Forbidden Essence

Forbidden Essence : Life

Forbidden Essence

Chapter 5 : Life

I sat on the small bunk, its sheets a colour of murky brown, yet they felt soft at the tips. The walls were a similar colour, tainted and stained. There were holes near the bottom, likely made by rats and mice. The ground was cold, sending shivers up my spine. I wrinkled my nose, how could Anne live here? This room was not fit to have anyone live here! I glanced at John and Alexander and they seemed as if this did not bother them at all. I guess they've been here many times and gotten used to their living circumstances. I frowned, this is not right, they work for the king and this is how he repays them?

I realized, I was already planning how I was going to begin my reign as a princess. I shook my head and watched as Anned tiredly sat down on a chair across from where I was seated on the bed. John closed the door of the small and suffocating room and leaned againt it, mirroring Alexander by crossing his arms and waiting for Anne to begin speaking.

She looked up at me with an expressionless face, after watching me a few seconds she straightened her back and began speaking,

"Arabella, what I am about to tell you is not going to be a fairytale. You must be strong for the truth to come, because your father is a man of his words and if you defy him," she struggled to find a word and I saw Alexander shift, almost nervously.

"Well, he's a man that does not take lightly to those who don't follow his will." I bit my lip, of course I know what I am about to hear will not be a walk in the park, I wouldn't be locked in the same room since my birth if it were not for a simple reason. I braced myself, as she began speaking.

"The day that your mother was giving life to you, was the day that the Kingdom of the West had invaded our walls. Your father, the king, had left her side to handle the invasion however he had not realized that the county had invaded the castle from where your mother's room was. A knight had killed your mother, bless her soul, however you had already been born." I did not what to say or do at her words, and so I just sat immobile and watched her, my stomach sinking as I knew the worse was to come.

"Your father witnessed your mother dying, she had been too weak and slow to quickly move out of harm's way and so..." she watched me in sadness, "you had been blamed." My heart was wrenched out, and for a second I didn't know how to breathe.

I blamed myself too.

"No, no, no, dear child! It wasn't your fault!" I began sobbing, it was my fault my mother had to die.

Alexander sat on the bunk beside and took me in a embrace, "Shh, Arabella. It was not your fault, mother died because it was her time to go. If the knight had not killed her, she would have died by something else. It was not your fault." He pulled my back and cupped my face, "Remember, mother is always watching over us, and as she is watching now, she is likely furious that you blame yourself." I quickly shook my head,

"I don't want her angry with me." I sobbed, and he smiled wiping my tears away. Anne smiled and moved back to the chair while Alexander still remained by my side. John had not moved from his position. He still stood watching me, his face a mask of all kinds emotions, that in the end was no emotion at all.

"Your father's heart shattered, to see his love die in front of him, part of his humanity went away with her too. Deep inside he does not blame you, he blames himself for not being there to protect your mother. However, we are all just mere humans at the end of the day, and something that we cannot bear, we blame someone else." tears rolled down my cheeks. This is what I've wanted to know all these years, and when I do know it, I wished I hadn't asked.

"And so he blamed me, and banished me." I said in a emotionless voice that inside I was suprrised to hear. It was cold. Anne didn't say anything, her mouth thinned into a line as she nodded slightly, her eyes tired and darkened with bags. Alexander's arm tightened around me as he soothed my hair, I glanced at John againas he looked straight ahead at the brown and dull wall, lost in his thoughts.