Crown Of Chaos

Chapter 4

I walked home in silence.
Practically horrified after seeing the way the queen slapped Declan and said all those heartless things to him.
I never would have believed I said this, but I actually felt sorry for Declan.
Is she even his mother at this point?
The sight of my family home came into view, and I have never felt so grateful to be born in a loving family with loving parents who cared for me.
If they were like the queen, I simply wouldn't bare it.
As I neared closer to the house, the fresh aroma of homemade cooked goods filled my nose, Becky, our goblin chef, must be cooking something delicious.
I waved to some of the goblin servants who were working in the nearby gardens, pulling out weeds and watering the flowers.
I guess you could say we have a big house, our house was a double story building, built with cobblestone bricks, Two towers rose above the main roof as if it were our own little castle.
Our roof was made out of dark cobblestone, but you could barley see it due to the overgrown moss and vines, which trailed down onto the walls.
Since it was spring, our house was decorated beautifully, with brightly colored flowers that began to blossom from the vines. My father isn't a fan of the flowers; he claims they make our house look like some garden shed. On the other hand, my mother and I think it makes our house look splendid and unique, like a house straight out of a storybook.
"Ma, Pa, I'm home!" I called as I opened the door and stepped inside.
I was immediately greeted by Hally, our goblin housekeeper.
"Hello Ruby, how was school?" She asked as she took my coat and hung it on the door.
"It was terrible, that Declan boy started causing trouble again." replied
Hally sighed. "Boys these days" she muttered as she tucked my hair behind my ear.
"You better go wash up, Ma and Pa are waiting for you in the study."
I froze. "They already know, don't they?"
Hally half smiled. "Honey, they're your parents they know everything."
I sighed and ran up the stairs into my room.
"It's ok, everything should be fine. I'll just tell them what really happened, and they'll believe me right?"
I practically prayed to the gods as I washed my hands and face in the nearby basin beside my bed. The water looked fresh, as if someone had changed it five minutes before I arrived home. I then changed into a clean dress and slowly walked back downstairs.
I drew in a quick breath before knocking on the door.
"Come in."
I pushed the door open and gulped.
Ma and Pa did did not look happy; they didn't even look mad, they looked disappointed.
"Good afternoon, Ma, Pa." I said as I nodded to the both of them and sat in a nearby chair.
The room was unusually quiet, and I hated it.
Normally, we were a very happy family and quite loud too. But whenever I get in trouble, the atmosphere changes.
Ma was sitting in her chair, which was near Pa's desk, her hands neatly folded in her lap. Ma was always this way. My Pa calls her his flower when they were alone.
And to be precise, she does really look like one.
Her skin is milky white, not one blemish or freckle could be seen.
She wore a blue gown today, it was the exact same shade of her pale blue eyes, which seemed to search my soul as she stared at me, her lips pressed in a thin line.
Her golden blonde hair was tied up delicately in a bun above her head. Wavy strands fell around her face, making the entire look more unique.
"Afternoon, Ruby," she said quietly.
Father's chair squeaked as he leaned forward in his chair.
"I'm sure you know what happened at school today, Ruby?" Pa asked.
The silence was deafening.
I fidgeted with my fingers in my lap. "Yes, but you didn't hear the full, story"
Pa sighed as he leant back in his chair and ran a hand through his red curly hair.
I looked exactly like my pa; well, that's what everyone says.
Pa was a strong man with a strong build, his red hair was the first thing you would notice once you saw him. Little freckles were scattered across his cheeks and face. Unlike Ma and I, he had green eyes, which always seemed to twinkle when he smiled.
I wish he would smile at this very moment. I would do anything to lighten up the mood.
"You got into a fight with the Crown Prince today?"
I nodded. "Yes, but he started it first, he threw my book into the lake!" I protested.
"I understand Ruby, but he is the crown prince; your respect for him should be your first priority."
I simply gawked at my mother.
Respect?
For him?
"The Crown Prince is the future King of Valoria, he is someone you should always be careful with."
"I know but-"
"There is no but, Ruby." Pa said firmly.
"Having a bad quarrel with the Crown Prince puts my position as the Kings general in danger."
I closed my mouth at that; he's right. I totally forgot about Pa's position in the court.
"To disrespect the prince is to disrespect the king."
There was a small silence in the room.
Finally, Ma spoke up. "You will skip dinner tonight and spend the rest of the evening in your room to reflect on your actions. Tomorrow morning, we are to travel to the palace to apologise to his grace, Am I understood?"
I rose from my seat, biting the inside of my cheek as I muttered a reply.
"yes ma'am
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That night, I laid in bed, angry with myself.
How could I be so selfish?
I completely forgot about Pa's position at the court; he could have lost his job.
But then again, Declan was always picking on me. Today I simply had enough, so I guess I kind of just blew up.
It won't ever happen again, though.
I groaned as my stomach rumbled loudly again.
This sucks.
Suddenly, my bedroom door creaked open, and I quickly closed my eyes, pretending to be asleep.
"Ruby?" I recognized Pa's voice immediately and bit the inside of my teeth to stop myself from smiling.
Pa could always tell when I was lying.
I stayed quiet as Pa's footsteps came louder as he walked near my bed.
I practically feel him hovering over me. And I prayed that my stupid stomach wouldn't growl and give me a way.
It did.
Pa started roaring with laughter as I opened my eyes and sat up.
"It's not funny," I snapped as I folded my arms in front of my chest.
Pa sat down on my bed, trying to contain himself.
"I'm so hungry." I whined as I leant back on my bed frame.
Surely, he brought me something.
He did.
I watched as Pa slowly pulled an apple from his pocket.
I grinned, "Thanks, Pa."
"You shouldn't be thanking me yet; I hope you've realized your mistake, he said gruffly.
I bit into the apple. "I have, and I'll apologies to him tomorrow."
There was a small, comfortable silence; the only thing you could hear was the crunch from my apple.
"Did you win?" Pa whispered.
I smiled; there was a small hint of amusement in his eyes.
"I don't know but I definitely got him good."
Pa has been teaching me some wrestling techniques for situations like this. Just in case.
Pa smiled and reached out to pat my head. "That's my girl."
I frowned as I bit the apple to the core. "You could have at least brought me strawberries."