Romance In The Castle

Chapter 2 ..:.. Necklace

‘The Necklace’ --->

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Necklace

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The next morning, Jeanette woke me up at the crack of dawn, a dozen red roses arrived at my door and Aaron was waiting under my window again.

Jeanette dressed me in my ruby red dress today, embrodied with the finest rubies from Spain. After she had clasped my necklace together and gathering my hair into a tight braid, she informed me of a meeting in the throne room. The weekly meeting had been cancelled for something more special.

“This is so exciting! The last time the meeting had been cancelled was to inform the Court of the Queen’s pregnancy!”

“Oh Jeanette don’t be so silly. The king has died. There is no possible way the Queen is pregnant. I do hope it is nothing bad.”

“You are ready Lady Rodriguez. Prince Aaron will faint when he sees how beautiful you are.”  

I giggled. “I hope not.”

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“Riella! I have something for you.” Aaron wrapped his arms around my waist and produced a velvet box.

“Aaron, I told you no more gifts. It is too much.” I protested, but he held a finger to my lips.

“Consider it a very early birthday present.” I smiled, gently opened the box. Inside was a beautiful necklace, a black gem shaped in a heart.

“It’s beautiful, but why black.”

“To signify you’ve taken away my black heart, leaving all that is good. Without you, my heart would always be black.” I ran my fingers over the gem, the smoothness toughing my fingers.

“It’s beautiful.” I breathed.

“As are you.”

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We all entered the Throne Room, anticipation in the air. Every Lord and Lady, Duke and Duchess, servant or visitor was wondering what was so exciting. We all took our places, the royal family up the front, Ladies and Lords behind them, and so on to the servants up the backs. They were all in their best uniforms, not a speck of dust or grime on their shirts.

I was standing beside’s Peter and Triella with the other Ladies in Waiting and Lords of the Court. They too were all elaborately dresses, the deepest of colours, the finest of silk and expensive jewellery.

The Queen stepped out from behind the curtain, her dresses a plain sky blue, with lace running up and down her arms. Aaron was beside her, looking grim. A hollow feeling appeared in my stomach.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen of the court, and welcome to all our guests.”

A few murmurs of ‘Good morning your majesty’ rang out. Normally, the Queen would have asked for a louder response, but today she seemed pleasant, happy even. She was beaming from ear to ear.

“I am guessing you all are wondering why today’s annual meeting was cancelled for something extra special. It has been a while since a meeting has been cancelled, thirteen years in fact!”

There was a few nodding of heads as I kept my eyes trained on Aaron. He was staring at the ground, eyes low and sad. He looked like my father when mother had died.