The Lost Rose

Chapter 10

After spending the rest of the afternoon with Cam, we went to the meeting together. This week it takes place in the West palace.

We meet  in a different palace each time.

Eden could have a room that is neutral, where we all meet, in the center of the city for example. But by going to one of the four palace each time shows that there are four kingdoms united into one. Not just one kingdom.

In all meetings rooms, there is a similar table to the one in the south palace. A long, oval, wooden table where the 7 regents and 6 heirs all sit down. The north part of the table is where Queen Helena and Aris are seated. The east part is for Queen Katherine, King Frederic, Mason and Indira. The south part is for Uncle Jacob and me and the west part is where Queen Selena, King Matthew, Chase and Cam are seated.

- Rumors are spreading that people are saying they saw strange things happen in the North, near the forest, King Matthew says.

- What kind of strange things? My uncle asks.

- Shadows, ghosts... That is what their stories are about.

- Ghosts! Queen Selena exclaims, what else? This is all folklore.

- People are still terrified from 18 years ago, Queen Helena says, they think...

- Please, don't say his name! Queen Katherine stops her, her hand in the air.

Everybody looks at her.

- I understand their fear but now what we should really focus on are the riots that happened in a few towns now, she continues.

- Riots? Mason asks, I've never heard of that.

- That is because we don't want the information to spread, King Frederic says. The people are complaining about the last wheat harvests that weren't enough.

- What can we do to help them? It's only located in one part of Eden, right? Queen Helena says. We could share the wheat and harvest from the other parts of Eden. We have had a good harvest in the north, we could share?

- It's really kind of you Helena but we also need to find out what happened, Uncle Jacob says.

I take notes, as best as I can. I never speak in these meetings. I could but I honestly think they wouldn't want to hear me out.

- Well, stories and rumors are circulating about bad omens and a "curse" on Eden. Especially in the west, Queen Selena says.

- Do you believe in every tales and stories people tell? Queen Katherine asks. This is nonsense!

- What about the recent storms? It is often seen as a sign of approaching danger, Cameron says.

- It's summer Cameron. Storms happen all of the time, King Matthew tells him.

- Okay, maybe but what about...

But he can't finish his sentence because Queen Katherine interrupts him.

- We need to start the second part of the meeting now. You can leave, she says, looking at all of us, her gaze stopping on me.

I can tell she doesn't like me; she is always looking at me with disdain and maybe it's just me, but she always looks haughty and bitter.

Good thing I don't like her either.

Queen Katherine isn't a really nice woman; I can see she craves power and puts way too much pressure on her children.

I guess she doesn't like me because she might think I am not a real princess or at least should've never been brought here.

Uncle Jacob told me that she used to be jealous of my mother when they were around my age. She was such a gorgeous person with a beautiful soul that Queen Katherine envied her.