Twisted Beauty (A Sleeping Beauty Tale)

Chapter Thirty-Three

Before I opened my eyes, I thought everything was just a dream. I was tucked into a bed; warm and safe. Drake would be beside me, and everything would be okay. But when I reached out a hand, I felt nothing. My eyes flew open and I scanned the room around me. No, I was not at the manor.

I was in a bedroom, walls painted blue and gold. It was small, and apart from the bed, there was a set of couches and a coffee table on the other side of the room. With no window to allow light inside, the room was lit solely by a few candles. Despite the room's elegance, it seemed dark and gloomy.

Kicking the blankets off, I found myself still in my ballgown – definitely not a dream, then. The first thought that came to my mind was to try the door, but before I was even halfway across the room, it opened and Diane stepped through. She wore a simple yet elegant dress, and the sight of her collar buttoned to her throat almost startled me – I had become so accustomed to the Kallis attire.

With a curled lip, she looked me over and said, "You look like a whore." Blunt, cold words.

I waited for any feeling to enter my chest, but none did. My expression remained passive as I surveyed her. For years, I had looked up to her, but after the sudden cruelty and lies, I found that I felt nothing for this woman. So, I silently folded my arms, daring her to continue.

"Do sit, love," she said, walking towards the couches. I contemplated being stubborn, but that would get me nowhere and I needed answers. We sat together in a tense silence, each waiting for the other to break. And to my shame, it was me.

"Where am I?"

Her lip quirked into something like a smile, and with a dramatic wave of her hand, she said, "Welcome to the rebellion." I stilled, unsure how to react. In the letter she sent me over a month ago, she mentioned that there were rebels who didn't want the kingdoms to unite. And yet Maalik said that was not their goal. "No response?"

"That doesn't answer my question." I almost jolted with surprise at my tone. It was . . . cold. Never before had I spoken like that. "I would also like to know why I'm here."

Diane clicked her tongue, leaning back with an almost fond look. "You're here because I love you and want you protected. Things will be getting messy very soon, and I would hate for my daughter to die unnecessarily."

I opened my mouth to ask what exactly would be happening, but froze as I replayed her words. "What did you just call me?" Her smirk deepened and I felt a wave of dread wash over me. But she remained silent, watching the emotions flicker in my eyes. Finally, I snapped, "Tell me."

An almost wistful sigh left her lips, and her eyes became distant, as if thinking back eighteen years. "You see, sweetheart, your Aunt Beatrice couldn't have children – something she found out months after becoming queen. She was utterly distraught upon finding out, feeling like a failure. After all, what good is a queen if she cannot produce an heir? What would the people think? She feared that they would force your father to remove her title and cast her aside.

"I came to visit when I heard what was wrong, and seeing my sister so upset hurt me. But as you know, young one, I have magic. And it was easy enough to devise a plan that would stop Beatrice from losing her title – I would bear the child for her."

"Father would never agree to that," I said quietly. Her smile widened.

"But he didn't know it was me." Diane closed her eyes for a moment, and with a sigh, her appearance suddenly transformed. Her dark hair became fair and streaked with silver, and upon staring into her eyes, I saw my mother. Horror seeped through my veins. "Once I became pregnant, we revealed what we had done. He was horrified and refused to speak to either of us for weeks. But he soon understood the importance of it all, and was proud to have a daughter."