Princess of Illéa

Chapter 20 - Maxon's Return

At dinner the next day, I'm surprisingly the first to arrive. I take my usual seat and wait for the rest to arrive. I can't contain my joy, although it's mixed with a sense of worry about Maxon. The Selected arrive little by little. America is the first to arrive. She bows, then sits down.

"How is the queen?" she asks in an attempt to break the silence and avoid an awkward atmosphere.

I take a deep breath and answer truthfully, looking at her. "I don't know, but she's definitely not well. It's always difficult when the king and Maxon go on a trip, even more so in a case like this."

I think America notices that I don't call the king 'father', but she doesn't say anything. Soon the others arrive and sit down in their respective places. We're all here, well, all except my mother.

Mom enters a few minutes after everyone is seated. The girls bow, but she doesn't seem to notice. She sits next to me as usual, but seems lost in thought, because she doesn't even say hello. The girls and I exchange worried glances. I notice that my mother glances at Maxon's seat from time to time.

I'm even more worried. I know it's always difficult for us when the two of them go out, especially because of Maxon, but my mother has been acting more strangely than at other times, which makes me more worried that something has happened.

The butlers start serving the food. I see America and Kriss talking, maybe they know something I don't. But whatever it is, apparently my mother knows. Why didn't she tell me?

The two of them have barely finished eating and are already leaving together. My mother doesn't even seem to notice. Worried, I put my hand on my mother's arm to get her attention. She's so out of touch that if she hadn't learned to control her behavior in public, she would have jumped. Her eyes, which were looking sad and lost, seem to soften when they meet mine. She gives a slight smile.

"May we talk?" I ask in a low tone.

She squeezes my hand and says, "Of course, my love."

As soon as the two of us finish dinner we leave. I don't wait until we reach a room to talk to her.

"You know something I don't, Mom." I say.

She seems hesitant to tell me.

Mom sighs. "Maxon and your father arrived in New Asia, they called me this morning."

I am confused. "That's good, right?"

She seems to think. "But when I went to talk to Miss Elise, her parents said that the two of them never got there."

That's weird. I hug my mother, trying to comfort her.

A few days pass. Nothing much happens. Mom is still lost in thought, worried. I am too, especially after what she told me. Over the next few days I divide my time between trying to distract my mother, the two of us spend an afternoon at the Women's Room doing our toenails and fingernails together, and the other day I come up with the idea of doing my mother's make-up myself, which seems to have put her in a slightly better mood. I also spend a lot of time with Celeste, especially after dinner. We spend some time together at night and, as she doesn't want her maids to suspect her, she always goes back to her room to sleep. I end up not missing sleeping with Celeste, as I've been sleeping in my mother's room for the last few days to keep her company.

We're almost at dessert in the dining room when Silvia comes running in, says something in Mom's ear, which makes her get up abruptly and leave the room with Silvia.

"Does anyone know what's going on?" Celeste is the first to break the silence.

I know that deep down she asked me specifically. They all look at me, thinking I might know more than they do, but I just shake my head. The girls begin to imagine possible scenarios aloud.