To Be A Princess (ON HIATUS)

CHAPTER 12 - And This Is Why You (Don't) Stand Up the Queen

QUEEN LILIAN WAS DEFINITELY not a woman you'd want to cross unless you have a death wish. I had been on the receiving end of her wrath multiples times and let me tell you it isn't pleasant. She was quite an intimidating woman despite being not much taller than me.

The door to the Queen's sitting room was slightly ajar. I hesitated outside for a second before pushing them open and going in. Queen Lilian was one of the only people who actually intimidated me and one of the only members of the nobility that had immediately earned my respect.

"Lady Skylar," Queen Lilian said when I entered the room. She sat in the yellow armchair like it was an ornate throne rather than a mere piece of furniture. She wore a silk midnight blue gown and her caramel-colored hair was twisted up in a intricate coiffure of braids and curls. I honestly didn't know how someone could look so regal so early in the morning.

"Your Majesty," I murmured. I bowed my head and curtsied.

"Please have a seat," she said and motioned to the pink, floral-patterned sofa across from her. I sat down and quickly smoothed the wrinkles out of my dress.

She gazed at me for a moment with fathomless amber eyes. I tried my hardest not to squirm in discomfort under her scrutiny, but it was difficult since she kept up an impassive mask making her impossible to read.

"I assume you know why you're here," she said, finally breaking her piercing stare to prepare a cup of tea.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied meekly.

"May I ask, then, where you were instead of joining me and the other debutantes in the gardens yesterday?" she asked as she stirred her tea. The clinking of the spoon against the porcelain was the only sound in the room.

"Well, I, um, I was..." I trailed off, unable to come up with a believable lie.

"You don't need to lie to me, Skylar," she said firmly. "I know you spent the day with my son."

"Oh," I said sheepishly, "about that—"

"You don't need to explain yourself," she interrupted. She set her tea cup down on the table and leaned back in her seat. "You don't know what it's like to be a mother, do you?" She laughed to herself. "Of course you don't."

She leaned forward and looked me in the eye. "I may be a queen, but first and foremost I am a mother," she said. "I have never seen my son as happy as he was after spending time with you. Therefore, I simply cannot punish you for that. However, because you did purposely skip an activity yesterday, there must be some form of consequence. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," I replied.

"I have a friend," Queen Lilian said, "who lives in the Eldynwood Forest. Her name is Cora and she is, well, I suppose you could consider her to be a healer. I'll be sending you to her to be her... assistant today."

"The Eldynwood Forest?" I asked in confusion. "Isn't that place supposed to be really dangerous?"

"Yes, but Cora will make sure you stay out of trouble," she said with a hint of a smile.

"Wait a minute," I said and shook my head. "You're sending me into the most dangerous forest in Aucelon because I missed your tea party?"

"Don't worry," she replied. "Cora knows everything about living in the Eldynwood Forest. You'll be perfectly safe."

I looked at her doubtfully, but I was in no position to argue. I just had to trust that the Queen knew what she was doing. "When do I leave?" I asked.

"Right now," she replied. She rose from her seat and motioned for me to follow her out the room. I scrambled to keep up with her, almost tripping over a rug in the process.