Chương 3: The Royal Family of Bellicus

The guards at the gates bowed their heads on the arrival of the royal children and greeted them.

"Good morning, your majesty!" The guards spoke in unison.

"Good morning!" Callisto greeted them back but before they could pass he noticed the guards eyeing Selene, their faces held an expression of dilemma.

"Is something the matter? I see your gazes fixed elsewhere." He questioned them.

Oberon, Tethys and Selene who were standing behind their elder brother also noticed the hesitation and the tension surrounding them.

While Oberon and Tethys were entirely oblivious to the situation, Selene had quite the idea of what might be the reason.

One of the guards managed to step forward and gathering all his courage he informed.

"Pardon your highness, but on the orders of her majesty we can't let the youngest princess cross the castle gates." His voice was firm but it held a considerable amount of fear as he spoke.

Tethys knocked lightly on Selene's shoulder as he chuckled and she rolled her eyes while Oberon stood unshaken.

Everyone in the kingdom, including the guards were well aware about how much Prince Callisto cared about his sister and it terrified them as to what he might do if they go against Selene Cromwell. But going against Queen's orders would prove much catastrophic which placed them in a compromising situation.

Callisto Cromwell was a righteous man and it was in his habit to consider the situation and chances before jumping onto a conclusion.

He knew how much it could cost them so he said, "Don't speak a word until the Queen asks you to. Is that understood?" He spoke with equal authority and equal modesty.

"Yes your highness!" The guard responded and let them pass.

*****

[scene changes]

"Your majesty, Princess Selene is not in her chamber and is nowhere to be found in the castle." A maid bowed her head in front of the queen, as she informed her with a troubled voice.

She was still catching her breath as she had ran all the way to her room as soon as she found that the youngest princess was missing.

The Queen, who had been admiring the view of abundant bloom in the garden which the spring had brought, rose immediately from her seat at the mention of the youngest princess.

"Again?" Her voice was irked and she didn't waste a single second walking out of her grand bedroom.

Artemis Cromwell, the Queen of the Kingdom of Bellicus, strode the hallways of the castle, passing through a numerous paintings which hung on the castle walls, to search for her youngest and mischievous daughter, Selene Cromwell.

Two maids came rushing to her from the front and immediately paid their respects to her by bowing their heads down together. They were apprehensive to the Queen's mood.

The queen stopped a feet away from them but her eyes travelled around and behind them, searching for her daughter.

"Good afternoon your majesty!" The maids said in unison and as they stood up they continued, "We confirmed with the guards. They enlightened us that the princess had left the castle with their highnesses this morning." They informed patiently as they waited for queen's response.

"This morning. . ." The queen yelled in astonishment. ". . . did I not make myself clear enough that I wanted you all to make certain she doesn't flee away from the castle? What use you are of if you can't look after a young girl who is just nineteen years old? How could you let her sneak under your nose?" Artemis Cromwell was fuming with rage and the maids clenched their clothes in fear.

The queen was kind and benevolent but when it came to her youngest daughter sneaking out of the castle she always turned livid.

The maids were already anticipating this behavior from her since it was not the first time the Princess had fled.

"Apologies your majesty, but we never left the doors of her highness's room. She informed us she was going to rest for a while and never stepped out of her room. We are not definite how she managed to leave the castle." One of the maids spoke gathering her courage, her eyes staring the ground in front of Queen's feet.

The queen sighed as she realized her daughter was a pain in the neck and it was futile to lecture the poor maids. She gritted her teeth in frustration, her forehead crinkled as she made a quick decision.

"Prepare the carriage. I'm going to get the girl back in here." Her orotund voice echoed through the halls like a prophecy and the maids left quickly to tend to queen's orders.

Outside the sun had already shifted slightly towards the west, announcing the time for the second meal of the day. Except for the queen and her elder daughter, everyone was practicing in the grounds for the upcoming battle.

The queen stepped down the front stairs of the castle with an umbrella in her hand to protect her skin from the harsh sunlight. The maids and the guards bowed their heads and the coachmen opened the door for the Queen.

But before she could step inside, the sound of the approaching horses caught her attention and she turned her head towards the sudden turbulence.

It was the carriage of the King, followed by another carriage. The horses neighed before stopping and the queen took a step forward on the arrival of the King.

The coachmen drew out the carriage door and Themiesto Cromwell, The King of the Cromwell dynasty and of the Kingdom of Bellicus, stepped outside of the carriage.

His thin lips curved into a smile when his eyes fell on his wife and he closed the distance between them with a mighty walk like he had just won a battle.

Artemis stared at the ground and bowed her head to pay her respects to her husband. The guards, maids and the other servants did the same as they greeted their King.

"How was your day, your majesty?" She asked with a smile on her face.

"Challenging but everything's under control as of now." Themiesto replied as he recalled the concerns put forward by the ministers today regarding the situation on the borders of Bellicus.

Artemis felt the uneasiness in her husband's tone and decided to not press it further. She was capable of reading unsaid things which are conveyed in mere actions and affections.

"And I taught Selene a whole bunch of new tricks today. She seems to grasp things quickly. Our daughter is an extraordinary child Artemis." He praised as he put both his hands on her shoulders.

Before Artemis could disagree with the King's statement, she was cut off by the sound of the approaching horses.

****

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