Chapter 1
She stormed inside her mother’s room, outraged by the news she was given not long ago. “Mother! Mother!” her distressed voice evident as she made her way to the middle of the room. A hand slamming against the study table, “What have you done?”
Her mother, clearly not affected by her sudden outburst, finished her writing and carefully placed her quill back to its case. “Everything that a mother is supposed to, my child.” She replied, matter-of-factly.
“You know I can’t be married.” She brought her hand to her temple, feeling a surge of pain through it. “I cannot, for the love of God, be married to another woman, Mother. You know that.”
“What are you saying? Of course you do,” Her mother stood up and walked over to her, motioning her to sit, “or have you forgotten that you are King Nicolas IV, England’s dutiful King; any woman would be willing to be wed to you, my dear.”
“Only I am not a man Mother, or have you also forgotten that?” She buried her face onto her palm as her mother kneel in front of her.
“Oh my child. Nicole, look at me.” Her mother said, voice tender and lovingly. She took her hands into hers. “Look at me, please.” and she did so. “That was never beyond my knowledge, never, till I draw my last breath and cease to exist. Do you hear me? Never.”
Nicole combed her hair - short and a much darker shade than scarlet- with her fingers, knowing how she’s already lost the argument. Her mother could do anything close to grim but she’ll always have a way around it and will manage to avoid getting caught, always; knowing full well how the Queen had accomplished to fool everyone, even her early-diseased beloved husband, with the fact that their handsome son, is in reality, a beautiful daughter.
Nicole knew that this, whatever her mother is planning now, is incomparable to what she had done 24 years ago.
“I am merely saying that you’re now of age for a company.”
“But mother, we are not certain of this lady you are pairing me with. She will find out eventually, and when she does, what then? They will kill us both. You, for bearing a daughter that you have raised as a man and me, for abiding such deception.” She stood up, fear apparent in her eyes. “Do you not understand that?”
“I do, child. I do.” Her mother took her in her arms. “I have understood every stride I took for your sake Nicole, I always have.”
She was then reminded that the queen, who was holding her ever so tightly, had been once prompted to be stripped off her title and be exiled if she were to deny the King again of a son after having several miscarriages and a still-born child. And Nicole, capable of discerning what driven her mother for doing such action though indisputably preposterous but still in good faith, hugged back; she can never be mad at her own mother who did nothing but love her unconditionally and protect her with her own life, as she did so many times ago.
“Please live long mother, for I don’t know how to face the world without you.” She had whispered to her mother’s ear. It earned her a smile and an earnest reply, “I will not leave this life, not till I know you are tended.”
She stormed inside her mother’s room, yet again, outraged by the news she received not long ago. “Mother! Mother!” her distressed voice evident as she made her way to the middle of the room. A hand slamming against the study table, “What have you done?”
Her mother, clearly not affected by her sudden outburst, yet again, finished her writing and carefully placed her quill back to its case. “Everything that a mother is supposed to.” She replied, matter-of-factly. “I’ve already told you that. Must I always repeat myself, my child?”
“No mother, but,” She brought her hand to her temple, feeling a surge of pain through it. “when you told me that you will pair me up with someone, I didn’t know you chose three.” She held out her hand with three fingers sticking up. “Three mother, three!”
Her mother stood up and walked over to her, motioning her to sit, “Well, it’s best to have some variety. I will not wed you to someone I chose if you’re not comfortable with her.” Her mother sat on the chair across her and explained further, “This way, you’ll get to choose and decide who you perceive is the best. Last say will be yours alone.”
She buried her face onto her palm. “That is not the point, mother.”
“Then what is? Do you not wish to have a say in choosing your future consort?” Her mother asked warily.
“I would gladly take whoever and whatever you choose for me mother, like I have always done day after day since I was born. I always rely to you, you know that. But must you really ask me to choose between three girls, between siblings?”
“The Earp girls are all suitable for you, though I admit their personalities are quite perceptibly diverse and might really be handful at times as their mother forenamed, but I honestly think they’re the best candidates.” The queen stood up, mentioning that she has a prior engagement she has to attend do, but before she walked out of the door, she voiced out, “But if you intend to have my opinion, the youngest born, Waverly, suits you more.”