Chapter 22: Numb

"What's going on?" Queen Eleanor asked when none of her daughters said a word more.

Hazel glanced at Bel, nodding at her. Bel swallowed; she knew what she was to do, but it wasn't that easy now that the time was here.

Bel took a step forward, watching her mother look from Hazel to her. She noticed her mother couldn't hold her own gaze for too long.

Bel got to the side of the bed. She curtsied and held the position. "I am so sorry, Mother. I utterly regret embarrassing you, Father, and the guests. I wasn't thinking very clearly at the time, and I understand I have put you through unneeded stress. I am sorry, and I promise never to repeat that or anything on that line ever. Please accept my apology."

As she said the last line, Bel slowly raised her head and her stomach knotted but in a good way as her mother smiled at her. Bel blinked; the resemblance between her and Hazel was uncanny.

"Bel," Queen Eleanor cried and stretched out her hand to her daughter. "Come here."

Bel lifted herself off the ground and launched into her mother's arms. Queen Eleanor was quick to wrap her arms around her daughter.

She gave Bel a light squeeze before she pulled away from Bel, but she held onto Bel's palm, which she also lightly squeezed as Bel sat on the bed in front of her.

"Does this mean you have accepted Prince Davien's proposal, and you will marry him without any complaints whatsoever?" Queen Eleanor asked with a smile.

Bel grimaced and looked away from her mother, wondering what part of her apology said she was happy about the marriage.

Bel felt her mother slowly pull her palm away from hers, and Bel glanced at her just as she glanced at Hazel and then back to Bel.

"You have no intention to marry Prince Davien, do you?" Queen Eleanor asked.

Bel didn't respond. She didn't have the answer her mother wanted, so it was best to remain quiet.

Bel heard a small sniff, and she looked at her mother to see tears streaming down her eyes. Bel was instantly horrified.

"Mother, please don't cry," Bel cried, stretching her arm to try to console her mother, but the Queen shrank from her.

Hazel rushed closer to the bed and sat down next to her mother, wrapping her arm around her mother's shoulder.

"Mother, please don't cry," Hazel repeated Bel's words.

Bel watched her mother lean on Hazel as she cried. Bel was more crushed than she showed.

"Mother," Bel tried again. If her mother didn't want her touch, at least she would listen to her.

"Don't talk to me about anything else," Queen Eleanor whispered. She sniffled, and Hazel tried to wipe her face.

"Mother," Bel replied, hurt.

"I don't want to hear it," she replied. "I also won't accept your apology until you accept the marriage."

Bel bit the inside of her lip to stop her from saying something that would escalate the situation.

It was a bit ironic if you asked her because according to her father, whether she agreed or not, the wedding was going to take place, and now her mother was refusing her apology until she accepted the marriage.

Bel was exhausted; the entire situation was gnawing at what little energy she had left, and now she had to deal with this.

She glanced at Hazel, and her sister couldn't meet her eyes. Hazel just concentrated on consoling their mother.

Bel went quiet and just watched. Her mother didn't say another word to her while Bel waited for her to calm down.

Eventually, she did, and Hazel placed her mother on the bed and covered her with the sheets as she started to doze off.

If Bel wasn't involved, she would have thought the entire situation was comical. One would think her mother was terribly sick.

"Bel," Hazel called, and she looked at her sister. "We should go."

"Yeah," she replied absentmindedly as she stood from the bed.

"Faith, let me know once Mother wakes up," Hazel said, and the maid nodded.

Bel was already walking to the door at this point; she pulled the door open and started walking out of it without waiting for Hazel. She just wanted to go to her room as fast as she could.

"Bel, wait up."

Bel stopped abruptly when she heard Hazel call to her, but for a millisecond, she had thought about not waiting, her body unfortunately betrayed her.

Hazel caught up with her quickly, and Bel didn't look at her sister. She kept her gaze straight ahead and started walking again.

"I am sorry, I know you're angâ€""

"I am not," Bel interrupted. She truly wasn't angry. She would have been happier to prove Hazel right, but she was just numb at the realization that she was right.

"I could talk to Mother," Hazel said.

"Don't, you have done more than enough. I will go to my room now, leave me alone."

Bel knew she sounded cold, but she was too stressed out to care about how she sounded.

"I understand, I will see you at dinner," Hazel replied.

Bel didn't bother nodding; she knew she wouldn't be at dinner. She would rather be stuck in the confines of her room than eat her meal with either of them.

The sound of the door of her bedroom closing was more soothing than it should be. The first thing Bel noticed was the dishes were gone and the chairs had been returned to their former positions. At least something was back to normal.

She groaned as she threw herself on the bed. She closed her eyes with hopes that she would fall asleep. At least then she wouldn't have to think about anything.

Unfortunately, the tornado of thoughts kept her awake; she didn't sleep a wink. Bel was awake the whole time until a maid came to tell her it was time for dinner.

She didn't respond and was glad when the maid took the hint and left her alone. A couple of minutes passed, and Bel was sure dinner was over at this time.

She wasn't disappointed that Hazel didn't seek her out. She was sure her sister knew it was better to let her be.

Bel adjusted on her side, hoping she would be able to fall asleep this time. Her curtains were still drawn, which meant she knew exactly when the sun set, and that was a while ago.

She didn't want to think about it, but she found that she couldn't help it. Were the vampires roaming around the castle now? She didn't ponder about it too long as she didn't have any intention to leave her room.

Suddenly her door flung open a little too forcefully. Bel jerked out of bed, frightened, wondering who it could be. She doubted just anyone would barge into her room like that.

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