Finally Free!

Ponceau's Truth

As soon as we wake up, we head to breakfast where everyone is silent as they eat their food. I feel this has something to do with me existing.

My father had warned that, especially here, I was not to have anyone find out about my pregnancy. I sigh as I watch my family eating cautiously as do I. It seems everyone is concerned for their safety in this home.

Once that torture is over, I head to my room to get dressed in the dress that my maids had set in place for me. Afterwards, they come to help me get my hair into a fishtail braid and they put on some light make up. My mother and father have never been fond of make up, apparently.

As soon as all that preparation is over, Radley walks in, which results in the maids curtsying and leaving, and he comes to sit by me.

I turn my attention to him and ask, "What?" "Does something seem off to you?" he asks me with worry. I nod, "Seems like my parents aren't telling me something and that everyone is in fear of even eating in the presence of the Ponceau's." He agrees, "Should we ask?" "Change first and if we have time then we can talk to Magnolia and Aster," I say seriously and he gets up slowly to do just that.

He hurriedly dresses and rushes, with me, to Magnolia's room and Aster is sitting there talking with her quietly.

"Are you guys going to enlighten your sister of what is going on in this place?" I ask and they both jump, turning to face me. They both put their hands on their hearts.

"You scared us," Magnolia says with fear still in her eyes, "and what are you talking about?" "Everyone is afraid," Radley says seriously. I nod, "You guys literally are so jumpy right now and you won't tell me why? How exactly am I supposed to help people when no one tells me half the things I am supposed to know?"

Aster stands up and starts pacing around the room as Magnolia looks at her hands with concern.

"To be honest," Magnolia looks at me and says, "we have been tasked with protecting you throughout this trip in Ponceau. Your food has to be checked under our watch and no one is allowed to even touch you. Father is very afraid right now for your life and for everyone else involved, because the Ponceau's were involved in you being stolen and I know you know it." I sigh deeply, "But I need to know these things and I need to know why everyone is so afraid. What happened when I was not here?"

Magnolia's eyes tear up and Aster comes to comfort her.

"Caelus told father and mother that he knew you were the rightful heir," Aster says honestly, "and he told them that he would reveal that I was not my father's son so that would take me out of the picture as well. This would leave a very unprepared Magnolia to take over the throne. She had not been trained for such things so father made sure that she start getting some idea once you were gone. The Ponceau's took step one by taking over as the Duke, but, now, they are after the Kingship." "Well," Magnolia laughs awkwardly, "Queenship."

Everyone smiles at her weird joke that lightens the mood.

"Your biggest worry right now is to make sure you live, so stop worrying about the Kingdom for now," Aster says kindly, "it is father's job to take care of that right now." I nod, "It isn't your job either." "Actually," Magnolia says seriously, "it is. Until you become queen and even after, it is our role as we go through life to protect you no matter what."

The discussion ends soon after and we are at the ball. Everyone seems tense but I am in a daze as I think about the immense responsibility of being a royal. I think about the fact that normal families protect each other when it comes to the smallest of things, but in my family, they have to protect each other from death.

I talk to some of the nobles as I walk around.

I go up to the Viscountess.

"Your Highness," she says kindly as I sit down beside her, "are you enjoying your stay so far?" "It is great so far," I say kindly, "but can I ask why there are no other children around?" She clears her throat nervously, "Well, my son is at home since he is a baby. The Baroness also has a son who is nine so he can't come yet." I smile politely, "Why are you so afraid?" She tenses when I ask this question and turns to look at Duke Caelus.

She laughs nervously, "Well...every event is a test of loyalty really. Anyone who is still loyal to the old Ponceau's and shows it will be killed." My heart sinks at those words, "What?" She nods and smiles fakely, "Life is harder than you think under Duke Caelus' rule and that is the real reason why there are so little children left behind. Most of the original family's oldest children were furious with the Duke and a civil war erupted, but they lost because children were the ones being sacrificed because of this." My sadness shows to her alone, "I am so sorry that you guys had to go through all that. Can you tell me about the original Ponceau's?"

She nods, "They really loved children and the idea of helping as many as possible. They would constantly be among the village people. I am pretty sure that the Duchess married a commoner. They had a few of their own, but whenever they would find a child in the streets or someone who had a child because of being raped then they would willingly take them in. They would go to orphanages that they set up and give them most of their salaries. They were truly amazing people, but they had a secret. The Duchess knew what her brother, the Marquess at the time, was up to. She knew that he was stealing children and promoting prostitution amongst the people for his own gain, so she started gathering evidence until she could prove it. Sadly, he found out and that is why they died."

I nod sadly, "Did she ever say where she kept it?" She shakes her head, "No. If she did keep it here then it is gone. The Duke lit this place on fire and rebuilt it before anything else. He did that with everyone's home and without a warning. Many died because of it." I sigh deeply, "What about the Ponceau's children?" "They were adorable," she says with a wide smile, "their oldest child was sixteen and she was just like her parents. She was loved by the people and a great big sister. The others were too young to come to balls and parties, but when you would visit..there was no better children then them. Their parents would spend every moment with them even when working. It was a good thing for the children. Uhm....they had another adopted daughter that was about eleven or twelve and two adoptive sons that were like six and seven. The last they ever had was on the way and they did not know what it would be, but boy they were excited for their new arrival." I smile at the happiness on her face which soon disappears.

"They had such beautiful names too," she says with a bright smile. "What were their names?" I ask curiously as hope fills me that I may be able to find one of them. "I don't remember all of theirs just the best ones," she says kindly, "The oldest was Solvita, then Helianthus was the other daughter, the oldest son was Solis and that is all I remember." I sigh as I realise that those names are so rare that no one could possibly have missed them.

I thank her and move on as I realise that this is the most information I have gotten about this family.

As I talk to others, I realise that they are not as open about talking about the old Ponceau's.

Duke Caelus goes to the front of the room and gathers everyone's attention, "Tomorrow is a free day for all as we like to party around here. After that we will have a race around the country, have another break then visit the town and then we will have another ball."

Soon, everyone heads to bed and I get some food sent to me which my siblings come to my room to watch the maids check. After some time of waiting, I am allowed to eat the food and everyone heads to bed. Bed welcomes me soon enough and Radley follows soon enough.

Sadly, sleep evades me because of the truths that are constantly jumping around in my mind.