GOLDEN | HARRY STYLES AU

31

It was a rather boring morning. Usually, James or Harry would come to the kitchen and bother me but it was silence that morning. James had left too with Harry so I was left alone. Edward came during breakfast and left. I haven't spent much time with him because I think he loved books more than me.

He sometimes forgot about the time when he reads. He was consumed in it. He told me he had travelled the world sometimes twice by reading.

I was deep in my thoughts when I heard whispers and gasped from multiple people in the kitchen. I looked up and saw everyone had stopped working and looking at someone behind me. Ruth beside me gulped and looked worried?

What was going on?

I turned around and me, myself was shocked.

It was the queen.

She smiled at the workers and greeted them. She wasn't an evil queen or malicious. She just doesn't say much so that it makes people scared I guess? They never knew what she thinks or what she likes or hates. Plus she never came down to the kitchen ever.

"Evelyn," I sharply inhaled when the queen said my name.

"Yes, Your Majesty." I curtsy.

"Would you mind taking a walk with me?" I almost drowned in confusion but quickly nodded and took off my apron without a word.

Ruth gave me a confused look but I only told her I'll be back soon. I washed my hand and quicken my steps to follow the queen herself.

It was silence all the way from the kitchen to the main hall to down to the garden. I didn't dare to say a word. So I kept my mouth shut. I just looked down and followed the queen slowly after her. I didn't know why she came all the way down to the kitchen to ask me to walk with her.

Hell, I didn't even know why me?

I had thousands of question that didn't dare to leave my mouth. It stayed in my head.

I didn't know where we were walking or going to but the hairs on my body started to stand when I saw the familiar pathway to a place I was very, very familiar with. I gulped and prayed that the queen didn't want to stop to that particular place and that we'd walk somewhere else.

But the universe wasn't on my side that morning when the queen stopped in front of a hidden wooden door that I had opened so many times. We were in front of me and Harry's garden.

"Come on in, Evelyn." I nodded politely and followed her. Pretending that it was my first time there.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She asked while making her way to sit on the swing. I needed to act. I needed to make her believe that, that was my first time seeing the secret garden so that she wouldn't suspect anything. I had to.

"It certainly is, Your Majesty," I answered and stood next to her. She didn't move the swing back and forth. She just simply sat there. I wasn't going to swing her. It would be awkward.

"I didn't know when he planted these new flowers- what are they? Dahlia? I didn't know my son loves dahlia." I gulped. Oh god, what was going on.

I stayed silent. I mean, she didn't ask me any questions.

"This is my son's secret garden. No one could come here without his permission. Not even Kat and Kat have been Gemma's handmaiden since she was seventeen. My son planted these roses with my husband. Any other kids would go around and play but my son is different. He loves flowers. He loves arts. He loves anything beautiful." She started the conversation. I only nodded. I didn't dare to comment on anything.

"Tell me about yourself, Eve." Suddenly she said. I gulped for the thousands of times that morning since I saw her.

"Um, I live with my mom and my brother. I mean, living I guess. I worked in my village by planting vegetables and sometimes fruit. Depending on the demand. Whichever pays more. We lived a simple life but we were happy. So, um, yeah. I guess that was it, Your Majesty." She nodded. No emotions were showing.

"Your father?"

"He left to hunt one day but he never came back." We tried to look for him. Months were spent. But there were no signs of him or any dead body. There was nothing we could do. We didn't have much money to pay anyone to go find him or find any trail. So we had to stop.

"What about lovers, Eve?" I turned my head to her but she was looking forward. Not making any eye contact with me. I furrowed my brows.

"Um, I didn't have any lover back home, Your Majesty," I explained. Confused with all the questions that were being thrown at me.

"This is not the first time in this garden, is it Eve?" She turned her head to me. my heart almost dropped from my chest.

"Uh..uh..." I couldn't come up with words to answer.

"You know Evelyn, I knew about you and my son," Like she read my mind, she continued telling me how she found out about it. "I came looking for him last night for some mother-son time before he leaves for his mission that I think was risky and big since he hasn't been in any mission for quite some time. He wasn't in his chamber. So I immediately knew where he was. Quite frankly I was surprised that it was late at night and he wasn't in his chamber. But I still made my way here. You already knew what I saw right?"

"I wasn't surprised though. You're a beautiful girl. Anyone would fall for you. You're bright. Smart. Brave. The list goes on and on. I wouldn't have any problem with your relationship with my son," I almost released a relief sigh but I was wrong.

So wrong.

"-if you were nobility or a royal." My heart dropped from my chest and broke into a million pieces. I knew what it meant.

"You may think I'm evil but I'm just a wife who loves her husband and a mom who loves her children. The minsters had already talked about how my husband has been nice and generous to you by letting you trained to be a knight. You don't have a knight's blood in you. You're a woman. People talk. The king looked weak. But we ignored them because we believe in you. Because you're determined." I hold in my breath.

"People will talk more if they found out about you and Harry. The minsters would slowly lose their trust in the king. You know it right? Harry needs to marry a true princess. That is the only way for a kingdom to grow stronger. Alliance has to be made with other kingdom and royals." I nodded, understanding everything she said. I didn't think she was evil. I understood every single thing she said. I was just, sad that reality had hit me this early.

"Do you love him, Eve?" She turned her head again to me. I closed my eyes when I feel tears were slowly blinding my vision.

"Yes, Your Majesty," I answered.

"Then you let him go." Tears were streaming down my face as soon as she said that.

"It's the best for you two. Stop before it becomes harder for you, him and everyone." I nodded, wiping my face.

She stood up and walked to leave the garden. I was still trying to contain my sobs. I wasn't ready. To let go of my feelings.

"And Eve," I turned my head to the queen.

"It's better if no one knows about this conversation."

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