ʜᴇʀꜱ | 𝔼𝕞𝕞𝕒 𝕎𝕒𝕥𝕤𝕠𝕟

X.

The Countess stared you both down. The tension was high in the air and all you wanted to do was have a shot and a cig before even meeting with this woman. 

"Sit." The Countess gestured to two elegant chairs. You both did. 

"Now it's come to my attention that you two are running around having little trists and it's bad for the press. Now I understand you two are in love but we must keep this professional." She lit a cigarette and exhaled the smoke. 

Emma was the first to speak. 

"Madame, we are engaged and forced to spend our lives together I don't see an issue with us trying to get to know each other beforehand." She folded her arms. 

The Countess tisked, "Doesn't matter, you are royal you need to abide by the rules. Now the second lovely little tidbit I'm hearing is that you two are trying to pry into the murder of the past Queen Anniese. Rest in peace." The last part was said in Moorbourough. 

You were already pissed with the secrets and the games everyone seemed to be playing and you were done with it, this wasn't a movie where everything would turn out alright. 

"She was murdered and I want to know what happened to her." You stated, not backing down. 

The Countess glared, you returned the stare with equal ice. 

"She was murdered? No my dear she took her own life." She said that sentence with such conviction both of you were sure that was the case, then you remembered what the professors said. 

"Martique said she had a horse accident." Emma added. The Countess hummed. 

"Accident, suicide it doesn't matter it's long in the past, what does matter is that you Emma dearest need to not look into the past of your great grandmother." 

"Great Grandmother?" Emma was shocked as were you. 

"Yes, you are royal and she was your relative after all. Though I'm sure your mother told you otherwise after she was adopted by a former maid." 

Emma scoffed and you were trying to process all of this. Emma's entire family tree was just cut down by a simple sentence, she was finding more and more about her hidden life as a royal. You wondered if that hurt. 

"Now you two are keep things clean and no more asking questions! Please for all of our sakes." The Countess sighed, snuffing out her cigarette. 

You looked at Emma and saw how close to tears she was. All you wanted to do was comfort her. 

"Now I see you two are upset, why don't you both have a little supper with a chaperone for the night and get some rest. Tomorrow is a big day for the two of you - it's your wedding after all."

"What will we do after that?" You were nervous about hearing what tomorrow would bring and having no answers to the main question at hand. 

"You two will have a honeymoon in Venice to get out any of little trists you two have and then return to Moorbourough where you both will reign and work with the people. They have been dying to meet you both." 

You and Emma sat there in silence for a moment, there was a knock at the door. Tyrell was there. 

"Good night ladies, and remember to be professional." 

Neither of you said anything and followed the guard out. You both were taken to your rooms. Emma had requested to see her parents beforehand and so had you. 

Your parents were dining by the pool with a few beers. 

"Hello peanut what's got you down?" Your father asked and you just started to sob. Your mother hugged you.

Emma clutched a pillow as she told her parents everything, about the murder conspiracy and to the lies being told. Her parents listened intently and her mother was already a nervous wreck. 

"I don't know all the details but after Queen Anniese was lost they wanted my mother to become queen. She was unsure but did as she was told after I was born some years later, her duty not only was to her people but me. After she passed away as we still don't know what happened, I was only twenty- three mind you." She sighed. "This was in the seventies I met your father." She looked at her husband lovingly. 

"I ran away, as I was afraid that whatever was going on behind the scenes would happen to me as well, that and they didn't approve of your father's and my relationship." 

"What was going on behind the scenes?" Emma asked. 

"The Council of Moorbourough never really approved of a queen being in charge, from what I understand and what I did see growing up in the palace. They always disproved of my mother's ways as she wanted to have a fair reign and love of the people. I remember they always fought and I remember one bad argument that left her crying. Father died the next day from a boating accident. I never understood but with Grandmother, Mother, and Father all passing under strange ways I assumed it was the power and money that got to everyone." She said. 

She looked at Emma and held her daughter's hands. "I didn't want that life nor did I want it for you. I guess I was wrong. But now with what you and that fiance of yours are finding out, it wouldn't surprise me if the Council was weeding out the royal family for their own gain." 

"But what about the Mason's and their contract, where I had to marry their son?" She asked. 

Emma's mother sighed once more she looked away, "The Mason family if I remember correctly and if it still stands were apart of the Council itself." 

"That would make sense if they wanted me to marry Erik's son to rule, that way they had a direct seat to the throne." Emma said. 

"I feel like there's more to it than just that, I blocked out most of the memories as I tried not to remember that life, but Emma darling, whatever happens your father and I will stand beside you no matter what." 

Emma smiled sadly. She said goodnight and was escorted back to her room. She had passed by the pool and saw that your parents were there, looking worried but you weren't. When she got to her room she shut and locked the door. 

Emma heard a sound and jumped, hearing the closet door open for you to sneak out. 

"[Y/N]! What are you doing here?!" Emma had to stop herself from yelling and all you did was run over to hug her. 

"I'm honestly kinda scared, my mom had told me that several people had died right after the Queen did." You said. 

"My grandfather and my grandmother did." Emma started petting your hair. You held on to her tighter. 

"No, not just that. There was another one." 

She looked at you, "What?" 

"Your Uncle. Your mother's brother. He was a teenager when his parents died, when your mother was a baby." You said.

Emma didn't respond, she was too shocked and scared as well. 

"He was put on trial it's not public but my mom said grannie told me about it. It was a  hush hush kinda thing. They said he poisoned the queen so they executed him." You looked up to Emma, both of you were a mess already red faced and in tears. 

"What do we do?" You ask. 

She stared at you, you looked so helpless and lost and she blamed herself for throwing you into this mess that was becoming much worse that one dead person. Now there were five dead royals and all tied to the council. Emma didn't think much quite then, other than more than anything she just wanted to see you not to cry. 

She kissed you.