The Crown

Chapter Twenty Four

Tobias stared at himself in the mirror above his dressor.

He fixed his sleeves and cuffs, trying to look as presentable as he could. In all honesty, he had no intention of dressing up and keeping appearance; it had been a couple of days since Beatrice retreated to her bedroom to think over the contract. He knew she had not left the castle yet, but her words made it seem like it would happen any day.

He groaned, reliving the memories of that day. And the day that preceded it. His mother's rabid attack.

Tobias fixed himself in the mirror once more, reaching for his collar. He started to arrange it when the memory of Beatrice fixing it for him filled his mind. He faltered, imagining her in front of him once more, smiling up at him.

Pained, he finished his collar and reached for the satin pillow atop his dressor. His crown. He took a deep breath and placed it on top of his head, glancing up at the mirror to see his appearance.

Tobias turned away from the mirror, not wanting to see such a dismayed young prince any longer.

Upon leaving the bedroom, the guard saluted the prince. "Your Highness, the carriage has arrived."

Tobias nodded and left, heading down to greet the carriage. This meeting was arranged through the prince solely; Tobias wanted desperately to conclude the whole ordeal of the attack once and for all. He longed to be able to leave the wretched day in the past, along with all its consequences.

The coachman opened the door to the carriage as Matthew stepped out. He looked up at the castle and smiled, delighted to be able to return. He hurriedly walked up the steps, eager to meet with the prince, but also to reconcile with someone he had left behind hours before the attack.

Someone he believed to still be waiting.

"Your Highness," Matthew beamed, bowing.

Tobias was surprised to find him in such a good mood. "I am glad you could make it, Matthew. Let us get right down to it, shall we?"

"I agree; there are things I want to do before my carriage leaves once more," he explained.

Tobias nodded slowly, unsure of what Matthew meant. "As you might have picked up from my letter, my mother is not awakening. She has been in a sleep trance since her incident."

"Your letters were a bit vague in description. I brought some of the organization's scientists and doctors to inspect the Queen," Matthew explained.

"To be honest, I do not understand the incident myself," he sighed as they turned into the hospital wing. "My mother had been visibly pale and ill since the attack, but such moods came and went. We thought it was a consequence of her drinking."

Matthew and Tobias walked into the Queen's private room. Matthew slowed his steps at the sight of her. He reached out to touch her skin, retracting it at how cold her skin felt.

He glanced and beckoned for the scientists and doctors he brought to examine as he returned back to the prince's side, urging him to continue the report.

"And then, her eyes rolled back and she declared in the third person that she needed to assassinate my father and I," Tobias finished. "She would have succeeded had her dress not impeded on her endurance. She tripped and fell face front. She has not woken up since."

Matthew crossed his arms, furrowing his brows. "We have seen this before. Once," he quickly hurried to the bed side.

Unorthodoxly, Matthew held the Queen by her shoulders and turned her on her side. Tobias widened his eyes in shock, stepping forward. He almost demanded him to unhand his mother, but Matthew was quicker.