91: Mother Queen’s Shenanigans

Mother Queen’s Shenanigans

In one of the corridors on the forbidden side of the palace, Princess Emily walked in haste, holding the front of her dress. Upon seeing her grandmother, the princess exclaimed, 

"Grandmother! There has been a problem! Anna is in trouble!" 

"What trouble? More secrets?" the Mother Queen questioned her granddaughter. 

"Anna has been assigned to service one of the men of the court. I went to Madame Minerva to get the details, but she was unwilling to disclose anything. She said she could not tell me the whereabouts or the identity of the one who took Anna," Princess Emily's worry grew with every passing second. "I tried to find her, but the maids and the other servants were clueless. Do you think she was taken outside the palace?" 

Unlike the concubines, who were bound by strict rules forbidding them from leaving the palace walls, it wasn't the same for the courtesans, who enjoyed greater freedom. They had the privilege of accompanying men who desired their company, granting them the liberty to step outside the confines of the palace. 

The Mother Queen scowled at this information and demanded, "How dare that witch try to come in between my plans and goals? Where is she?" 

"Is there a way to get to Anna directly rather than through Madame Minerva? I am sure if we meddle with her, word will be sent to Queen Maya, which in turn will alert her and the others," Princess Emily explained to her grandmother, who looked furious. 

"Let us go and ascertain if she's still in the palace," the old woman decided in a resolute tone. 

Princess Emily decided to accompany her grandmother and said, "But the corridors are guarded as they are restricted now. How will we navigate them without being noticed?" 

"I have that covered. You will see," the old woman assured her as she started walking, and the princess quickly followed her footsteps. When they reached one of the deserted corridors, they looked left and right to make certain they were empty before the Mother Queen kicked one of the bricks in the wall. 

Soon, the bricks in the walls began to move, forming the opening of a hidden doorway, inviting them to step inside. Princess Emily's mouth fell open, because in her twenty years in the palace, she had never known about this. Curiosity prompted her to ask, 

"How long has this been here, Grandmother?" 

"For as long as I can remember," the Mother Queen chuckled upon seeing her granddaughter's worried expression as they stepped through the doorway. "Can you believe that your grandfather was unaware of their existence? Actually, I am not sure if anyone in either the family or those that work in the palace know that the palace has secret passages that resemble a maze. Without the proper knowledge, one could easily end up in a completely different location."

"I don't know about anyone else, but I am sure Aiden knows about them, considering how he likes to escape and hide," Princess Emily remarked, covering her mouth because of the dust and cobwebs that covered the walls and ceiling. When the door closed behind them, she turned to look at it, observing the darkness at the end of the passage. "Do you know where we are going?" 

"No," came the confident answer from the Mother Queen. 

Princess Emily asked her, "Grandmother… How many times have you walked through these secret passages?" 

"Maybe once. Don't worry, with the two of us together, I am confident we will find the right door," the Mother Queen replied, walking ahead of the princess. 

And as the two of them walked on, a shadow followed behind them, moving at the same pace as their footsteps. After navigating through a few turns in silence, Princess Emily heard something behind her and quickly snapped her head to look over her shoulder, but there was nothing but darkness. 

And while Emily had turned to look behind her, her attention momentarily diverted, the Mother Queen had reached the end of the corridor. The faint sound of receding footsteps entered her ears from her right, causing a frown to form on her wrinkled forehead at the thought that there was someone there beside them, only to realise that it was none other than Dante. 

Dante carried someone over his shoulder, and the Mother Queen bent forward, her eyes scrunching in concentration as she struggled to discern who it was. When her grandson turned and stepped into another passage, she finally saw that it was one of the courtiers. Wasn't he the one who was conversing with the young courtesan in the Hall of Mirrors? the old woman questioned herself. 

And while the Mother Queen stood further ahead, trying to piece together what she knew and saw, Princess Emily couldn't shrug off the nagging feeling that they were not alone. She wondered if it was her paranoid self that was scared of darkness that was making her overthink. 

'Lily.'

Emily's stomach sank upon hearing her father's voice coming from the very passage they had walked through earlier. 

'Your brother killed me, Lily,' her father's voice spoke to her, and Emily moved backwards, feeling the hair on her skin stand up in terror. 

"Emily," the Mother Queen returned to her granddaughter and said, "I think there's no need to look for Anastasia." She then noticed Emily's face, which had turned pale. 

"G—Grandmother, Father's ghost is in here," Emily blurted out, revealing what she had heard.

"What? Where?" the Mother Queen questioned, and looked in the direction her granddaughter was staring. "William? Your mother is here," the woman said with no hint of fear. 

When they received only silence for an answer, the Mother Queen placed her hand on Emily's shoulder and said, "How about we step out of these passages? I forgot that you aren't particularly fond of spaces like these. Come, dear." 

Emily's hands had turned cold, and she wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible before she fainted from hearing the strange voice. Scared of the darkness, she caught hold of her grandmother's sleeve as they walked back and stepped out of the passageway. 

The Mother Queen said, "Apparently the matter has been taken care of, and we can both get some good rest."

"You think so…?" Emily doubted she could sleep at all. 

"The girl is safe and there's no need to worry. I shall retire to my roo—"

"Wait, Grandmother!" Emily stopped the Mother Queen, who raised her eyebrows in question. "There's something I wanted to ask." 

"You don't have to wait for me to say go on, Emily," the Mother Queen waved her hand as if telling her granddaughter to continue, as stopping only left her in suspense. 

"Have you ever wondered who… who killed Father and the concubine?" Emily asked, feeling uneasiness building in her chest.

"Hm," the Mother Queen hummed before she replied, "Everyone is a suspect, dear. That's how you deal with it." 

"Doesn't that strain the relationships then?" Emily doubted that one of her brothers had killed her father. She was unable to imagine it. 

"What's important is your safety. There's nothing wrong in keeping an eye on everyone," the Mother Queen stated before adding, "For the killer not to have been caught yet, it makes me feel as though it is someone we'd all least suspect. Goodnight, Emily."

"Goodnight, Grandmother," Emily offered her a bow, leaving the corridor to retire to her room. 

Back in the room, Anastasia slowly scooted backwards, and when she came to sit parallel to where Dante lay, she turned around before lying down on her front. 

"Does your back still hurt as much as before?" Dante asked as he watched her. 

She turned her head in his direction, and she shook her head. "No. Only when it's touched or pressure is applied," she replied softly. 

When Dante retrieved a pillow and placed it beneath Anastasia's head, she lowered it to rest in a comfortable position. Servants were not afforded the privilege of using pillows, and it felt like her head floated amidst the clouds. 

"Do you want me to take a look at it?" 

"No, I am fine," Anastasia was embarrassed to reveal her back to him again, even though she knew he wouldn't do anything strange to her. She said, "Earlier, I made sure to press a towel against it so as not to leave it wet."

"That's good to hear," Dante hummed, and he then said, "You will be uncomfortable with your current hairstyle."

Anastasia reached for the hairpins and pulled out the ones she could, but there were a few that the other courtesan had pinned, making it difficult for her to remove them. As if not knowing how to proceed, she looked at Dante and murmured, 

"They aren't coming out…"

Dante moved closer to her and carefully untangled the pins stuck in one another. Once he pulled all the black pins out, some of her hair came to fall on the side of her face, and he gently brushed the loose strands back into place. 

Anastasia then felt him remove the earring that was still adorning her ear and heard him say, "Raise your head off the pillow." When she did, his hand unhooked the earring dangling from her other ear. He traced his finger across her cheek and said, "Look what happened, the metal pressed against your cheek. You should be able to sleep more comfortably now." 

Dante dropped the earrings onto the surface of the side table and turned his gaze back towards her to find Anastasia observing him, but she quickly averted her eyes. But that didn't stop him from continuing to admire her while resting on his side. 

"Close your eyes, Anastasia." 

Anastasia did as she was told, breathing softly and trying to lull herself to sleep so that morning would arrive swiftly. 

But even though she eventually fell asleep, she abruptly woke up four hours later, her mind preoccupied with everything that had happened. 

Earlier, her mind had succumbed to panic when Madame Minerva dragged her to this room, telling her that she was expected to service a man that night. She had felt revolted at the very thought, but here she was, sharing a bed with a man, and as it happened, that man was Dante Blackthorn. 

Curious, she slowly pried her eyes open to be greeted by the view of the room, which had grown dimmer as most of the candles had been spent. Her eyes then fell on Dante, who was fast asleep. 

Anastasia realised that the space between them that was there when she had fallen asleep had disappeared, and she was right next to him. When she carefully raised her upper body, she realised it wasn't him, but her, who had moved closer in her sleep. 

His hand, which he had placed behind his head, had come to rest against his waist. Her eyes wandered to take a closer look at him. The coat he had worn earlier had been removed and the top two buttons of his shirt were left undone, revealing part of his smooth chest. As Anastasia's eyes travelled up his neck to reach his face, she noticed that one side of his hair, which he frequently combed backwards, had become dishevelled. 

Subconsciously, Anastasia leaned forward to get a better look at the cursed prince. She wondered what part of him was so cursed that people had tainted his reputation. Before they had interacted, he scared her. Not that he didn't now, but… she was less afraid of him. 

"I thought I told you to sleep, what are you doing up instead?" 

Anastasia met Dante's eyes, which had opened to look straight into hers. She hadn't meant to wake him up, and she said,  2

"I couldn't sleep." 

"And you came to me to sleep?" Dante asked her, his voice holding a slight huskiness, as if he had fallen asleep and had woken up because of her movements on the bed. 

"No—I, I don't know how I got here," Anastasia whispered, feeling like she had been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to do. She mumbled, "I will go back to sleep."

"Okay," Dante responded, watching Anastasia pull away and turn to sleep on her side with her back facing him. 

His eyes fell on her brown hair spread out on the pillow and the surface of the bed. His hand reached out for it, touching the locks of her soft hair without her knowledge. From her breathing, he could tell that she was wide awake and her head occasionally moved at the slightest noise that was caused by the air blowing in through the window. 

Even though Anastasia didn't turn to look behind her, she had a suspicion that Dante was still watching her. She asked him, 

"Won't it be troublesome if someone sees you in here?" 

"I will be gone before the break of dawn. It wouldn't go over well if they find out that Mr. Langston was murdered," she heard Dante respond to her. "If my presence is bothering you, I can leave," he said, and she heard the bed softly creak. 

"That's not necessary," Anastasia's words quickly left her mouth. Her hands had turned into loose fists, and she bit her bottom lip before she added, "I mean, you don't have to leave…." She was scared to spend the night alone in this big room that Madame Minerva had left her in. 

Not only that, Anastasia was scared about Mr. Langston's ghost haunting this room, as this was where he had died. On one hand, she wanted to believe in the existence of ghosts because that would mean it would offer her a chance to speak to her sister, but then on the other hand, she was scared to encounter the unknown spirits. 

When a gust of wind blew inside the room from the cracks of the window, one of the white curtains moved, making her scared once again. Before her imagination could run wild, along with her racing heart, her sight was obstructed by darkness as Dante's hand covered her eyes. 

"I need you to sleep, Anastasia. Don't be a naughty child," Dante whispered. Anastasia's entire focus shifted to Dante's voice and his presence, which was close to her. 

Anastasia tried to calm her breathing, and after a few seconds, Dante pulled his hand away from her eyes, but he didn't move away from her, lying right behind her. As her eyes grew heavier and her senses barely able to keep in tune, she finally fell back asleep. 

When the following day arrived, Anastasia was woken up by Madame Minerva, who had burst through the door, and the woman demanded, 

"What are you doing sleeping past ten in the morning? It is time to return to the quarters."

Anastasia's eyes pried open, and she sat upright on the bed before she turned to look at the space Dante had occupied the entire night. Madame Minerva said, 

"How was your first night? Mr. Langston treated you well it seems? Oh, it must be your first time sleeping on such a plush mattress."

Anastasia decided to tell a half-truth and replied, "He had me dance and sing. He was tired and proposed we should rest for the night. Where is he?" She asked her while walking out of the room and down the corridor.

"He probably left to attend the court meeting that began earlier this morning," Madame Minerva said, and looked the young woman up and down before adding, "That's very unlike Mr. Langston. Maybe he realised what an inexperienced woman you are. Wash and change. You have to attend to your studies and other lessons."

When Anastasia returned to the Paradise Tower, the other courtesans looked at her but didn't bother talking to her as they returned to what they were doing. Once she was done with her classes and was returning to the tower, she met Princess Emily along the way. 

Anastasia offered a bow to the princess, who acknowledged it with a nod and smile. The princess asked her, "How is your back, Anna?" 

"I am doing better today, Princess. How are you doing?" Anastasia noticed how the princess didn't have a maid following her, as if she hadn't yet filled the position. 

"I have been doing well, though I miss our time together," Princess Emily responded, and she then said, "If you don't have anything to do, would you like to take a walk with me?"

"I would be happy to," Anastasia answered, and soon they began to walk in the corridors. 

Princess Emily's lips tightened momentarily, and then she said, "I am sorry I couldn't be of much help."

"Please don't be, Princess," Anastasia was glad she didn't have to sleep with the stranger. "It has been a pleasure serving you, and I hope someone good can take my previous position." 

"I decided not to have a personal maid for now, at least until some things settle down," Princess Emily said, indirectly talking about her bratty sister. As they continued to walk, the princess said, "By the way, I thought I should let you know ahead of time that my grandmother knows you are Tasia Flores. She recognised you last evening." 

"Did she say anything?" Anastasia asked worriedly, turning to look at the princess with a shocked look on her face. 

"Not much. She was angry, but she's fine now," Princess Emily assured her. 

When the two young women came near one of the other corridors, Anastasia noticed the Mother Queen standing there. Upon seeing the old woman's eyes narrow, she quickly offered a bow. 

"Let us go take a stroll in the garden, shall we?" The Mother Queen proposed, without bringing up the subject of how she had been fooled because she didn't like recollecting it. 

Though Anastasia walked behind them, every now and then the Mother Queen turned to look over her shoulder to glance at her with shrewd eyes. The older woman then finally asked, 

"Why did you stop talking? Emily only told me it was circumstance, but never explained what happened."

Anastasia licked her lips, as they had suddenly turned dry. She replied, "When I was young and new here, I was angry… to have been separated from my family and said something I shouldn't have said. And you overheard me. So I thought it was better to stay quiet than speak, Mother Queen." 

The Mother Queen didn't turn to look at Anastasia and the pace of her footsteps increased. Princess Emily wondered if her grandmother was angry again, not knowing that the Mother Queen was only basking in the beautiful voice that sounded like bells. Wedding bells… the older woman thought to herself, before shaking her head. 

"I see," came the curt response from the Mother Queen, saying nothing else until they reached the forbidden garden. She turned to look at Anastasia and questioned, "Do you like flowers?" 

Anastasia didn't know what was going on, but she nodded and solemnly replied,

"Yes, Mother Queen."

"Great. We have a prestigious rose in this garden, and it needs to be well-maintained," the Mother Queen stated, turning to look at the Blackthorn rose. "As you are a courtesan, I will now let you take care of it. Watering, cleaning, pruning."

Princess Emily turned to look in the other direction. Though she knew what her grandmother was trying to achieve, to another person, it would sound strange. She became increasingly nervous after what had happened to Lady Evin and had no faith in her grandmother's antics. 

"Go on. Time to trim the stems and make room for the rose," the Mother Queen encouraged Anastasia to start working at once to see if the girl would survive the prick. 

Anastasia had her own worries regarding this particular plant, because the dream she had in the past was vivid. She had seen the Blackthorn rose, as well as the other plants surrounding it, wilt after her blood fell on it. Seeing the Mother Queen wave her hand, she turned and made her way towards the deadly plant. 

The Mother Queen whispered to her granddaughter, "The moment of truth has finally come, Emily."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Emily responded, standing beside her grandmother.

When Anastasia raised her hand, reaching for the plant, someone ordered, "Step away from the rose, right this instant!"

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