A well-deserved bath
The next day, the queen woke up with swollen eyes. Her heart was pounding, and she didn’t know what to do. Her mind went spinning and spinning, and she couldn’t stop thinking about her beloved king. Remembering what had happened the previous days, Amberjill thought that this was the greatest betrayal that a husband could have done to a wife.
What was to become of her? The queen shook her head, trying to regain her sanity. But as much as she scratched her head, she couldn’t find the solution. The pain she felt was so immense, that she couldn’t breathe. The queen sat up abruptly on her bed and cupped her head in her hands. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. Amberjill had to think and think deeply about what she would do. She needed a plan. Not just to get her heart back, but not to lose her life.
The only good thing in this situation was that she was not defenseless. The queen was always considered to be one of the most intelligent in her kingdom, and this unfortunate incident would not defeat her so easily. With her heavy heart, she got up from the bed. With no specific direction, Amberjill wandered around her room for what seemed like hours. But the knock on the door snapped her out of her desperate mind.
The queen saw how the door opened, and Aurora, and Sandra, without waiting for her to give them permission entered, carrying containers of hot water. Aurora, who was the first to spot her, upon seeing her mistress’s face, her spirits plummeted. But she smiled warmly, avoiding showing her sorrow, giving her mistress a message that everything would be fine. Sandra, behind her, also wore the same smile. But her eyes said the opposite. Grief and pain manifested in them.
“Your Majesty, good morning. Your bath will be ready in just a few minutes,” Aurora said, her voice full of encouragement. “Yes, my queen, today will be a beautiful day. The sun is shining high above, and the birds have not stopped singing.”
The Queen’s mouth lifted slightly at the encouragement with which her servants tried to get her through. Amberjill turned to the window and realized that the day was indeed beautiful. But her heart was in darkness. The clouds of sadness and betrayal obscured whatever light this day brought.
The queen, not forgetting her training, forced a smile and replied, “It is indeed a beautiful day today. But we also have a lot of work to do. You two are the only ones I can count on, and I can’t trust anyone else.” Amberjill returned her gaze to her loyal servants and sighed. “I have to contact my father. By now, I’m sure he’s figured it all out. And the worst of the matter is that he will be outraged. No, not just outraged. Furious. That is why I urgently need to send him a message. I have to calm him down, and reassure him that everything is okay.”
“Your majesty, we are your faithful servants. For you, we could do anything. Our life is yours,” Sandra said. “Yes, your Majesty, you can trust us. We will never let you down. Our lives are in your hands.” Aurora, without hesitation, declares her loyalty to her queen, and their kingdom. Amberjill upon hearing those words, her eyes filled with tears. There was no doubt that the people of Ruana’s kingdom were her real people.
“Very well, my beloved servants. The first thing I will do is write a letter to my father. But one of you will have to deliver it in person. I don’t trust anyone else.” Aurora put down the water containers she was carrying and took a step forward. “I’ll go my queen. I know the way there and back very well. I will be able to be here tomorrow afternoon. But if you send Sandra, I’m not quite sure when she’ll be back. Or, I doubt she even made it to Ruana. Therefore, there is no one better than me for this job. I know the forest, and I know its dangers. There are many thieves and wild animals. That does not worry me, since all my life I had lived there until you found me, and took me with you. I know how to take care of myself.”
“Hey! Who said that I would get lost? I also know how to take care of myself.” Sandra exclaimed indignantly. The queen, smiling, shook her head. “It is already decided. Aurora, as soon as I give you the letter, you must be on your way immediately. I am sure that my father already has news of what happened, and he will not take long to express his discontent. I’m afraid of what he might do. It is better to hurry, and avoid a bigger problem.” The queen’s faithful servants smiled and nodded their heads. The three of them immediately went to work. Aurora, and Sandra, prepared Her Majesty’s bath, while she wrote the letter that Aurora would have to take to her father.
Seeing the words that she was writing, she immediately stopped. The humiliation and the pain of what she was about to deliver to her father took her breath away. Not only her heart was suffering, but her dignity. This insult was not only against her but the kingdom of Ruana was being humiliated as well. If she didn’t act immediately, a terrible and devastating war was at their doorstep. Amberjill forced herself to finish the letter despite how painful it was. Once finished, she folded it and put it in an envelope. Then, from her drawer, Amberjill took out the royal seal of Mahala. This seal was designed for the Queen exclusively when she married King Alcott.
Her father would know immediately that the letter came from her, and it would obviously be personally delivered from Aurora’s hands. Amberjill ran her hand over the envelope and smiled slightly. “What is my father doing now?”
“Knowing the king, my queen, he will be preparing his armour, and royal horse to lead his army in the direction of Mahala.” Amberjill gasped in surprise as she realized Sandra’s words.
“Aurora, leave immediately. This letter has to reach the hands of the king.” The queen got up from her chair, and with the letter in her hand, she addressed her servant. “Trust no one, and give her only to my father. Did you understand correctly, Aurora? Only to my father.”
“Yes, your majesty. I will hand it over to the king, only.” Queen Amberjill gave her the letter, and said, “Depart at once, my brave servant. It is in your hands to prevent a catastrophe.” Aurora, without saying anything else, took the envelope and left the queen’s room, and the castle in a hurry.
From a distance, a pair of eyes followed Aurora’s movements without anyone noticing. “The king was in the right,” the mysterious figure said from a window in one of the castle’s towers.
