Title: Reigning Memories
Chapter: 10- Shortcomings
In the palace...
It was a dull afternoon, with stormy clouds proceeding to cover the aquamarine sky. A calm but sharp wind ruffled the petite princess's hair, as well as the autumn leaves that had fallen long ago. Covering the ground in yellows, oranges, and faded tips of green the leaves made the earth into a colorful pattern. The clouds which were a dashing white with a thin layer on the edge of gray threatened to lash out thunder any second.
Francoise stood there quietly looking at the placid landscape, motionless. She took a moment to admit the turning of the seasons, but alas nothing mattered anymore. Francoise had been a noble and a rich princess all her life; she thought that she knew about the shortcomings of the world, If only she truly knew. She didn't know of slavery, the poor, and the hungry and homeless out in her kingdom. She had called her grandfather to speak with, she desperately needed some companionship.
She sat in her satin chair rocking back and forth, the repeated motion making her sleepy. Her heart matching every rock of the chair like a duet. Slowly the door opened, and their stood her grandfather whose expression quickly turned into a frown when he laid eyes on her. He could tell that she was unhappy, which made him unhappy as well. Her grandfather sat down in a chair across from her, studying her carefully. After a long pause of observing her he finally said, "Dear child, what ails you?". Francoise didn't have the strength to even shake her head and deny it, crying for so many days had really taken its toil on the young princess. She barely whispered in a raspy voice, "Grandfather why?". The retired king shook his head and sighed. He had never seen his granddaughter this unhappy before.
In the Condor Kingdom Palace...
Emma sat impatiently and helplessly in her bed. She felt so depressed seeing her brother's situation, and her own. She had always been able to hide her situation from others sometimes even from Sir George himself, but with the weight of her brothers as well, she couldn't well take it. Her black hair hung lazily on her back like a blanket sheltering her. Oh how she wished that she could go somewhere where something would shelter her from the pain. It was all her fault, if she had just waited a little longer to get acquainted with her brother before hugging him, if she would have explained... So many thoughts that implied that the shortcoming of the situation was her fault towered in her conscious. Suddenly her door sprung open.
Emma expected Sir George at the door but instead it was her brother, Prince Joe. "Brother what bring you here?" Emma asked already knowing the answer. Joe had been restless like a walking zombie. He had paced around the palace so much Emma couldn't quite figure out why the floor hadn't wasted little by little. Emma sighed in defeat and tried to comfort Joe. "Dear brother it is not your fault, alas it was I who provoked this situation." Joe shook his head despite his lack of energy. "It wasn't you fault, but we have to concentrate on getting her back." Emma beamed at her brother. How she admired him so at that moment, even through his pain, he was deep inside planning a dastardly plan to rescue his beloved. She would try and be strong like him, and fights for what she loved or to be more exact who she loved.
In the palace...
Francoise blinked. Wasn't she just speaking to her grandfather in the palace? It had been so real, too real to be a dream. What she didn't know was that Emma had allowed that conversation by stopping time, and quickly making them regard it as a dream. Francoise felt a dull ache on her head. She found herself laying on a metal table with wires all attached to her. What was happened, who had taken her, but most of all where was Joe?
In the Condor Kingdom Palace...
Emma and Joe talked for more than 3 hours; their conversation had lightened both their hearts. Emma had managed to let Joe smile for once in 10 days. When they were out of earshot of anyone Joe spoke up the question that he had been trying to ask. "Emma, sister I want to know is there anything going on between you know, Sir George and yourself?" Emma cheeks immediately reddened from the question, she found herself in quite the awkward position. "Sir George and I are....well its very difficult....." Emma couldn't say another word because Sir George was passing through them for a moment. It was as if Emma stopped breathing when he passed her, it took her a minute to calm down. This had never happened before, then why now. Perhaps it was the stress the pressure, she didn't know she had to help her brother now.
With the children....
The children had been so sadden by the events that they barely spoke. The cook tried baking them various sorts of cakes, muffins, and bakeries but they wouldn't budge. They only moved when they went to bed each night. It had been more than 10 days so far and everyone was in a severe depression. "Maybe it wasn't meant to be..." Carrie Ann whispered to the others. No one moved, agreed, or disagreed. Something inside Carrie Ann screamed "Yes it was, you believed it was meant to be and you still do." Carrie Ann sighed and whispered to herself. "In a week it's my birthday, and it will be the saddest one yet." Carrie Ann gave another sigh, depressing enough to make the happiest person sadden. "It was meant to be, and it will come out that way..." Carrie Ann said determinedly to the other members of the Petite Matchmakers. For once in more than one week they all nodded and a smiled unfolded on their faces. They would not give up, nothing could stop them. Not the king could stand in their way, not even Scarl would be able to stand to the power they had--the power of genuine hope.
A/N: *sigh, well I wrote this in a calm state of mind and hopefully it goes well. The next chapter will go on when the count reaches 72. It was sort or gloomy and the atmosphere was of rain, and for some reason that gives me tranquility. Thank you all for your support on this story. I would point out some people that especially helped me out in this story, but with me being so forgetful and all I know that I would forget someone. I don't wish to make anyone feel bad if I don't mention them, so I won't acknowledge anyone separately. I will say this though--all of your compliments, reviews, and constructive criticism have helped me develop my style of writing more and more. All of you have created a positive atmosphere for me while writing this story and the others as well. Your determination has inspired me into believing that you guys are truly the new generation of authors if not already. Thank you all truly, for you are the best reviewers anyone could have. Although, I did received a complaint from a certain muse from a writer about not mentioning them in my thanks, and so I will. Thank you to all the muses who inspire us, and special thanks to my muse, which is life itself.
In the palace...
It was a dull afternoon, with stormy clouds proceeding to cover the aquamarine sky. A calm but sharp wind ruffled the petite princess's hair, as well as the autumn leaves that had fallen long ago. Covering the ground in yellows, oranges, and faded tips of green the leaves made the earth into a colorful pattern. The clouds which were a dashing white with a thin layer on the edge of gray threatened to lash out thunder any second.
Francoise stood there quietly looking at the placid landscape, motionless. She took a moment to admit the turning of the seasons, but alas nothing mattered anymore. Francoise had been a noble and a rich princess all her life; she thought that she knew about the shortcomings of the world, If only she truly knew. She didn't know of slavery, the poor, and the hungry and homeless out in her kingdom. She had called her grandfather to speak with, she desperately needed some companionship.
She sat in her satin chair rocking back and forth, the repeated motion making her sleepy. Her heart matching every rock of the chair like a duet. Slowly the door opened, and their stood her grandfather whose expression quickly turned into a frown when he laid eyes on her. He could tell that she was unhappy, which made him unhappy as well. Her grandfather sat down in a chair across from her, studying her carefully. After a long pause of observing her he finally said, "Dear child, what ails you?". Francoise didn't have the strength to even shake her head and deny it, crying for so many days had really taken its toil on the young princess. She barely whispered in a raspy voice, "Grandfather why?". The retired king shook his head and sighed. He had never seen his granddaughter this unhappy before.
In the Condor Kingdom Palace...
Emma sat impatiently and helplessly in her bed. She felt so depressed seeing her brother's situation, and her own. She had always been able to hide her situation from others sometimes even from Sir George himself, but with the weight of her brothers as well, she couldn't well take it. Her black hair hung lazily on her back like a blanket sheltering her. Oh how she wished that she could go somewhere where something would shelter her from the pain. It was all her fault, if she had just waited a little longer to get acquainted with her brother before hugging him, if she would have explained... So many thoughts that implied that the shortcoming of the situation was her fault towered in her conscious. Suddenly her door sprung open.
Emma expected Sir George at the door but instead it was her brother, Prince Joe. "Brother what bring you here?" Emma asked already knowing the answer. Joe had been restless like a walking zombie. He had paced around the palace so much Emma couldn't quite figure out why the floor hadn't wasted little by little. Emma sighed in defeat and tried to comfort Joe. "Dear brother it is not your fault, alas it was I who provoked this situation." Joe shook his head despite his lack of energy. "It wasn't you fault, but we have to concentrate on getting her back." Emma beamed at her brother. How she admired him so at that moment, even through his pain, he was deep inside planning a dastardly plan to rescue his beloved. She would try and be strong like him, and fights for what she loved or to be more exact who she loved.
In the palace...
Francoise blinked. Wasn't she just speaking to her grandfather in the palace? It had been so real, too real to be a dream. What she didn't know was that Emma had allowed that conversation by stopping time, and quickly making them regard it as a dream. Francoise felt a dull ache on her head. She found herself laying on a metal table with wires all attached to her. What was happened, who had taken her, but most of all where was Joe?
In the Condor Kingdom Palace...
Emma and Joe talked for more than 3 hours; their conversation had lightened both their hearts. Emma had managed to let Joe smile for once in 10 days. When they were out of earshot of anyone Joe spoke up the question that he had been trying to ask. "Emma, sister I want to know is there anything going on between you know, Sir George and yourself?" Emma cheeks immediately reddened from the question, she found herself in quite the awkward position. "Sir George and I are....well its very difficult....." Emma couldn't say another word because Sir George was passing through them for a moment. It was as if Emma stopped breathing when he passed her, it took her a minute to calm down. This had never happened before, then why now. Perhaps it was the stress the pressure, she didn't know she had to help her brother now.
With the children....
The children had been so sadden by the events that they barely spoke. The cook tried baking them various sorts of cakes, muffins, and bakeries but they wouldn't budge. They only moved when they went to bed each night. It had been more than 10 days so far and everyone was in a severe depression. "Maybe it wasn't meant to be..." Carrie Ann whispered to the others. No one moved, agreed, or disagreed. Something inside Carrie Ann screamed "Yes it was, you believed it was meant to be and you still do." Carrie Ann sighed and whispered to herself. "In a week it's my birthday, and it will be the saddest one yet." Carrie Ann gave another sigh, depressing enough to make the happiest person sadden. "It was meant to be, and it will come out that way..." Carrie Ann said determinedly to the other members of the Petite Matchmakers. For once in more than one week they all nodded and a smiled unfolded on their faces. They would not give up, nothing could stop them. Not the king could stand in their way, not even Scarl would be able to stand to the power they had--the power of genuine hope.
A/N: *sigh, well I wrote this in a calm state of mind and hopefully it goes well. The next chapter will go on when the count reaches 72. It was sort or gloomy and the atmosphere was of rain, and for some reason that gives me tranquility. Thank you all for your support on this story. I would point out some people that especially helped me out in this story, but with me being so forgetful and all I know that I would forget someone. I don't wish to make anyone feel bad if I don't mention them, so I won't acknowledge anyone separately. I will say this though--all of your compliments, reviews, and constructive criticism have helped me develop my style of writing more and more. All of you have created a positive atmosphere for me while writing this story and the others as well. Your determination has inspired me into believing that you guys are truly the new generation of authors if not already. Thank you all truly, for you are the best reviewers anyone could have. Although, I did received a complaint from a certain muse from a writer about not mentioning them in my thanks, and so I will. Thank you to all the muses who inspire us, and special thanks to my muse, which is life itself.