A Cold Dish

Chapter 5 - Mia

In the beige hallway that Anne and I were heading down a familiar head of curly black hair turned our corner. Anne and I hurried to the walls to make way for my brother.
"Good evening, Brother." I curtsied however he scoffed in return and kept heading down the hallway. Anne stood up straight and glared holes in Brother’s back.
"Anne, drop it," I sighed.
"But- my lady!" she exclaimed angrily as she walked alongside me, although disrespectful I did not mind. "Not even your brother bothers showing you an ounce of respect! No one in this mansion acknowledges you as the daughter of the Marquis."
"My, then does that apply to you?" I teased.
"My lady!"
"It is all right, Anne, for I have you by my side, you and Mia. The only two people I will ever need." I looked at her sincerely to which her cheeks turned a rosy color and she looked away.

The great doors opened and to my delight brown wavy hair made its way onto the sofa seat. There sat my best friend wolfing down the cakes that had been prepared. She stopped eating and her round brown eyes glimmered in excitement when she saw me come through the door.
"Eliza!" she exclaimed and ran to hug me.
"Hello Mia, it is a delight to see you are doing well," I chuckled.
"Yep! How have you been?" she asked as we sat down on the sofas facing each other.
"I have been well." I reached for some of the embroidery equipment set out on the coffee table. As the two of us embroidered our own piece we happily chatted away. 

"Have you heard of what the crown prince did this time?" Mia asked with a somewhat hushed voice.
"No, I have not," I answered as I picked up a porcelain tea cup off of the coffee table.
"He had a foreign diplomat's tongue cut off, care to hear the reason?"
"Go on…" I sipped my tea and looked at her curiously.
"He said his Highness' shoes looked worn out and recommended him to a shoemaker in Lilly Isle," she said in disgust.
"Heavens, such a flimsy reason?"
"The kingdom is doomed if he ascends the throne, I do hope Lord Watson breaks the family tradition," she sighed.

We continued our embroidery in silence for a while as Mia put great focus into her piece. It was entertaining watching someone as carefree as her trying so hard. As she finished the hard part she looked at my work and her eyes widened.
"No way, are you embroidering a handkerchief?!" Mia exclaimed, surprised.
"Indeed."
"Who is the lucky man?" she asked with a mischievous grin.
"Well, you could become my future lady-in-waiting," I answered.
"The crown prince!? Wait, that means! I'm so sorry please dont-" she panicked about her earlier remarks.
"No, no. I am talking about Lord William Watson," I laughed.
"Lord… William Watson?"
"The one and only, it would seem I am now his fiancée."
"His… fiancée…?" Mia's usually cheerful tone had been replaced by a hollow one. She grit her teeth and her hand reached for the coffee table.