Womanish Lady

Chapter 32:

   Fuyaiyah sat up in bed and looked blankly in front of her. There was a maid finishing up with preparing breakfast in bed for her.

"It is common for the Prince to leave early. But there is food for you by his request. Enjoy your breakfast, Princess. I'll be standing outside if you need me." The maid bowed and left her all alone.

Fuyaiyah blinked.

As the maid stood outside the room, the well-known Royal Official approached her with an envelope.

"For the new Princess from the Queen," he said.

The maid observed that the note was tampered with, but handed it to Fuyaiyah nonetheless.

"Excuse my intrusion, Princess; a letter from the Queen."

"No need to apologize. And I'm not official, so no need to call me that either," she smiled.

The maid smiled back.

"I was worried because the Prince denied many marriage requests. But seeing his face and attitude after meeting you makes me happy. You're already a Princess in my heart." she happily bowed and left the room.

Fuyaiyah was touched by the maid. Then read the letter.

As expected, it was a command for her to visit Queen Veronica in her Palace. But, on the back of the paper was familiar handwriting and the words-

"-Good Morning, my daughter!"

She sighed and smiled. She was happy to meet her real father without grudges keeping them from being this close.

It felt weird for her to walk to the Queen's palace. She wasn't approaching as a troublesome maiden this time, and there was nobody to walk with her. And the guards must've been warned in advance of her arrival because they didn't stop her as she walked through the gates.

"Looks like a snow storm's about to come." she thought while looking up at the morning covered with thick clouds and felt the stinging breeze.

"This way," said Bonnie, who waited for Fuyaiyah by the Queen's room.

"She isn't in the room?"

Bonnie didn't reply.

On the roof of the Palace was Queen Veronica, lying on a patio chair as if the weather was appropriate, and Princess Zyla, leaning over the edge, distressed, seemingly looking for something.

"Did you find it yet, sweetheart?"

"Mother, I really can't find it." sighed Princess Zyla without turning around. "It's too cold, and there's too much snow. Just let me go down and look for it."

"If you can't spot it from here, you'll overlook it when you go down there."

"Can I try anyway?"

"If you want."

Princess Zyla turned around but then abruptly stopped, seeing Fuyaiyah. Bonnie went back to her master's side. The Queen saw her faithful friend and servant and got up from her chair and acknowledged Fuyaiyah's presence with a smile.

Being in the same vicinity as Queen Veronica and Princess Zyla, who she had to apologize to, Fuyaiyah bowed.

"What are you waiting for, Zyla? Get going!"

Princess Zyla flinched then quickly walked down from the roof, avoiding Fuyaiyah's eyes.

She didn't worry though, because she planned to visit Princess Zyla after talking to the Queen.

When the three women were alone, Queen Veronica slowly walked towards Fuyaiyah, and when she got close, the Queen's smile vanished and slapped her swiftly and roughly. Fuyaiyah almost fell to the cold ground.

"Do you not know how hard we worked to get you out of here safely? Do you know how many of our positions were threatened just to keep you safe? Did you get anything from the story I shared with you?" She yelled, then stood straight and gave a heavy sigh.

"Not only did I have to hear that you came back, but I also had to hear that you even agreed to marry Prince Kyuni soon. That's very wrong in many aspects."

Letting go of her cheek, Fuyaiyah also stood up straight and properly.

"Less than a week ago, I was notified of the truth in regards to me. I'm aware."

That caught the Queen off guard. She looked at her.

"What exactly are you aware of?"

"I've become aware of my blood mother - the late queen. Of her life and her death. I know that Thylin is my dear father, and that Prince Kyuni and Prince Tuquor are my half siblings. I'm aware that the King is my uncle, and this is supposed to be my home."

Queen Veronica and Bonnie - who knew of the Second Queen and Fuyaiyah's story through her master, were speechless. Then the Queen displayed a look of displeasure, and had a hard time keeping her composure.

"If you know of it all, then why did you willingly return to the land your mother and father desperately tried to keep you away from?"

"If my dear mother passed on before she could finish her mission to preserve the Kingdom and her brother, I was destined to return here."

"Answer me directly!"

Fuyaiyah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew the Queen would be the most difficult to talk to, but she was also the most important.

It didn't take long for Fuyaiyah to finish explaining her plan to the Queen, but after she finished, she was silently invited to accompany the Queen in walking back to her room. There, through the biggest window, they could see Princess Zyla still looking for something.

"What has she been looking for?"

"I'm just teaching her a lesson,"

Fuyaiyah looked at her, as a sign for the Queen to continue, but she wasn't even looking at her.

"I suppose you're not obliged to say anymore."

After a moment of watching her daughter, the Queen sighed.

"You left her, and she was getting lonely again, so I often make her spend her time with me. She really loves that little bracelet you made for her. Zyla said she wanted to be like you. She wouldn't explain in what way, but she seems to rely on that bracelet. So I took it and threw it from the roof."

Fuyaiyah felt like laughing.

"Do you hate me that much?"

"Arrogant girl! This isn't about you." The Queen looked back at her daughter, still desperately searching the garden for the bracelet.

"I want her to remember that to be a Princess takes spirit and heart and patience. Not some bracelet. Her first lesson is to be keen and perceptive. She saw me throw it, but if she can't remember how I threw it to help her pinpoint the area it landed in, she won't make a good Princess."

Fuyaiyah nodded. Princess Zyla had a very good mother. And when Princess Zyla went out of sight behind a few trees, Fuyaiyah turned to the Queen.

"May I ask a question? It's related to my dear mother."

At this, Queen Veronica turned her body to her. Bonnie looked up a little bit before continuing to prepare lunch.

"Sure. You're after the truth anyway, aren't you?"

She smiled then frowned.

"It sounds like you hated my mother, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like it. One of the reasons for that is because you've been looking after her offspring."

"That's not a question, my dear."

"Did you hate my mother? Or were you fond of her?"

"Neither. I was disappointed with her. And I was hurt by her." The Queen went towards a chair and sat in it and gestured for Fuyaiyah to sit nearby. She sat down and the Queen continued.

"I was scared when I was first brought to the Palace, but I met the Second Queen briefly, and was relieved to have one seemingly sane person in the Palace. When I actually got to speak to her, I was happy, but when she let me know some relevant history of this Kingdom, and her mission left by her mother, I was a bit let down, but I had much admiration for her that I listened to her and what she advised.

"I tried to birth my first child, but I couldn't stop thinking that anyone I bring into this world would become corrupt, and such heavy thoughts made me lose my child. Your mother must've been so focused on her planning that she didn't visit me. But when I visited her, she acted so sorry for me that I was so enraged.

"We got into a little fight - me trying to make her see how wrong she was but she was defending herself. But then I heard she was pregnant with you. I was so upset with your mother, but was also so concerned for you."

Fuyaiyah's eyes widened and she let out her breath.

"I was so concerned for you that, when you were being born, I just had to lurk near the room and hear your mother's reaction to your birth.

"I was still very angry with her, but, only at the last moment of her life did she acknowledge her wrong. I couldn't be upset at her anymore when she had Thylin send you away to live the opposite life as her."

Queen Veronica looked Fuyaiyah in the eye.

"Fuyaiyah. I bear no hatred towards your mother. And I prayed for you to live a wonderful life. But King Lenon enslaved and destroyed your village. When I first saw you and heard your name, I couldn't stop thinking about you and made it my duty to look after you. I'm glad I did, because I got to meet such a womanish lady."

Bonnie finished making the fruit bowl and placed it gently on the table between her master's, and Fuyaiyah's chair. The Queen thanked her, took the bowl and ate some fruit.

The Queen offered Fuyaiyah the bowl of fruit.

Fuyaiyah accepted the offer, and picked a grapevine.

They both ate in comfortable silence.