The Smile of the Clown

Chapter 15

With Prince Carl's mother out of their hair, the King and Queen of the Northern kingdom barely had two days of peace before a new visitor was at their doorstep.

As she walked down the hallway, Princess Abigail paused at the sound of whispering.

"Have you heard?" whispered one of the maids at Duke Seaver's estate.

"About what?"

"About the woman that came to see her Majesty!?" she whispered yelled.

"Oh yes! I heard she's a disfigured woman that's blind in her right eye, and that her Majesty invited her to stay in a guest room in the royal castle!"

"Exactly! It's so odd!"

"It really is! Do we even know who this woman is?"

"No, apparently she came from far."

"Oh my, I wonder what her connection to her Majesty is."

Having heard enough, Princess Abigail turned around and left. Not many people fit that description, but she knew one person that she was now sure had a connection to the Queen.

Sneaking passed the castle soldiers without notice, Princess Abigail searched for a moment until she found the room the Queen's guest was staying in.

Pausing on the balcony at the sight of her mother who she hadn't seen in seven years, Princess Abigail took a moment to get used to the idea of her mother actually being right in front of her before knocking on the window.

Hearing the knock, Mrs Villin looked up and froze in shock.

There was no way. There was just absolutely no way her daughter was standing on her balcony, right? Right, she had to be dreaming, but- but she looked so real and similar to her precious Abigail.

No matter how much time passed, a mother could always recognise her daughter.

Standing in a daze, Mrs Villin gravitated over to the balcony and opened the window door to reach out and touch Princess Abigail's cheek slowly as if she would vanish if she moved too fast.

"Abigail," she mumbled in awe. "you're really here."

Princess Abigail just stood perfectly still as if she didn't dare move. All she could do was hum in response.

At her confirmation, Mrs Villin huffed a laugh before tears fell as she embraced Princess Abigail who went rigid for a second before melting in her warmth and hugging her back.

"Oh, my daughter! My baby! My sweet daughter! You're back! You're back in mother's arms!" cried Mrs Villin bringing tears to Princess Abigail's eyes.

"Yes mom, I'm back." she soothed sniffing.

For a moment, the world was reduced to just them and the feeling of being in each other embrace which they both so craved so much before they separated.

"Let's go in," said Mrs Villin pulling her inside to sit with her. "what brings you here?" she asked once they were seated her hand on her daughter's knee.

Princess Abigail showed her the two sketched portraits. "I wanted to know more about this," she replied watching as her mother went stiff. "this is you as a baby, right?"

Mrs Villin took the sketched portraits, looked at them for a moment and sighed.

"Yes, that's me." she eventually replied looking down at the sketched portraits still.

"Then..."

"Yes, I am related to the Queen and Duke Seaver. I'm their older half-sister," she admitted a sad look in her eyes as she continued to look at the sketched portraits.