Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 7: 𝓒𝔂𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓭𝓮'𝓼 𝓒𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮

July 18, 1964

My head was pounding with a splitting headache when I woke up. I quickly noticed that I was in my own bedroom. I was confused and not sure what exactly had happened. All I remember is eating a very bland slab of pork, then I seasoned it with salt, and everything from there was kinda fuzzy. I looked over to my nightstand and saw my journal. I reached for it before I was interrupted.

"Your highness?" Someone asked.

I looked up from my journal to see Conroy and my father standing in the doorway, with guilty and sad expressions painted across their faces. I closed the book with a smile.

"Father, Conroy, how good it is to see you!" I replied.

Conroy walked forward first and kneeled in front of me. He drew his sword, which he only kept due to his high rank in the guard, and held it in his shaking hands.

"What are you doing Conroy?"

"Your highness, it is my duty to defend you and lay down my life for yours if necessary, I have failed my duties to defend you, so, I request you to allow me to take my own life, so I may forgive my own shame," He said, just above a whisper.

"Conroy for the love of God, put your sword away, you should not shame yourself, you did not fail me in any way," I replied.

Both men were surprised by my response. I was very confused. Why did he think he failed me? I could see Conroy swallow roughly.

"Y-yes your highness,"

He stood up, nodded to me, and left the room. I locked eyes with my father.

"Are you alright, Josephine?" He asked, unsure of himself.

"As okay as I could be father, I am very confused, what exactly is going on?"

He sat down at the foot of my bed.

"We will find whoever did this to you okay? Whatever noble ordered this, whatever servant or chef spiked your food-"

"Father what is going on!?" I demanded, "What happened to me!?

He froze but recomposed himself.

"You were... poisoned... with cyanide,"

"Poisoned? What's cyanide?"

"It's a very toxic salt, at least that's what Conroy told me, whoever attempted to kill you likely put the poison in the salt you put on your food,"

It started to make sense now.

"It was utter chaos... you appeared disoriented, then your eyes rolled back and you collapsed and began to seize. Your mouth was foaming and I was terrified my daughter was going to die,"

I looked down for a moment. I knew my father loved me, but some of his actions confused me.

"Do you have any idea who might've done this?"

"No... whoever the traitor was, it was likely a staff member trying to achieve a little glory for themselves,"

"Could it possibly have been... mother? She does seem to be rather paranoid of me as of late,"

"Your mother? Please! I don't know where you ever got such a ludicrous idea!"

He thought it was so ridiculous.

"Wait... how did I not die? It seems like it would've been quick,"

"Actually, unlike what movies portray cyanide as, it takes a while and is usually very painful. In fact, you likely unintentionally prevented your own death when you stopped eating. We were quick to get you to the palace hospitals where the doctors pumped your stomach. One also had to repeatedly give you hands-only CPR because... because you had stopped breathing at several points,"

I had really given him a scare hadn't I?

"Where is mother?"

"The stress of her daughter almost dying made her fall asleep once the doctors were sure you survived,"

Somehow I doubted that. But he easily could have been telling the truth.

"Will we find who did this?"

"Of course my shining star, they will not get away with this,"

For obvious reasons, the idea of finding the man or woman who tested my life was reassuring.

"...What is this?" He muttered. 

He grabbed the ball invitation from my nightstand and looked over, and bit my lip. 

"You've been invited to a ball in Athens? You're mother never received an invitation..." 

He looked up at me, "Who invited you, Josephine?" 

"I-I it d-doesn't matter," 

His eyes squinted, "You are an atrocious liar Josephine... tell me who invited you to this ball," 

He was surprisingly calm, though I could tell he wasn't enjoying this conversation. 

"...Sato..." 

"Sato? As in the Jap Prince?"

"Don't call him that father!" I blurted out before covering my mouth.

Had I just shouted at my father? 

"Fine, the Japanese prince? Is that the Sato you are referring to?" 

I hastily nodded, keeping my eyes averting his gaze. 

"Why did he of all people invite you to a ball in Athens?"

Do I have to tell him the truth? How would he react to me being in love with an Asian boy? Would he accept it, reject it, or worse, strike me down?

"I-I..." 

"Tell me, Josephine! Stop stammering!" 

"I'm in love with him dad!" I burst out, with tears rolling down my cheeks.

My dad recoiled in horror, shocked and horrified by what I said. 

"In love... with... an Asian? Why? Why would you do this?" 

My body shook and ached, "Because I don't care about the color of his skin! I love him and he loves me!" 

"You should care what he looks like! I can't believe you'd want to marry someone like him!" 

He practically spitting out his words. I don't know why I'm surprised, I should've expected this...

"I don't want to marry him, father! Just because I love him doesn't mean I want to marry him! Why can't you just accept that I don't wish to marry because I'm fourteen!"

"Because you don't love someone without wanting to marry them, Josephine, that isn't how love works!" 

"Then you don't know how love works!" I snapped back, "It's natural when someone grows up!" 

My father shook his head and I buried my head in my bedsheets, tears staining them. 

"Josephine, I forbid you from going to that ball, and I forbid you from ever speaking to Sato again," My father said coldly.

"What!? Father-"

"My decision is final Josephine," 

"I would like to rest some more,"

"Of course Josephine,"

He kissed my forehead and left the room in a hurry, leaving only a lamp on my nightstand to illuminate the large bedroom. I placed my journal on the nightstand, not willing to rant any longer. I turned out the light. I drifted off into a uncomfortable sleep, knowing that I had survived an attempt on my life.

Were both my parents after me? Well, that didn't matter...

I was strong and nobody could deter that idea from me.