she then reached to pat the spot next to her so you would sit. You took your place beside her, looking out at the field beyond the castle. "I'm surprised you're up at this time. Did the activity of the children wake you?"

"Well, not exactly, but I did hear them when I got out of bed." You admitted. "I don't believe I got to know their names."

"Well the twins are Maeve and Levin, they're three years old. And Janela's just a few months."

"Janela? Was she named after Aunt Janelle?" You asked, and she nodded. "Hey speaking of Aunt Janelle, where is she? Is she still living in her little manor up north?"

"Well, that's kind of why we named Janela, to honor her after she..." She trailed off, and your eyes went wide. "Just a few years before the Calamity, she fell ill, and there wasn't much we could do since it had already gone too far... she was frighteningly good at hiding it from us."

"Did you stay close with Landon?"

"I'm afraid not. We tried, after Janelle passed, but by the time the Calamity struck, we were living different lives." She sighed, and you placed your hand on her arm. "He recently sent us pictures of him and his children, but nothing more than that."

"Janela looks a lot like our aunt." You remarked, and she softly laughed and agreed.

"The resemblance is undeniable."