So here is the next part! I typed for hours non-stop, to get it
out by this week. Brownie points to anyone who gets the
'in-joke' about the names of the two boys who helped Lita! Enjoy!
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 12
The next morning, I awoke at 6 in the morning, and unprecedented
occurrence. Last night's events hat me tossing and turning in bed
for hours. My stomach growled softly, so I reached for my phone
to call Lita. My hand froze over the receiver as I thought about
the time. Lita would probably be sleeping at this hour, since I
normally started my day at 8 a.m. I decided to take a quick shower
and find something to eat in the palace kitchen. Also, I knew that
word of what Beryl did to my room would have reached my parents'
ears by now, and I wanted to put off seeing them as long as
possible. That meant skipping meals with them. As soon as I was
dressed in a pair of khaki pants that had somehow made their way
into my closet and an oversized, long-sleeved, black T-shirt, and
my hair was pulled back in a ponytail, I made my way to the
kitchen, with the help of a passing servant.
As I approached the kitchen, the most incredible smells wafted to
my nose. I could smell fresh bread and other baked goods, fresh
fruit, and breakfast meat being fried. My stomach growled again in
anticipation. I entered the kitchen and I was astounded by the
sheer size of it. If three hundred guests showed up unexpectedly
for dinner, I think that they would be easily accommodated. About
twenty-five people were hard at work, chopping, slicing, kneading
and mixing different foods.
I was surprised to see Lita standing in front of one of the
numerous stainless steel stoves, poaching eggs. Suddenly, she
looked up and saw me standing in the doorway of the huge room.
"Your Highness!" she exclaimed while dropping the eggs she was
poaching on a platter and curtseying. "Did you require something?"
Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and bowed or
curtseyed to me. Then, they stood there as if afraid to move.
"Please continue," I urged everyone. I turned back to Lita. "I
was unable to sleep very well last night, and I wanted to get
some breakfast without disturbing you. I thought that you would be
asleep at this hour."
Lita shook her head. "Your Highness, you do not have to worry about
me. It is my job to serve you. What would you like to eat?"
I looked around the huge room where everyone had returned
tentatively to what they were supposed to be doing. "Well, it
looks as if you're making Eggs Benedict, so that would be fine,"
I told her. "Along with some of whatever you've been baking. It
smells wonderful."
Lita curtseyed again. "Of course, your Highness. If you would like
to wait in the dining room, we'll server you as soon as possible."
I shook my head. "If it is all right, I would like to stay here to
eat," I said. "I don't think it is necessary to dirty an entire
place setting simply because I was hungry at an unusual hour."
"Of course, your Highness," Lita replied. "If that is your wish. If
you would like to take a seat." She gestured to on of the marble-topped
islands, where someone had placed a stool and set up dining utensils
without my noticing it.
I couldn't help smiling as I sat down and watched everyone work to
prepare breakfast for the palace. I was reminded of my kitchen in
America, where I used to watch Dorothy, our cook, prepare food for
our house. I was pulled from my reminiscing when a portly, middle-aged
man placed a basket of breakfast pastries in front of me and bowed.
"Your Highness," he said nervously.
"Thank you," I replied with a nod and a smile. I remembered this
man being introduced to me as the head pastry chef. I tried to
remember his name. "Your name is Albert, isn't it?"
He nodded quickly. "Yes, your Highness," he answered.
I smiled again as I reached out to take a cinnamon roll from the
basket that was still nice and warm. I tore off a piece of it and
popped it into my mouth. My eyes widened as I chewed and swallowed.
"Oh my God, did you make this?" I demanded of Albert. The noise
in the kitchen died abruptly again.
The poor man looked as if he was going to faint. "Yes, your
Highness," he stammered.
I smiled widely. "This is absolutely delicious!" I exclaimed.
A relieved smile broke out across Albert's face. "Thank you, your
Highness."
"You must have been the one who made my birthday cake last night,"
I went on as the sound level in the kitchen started to rise again.
Albert nodded. "Yes, your highness. Did you like it?" he asked
hopefully.
I nodded. "It was lovely," I assured him. I quickly finished my
cinnamon roll and then I started on a lemon danish. "Oh, this is
heaven," I sighed. "You are a genius, Albert."
Albert was positively beaming now. "Thank you, your Highness," he
said. A ringing sound went off and he glanced at the row of ovens
that lined one wall of the kitchen. He turned back to me and bowed.
"If you'll excuse me, your Highness."
I nodded. "Of course, Albert," I replied with a smile. I went back to
eating my danish and watching everyone work in the kitchen.
A minute later, Lita came up to me with a platter in her hands,
followed by two boys who looked to be about two years younger than
I was. One of them, with brown hair, placed a plate with two toasted
English muffin halves on it in front of me and bowed. I smiled at
him and nodded.
"Your Highness, would you like bacon or smoked salmon?" Lita asked me.
"Smoked salmon please," I replied.
The other boy, with blond hair, placed several slices of salmon on
the English muffins and then bowed. I smiled and nodded at him too.
Then, Lita placed a poached egg on top of the salmon and then poured
Hollandaise sauce over them. "Enjoy your meal, your Highness," she
said with a curtsey.
"Thank you, Lita," I replied with a nod. I turned to the two boys.
"Thank you as well..." I trailed off, hoping that they would supply
their names.
Lita nudged the boy with brown hair softly. "Your name," she whispered.
"Louis," he said softly.
"Louis," I repeated with a smile. I turned to the blond boy expectantly.
"Philippe," he squeaked.
"Philippe," I echoed. "Thank you both."
The two boys smiled shyly and bowed. They turned to leave and Lita was
about to join them when I called her back. "Lita, please stay a moment."
Lita handed her platter to Louis and motioned for him to leave. "Yes,
your Highness?" she asked.
"I did not know that you were a cook for the palace," I said.
Lita nodded. "I love to cook," she replied. "Frederic Le Beau, the head
chef has agreed to be my mentor. But I am not officially a cook for the
palace."
"Why not?" I asked. "If this is what you love to do, then you should be
doing it full-time."
Lita shook her head and smiled. "You misunderstand, your Highness, I
chose not to be a cook for the palace," she explained. "I quite enjoy
being your assistant."
I smiled at that. "Really?"
"Really, your Highness," Lita assured me. "Unless of course you'd prefer
someone else as your personal assistant."
I shook my head vigorously. "Definitely not," I said emphatically.
Lita smiled happily. That is very gratifying to hear, your Highness,"
she replied. "If it is all right with you, I need to help with finishing
breakfast."
I nodded. "Of course, Lita."
With a curtsey, Lita went back to work.
As I sat in the kitchen eating my breakfast, I couldn't help noticing
that people were watching me nervously. It was understandable, I guess.
It's not everyday that your boss shows up unexpectedly and watches while
you work. I tried to smile disarmingly at anyone who managed to make eye
contact with me, and I think that it helped. Eventually, the activity
and noise level of the kitchen returned to what it was before anyone
noticed that I was there.
When I finished my meal, I wiped my mouth and stood up. Lita noticed
this and came to my side. "Would you like anything else, your Highness?"
she asked.
"I'd like some tea, but I'd like to take it on the balcony of the East
Wing dining room," I replied. "Breakfast was delicious."
Lita nodded and curtseyed. "I will bring it to you shortly," she
promised.
On my way out of the kitchen, I ran into Albert, who bowed. "Are you
leaving, your Highness?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I need to get to work soon," I told him. "Perhaps I
could come back again when you are baking?"
Albert smiled and patted a nearby stool. "You would be most welcome,
your Highness."
"Thank you, Albert," I said with a parting smile.
I made my way out onto the balcony and sat down at the wrought-iron
table. The sky was blazing red from the rising sun and I watched as
it climbed higher and shone brighter. Several minutes later, Lita
came out onto the balcony carrying a silver tea service, which she
placed on the table. I smiled at her in thanks as she poured the
first cup for me. I noticed a preoccupied look on her face that I
had seen earlier in the kitchen but at the time, I had dismissed it
as simply being nervous. But now, it was even more apparent.
"Lita, is there something on your mind?" I asked.
Lita seemed uncomfortable. "There have been...some rumors, your
Highness," she replied hesitantly.
"What sort of rumors?" I inquired curiously.
"Last night, in your room...the mirror," Lita clarified.
My face fell. "I wasn't aware that everyone knew," I said softly.
Lita couldn't help smiling. "Your Highness, there isn't much that
goes on in the palace that people don't know. If you've done
something in the presence of a servant, you can be assured that
the entire staff will find out within an hour," she told me. Her
expression grew serious. "Is it true?"
I nodded. "Yes, it's true. But I'm sure that there is a reasonable
explanation for it. Beryl probably thought that I was being
patronizing."
Lita smiled sadly. "You have such a kind heart, your Highness.
You could no more think the worst of someone anymore than you
could stop breathing. But please believe me when I say this.
Beryl is a cruel, mean-spirited girl. She was the type of person
who would publicly humiliate a servant simply because her soup
wasn't hot enough."
I couldn't help frowning at Lita's tone. "Are you speaking from
personal experience, Lita?" I asked gently.
Lita nodded. "Yes, your Highness," she replied softly. "Two years
ago, she railed at me for over ten minutes because her lunch wasn't
'fit for the pigs' as she so eloquently put it."
"But that was not your fault," I pointed out. "You were not
responsible for preparing her food were you?"
Lita shook her head. "Beryl had a habit of killing the messenger,"
she told me. "In her eyes, I was as much to blame for her
improperly prepared meal as the chef that made it."
"Did you get into any trouble with the staff?" I asked.
"No, thank goodness. Everyone was quite familiar with Beryl's
temper," Lita replied. "Frederic, the chef that made the soup even
apologized to me later that day. But it is still degrading to have
your employer dress you down in front of people whom you respect."
"I'm sorry Lita," I said.
"You don't need to apologize, your Highness. I know that you would
never do that to me," Lita said. "You are a kind and benevolent
person. You are the complete opposite of Beryl, so please trust me
when I tell you that she has absolutely no redeeming qualities."
I nodded. "All right, Lita, I believe you. Thank you for
enlightening me," I said. Suddenly, a new thought struck me. "Lita,
you mentioned that the staff could be depended upon to spread any
gossip. Does that mean that my parents know about the mirror as
well?"
"It is highly likely, your Highness," she replied.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath. "Thank you Lita."
Lita curtseyed. "I will leave you to drink your tea in peace, your
Highness."
I nodded again, and she left. I added some sugar and lemon to my
tea and sipped it as I contemplated what Lita had told me. The way
that she described Beryl had made the former princess seem
borderline psychotic. Why on earth was she still living at the
palace? If she was as disturbed as everyone said, she was a threat
to the royal family. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice
someone come up behind me and call my name. So when a hand came down
on my shoulder, I jumped in fright, losing my grip on my empty
teacup.
"Serena!" Darien exclaimed. His hand shot out to catch the falling
cup and he placed it on the table. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Darien," I assured him. "I just didn't hear you."
"I called your name three times," Darien told me worriedly. "And you
were holding your cup in a white-knuckle grip."
I flexed my fingers and noticed that they were tingling from the
blood rushing back into them. "I hadn't realized," I murmured.
Darien crouched down in front of me and gave me a concerned look.
"Obviously," he replied. He reached out to touch my face. "You didn't
sleep very much last night."
"I had a lot to think about," I told him.
"Like the fact that Beryl broke into your room and vandalized it?"
Darien suggested, taking my hands in his.
I couldn't help smiling wryly. "News travels fast in this place,"
I remarked.
Darien smiled back. "The walls have eyes, my love. The royals are
usually the first to know, aside from the witnesses," he told me.
He pulled a chair towards him and sat down across from me. "Are
you all right?"
"Of course," I assured him. "I wasn't harmed."
"Physically you weren't," Darien agreed. "But it must have hurt
when you saw what was written on your mirror."
"Why does Beryl still live in the palace?" I asked. "If she is as
unstable as she seems, isn't she a risk to the royal family?"
Darien looked away uneasily. "I think that you should discuss this
with your parents," he said.
I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "They never tell me anything," I
complained, sounding more like a whiny teen, than the future head
of state. I saw Darien's lips twitch with amusement.
"I'm sure that they will tell you this," he assured me. "This is
something that you need to know."
"And they were just beating the door down to tell me, weren't they?"
I grumbled.
Darien chuckled and dropped a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sure that
they had their reasons for withholding it from you," he said. "Do you
want to talk about it?"
I shook my head. "I want to forget that it ever happened," I replied.
"How did you know that I would be out here?"
"The walls have eyes," Darien whispered conspiratorially. At my
exasperated look, he hurried to explain. "I came by your chamber
this morning and you weren't there. So I asked Lita where you were."
"Why were you at my chamber at such an early hour?" I asked.
"I wanted to ask you to join me for breakfast," Darien replied.
"About which I was informed that I was too late."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "Perhaps next time."
"I'm holding you to that," Darien told me with a smile. "Would you
like to take a walk with me before my parents and I need to return
to Outopia?"
I nodded. "I would love to."
****************************************************************************
The two of us strolled through the gardens, talking about
everything and nothing at all. It was times like this that I
treasured. Not the glamour of lavish balls, but the private
moments where I learned that Darien had never eaten marshmallows
or potato chips in his life. I told him that the next time he
came to Paradeisos, that we would have a junk-food picnic. He
laughed and told me that he was looking forward to it.
About an hour later, Darien checked his watch and his face fell.
"I have to leave soon," he told me. He led me to a gazebo that
was blocked from view of the palace by a tall hedge. "I'm
fairly certain that we are free from prying eyes here."
I smiled up at him as I wound my arms around his neck. "I don't
think that we'll ever be free from prying eyes when we kiss. I'm
sure that last night's uninterrupted interlude was pure luck."
Darien chuckled and leaned down to press his lips against mine.
"I will miss your sense of humor while I'm gone," he told me
when he pulled away.
"When will you be back?" I asked.
"Within the month, I'm sure," he replied. He lowered his head
again to kiss me more firmly. His mouth moved slowly over mine
while his hands caressed my back. Our tongues slid together and
I stood on tiptoe to press myself as closely to Darien's body as
I could. When we broke apart, we were both flushed and breathless.
"Let's go find our parents before they find us," I suggested with
a smile.
Darien nodded in agreement, and the two of us headed back to the
palace, hand in hand. When we set foot inside, a servant informed
us that our parents were waiting for us in the Sun Room. We entered
the brightly-lit room and I curtseyed to everyone while Darien bowed.
"Ah, there you are, my dear," Mother said with a smile. "We were
just about to bid King Stephen and Queen Gaia farewell."
I curtseyed to Darien's parents again. "I look forward to your next
visit," I told them.
King Stephen and Queen Gaia smiled warmly at me. "As do we, Princess
Serenity," King Stephen replied. He gave me a kiss on the forehead.
"Until next time."
Then, Queen Gaia kissed both my cheeks. "Take care, Princess."
I nodded. "I will, your Majesty."
Finally, Darien took my hand and kissed the back of it. "I will see
you soon," he promised.
I smiled at him. "Yes, your Majesty."
A servant entered and informed Darien and his family that the limousine
was there to take them to the airport. As soon as the door closed behind
them, I turned around to face my parents.
"We need to talk about Beryl."
out by this week. Brownie points to anyone who gets the
'in-joke' about the names of the two boys who helped Lita! Enjoy!
Ash
Switched at Birth - Chapter 12
The next morning, I awoke at 6 in the morning, and unprecedented
occurrence. Last night's events hat me tossing and turning in bed
for hours. My stomach growled softly, so I reached for my phone
to call Lita. My hand froze over the receiver as I thought about
the time. Lita would probably be sleeping at this hour, since I
normally started my day at 8 a.m. I decided to take a quick shower
and find something to eat in the palace kitchen. Also, I knew that
word of what Beryl did to my room would have reached my parents'
ears by now, and I wanted to put off seeing them as long as
possible. That meant skipping meals with them. As soon as I was
dressed in a pair of khaki pants that had somehow made their way
into my closet and an oversized, long-sleeved, black T-shirt, and
my hair was pulled back in a ponytail, I made my way to the
kitchen, with the help of a passing servant.
As I approached the kitchen, the most incredible smells wafted to
my nose. I could smell fresh bread and other baked goods, fresh
fruit, and breakfast meat being fried. My stomach growled again in
anticipation. I entered the kitchen and I was astounded by the
sheer size of it. If three hundred guests showed up unexpectedly
for dinner, I think that they would be easily accommodated. About
twenty-five people were hard at work, chopping, slicing, kneading
and mixing different foods.
I was surprised to see Lita standing in front of one of the
numerous stainless steel stoves, poaching eggs. Suddenly, she
looked up and saw me standing in the doorway of the huge room.
"Your Highness!" she exclaimed while dropping the eggs she was
poaching on a platter and curtseying. "Did you require something?"
Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and bowed or
curtseyed to me. Then, they stood there as if afraid to move.
"Please continue," I urged everyone. I turned back to Lita. "I
was unable to sleep very well last night, and I wanted to get
some breakfast without disturbing you. I thought that you would be
asleep at this hour."
Lita shook her head. "Your Highness, you do not have to worry about
me. It is my job to serve you. What would you like to eat?"
I looked around the huge room where everyone had returned
tentatively to what they were supposed to be doing. "Well, it
looks as if you're making Eggs Benedict, so that would be fine,"
I told her. "Along with some of whatever you've been baking. It
smells wonderful."
Lita curtseyed again. "Of course, your Highness. If you would like
to wait in the dining room, we'll server you as soon as possible."
I shook my head. "If it is all right, I would like to stay here to
eat," I said. "I don't think it is necessary to dirty an entire
place setting simply because I was hungry at an unusual hour."
"Of course, your Highness," Lita replied. "If that is your wish. If
you would like to take a seat." She gestured to on of the marble-topped
islands, where someone had placed a stool and set up dining utensils
without my noticing it.
I couldn't help smiling as I sat down and watched everyone work to
prepare breakfast for the palace. I was reminded of my kitchen in
America, where I used to watch Dorothy, our cook, prepare food for
our house. I was pulled from my reminiscing when a portly, middle-aged
man placed a basket of breakfast pastries in front of me and bowed.
"Your Highness," he said nervously.
"Thank you," I replied with a nod and a smile. I remembered this
man being introduced to me as the head pastry chef. I tried to
remember his name. "Your name is Albert, isn't it?"
He nodded quickly. "Yes, your Highness," he answered.
I smiled again as I reached out to take a cinnamon roll from the
basket that was still nice and warm. I tore off a piece of it and
popped it into my mouth. My eyes widened as I chewed and swallowed.
"Oh my God, did you make this?" I demanded of Albert. The noise
in the kitchen died abruptly again.
The poor man looked as if he was going to faint. "Yes, your
Highness," he stammered.
I smiled widely. "This is absolutely delicious!" I exclaimed.
A relieved smile broke out across Albert's face. "Thank you, your
Highness."
"You must have been the one who made my birthday cake last night,"
I went on as the sound level in the kitchen started to rise again.
Albert nodded. "Yes, your highness. Did you like it?" he asked
hopefully.
I nodded. "It was lovely," I assured him. I quickly finished my
cinnamon roll and then I started on a lemon danish. "Oh, this is
heaven," I sighed. "You are a genius, Albert."
Albert was positively beaming now. "Thank you, your Highness," he
said. A ringing sound went off and he glanced at the row of ovens
that lined one wall of the kitchen. He turned back to me and bowed.
"If you'll excuse me, your Highness."
I nodded. "Of course, Albert," I replied with a smile. I went back to
eating my danish and watching everyone work in the kitchen.
A minute later, Lita came up to me with a platter in her hands,
followed by two boys who looked to be about two years younger than
I was. One of them, with brown hair, placed a plate with two toasted
English muffin halves on it in front of me and bowed. I smiled at
him and nodded.
"Your Highness, would you like bacon or smoked salmon?" Lita asked me.
"Smoked salmon please," I replied.
The other boy, with blond hair, placed several slices of salmon on
the English muffins and then bowed. I smiled and nodded at him too.
Then, Lita placed a poached egg on top of the salmon and then poured
Hollandaise sauce over them. "Enjoy your meal, your Highness," she
said with a curtsey.
"Thank you, Lita," I replied with a nod. I turned to the two boys.
"Thank you as well..." I trailed off, hoping that they would supply
their names.
Lita nudged the boy with brown hair softly. "Your name," she whispered.
"Louis," he said softly.
"Louis," I repeated with a smile. I turned to the blond boy expectantly.
"Philippe," he squeaked.
"Philippe," I echoed. "Thank you both."
The two boys smiled shyly and bowed. They turned to leave and Lita was
about to join them when I called her back. "Lita, please stay a moment."
Lita handed her platter to Louis and motioned for him to leave. "Yes,
your Highness?" she asked.
"I did not know that you were a cook for the palace," I said.
Lita nodded. "I love to cook," she replied. "Frederic Le Beau, the head
chef has agreed to be my mentor. But I am not officially a cook for the
palace."
"Why not?" I asked. "If this is what you love to do, then you should be
doing it full-time."
Lita shook her head and smiled. "You misunderstand, your Highness, I
chose not to be a cook for the palace," she explained. "I quite enjoy
being your assistant."
I smiled at that. "Really?"
"Really, your Highness," Lita assured me. "Unless of course you'd prefer
someone else as your personal assistant."
I shook my head vigorously. "Definitely not," I said emphatically.
Lita smiled happily. That is very gratifying to hear, your Highness,"
she replied. "If it is all right with you, I need to help with finishing
breakfast."
I nodded. "Of course, Lita."
With a curtsey, Lita went back to work.
As I sat in the kitchen eating my breakfast, I couldn't help noticing
that people were watching me nervously. It was understandable, I guess.
It's not everyday that your boss shows up unexpectedly and watches while
you work. I tried to smile disarmingly at anyone who managed to make eye
contact with me, and I think that it helped. Eventually, the activity
and noise level of the kitchen returned to what it was before anyone
noticed that I was there.
When I finished my meal, I wiped my mouth and stood up. Lita noticed
this and came to my side. "Would you like anything else, your Highness?"
she asked.
"I'd like some tea, but I'd like to take it on the balcony of the East
Wing dining room," I replied. "Breakfast was delicious."
Lita nodded and curtseyed. "I will bring it to you shortly," she
promised.
On my way out of the kitchen, I ran into Albert, who bowed. "Are you
leaving, your Highness?" he asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I need to get to work soon," I told him. "Perhaps I
could come back again when you are baking?"
Albert smiled and patted a nearby stool. "You would be most welcome,
your Highness."
"Thank you, Albert," I said with a parting smile.
I made my way out onto the balcony and sat down at the wrought-iron
table. The sky was blazing red from the rising sun and I watched as
it climbed higher and shone brighter. Several minutes later, Lita
came out onto the balcony carrying a silver tea service, which she
placed on the table. I smiled at her in thanks as she poured the
first cup for me. I noticed a preoccupied look on her face that I
had seen earlier in the kitchen but at the time, I had dismissed it
as simply being nervous. But now, it was even more apparent.
"Lita, is there something on your mind?" I asked.
Lita seemed uncomfortable. "There have been...some rumors, your
Highness," she replied hesitantly.
"What sort of rumors?" I inquired curiously.
"Last night, in your room...the mirror," Lita clarified.
My face fell. "I wasn't aware that everyone knew," I said softly.
Lita couldn't help smiling. "Your Highness, there isn't much that
goes on in the palace that people don't know. If you've done
something in the presence of a servant, you can be assured that
the entire staff will find out within an hour," she told me. Her
expression grew serious. "Is it true?"
I nodded. "Yes, it's true. But I'm sure that there is a reasonable
explanation for it. Beryl probably thought that I was being
patronizing."
Lita smiled sadly. "You have such a kind heart, your Highness.
You could no more think the worst of someone anymore than you
could stop breathing. But please believe me when I say this.
Beryl is a cruel, mean-spirited girl. She was the type of person
who would publicly humiliate a servant simply because her soup
wasn't hot enough."
I couldn't help frowning at Lita's tone. "Are you speaking from
personal experience, Lita?" I asked gently.
Lita nodded. "Yes, your Highness," she replied softly. "Two years
ago, she railed at me for over ten minutes because her lunch wasn't
'fit for the pigs' as she so eloquently put it."
"But that was not your fault," I pointed out. "You were not
responsible for preparing her food were you?"
Lita shook her head. "Beryl had a habit of killing the messenger,"
she told me. "In her eyes, I was as much to blame for her
improperly prepared meal as the chef that made it."
"Did you get into any trouble with the staff?" I asked.
"No, thank goodness. Everyone was quite familiar with Beryl's
temper," Lita replied. "Frederic, the chef that made the soup even
apologized to me later that day. But it is still degrading to have
your employer dress you down in front of people whom you respect."
"I'm sorry Lita," I said.
"You don't need to apologize, your Highness. I know that you would
never do that to me," Lita said. "You are a kind and benevolent
person. You are the complete opposite of Beryl, so please trust me
when I tell you that she has absolutely no redeeming qualities."
I nodded. "All right, Lita, I believe you. Thank you for
enlightening me," I said. Suddenly, a new thought struck me. "Lita,
you mentioned that the staff could be depended upon to spread any
gossip. Does that mean that my parents know about the mirror as
well?"
"It is highly likely, your Highness," she replied.
"Damn," I muttered under my breath. "Thank you Lita."
Lita curtseyed. "I will leave you to drink your tea in peace, your
Highness."
I nodded again, and she left. I added some sugar and lemon to my
tea and sipped it as I contemplated what Lita had told me. The way
that she described Beryl had made the former princess seem
borderline psychotic. Why on earth was she still living at the
palace? If she was as disturbed as everyone said, she was a threat
to the royal family. I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice
someone come up behind me and call my name. So when a hand came down
on my shoulder, I jumped in fright, losing my grip on my empty
teacup.
"Serena!" Darien exclaimed. His hand shot out to catch the falling
cup and he placed it on the table. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Darien," I assured him. "I just didn't hear you."
"I called your name three times," Darien told me worriedly. "And you
were holding your cup in a white-knuckle grip."
I flexed my fingers and noticed that they were tingling from the
blood rushing back into them. "I hadn't realized," I murmured.
Darien crouched down in front of me and gave me a concerned look.
"Obviously," he replied. He reached out to touch my face. "You didn't
sleep very much last night."
"I had a lot to think about," I told him.
"Like the fact that Beryl broke into your room and vandalized it?"
Darien suggested, taking my hands in his.
I couldn't help smiling wryly. "News travels fast in this place,"
I remarked.
Darien smiled back. "The walls have eyes, my love. The royals are
usually the first to know, aside from the witnesses," he told me.
He pulled a chair towards him and sat down across from me. "Are
you all right?"
"Of course," I assured him. "I wasn't harmed."
"Physically you weren't," Darien agreed. "But it must have hurt
when you saw what was written on your mirror."
"Why does Beryl still live in the palace?" I asked. "If she is as
unstable as she seems, isn't she a risk to the royal family?"
Darien looked away uneasily. "I think that you should discuss this
with your parents," he said.
I couldn't help rolling my eyes. "They never tell me anything," I
complained, sounding more like a whiny teen, than the future head
of state. I saw Darien's lips twitch with amusement.
"I'm sure that they will tell you this," he assured me. "This is
something that you need to know."
"And they were just beating the door down to tell me, weren't they?"
I grumbled.
Darien chuckled and dropped a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sure that
they had their reasons for withholding it from you," he said. "Do you
want to talk about it?"
I shook my head. "I want to forget that it ever happened," I replied.
"How did you know that I would be out here?"
"The walls have eyes," Darien whispered conspiratorially. At my
exasperated look, he hurried to explain. "I came by your chamber
this morning and you weren't there. So I asked Lita where you were."
"Why were you at my chamber at such an early hour?" I asked.
"I wanted to ask you to join me for breakfast," Darien replied.
"About which I was informed that I was too late."
"I'm sorry," I apologized. "Perhaps next time."
"I'm holding you to that," Darien told me with a smile. "Would you
like to take a walk with me before my parents and I need to return
to Outopia?"
I nodded. "I would love to."
****************************************************************************
The two of us strolled through the gardens, talking about
everything and nothing at all. It was times like this that I
treasured. Not the glamour of lavish balls, but the private
moments where I learned that Darien had never eaten marshmallows
or potato chips in his life. I told him that the next time he
came to Paradeisos, that we would have a junk-food picnic. He
laughed and told me that he was looking forward to it.
About an hour later, Darien checked his watch and his face fell.
"I have to leave soon," he told me. He led me to a gazebo that
was blocked from view of the palace by a tall hedge. "I'm
fairly certain that we are free from prying eyes here."
I smiled up at him as I wound my arms around his neck. "I don't
think that we'll ever be free from prying eyes when we kiss. I'm
sure that last night's uninterrupted interlude was pure luck."
Darien chuckled and leaned down to press his lips against mine.
"I will miss your sense of humor while I'm gone," he told me
when he pulled away.
"When will you be back?" I asked.
"Within the month, I'm sure," he replied. He lowered his head
again to kiss me more firmly. His mouth moved slowly over mine
while his hands caressed my back. Our tongues slid together and
I stood on tiptoe to press myself as closely to Darien's body as
I could. When we broke apart, we were both flushed and breathless.
"Let's go find our parents before they find us," I suggested with
a smile.
Darien nodded in agreement, and the two of us headed back to the
palace, hand in hand. When we set foot inside, a servant informed
us that our parents were waiting for us in the Sun Room. We entered
the brightly-lit room and I curtseyed to everyone while Darien bowed.
"Ah, there you are, my dear," Mother said with a smile. "We were
just about to bid King Stephen and Queen Gaia farewell."
I curtseyed to Darien's parents again. "I look forward to your next
visit," I told them.
King Stephen and Queen Gaia smiled warmly at me. "As do we, Princess
Serenity," King Stephen replied. He gave me a kiss on the forehead.
"Until next time."
Then, Queen Gaia kissed both my cheeks. "Take care, Princess."
I nodded. "I will, your Majesty."
Finally, Darien took my hand and kissed the back of it. "I will see
you soon," he promised.
I smiled at him. "Yes, your Majesty."
A servant entered and informed Darien and his family that the limousine
was there to take them to the airport. As soon as the door closed behind
them, I turned around to face my parents.
"We need to talk about Beryl."