Evolution of a Queen

Dinner Pleasantries

“You two were laughing so loud I could hear you from down the hall,” James had a smile on his face and was walking next to Seriah, “What were you talking about that had you laughing so joyfully?”

“That’s a secret kind, sir,” Seriah bumps his shoulder, “Girls never reveal their conversations to boys.”

“How was your day, Lilly? Did you have fun in town?” Prince James winked at me.

“I had a lovely time,” I look down at my feet and don’t meet his eyes. I hate lying even if he knew I was in my room all day.

Prince James was going to say something, but we had just entered the royal dining hall, and my father had interrupted him. 

“Prince James!” He said, “Thank you for joining us. We don’t normally have assigned seating, but my dear Lilly said she was too nervous to sit next to you,” my father shook his head disapprovingly at me, “Please, you and Seriah sit on that side and enjoy a conversation. Lilly, come sit next to me.”

I bow my head obediently and take the seat next to my mother and father. Usually, Seriah took the spot between my parents, but father wanted Prince James and Seriah to get along. 

My mother smiled lovingly at me and leaned over to hug me. While she was hugging me, she whispered in my ear, “I love you, sweetheart. You deserve the world.”

As you can tell, my mother loves me dearly. She knows about what her husband does to me. However, she also knows that she can’t do anything about it, which saddens her. She always tries to show me how much she loves me every time she sees me. Seriah encourages her to do that. Seriah loves seeing mother doting on me. I could never understand why. I always thought that she should be jealous because whenever I was around, my mother showed me more love. It was like she was trying to make up for what my father was doing to me. 

Mother let me go and started talking to Prince James, “Prince James, thank you for joining us in our lovely home. You’re welcome to move around as if this was your home. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I will have the joyful opportunity of calling you, my son.”

“Thank you, Queen Alexandra, and, please, call me James. I look forward to the day when I can call you mom. You have two gorgeous daughters,” James smiles at my mother.

Mother was about to say something when Father interrupted her, “Prince James, I wish you and Seriah happiness.”

Everyone at the table stilled. Seriah and my mother glared daggers at my father while Prince James opened his mouth to speak.

“I never said I was going to marry Princess Seriah. I just got here today. I cannot choose someone to marry by talking to only one of them today. Please watch your tongue King Patton and remember you are a vessel state to my kingdom. It would be unwise to displease me,” Prince James spoke calmly, but you could hear the threat from his words.

My father gulped, “I didn’t mean it that way. Lilly was saying to me earlier that she had someone else she liked, so I assumed that you would feel that same way.”

I clenched my hands together in my lap but kept silent. If I said anything to show that he was lying, then I would get in more significant trouble then usual. Besides, I wasn’t allowed to speak. No one had asked me a question directly, so I couldn’t talk.

“Princess Lilly?” I raise my head and look at Prince James, “I was wondering why you were in town today instead of being here to greet me. As the vessel state, it would’ve been customary for the whole royal family to be there when I arrived.” 

I smile nervously, “I had a friend come to see me today. They specially flew here on their way home from the Chinese Dominican. I wouldn’t have been able to see them if I had been here.”

“Really?” Prince James looked at me, curiously, “What were they doing in the Chinese Dominican?”

“She was studying abroad so that she can take over her family business next year.” I was mortified with how much I was lying right now.

“What’s your friend’s name?”

“Abby,” that was the first name that came to my mind. I silently sent an apology to Abby for using her name.

“How did you meet Abby?” Prince James looked like he was challenging me.

“I went to a private school in her home town for a little bit of high school. She was the class monitor that was assigned to look after me.” I was ashamed of myself for lying to Prince James.

“Please, James,” my mother interjected, “you’ve had a long day. Please try the food. Our cook is the best in the country, and I don’t want her efforts to go to waste.”

Prince James didn’t say anything else, but he started eating, which made everyone relax a little and started eating their food. Well, almost everyone. I just sat there and looked at my food. I looked at my father for permission. He silently flicked a finger up. I sighed as I knew that meant I would go to bed hungry again. The one-finger flick meant I was only allowed to eat one thing from my plate. 

I looked up just in time to see Seriah shoot father a hateful glare. She hates it when he doesn’t allow me to eat. She hates father in general but would never tell him that to his face. Mother doesn’t like his treatment of me, but she’s never told Seriah or me that she dislikes him as a person.

***

I walked as quickly as I could out of the dining hall. It was quite hard to walk normally because my father had hit my leg, hard, a couple of times during dinner. I grimace as I think of the new bruises forming on my leg. I just wanted it to stop. I hated how my body was always covered in bruises. I was not too fond of the fact that I allowed my father to do this to me.

Before I realized it, I reached the library. I loved reading, but father only allowed me to read if it was official documents he wanted me to work on because he was too lazy to work on them himself.