Zathathea

Chapter 1; Silvi

'Princess Silvi?' my maid Altra calls as she walks into my room.

'Yes, Altra?' I say as I turn around from where I'm writing at my desk.

'You have been summoned to the throne  room by King Louis Strong, you must head there immediately, he sounded quite urgent.'

I sigh and roll my eyes and her posturing, my father never sounds urgent, just lazy and bored, I swear when I become queen then the whole empire will have a heart attack from the difference in leadership.

I walk over to my closet and pull out a sleek black jacket.

I pull it on over my black shirt, and black pants, when I turn to leave I see Altra standing in the doorway.

'Didn't I dismiss you?' I snap at her.

She bows her head and scurries off to go spread false truths about why my father called for me.

***

When I arrive in the Throne Room I see my father sitting on his throne my mother standing at his side, they're surrounded by courtiers.

I push my way through the crowd as they lazily move out of the way.

'You called for me Father?' I question, knowing all too well that Altra could've lied to me, this whole castle is full of lies, or as I call them false truths, as the more they're spread around the more true they are, and Suddenly you're engaged to the Prince Raja of the Empire of Rain, I'm not engaged to him though.

'Ah yes. I did call for you. you're to go to Zeta- Zetathea?' my father questions miss pronouncing the name.

'It's pronounced Ze-ta-the-ah,' I remind him and the courtiers laugh, obviously thinking my a fool for contradiction my father.

'Thank you, Silvi, anywho you're to go to the Palace there with Prince Zakariya Ruiz of the Rubyan Empire, King Carmen Acevedo of the Ace Empire, Prince Brian Willis of the Lyre Empire, King Mimi Boyce of the Dusk Empire, Prince Raja Allen of the Rain Empire, King Niamh Cat of the Cat Empire, and Prince Luka Golden of the Metal Empire. You are to go there to uhm, ah yes to make alliances and maybe even marriages as you're the next generation of rulers, at least that's what King Algerad and Queen Allen Allen say,' my father laughs at the mention of Queen Allen Allen.

I get to meet King Mimi? King Mimi of the Dusk Empire, the one surviving descendant of the Dusk Royale line? He is said to have ruled by himself without an adult ruler in place since he turned 10, and he commands the respect of his people, doesn't just expect it, he goes and talks to them disguised as a peasant and learns of his peoples' woes. If I can meet him and get his guidance then I can be a better King when the time comes and my father and mother pass from this world into the land of  Vigginata el solious.

'Am I to be allowed to go alone, or must I take a companion?' I question my mother moving out of the spotlight and behind the throne.

'You must take Mela and Zucchero with you, and if you wish you can take Caramelle with you?' mother asks telling me to take Apple, Sugar, and maybe Lollys.

'I think I'll just take Mela and Zuccy,' I say with a smile at her, here behind the throne we can be ourselves without being watched, we can laugh at the fact that someone named their children Apple, Sugar, and Lollys, we can smile.

'Ok my darling, just don't die Silvs, I don't know what I'd do without you,' Mother says pulling me into a hug.

'Princess  Alexandreana?' a page calls, and my mother bows to me, I hate that as a formality she must, I hate that I'm higher in the monarchy than her.

***

I retired to my quarters almost instantly after my mother left me, I had to mingle with some of the couriers and so, of course, I spoke to my favorites; Alizabet, and Zeltaniana(we call him Zelt).

when I arrive at my quarters I see a plate of charliana stew sitting on my Coughar table.

I pick the bowl up and march my way down to the kitchens.

'Which one of you put this in my quarters? I collect my food from the kitchens myself, I have never had it brought to my room apart from when I physically can't walk, or until I was 5 because I wasn't allowed out of my rooms without my mother, so tell me which of you peasants mucked up?' i question and look around the room.

'Nobody has made you your charliana stew yet your highness,' the cook whispers terrified.

'No one is to speak of this, you shall destroy of this soup and I will be down here in ten minutes to collect my proper food if any of you are ever to mention this to anyone,  even each other, you shall have never existed, do you understand?' I ask looking around the kitchen at each and every person's eyes.

I nod and leave the kitchen, one thought running through my head.

the poison wouldn't have worked anyway.