Something Extraordinary

Chapter Thirty-One - Eviana's Life

Azalea flipped through the pages silently. It was a Saturday afternoon and she was hidden away in the library with a book again. She had tried offering to teach Francesca to read, but the girl hasn't been very interested. There were other things she would rather do on a sunny afternoon free of work, but not Azalea. She loved burying her nose in a good book.

Renée often joined her in the afternoons to read and talk, but she had been quite busy today. Azalea had seen her hurrying around the castle several times, but hadn't wanted to interrupt as the Queen appeared quite stressed. She didn't mind spending an afternoon alone either, despite her thoughts shifting to Renée every so often.

The sunlight shone in through the windows and bathed her in light. Azalea yawned softly. It was almost like a warm blanket. The words on the page in front of her seemed to dance, making her feel dazed. Her eyelids started to feel heavier with each passing second.

"Evi..."

"Evi. Evi!"

The young child turned around and smiled brightly at her mother. "Mama!"

"Evi honey, what did I say about trying to jump into the fountain?" The Queen walked over with a stern expression. She donned a beautiful deep red dress that reached the floor, her hair falling in ringlets to frame her elegant heart-shaped face. Her big eyes and her daughter's were practically mirror images.

"Sorry mama...I wanted to go swimming."

The Queen sighed. "Evi darling, we have a pool, and you need to be watched by the maids while you're in the water. You can't just run off."

"But mama...I want to swim with the birds there..." the young princess whined.

Azalea blinked as the library came back into focus. She looked around in confusion. Maybe she had been digging too deep into the diary previously. Yes... that was probably why. Before she could process anything else however, another scene formed in her mind.

The Queen held her young daughter's hand as they paced through the gardens. It appeared to be summertime. The flowers were in full bloom of multifarious colours. The princess stopped to pick one and offered it to her smiling mother.

"Thank you, my darling." She smiled fondly at her young daughter and they stopped to sit on the bench that was situated in the centre of the flower maze. "Your father had this built for me, you know. I loved coming here to admire all the flowers from the centre."

"Have you ever gotten lost, mama?" The princess asked in awe.

The Queen chuckled. "I know this place like the back of my hand. I've been here many times."

"Over a hundred??" Eviana gasped, causing the Queen to laugh again.

"Yes my darling, over a hundred."

Eviana settled on the bench, resting against her mother. "Mama, why won't father join us anymore?"

The Queen turned and gently brushed a strand of hair from her daughter's face. "Evi, darling, your father loves spending time with us. Never doubt that. He's been very busy lately."

"With the war?"

"Where did you hear that?" Eviana jumped slightly at the urgency in her mother's tone. The Queen sighed. "There is no war, Evi. There have just been some tensions among the nations and your father is worried. He wants to resolve matters before they get out of hand...keep us all safe." She explained to the young princess, who nodded.

"We are safe, right mama? We'll all be okay."

The Queen smiled and nodded in assurance, which was mirrored by Eviana.