Chapter 6
1131 Words
Chapter 6
Aribeth
I am awakened by my father a few weeks later in the most undignified way. “Aribeth, Aribeth! Wake up.” He shakes me in my bed.
“What father? It is too early.” I say sleepily.
“The king will be attending the Belmont’s ball.” Oh? That I hardly care. “You will attend.” I jolt up, this is bad and good, firstly because of the king, he can choke on air for all I care. Secondly, another ball! I have been invited; I must have. I have not been invited to other balls, and I know there have been many. Bridget and the neighbor’s kid tells me everything that happens.
“Have I been invited to the Belmont’s?”
“Yes! We all have! I hear the King did not attend the last ball at the Demint’s because you weren’t invited.” Augh, I roll my eyes at that. The man literally said little to me and kissed my hand… and stared at me the whole time. I am not sure why everyone is so far up this man’s ass. He is the King -wow- In France they beheaded their King. Not a bad idea. A high-pitched scream breaks through my thoughts. Someone put me out of my misery.
“Aribeth! Aribeth! Wake up!” My mother bursts into my room. Then seeing I am awake, she composes herself. “Ah, I see that you are. Did you tell her my heart?”
“Yes, yes. Charles told me a few days ago but I did not say anything before because I was not sure if it was true.” This gets my attention, he has not been around since he was appointed to the King, for what? I don’t know nor care, I just want him back.
“You spoke with Mr. Riley’s father? How is he?” I ask in a lighter mood now that I heard his name.
“He is well dear. We keep in touch as best we can, but the King has him quite busy these days.”
I stop myself from rolling my eyes, f**k that guy. “Will I get a new dress? Jewels this time maybe?”
Father opens his mouth to speak but his mother pushes him aside causing him to fall onto the floor. “Mother!” I scorn but she doesn’t care she only sits on my bed as father laughs getting off the floor.
“Alright, I know my place.” He says as he leaves still laughing down the hall. My maid has rushed it not knowing what to make of the situation but at the sight of my mother, she quickly takes a place beside the wall.
“Yes, of course! I am not fond of jewels on you. I think you caught the King’s eye because you dress so simply, and you were unadorned. We will keep going with what we know works! Oh, we have to head into town for your dress! We have too-“ tuned out. I don’t get to choose the dress once again. I can feel my mother’s aura buzzing with joy mixed with my father’s just down the hall, even Bridget’s aura is buzzing. I can’t help but feel the same. Our home feels so warm at this moment, this is how I want to remember it when I am married with my own home.
Once my mother leaves Bridget comes and sits on the bed with me.
“Another ball!”
“Yes, I am quite happy about that.” I beam, this is the truth.
“Just not about the King.” She says solemnly. “It would not be a bad thing to be Queen and I can be your head maid! You would most definitely be invited to all the balls then.”
“That is true, but he is evil. Don’t you remember what I said about his aura? It overwhelmed me with its darkness, and he has fangs! Fangs Bridget!”
“Pssssh, fangs are kind of hot don’t you think?” She raises an eyebrow.
I roll my eyes, “You only think that because Katy has fangs!” She blushes at that, and we both laugh. “You know how I feel about Charles, I love him.” This earns me a leveled look from her.
“You may be a thornback,” she teases, “but you are innocent and unknowing of the ways of the world. Sometimes when you pick a path in life, even if it’s out of love, you have to make sure you have food to eat, a roof over your head. Many people don’t make it in the world because they chose love. I worry for you, I always have. Your father was not fair for making you a thornback, he was selfish.” She bites out. Her ora sings of regret and bitterness. I know some of her past but not a lot. She will not tell me, no matter how hard and how many times I have pressed.
“The King has made you desirable to the eligible men. I am sure they want to steal you away from him as some type of prize.” I nod knowing where she is going but I allow her to speak and do not tune her out like my mother, I can feel she is speaking out of love. “I have seen fine women marry rich men, but they gamble away everything they have and now they are in the poor house. The King can’t be poor! He is the King; you will be secured if you marry him.”
“He can be beheaded or overthrown.”
“Pssh, who is going to do that? The man is known as the Enshaedn Death King. Don’t you recall how he got that name?”
“Yes, because he is a wicked man who probably eats babies.” This makes her snort and burst out laughing.
“No Aribeth! It was like 12 years ago when someone from a neighboring kingdom wanted our lands.” She pauses waiting for me to recall. 12 years ago… Charles decided beards were not fashionable and started wearing a clean-shaven face. What a good day. I recall a lot of our farmlands were being destroyed and people were being killed but the Apate kingdom. All I recall reading was… The men’s lives and blood had been sucked out of them leaving dry husks. That was supposedly the Kings doing.
“Yes, yes I recall.”
“No one is going to overthrow him. You will be safe.” I roll my eyes at this.
“Sure” is all I say.
- Writer
