The Cursed Throne
Emmeline
Emmy paced the floor of her bedchambers. Her heart broke at the thought of the Philyan people, much less Theo and Henry, going off to war. She also worried for Gen, who would have to leave the kingdom to get married. Emmy had known all along that something like this would happen eventually, though she had hoped with all her heart that it wouldn't happen.
There was a soft knocking at her door. Emmy stopped pacing and straightened her dress.
"Who is it?" she called.
"Princess," a gruff voice called. "My name is Benjamin. I am one of the guards assigned to you. I wanted to let you know that we will be right outside your door should you need anything." Emmeline sighed. So it had begun.
"Thank you Benjamin," she replied, sitting on her bed. Emmy wished one of her siblings would turn up to sit with her. She was still worrying about all of them.
Emmy, we need to speak. Emmy smiled, feeling instantly at ease after hearing her brother's voice. She hurried to get ready for bed before her brother reached her bed chamber.
When Henry entered her room, Emmy was sitting on top of her bed, sewing together a good luck charm for Theo. Their Father had said Theo would be fighting in the war, and she would hate for him to go without something to have for good luck. Emmy was sewing him a handkerchief. It was small so he could always have it with him.
"I saw your face at dinner," Henry spoke, sitting on the edge of her bed. Emmeline continued sewing, nodding at her brother. "I know you're nervous."
"Oh Hen! I'm terrified!" Emmy exploded, emotion clear in her voice. "What will happen when the war begins? Will Theo be sent away, just like that? Will mother really let father send Gen to get married? And Ada? What will happen when it's just the three of us? Who's to say that father won't start sending us away to be married and join wars?" Emmy was beginning to be frantic, and Henry could tell. Henry placed his hand on his sister's knee.
"Everything will be fine Em. You'll see. You shouldn't worry about these things. Let the men worry about the fighting." Emmeline sighed and nodded, placing her sewing on her bedside table.
"I suppose you're right. It does me no good fretting over what cannot be changed." Henry nodded, standing up. He pulled back the covers and motioned for his sister to get under them.
"It's been a long day," Henry murmured. "You should get some rest. The next few weeks are going to be hard on everyone." Emmy nodded, smiling softly at her brother as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight Hen."
"Goodnight Em."
The next morning Emmeline awoke just before sunrise. She hurried to get ready, intent on finding her mother before she would be made to start her classes. Upon exiting her room, she found her two new guards, Benjamin, and one she'd never met before. They both stood to attention, watching her intently.
"Good morning Benjamin. Good morning..."
"Theodore, miss."
"Good morning Theodore. It's very nice to meet you." Benjamin and Theodore followed after the young princess as she walked the palace to find her mother. Eventually, after a few minutes of searching, Emmeline found the Queen in the garden.
"Mother!" Emmy exclaimed eagerly. The Queen glanced up, smiling at her daughter.
"Oh Emmeline. Good morning, dear." Emmeline grinned, waving off her guards so she could walk next to her mother. They stood at the entrance to the garden, never taking their eyes off of her.
"Mother, I'm worried for the others. Theo going off to war, Gen for marriage. What does it mean for the rest of us? What does it mean for Philyan?" The Queen placed an arm around her daughter, taking an unsteady breath.
The truth was, Niathina had no idea what going to war meant for her younger children, other than their entire lives being flipped. They would be losing their two older siblings, she would be losing two of her children. It was something she wished would never happen, though she knew it must in order for their Kingdom to survive. The Queen kissed her daughter's temple, hugging her close.
"My dear, what I love most about you is your ability to love. You love the others, and the Kingdom, so much, that you are worrying yourself, and soon that beautiful quality will start to worry others. Theodore and Genevieve will be perfectly safe. I do not believe that this war will be the end of Theodore, but the first time the Kingdom will see all of his amazing qualities as a leader. And Gen is only doing what is expected of her, as will you, when the time comes. In the meantime, you and Ada will be expected to meet with Genevieve and I to get classes on all you will need to know in order to become the perfect wife and, one day, the perfect Queen. Henry will meet with your father to learn all the he must know to be the leading male here at the palace. There is no need for you to lose sleep, because everything will continue on as it has been, with only a small amount of change." Niathina tried to believe what she was telling her child, but she felt a pang of sadness deep within her breast that wouldn't release. And then, it was gone. Replaced with a feeling of serenity and security.
The Queen sat in the garden with Emmeline, watching as the sun climbed its way into the sky. Emmy took a deep breath, holding in the tears she felt coming. If her mother felt so terrified, there was no way she meant all the pleasant things she spoke of.
There was a soft knocking at her door. Emmy stopped pacing and straightened her dress.
"Who is it?" she called.
"Princess," a gruff voice called. "My name is Benjamin. I am one of the guards assigned to you. I wanted to let you know that we will be right outside your door should you need anything." Emmeline sighed. So it had begun.
"Thank you Benjamin," she replied, sitting on her bed. Emmy wished one of her siblings would turn up to sit with her. She was still worrying about all of them.
Emmy, we need to speak. Emmy smiled, feeling instantly at ease after hearing her brother's voice. She hurried to get ready for bed before her brother reached her bed chamber.
When Henry entered her room, Emmy was sitting on top of her bed, sewing together a good luck charm for Theo. Their Father had said Theo would be fighting in the war, and she would hate for him to go without something to have for good luck. Emmy was sewing him a handkerchief. It was small so he could always have it with him.
"I saw your face at dinner," Henry spoke, sitting on the edge of her bed. Emmeline continued sewing, nodding at her brother. "I know you're nervous."
"Oh Hen! I'm terrified!" Emmy exploded, emotion clear in her voice. "What will happen when the war begins? Will Theo be sent away, just like that? Will mother really let father send Gen to get married? And Ada? What will happen when it's just the three of us? Who's to say that father won't start sending us away to be married and join wars?" Emmy was beginning to be frantic, and Henry could tell. Henry placed his hand on his sister's knee.
"Everything will be fine Em. You'll see. You shouldn't worry about these things. Let the men worry about the fighting." Emmeline sighed and nodded, placing her sewing on her bedside table.
"I suppose you're right. It does me no good fretting over what cannot be changed." Henry nodded, standing up. He pulled back the covers and motioned for his sister to get under them.
"It's been a long day," Henry murmured. "You should get some rest. The next few weeks are going to be hard on everyone." Emmy nodded, smiling softly at her brother as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight Hen."
"Goodnight Em."
The next morning Emmeline awoke just before sunrise. She hurried to get ready, intent on finding her mother before she would be made to start her classes. Upon exiting her room, she found her two new guards, Benjamin, and one she'd never met before. They both stood to attention, watching her intently.
"Good morning Benjamin. Good morning..."
"Theodore, miss."
"Good morning Theodore. It's very nice to meet you." Benjamin and Theodore followed after the young princess as she walked the palace to find her mother. Eventually, after a few minutes of searching, Emmeline found the Queen in the garden.
"Mother!" Emmy exclaimed eagerly. The Queen glanced up, smiling at her daughter.
"Oh Emmeline. Good morning, dear." Emmeline grinned, waving off her guards so she could walk next to her mother. They stood at the entrance to the garden, never taking their eyes off of her.
"Mother, I'm worried for the others. Theo going off to war, Gen for marriage. What does it mean for the rest of us? What does it mean for Philyan?" The Queen placed an arm around her daughter, taking an unsteady breath.
The truth was, Niathina had no idea what going to war meant for her younger children, other than their entire lives being flipped. They would be losing their two older siblings, she would be losing two of her children. It was something she wished would never happen, though she knew it must in order for their Kingdom to survive. The Queen kissed her daughter's temple, hugging her close.
"My dear, what I love most about you is your ability to love. You love the others, and the Kingdom, so much, that you are worrying yourself, and soon that beautiful quality will start to worry others. Theodore and Genevieve will be perfectly safe. I do not believe that this war will be the end of Theodore, but the first time the Kingdom will see all of his amazing qualities as a leader. And Gen is only doing what is expected of her, as will you, when the time comes. In the meantime, you and Ada will be expected to meet with Genevieve and I to get classes on all you will need to know in order to become the perfect wife and, one day, the perfect Queen. Henry will meet with your father to learn all the he must know to be the leading male here at the palace. There is no need for you to lose sleep, because everything will continue on as it has been, with only a small amount of change." Niathina tried to believe what she was telling her child, but she felt a pang of sadness deep within her breast that wouldn't release. And then, it was gone. Replaced with a feeling of serenity and security.
The Queen sat in the garden with Emmeline, watching as the sun climbed its way into the sky. Emmy took a deep breath, holding in the tears she felt coming. If her mother felt so terrified, there was no way she meant all the pleasant things she spoke of.