Power and The Queen

Chapter Three.🟢

Cora assisted her mother in setting the table. They had a small wooden table with enough seats for all of them and a few visitors occasionally. She was still shaky, having spent most of her afternoon in the forbidden forest. Cora tried so hard to cover her sadness with a bright smile like always but she could not forget. She did not want to be here at all, she wanted to be with Rue.

She had already thought of how to take care of her with nobody knowing. She could finish all her chores on time, then get the book her father got her and read it with Rue. But then she needed a small leather bag she could use to hide her.

She thought of her father's old bag he had given her. She recently stitched the hole. Yes, she would use that. Cora unconsciously smiled, eating very little of her meat. She needed some food for Rue. She was so lost in her thoughts she was not aware that her father was talking to her. She felt someone pinch her out of her thoughts and turned to Barun, who sat beside her.

"I asked why you were smiling Cora, I did not know you were lost in your thoughts." Her father, Zirk joked and laughed at his own joke.

"I am sorry Father, I was remembering how much fun we had today," Cora said and smiled again.

"Enough of that, you are older now. That means you do more work." Her mother said.

"Melinda, Cora has always done more work than she is supposed to." Zirk said to his wife.

Cora felt uncomfortable. Her mother was not always happy with her because she was so like her father and was only interested in things he did. In the way, her mother puts it, the things grown-up men did. Cora knew this would lead to another argument, so she would look to Barun for help.

Barun no longer wore his armour, he wore normal clothes that only showed how much he had grown. Barun caught Cora's gaze. He did not know what to do either so he just nodded to her as a sign to do what she thought would work. He realised Tivo was looking at her too; he was already used to this. Damiel, on the other hand, was too focused on his food to pay them attention.

Cora looked back to her plate. She was already full, she would have to excuse herself soon.

"What would you like me to do, mother?" Cora said.

The question startled everyone on the table, including Damiel, who looked up from his plate.

Cora never asked that question. She always allowed her mother to make suggestion which her father would not approve of if he found out Cora hated it. If her mom does not suggest, Cora could bring her own then her father will say yes if it is reasonable.

"What did you say?" Melinda asked, not fully understanding her daughter.

"I asked what you want me to do, mother?" Cora repeated. Tivo made sure there was food in his mouth so he would not be asked to speak.

"What I want? I want for you to grow up and stop acting like a child." She said." Many of my friends have their daughters working as apprentices to bring more income to the household and all you do is read all day."

Cora listened to her mother not for the first time, but for the first time she wanted to try what she wanted.

"You still have not told me what you want Mother only what your friend did."

Tivo swallowed hard on his food. This is usually the part where his mother tries to trick Cora into doing something she does not like to do. But everybody knows Cora can not be deceived, so he wonders why she keeps trying.

"Well, for starters, I am not getting any younger. It is really tiring to go back and forth to the city to deliver dresses. My friends have people to do it for them while their children work." Melinda said.