The Inheritance

Chapter 8: Masks

Chapter 8: Masks

This had to be the worse way to spend such a perfect day.
The sun was shining brighter than ever since the last day of the rain storms. The palace gardens were full of fresh flowers and beautiful butterflies of all colors. The maids and servants worked in the morning sun, taking care of each of their assigned duties. Many were in the palace's grand kitchen, cooking hundreds of meals for most people who worked and lived in the palace. Others were trimming the trees and bushes and then going on to water the flowers in the garden. The time for the guards to changed shifts had come and gone, and many who were on duty since the break of dawn were returning to their barracks and to their homes. The one person who was often inside for most of the day, doing paperwork, was the queen. Even that was more appealing and more fulfilling to do than what the princess was doing.
Outside the palace gates, the people in the city streets were entering and exiting building after building, shop after shop, since the day began. Many businesses were open and many people were recovering from the tragedy that swept the kingdom. Parents took their children to play in the public parks and springs throughout the city. In this time of school enrollments, scholars from all over flocked the public libraries, the museums, and the streets, exploring everything the capital city had to offer.
The royal princess, on the other hand, was simply sitting on a chair at a small round table in the middle of the garden, eating lunch. She sat in the scorching sun wearing a very light white dress with a white sun hat on her head. Her shoes were off her feet, sitting freely under the table.
For lunch, her handmaid had the kitchen make her some freshly squeezed orange juice, with a hint of lime and some ice. On the table, was a large tray with multiple plates of food on them. There was a plate with some sandwiches for her to eat. Between the two pieces of bread was a few slices of thinly sliced turkey, one sunny-side-up egg, and some fresh lettuce and tomatoes. On her main plate was steak, well done, with some thinly cut parsley sprinkled over it. Other side dishes included a small bowl of clam chowder and a separate plate fruit salad.
As much as she enjoyed everything that was placed in front of her, she loathed that it was simply to entertain the young men that were flocking in the palace recently. Since the queen took on the active role of ruler, she assigned the princess to the role of eye-candy.
    "You simply have to keep them happy and occupied. Just flash a few warm and sunny smiles and their hearts will turn to puddle," said the queen on a previous night in her office.

"Sarah, I know the suitor thing was my idea, but these men are so materialistic, dull, and monotonous," said Sophia. She bit the piece of steak off the silver fork.
Sarah sat next on another chair at the table. She took the glass jug of orange juice and poured some into the princess' drinking glass.
"Princess, monotonous and dull are synonyms," she said.
"Exactly," said Sophia, "and let us not forget egotistical. They really want a compliment after saying something they think is smart."
"But some have said some smart remarks," Sarah said.
"They're the only interesting one but they're all materialistic," Sophia responded. She moved from the steak to the bowl of clam chowder with a round spoon. She lifted the spoon to her lips when, all of a sudden, someone called her name.
"Princess."
Shocked, she dropped the spoon into the bowl, spilling some chowder all over the white table cloth.
Sarah took a napkin and dabbed the table cloth with it. "I'll probably have to get that washed," she whispered under her breath.
Sophia sighed. She lifted her head up to see the young man with bleach blonde hair and pale skin walking toward her table.
"Well, if it isn't the Song Young Master," she said. "Should you really be outside on such a sunny day? The sun is bad for your pale complexion."
     Without being offered, he simply took a seat at the extra chair at her table.
     "Oh, it's fine," he said, "I applied sunscreen this morning."
     "Oh, I see," she said. One could hear the disinterest in her voice.
     "But you're eating a lot today." He said, "that's not good for your physique, princess. You should eat as little as possible so you can keep you slim figure." He smiled as well as he said that to Sophia.
     Sarah looked at the princess in the corner of her eyes. Being so close to the princess, Sarah could feel the heat radiating off her in anger with all the blood rushing to her head.
     "Maybe I should do myself a favor and bake you alive right now," Sophia thought.
     "Actually Young Master Daniel Song," Sarah said, "the royal doctor said that the princess is unwell and needs to eat a lot to get better."
     His mood shifted to depressed. "Oh, I see," said Daniel. Then his mood shifted again. He smiled and said, "Princess, I brought a gift for you."
     Sophia raised an eyebrow. It was not unexpected. All they've been doing for the past three days is present her with gifts. Flowers, jewelry, and silk were all the gifts that they gave to her. She couldn't help but wonder what surprise he was going to give her.
     She watched as he placed a small box - that could fit in the plan of her hands - on the table. The box was shiny and made of the finest oak wood. It was obviously new and hand made by some of the best wood carvers in the kingdom. There were images of blooming roses carved into the box and painted bright red.
     Daniel pushed the box across the table in front of her. He reached out, slowly lifting the top off the box to reveal a gold hairpin. The hairpin had many diamonds engraved in it, causing it to shine, reflecting the light of the sun in many angles. There was a big star sapphire in the middle of the pin, surrounded by the diamonds. It was shaped like a flower with the star sapphire as center of the flower, with the petals being made of gold, with one diamond on each petal.
    "A limited edition Bâoshíhuā* imported from the continent of Xin in the west. Literally meaning jewel flower, as in a flower made from jewels," Sophia said.
     "How did you know princess?" Daniel asked.
     "Only ten were made seven years ago," she said, "and father got me one as a gift for my birthday."
     When the princess looked at the hairpin, she became depressed and sighed.
     Daniel only then realized that he brought up some unpleasant memories of the king for the princess. He shifted around nervously in his seat, desperately trying to conjure something to say to the princess. However, nothing came to mind. The best thing he could think to do was to flee.
     "Well, princess, I should be returning home," he said. The chair clattered on the cement when he moved away from the table. He shifted, to pick it up, but then stopped, leaving it on the ground. He bowed to her and ran.
     Sophia shifted the hat up, revealing the wide smirk of her pink lips and her green eyes full of mischief.
     "What a spineless idiot," she said. She looked at the hairpin in her hand and dropped it carelessly on the table. "Bâoshíhuā, my ass," Sophia said.
     "Princess, language," Sarah warned her.
     "It's obviously fake," she said. "Even the star on the star sapphire doesn't shine."
     Sarah picked up the hairpin and placed it in its box. "Well, since you got rid of him, why don't you finish your lunch," she said. "I doubt there'll be any more interruptions."