The scorned princess

Empress Marissa

Margaret stretched in the bed, feeling quite sore, but didn't waste time preparing to see her mother. Her mother wanted to see her, and she wouldn't be late, not after the false accusations that got them apart. She only wished her mother would forgive her - even though she couldn't prove her innocence - and that she could at least have one person by her side, like before.

But ... to be fair, it wasn't really what she expected. No matter how much a mother could love her child, there were limits, right? And attempted murder was one of them, that, Margaret was sure. The thought of it hurt her so much, though. If there ever was someone on her side in that cold palace, it was her mother. The woman protected her against so many ploys and shenanigans. She always held her when a nightmare came and treasured her like she was the most precious jewel.

And the young princess could never express how grateful she was to have had her mother by her back then. Well, if there was any good point to this marriage, it was that. She could start to pay to amend to the empress.

Empress Marissa was known to be a kind and caring empress, a devoted mother, and a noble and dignified woman. Her biggest flaw was her pride. Everyone knew it. So, no, Margaret didn't expect her mother to act like nothing happened, but she would do everything in her power to ensure she would at least not hate her anymore.

She was dressed in a plain, deep blue dress with no jewelry or any accessory. Her hair was left unbound, cascading down her back. She went without any arrogance or riches - not that she had any left anyway - hoping to show her mother that she wasn't as bad as the rumours were saying, even though she did not yet know just how bad the rumours were making her out to be. As soon as she was ready, she took a minute to collect herself and gather her courage. After a few deep breaths, she decided it was time to go. She told Mary to come with her.

All the fifteen minutes she walked to her mother's quarters, she was so anxious she could feel the bile going up her throat. She bit her lips, closed her eyes a second, and knocked. The maid announced her, and she was told to enter. Her eyes were glued to the floor, not daring to look up to the woman sitting elegantly in her boudoir.

"Maggy, darling, my darling girl, look up, please."

Her tone was soft, not at all what the young princess expected. Margaret lifted her head to look at her mother. The woman was ageless. Beautiful like a doll, with pale brown hair and vivid green eyes like her daughter. She looked at Margaret with such a loving gaze that the girl didn't know what to say anymore. On her way there, she had planned a thousand ways to apologize, but none came to her. Instead, she could only ask :

"You ... You're not angry?" Her voice was merely a whisper, but the empress picked it up.

"I never was, darling. I know you better than anyone else; you were framed. The only thing I regret is that I couldn't prove it. I couldn't keep you by my side, no matter how much I wanted to. Now stop standing like a stranger and come here." The empress smiled at her as she gestured with her hand for Margaret to come closer.

Margaret was too stunned to process anything. She expected every scenario but that one. She was getting ready for the worst that she didn't even think about, one in which her mother didn't believe what was said ... How she felt stupid now. She doubted the woman who raised her, who loved her enough not to believe what was being said by everyone.

The young princess took a step forward, hesitant at first, but when she realized that it was not a dream and that her mother wasn't just pacifying her, her steps got a little more confident until she sat down next to her, like she used to do so long ago. Marissa took her daughter in her arms and kissed her cheeks, holding her shoulder firmly.

"I missed you so much, my darling." There was so much emotion in her mother's voice. Tears welled in Margaret's eyes as she looked at her mother.

"I ... I thought ... I was sure you hated me." Whispered Margaret, trying to hold back her emotions and visibly failing since a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Shhh, Maggy, don't worry. I know you better than anyone else. I made you; I raised you. I would've believed it was anyone else, but you're not like that. You're too soft for any of this. And too smart. It would have been the most stupid thing to do than create a rift with the only one on your side." Marissa caressed her daughter's cheek and dried her tears. "If anything, I should be the one asking for forgiveness. I am your mother; I was supposed to keep you safe, and I let you down. It must have been hard to be so far from home."

Maggy just shook her head. "No, no, it wasn't. I ... I liked it there." She gave her mother a little smile.

"If I thought I would hear you say that ..." the empress giggled as she spoke.

"Thank you for believing me. It's worth everything to me." Said the princess, smiling with tears in her eyes again. She felt warm, like a comforting blanket just dropped on her shoulders, like all misery could be overcome.

"Maggy, don't worry about what's to come. Your father has an idea. I don't know what, but it's no coincidence that he chose you to marry General Oakley. He never does something without thoroughly planning it. I know what they say ... but what do people say about you? I think you should give the man a chance."

Margaret chuckled a little. "How did you know I needed to hear that?"

"I am your mother. I know everything."