The Secret of Two

Chapter 6

The next morning, I woke up to screams coming from the room facing mine. I jumped out of bed as I recognized Elizabeth's scream. I grabbed a chamber robe and ran through the remaining dresses littering the floor before barging in the corridor. Reaching for Elizabeth's chambers, she beat me to it, opening the door before I could knock.

My eyes were wide in panic, "Are you okay? Did something happen?" I looked at her from head to toe, searching for even a single scratch on her perfect porcelain skin.

She flailed her hands around as she impatiently told me, "I'm fine, I'm fine. I was going to wake you up to show you the newspapers." I arched my eyebrow in question. "You're in the papers! That's all the talk of the entire world! Even French papers and others have published articles."

I got closer to the hologram displaying headlines like "Our prince with his beloved new princess" and "The beautiful future queen making her first public appearance at Buckingham Palace!" But underneath were other titles like "Who is that girl?" or "Coming out of nowhere and snatching the prince from Sarah Kensington?"

My face dropped and Bessie noticed it. She tapped on the third article that reads:

Yesterday, on the famous royal balcony, Queen Katherine revealed the face of the future princess, Naomi Darlington. As always, us reporters do our best to bring you all the information about this new royal addition.

Unlike any other new member of the Buckingham family, nothing was found in her past except meaningless facts such as her poor American lineage. Her father is Edward Blakeley, an ambassador for America and her mother is the youngest child from the Darlington family. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Katherine when she married the late King William.

Strangely, none of the Darlington children use their father's name, as the custom calls for. We do not know what type of education they received or the environment they grew up in. There is no trace of the schools they have attended.

The fourth article says:

We heard speculations about the Queen who would've broken the engagement between Prince Christopher and Lady Sarah Kensington because Her Majesty would favor a lady from the same country she was born in.

The Darlingtons are a high family, that is why their children will not carry the proof of their father's modest origins with them. If Her Majesty thinks that Miss Darlington's name and half-British blood is enough to fool us, she is wrong.

As I stared blankly to the text, Bessie dropped her hand and cleared her throat, "It doesn't matter that much. Focus on tonight. I'm leaving tomorrow morning for the Palace and I won't see you that often after that." I hugged her before returning to my room.

I turned around but instead of going back to my rooms, I headed toward the white and blue stairs at the end of my family's wing. The stairs went up to the common rooms like the drawing rooms, offices, and a grand dining room.

It was early enough for my father, at least, to be eating. I was right when I entered the sky-blue dining room, Father was already sipping on one out of many morning coffees. I sat on the opposite side of the table.

Father glared at me with his haughty expression as I sat in my chamber robe and slippers. "You've seen the newspapers?"

I looked at my fork like it was the most fascinating object in the world. "Don't worry about that. I'll handle it tonight." I waved at a passing maid to ask for juice.

My father's gaze was drilling a hole in my skull as I talked to the maid. As soon as I had her sent out, Father practically burst in anger, "What do you mean you'll handle it? You are now a public figure, you cannot allow yourself a step out of line."