The Difference

Chapter 11

"A queen?" I say, sitting upright to meet Troy's eyes. 

"Yeah," He answers.

"What do you..? I mean, how? Wow." I say, losing my words.

"It's okay, Rosemary. I know it's a lot. I don't really talk about it because, well, I didn't think I could trust anyone with it. But then I met you and you're just so.. intriguing. I feel like I can trust you to not say anything about this."

"Of course, you can trust me," I say, getting caught up in his eyes for a moment. He laughs and looks like he's about to kiss me, but I interrupt him. "So, what was the fight about?"

"Oh yeah," he says trying to hide his disappointment. "Basically, my grandma was the queen of some faraway empire called Cerita. It was relatively small but very wealthy. She got pregnant with my mom with our Grandpa, who was originally from here."

"From here?" I question. "What was he doing in some foreign empire then?" I question.

"He was studying abroad in college. The people of Ceralita were known for handcrafting exotic jewelry back then, and it became one of the most highly sought-out vacation places. You know, clear water, beaches, jewelry, a loving Queen."

"Loving?" I question and Troy laughs. 

"Yeah. Until she got pregnant with my mom. Our grandpa was just a boy from a small town who went on a three-month trip to study architecture. He got to the castle and as soon as they locked eyes on one another, they fell in love. Grandma knew she could become more powerful with a king by her side, but they moved way too fast, and suddenly, they were expecting my mom. Grandpa wanted Grandma to come back home to Williamsburg to raise my mom. A few weeks after she was born, Grandpa got into a tragic accident and died."

"Oh my god," I say aloud, not realizing how invested I am in the story. I shift uncomfortably and Troy notices. "Here," he says, leaning back against the pillows and motioning for me to do the same. We lay across from one another, face to face, as he continues his story.

"Once Grandpa died, Grandma vowed she could never take another lover and devoted her life to making him proud. Grandma's mom was outraged when they became pregnant, and arranged for her younger brother to fill her spot, saying the empire needed a king, not a selfish queen. Grandma was kicked out, but came up with a plan to find a replacement for her brother, who wanted no power and was on her side in all of it. Then it hit her; She would wait until my mom had kids. Then she'd offer up a boy with the Marigold name to take over the reign and become ridiculously wealthy and powerful. All she needed was a man to become king, for no great empire could ever revolt from a beloved king. As long as my mom had sons, Grandma would have a connection back to the throne. She would expand her kingdom and become a powerful ruler. This dream in mind, she built this mansion, which was intended to be like the castle she owned back in Ceralita, to raise my mom in. She figured it'd be a nice retirement home one day, and nonetheless, she planned on kicking the rest of us out once she weaseled her way into ruling again."

"Why wouldn't she just find some other dude to marry her?"

"Well, to be honest, I think she probably tried. She was just so obsessed with power, though, that no one was really interested. She had more than enough money to wait to reclaim the throne. Besides, Grandma Marigold's mom wouldn't take her seriously after she got pregnant so young. She took the throne at 18 and was pregnant by 20."

"And why her? Why not her brother?" I question.

"Her brother Charles really didn't want anything to do with being in a royal family. He always wanted a more simple life. Plus, he was 5 years younger than her. Since Grandma's mom inherited the throne, she decided her daughter was a shoo-in to be the next leader. She only put Charles in power to teach my mom a lesson."