บท 15: Chapter 13: Extended Family.
Chapter 13: Extended Family.
Elizabeth's POV
A lovely day today.
The season of spring is close, the winter season is over.
Still, I shouldn't underestimate the cold and wear a jacket under the weather.
"Your highness, how peculiar of you to want and to try exploring certain parts of the castle now. You've mostly just been cooped up in your room- what's the sudden change for?" (Victoria) asked me while her raven hair was being blown by the wind.
My silver hair gets to my eye but I place some loose strands behind my ear.
"I wanted to take a walk with you, is that so bad?"
We were outside... in a lovely garden surrounded by flowers that smelled so relaxing. The library might've been a paradise for someone like me who preferred the indoors more but a walk or two could freshen up my mind.
"And we're alone... call me by my name."
"Ah- right, princess Elizabeth apologies I've forgotten we're sort of alone." (Victoria) glances back behind the guards that were keeping watch not too far away but I pay them no mind.
I stood in front of a hyacinth flower that was making my senses so dull. I reached a hand out to it to hold its stem, analyzing it.
"What do you suppose the language of this flower could mean?" (Victoria) stands by my side looking over the flower too.
Each row of bush has different colors.
"These flowers symbolize jealousy, a desire for forgiveness, joy, and sincerity, depending on the flower color." I turn to the yellow ones smiling in memory.
"Yellow hyacinths are linked to jealousy."
"Purple hyacinths mean you're seeking forgiveness."
For me... they were the best ones to pick.
"And blue hyacinths are tied to sincere care." I held out my hand to pick one, cutting the stems and I couldn't help but smile at the thought of sincere care.
"This one is just like you, Victoria." I point at the flower giving her a warm smile.
"Sincere care so this is the little flower's meaning..." She leans her face closer to take a look at the flower but then the expression on her face turns into a pout.
"I don't think I've seen you holding a flower language book when we were in the library." (Victoria) stared at the hyacinth flower in her hand. "Have you been studying late at night when it's supposed to be your bedtime?"
I have her a smirk offering her the flower I've plucked and she takes it looking suspicious of me.
"Maybe." My eyes glanced to the side not wanting to meet her not-so-happy stare.
"Princess... You must know that bedtime is a must, you need eight hours of rest because the schedule ahead of you is a long one. If you dare faint in one of our lessons due to lack of sleep." Victoria was sounding like what I imagined a proper caring mom would scold their child.
She places a hand on her waist and I lower my head.
"I'll... Try to sleep."
"Perhaps next time I can be by your side while you sleep, sing you a lullaby?"
Her lullabies- were always... so relaxing to hear but- I'm embarrassed to say that if we compile my mental age before and now. I would be well over twenty... an adult mentally.
"I'm not a baby, Victoria."
"What a shame you used to enjoy my lullabies. You were so cute back then, but you don't seem to enjoy them now."
I look away feeling embarrassed that she remembers.
I'm... Well- I still do enjoy her singing.
It was like the clearest voice I've ever heard.
But I don't want to become dependent on Victoria's lullabies to sleep.
...
Our lovely stroll in the garden with Victoria couldn't get any better. We were just talking about flower languages without much care in the world, well-
"Your highness! Excuse me! Let me pass!"
"???"
When suddenly... a voice rang out calling my formal title. It seemed to be a messenger boy, he seemed to be inexperienced.
Seeing that not even the guards would dare yell at me to call my attention.
Victoria kept her guard up by putting the flower by her hand before we walked over to where the guards were teaching a lesson on how to properly address me the next time there would be another message to be delivered.
"Hey you, don't just yell! If you have a message delivered just tell us and we'll let you through- that was informal of you."
"Didn't your master teach you any manners on how to address her highness properly with that tongue of yours?"
They scolded him and the messenger could only raise his arms protectively in defense. The guards immediately stopped scolding him with a look of wonder as if they'd gone too far on scolding the messenger boy that was so frantic in his manners.
Apologizing numerous times to me and the guards for forgetting his manners towards royalty.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
He almost bows his head, kneeling on the ground when we walk in but I stop him.
"What is the purpose of your visit?" I asked him and with a shocked look on his face, I noticed that there was a slight wound on his wrist before getting a letter out of his little leather bag.
The wound... it seemed something like a whip slash, the blood has gone dry...
When he sees me staring at his wrist, he quickly pulls onto his sleeve to hide it away from my eyes looking afraid.
"Your highness." The two guards immediately went back into their professional state, saluting in my direction and sliding to the side for me to see the boy more clearly.
"I... I was um... your highness, this letter has been delivered to you in a rush." He holds out the letter for me to receive, hands shaking. "F-From my master... the Duke of Erhenzig."
The Duke of Erhenzig...
It was my father's younger brother that didn't leave for war and decided to hold on to the kingdom's paperwork in his stead taking care of the kingdom as my 'guardian' even though I haven't seen him at all in the past years.
I suppose he would be my Uncle.
Why is suddenly reaching out to me?
I turn to Victoria's expression trying to see what she thinks of the situation that presented itself.
"..." (Victoria) bites her lips glaring at the letter that was in the messenger boy's hands.
I looked down at her hands seeing that her hands were clenched into a fist. I made sure to keep my face calm and collected as I accepted the letter gratefully, seeing the royal seal embedded into it.
"Thank you, for delivering the letter to me," I tell him, turning to one of the guards and ordering instructions looking at the messenger boy's wrist. "And do get him into the medical wing, get his wound by the wrist treated before I lose my appetite."
The messenger boy flinched suddenly holding his wrist, the guards looked over at me amazed before I turned my back on them to open the letter somewhere else that's private.
A gazebo that was sitting in the middle of the garden seems to be the perfect place for it. The smell of lavender was still there, at least that made me feel relaxed a bit after that confrontation.
"Duke of Erhenzig, what do you think he wishes to consult with me through a letter? I haven't seen him so often that I don't recall him even attending any of my grand birthday balls." I moved over to the small metal table and found an empty seat, where Victoria pulls it over for me to sit on.
"Your uncle is a peculiar one after all." (Victoria) tells me as I sit down looking over the letter. The letter that was addressed to me felt heavy, and I know the messenger boy was in rough shape even though he did his best to hide the pain.
Did uncle... hurt his messenger?
"Is he to be trusted, Victoria? I don't even know his name but which Dukedom he rules over." I tell her flipping over the letter if there was a name written on the back but there seems to be none.
I could see my maid clicking her tongue giving a disgusted look.
"No. He is not to be trusted, I have met the man and his lust for power has never been more obvious." (Victoria) calms down before standing beside me. "Why don't we open the letter and see what he wants?"
I nodded, having my hand remove the seal and open the letter.
A paper flew out and slowly fell into my hands. I grabbed onto it as quickly as I could and felt the wind blowing my hair once more. It was like someone's presence was here with us.
"Hmm... a letter embedded with wind magic. He's one with the wind then." I muttered looking over the contents of the letter.
...
To my dearest niece,
Elizabeth Isoldein Nevemayr.
I would like for you to be invited to your cousin's seventh birthday in honor of your presence. You may have not met them yet but I have invited you to meet them, after all, the family has to stick together.
I hope to see you in a week.
To our capital city and mansion, please wear something blue in theme with the party. I will send a carriage to fetch you, our future empress. If you'd like to fetch your cousin a gift, make sure it's grand. After all, our future empress is sure to be kind.
Your uncle, the Duke of Erhenzig.
Damien Amora Nevemayr.
...
After reading the contents of the letter I frowned, taking my hand I rest my cheek over and sighed. "Well, it seems I've been invited to a party."
I raised the letter to appraise it again and frowned at how wrongly worded some of it was.
"To fetch my cousin a gift, am I a dog in my uncle's eyes?" I chuckled, putting the letter on the table thinking about what would be my next move.
I haven't met my extended family, from my father and mother's side.
Victoria saw and read the contents of the letter and gave an angry look clutching it in both of her hands. "This type of letter wouldn't be approved to be sent to someone in the royal family. The princess is not an animal to order to be fetched, he should've-"
This... may not have been much of a problem to be addressed in my old life.
To explain, It is mainly used as a command to a dog. It may historically have been addressed primarily to servants.
Thus its usual context gives it a disparaging tone when applied to humans although its root was merely a synonym for "bring."
However, now that I'm living as a royal everything is to be monitored.
From the title calling by their rankings, words of formalities, and commoners remembering their place.
A simple word such as 'fetch' is a high insult here.
"He should've been more respectful towards her highness, even if he dared make an excuse that it was just a letter. I will make sure he knows the correct meaning of fetch is."(Victoria) mutters in irritation, angry in my stead.
"It's alright, Victoria," I tell her and soon she calms down seeing my demeanor that I am not affected by my uncle's insults. "I care more about what move I should make next. I didn't think I'd be meeting a threat so soon after getting to this point..."
To go or to not go, what shall it be?
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