Marthandia

Chapter 4

"What?" I croaked as the tears started streaming down my face. "Mags." she croaked back pulling me into another hug. This time I clung to her as if she was going to disappear.

"Where have you been?" I asked. "Well, I have been ruling this wonderful land." she said. "Ruling?" I echoed not quite understanding.

"I am the Queen." she said. "What?" I whispered. "I know, it's a lot to take in." My mother said.

"My dear granddaughter ,come here." my grandmother said hugging me fiercely. I pulled away and took a step back.

"Why have I never seen you before?" I asked. "Oh, I wish I could've been with you to watch you grow up." my mom said.

"You had a responsibility as a leader." my grandmother said. "I had a responsibility as a mother!" my mom said.

"Everything I did, I did for the good of this kingdom!" my grandmother said. "You sent a Night-flyer to take me away from my husband and my daughter." my mom yelled.

"What is a Night-flyer? What are you talking about?" I asked. "Come on, why don't you and I go on a tour of the palace and I will tell you everything." my mom said.

"You stay here." my mom said as my grandmother tried to follow.

As my mom led me through the palace, she started to tell me what had happened all those years ago.

"I have lived here my whole life Margaret, but while I was on vacation, I met your dad. I fell for him instantly, and I didn't want to go back and become Queen. In Marthandia kings and queens retire early and my coronation was coming up. After a year of dating your father and hiding from my mother, we got married. It was a small affair but it was beautiful."

"A few months later we found out I was pregnant. We could not have been happier. I was living my dream life; I had a lovely family and I had a normal job. It was everything I wanted but could not get here. I should have known it wouldn't last though. One night, when you were about ten months old, a window was blown open in your nursery. When I went to close it a Night-flyer snatched me up and brought me back to Marthandia. A Night-flyer is a large eagle-like creature.  The agents use them sometimes." My mother said.

I had not noticed but we were in another large room, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and Persian rugs on the floor.

"My mother would not let me go back; she had me watched right up until the coronation. I had been defeated. I never told her about you. She must have found out from someone else."

"She urged me to remarry and to have a child; an heir. I didn't listen to her though; you and your father will always be my family, not anyone else." my mother smiled defiantly.

"I wish I could have been there for you, I am so sorry." she said. "I don't know, I... I don't know how to react to any of this." I said. "That is okay. Why don't I show you to your room? I am sure you are tired. You should rest." My mother said. I nodded absent-mindedly.

"Here we are." my mom said after leading me through several hallways and up a winding staircase. She opened an old door at the top of the stairs and I followed her into a room.

"This is your bedroom." my mother said. The room was simple, but huge. A four-poster white bed stood against the back wall. I dumped my backpack on a large wooden desk in the corner of the room. Fairy lights were strung from the roof beams and lit the room with a soft light. The room was in one of the turrets and looked out onto the gardens. Jasmine crept through the windows. The room was filled with their aroma.

"Wow " I said. "I thought you would like it." she said. "I will leave you to un-pack and think things over." she said. "And I will come fetch for dinner at eight." she said over her shoulder as she closed the door.