After the meeting, I went to my bedchamber while the king and queen conversed with the "Royal Attorneys," as they put it. I collapsed on my bed and sobbed until I couldn't stand being in that palace another moment.
I got out of bed, still dressed in my gown from the day, and crept down the stairs. I wouldn't go to my father's manor, not with Berret still there. I was going to Mum Olga's manor to visit Mandy. Perhaps she could give me advice.
I arrived at the house, soaking from the rain and weak from my tears. Mandy must have been expecting me. She greeted me at the door.
"Child," she said quietly, pulling me into a hug and into the house. "What's the matter at this hour?"
I began sobbing again, and she led me into the warm, well-lit kitchen. I sat down on a chair and buried my head in my arms. "Char and I are not to be married for much longer."
"What?!" Mandy sat beside me and pulled my arms away from my blotched face.
"Princess, why do you tell such untruths? You and Char are so much in love. What went wrong?"
"I have been threatened."
"Threatened?! By who?" Mandy was angry, I could tell.
"Berret." I looked up at Mandy. She had a mixed expression on her face, an expression of revulsion, fear and wonder at the same time. "Remember him? His father was a servant?"
Mandy nodded slowly. "Oh yes. His Father and I did not get along well. I thought that Berret had gone frolicking off to Ajfam."
"Yes, he did, and he got involved with the government over there. He went through multiple trainings until he was an agent for them. That's why he's here, and sleeping on the floor of Father's old manor."
Mandy looked more angry than I had ever seen her. "On the FLOOR? In your old house?! And he's here as an agent? Why?"
"He was sent to kill the royal family. Ajfam wants war on Kyrria, so this would be the beginning. When Berret discovered my being engaged to Char, as I was when I saw him, he told me he didn't want to kill me, but he would if I didn't divorce Char. So I told Char I didn't love him anymore and now the king and queen are arranging my departure from the family."
"Why didn't you just tell Char of Ajfam's plans?" Mandy's expression relaxed a bit and she looked sympathetic.
"Because Berret said he would make sure I would be the first to die if they found out."
Mandy now looked angry at me. "SO YOU PLACED YOUR LIFE AT A HIGHER VALUE THAN CHAR'S? I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULDN'T MARRY HIM BEFORE BECAUSE YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIS LIFE RATHER THAN YOUR OWN."
A long pause followed this.
"I..." I muttered, "I didn't think of that."
Mandy calmed down and said, "Well of course you didn't, child. You panicked."
I began to weep. "What am I to do now?"
"You know what you have to do now?" Mandy said, cupping my chin in her weathered hands,
"you have to warn Char."
I got out of bed, still dressed in my gown from the day, and crept down the stairs. I wouldn't go to my father's manor, not with Berret still there. I was going to Mum Olga's manor to visit Mandy. Perhaps she could give me advice.
I arrived at the house, soaking from the rain and weak from my tears. Mandy must have been expecting me. She greeted me at the door.
"Child," she said quietly, pulling me into a hug and into the house. "What's the matter at this hour?"
I began sobbing again, and she led me into the warm, well-lit kitchen. I sat down on a chair and buried my head in my arms. "Char and I are not to be married for much longer."
"What?!" Mandy sat beside me and pulled my arms away from my blotched face.
"Princess, why do you tell such untruths? You and Char are so much in love. What went wrong?"
"I have been threatened."
"Threatened?! By who?" Mandy was angry, I could tell.
"Berret." I looked up at Mandy. She had a mixed expression on her face, an expression of revulsion, fear and wonder at the same time. "Remember him? His father was a servant?"
Mandy nodded slowly. "Oh yes. His Father and I did not get along well. I thought that Berret had gone frolicking off to Ajfam."
"Yes, he did, and he got involved with the government over there. He went through multiple trainings until he was an agent for them. That's why he's here, and sleeping on the floor of Father's old manor."
Mandy looked more angry than I had ever seen her. "On the FLOOR? In your old house?! And he's here as an agent? Why?"
"He was sent to kill the royal family. Ajfam wants war on Kyrria, so this would be the beginning. When Berret discovered my being engaged to Char, as I was when I saw him, he told me he didn't want to kill me, but he would if I didn't divorce Char. So I told Char I didn't love him anymore and now the king and queen are arranging my departure from the family."
"Why didn't you just tell Char of Ajfam's plans?" Mandy's expression relaxed a bit and she looked sympathetic.
"Because Berret said he would make sure I would be the first to die if they found out."
Mandy now looked angry at me. "SO YOU PLACED YOUR LIFE AT A HIGHER VALUE THAN CHAR'S? I THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULDN'T MARRY HIM BEFORE BECAUSE YOU WERE WORRIED ABOUT HIS LIFE RATHER THAN YOUR OWN."
A long pause followed this.
"I..." I muttered, "I didn't think of that."
Mandy calmed down and said, "Well of course you didn't, child. You panicked."
I began to weep. "What am I to do now?"
"You know what you have to do now?" Mandy said, cupping my chin in her weathered hands,
"you have to warn Char."