The Lost Princess - A 'Selection' spinoff

CHAPTER 8

Jones pointed to a thin screen on the wall, showing orders of cookies and scones and cupcakes to be delivered for an event at the Queen's solar.

"The Queen does not like tardiness, Miss," Jones warned.

"I'm sure she'll understand once I tell her why I was late," Aurora said, trying to convince herself. 

"If you say so," Jones said, shaking his head and walking away.

"Wait!" Aurora called after him, seeing him turn to face her.  "Is it possible for you to send a few people along with me to deliver this to the servants' quarters?".

Jones smiled and called a few of the interns and had them lift the large pot and follow her. A few others came behind with bowls and spoons.

They quickly walked to the the servants' quarters and kept the pot and the cutlery on a steady wooden table.

Aurora noticed Beth and Eliza among the many maids seated on low couches.

"You look better," she said, approaching them.

"We are," Eliza said, glancing nervously at Beth.

"Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be with the Queen?" Beth asked.

"I am, and I'll be going. But I thought you'd like some broth to strengthen yourselves. I always made it for myself when I fell sick," Aurora said, smiling.

Her maids nodded at her.

"Please take some and let me know if you liked it," she said loudly, looking at the other maids in the room.

She thanked the interns and quickly ran towards the Queen's solar.

It was in a completely different wing, and was quite far away from the servants' quarters. The fact that she couldn't run fast without her bruises aching didn't help either.

She was in the final stretch of corridors, when she saw a young, round faced maid sitting on a staircase, flinching slightly.

She was heavily pregnant, and her bare feet were swollen.

"Excuse me, Miss," Aurora said, approaching the woman, who immediately struggled to stand. "No. Please. Sit. Are you alright?".

"Kind of, yes. Who thought getting pregnant would be easy?" she half complained, pointing at her swollen ankles. "It doesn't help that my sandals tore on the way either. And I'm too lazy to walk all the way to the quarters to get a new pair".

Aurora looked at the block heels on her feet. They were of the newest model, made for extreme comfort despite providing the extra height.

"That's a nice tattoo you have," she said, pointing to the sun shaped tattoo on the maid's exposed legs.

"Thank you!" she said, looking surprised. "Now all I need to do is waddle my way back to the servant's quarters".

"Here," Aurora said, removing her heels. "Wear these. I think we're the same size".

"No, miss I couldn't do that," the woman protested.

"I insist," Aurora said, helping her stand up and slip her feet into the heels.

She nearly moaned at the feel. "Oh thank you".

"You're welcome," Aurora said. "Oh Good Lord. I'm really really late. I've got to go. The Queen's going to kill me".

She didn't wait for the woman to reply and jogged to the solar.

She entered, and curtsied to the Queen who lounged on a low couch, reading a book.

"Why, Lady Aurora. How honored are we for your presence," she said dryly.

She didn't seem very happy. The other Selected began whispering furiously to each other, almost relishing the scene.

Aurora knew that they were quite jealous of the jovial relationship she maintained with the royal

Kate immediately began making her way to Aurora.

"Stop," Queen Elora told her sharply.

"My Queen-".

"Return back to your seat, Lady Katherine. I'm not in the best of moods, so don't tempt me," she said.

Kate stubbornly remained standing. The Queen narrowed her eyes but didn't give her any attention after that.

"You were to come about an hour ago, Lady Aurora. Is this your definition of being fashionably late?" she asked.

"No, my Queen-".

The Queen stopped her with a glance, and took in her appearance - the sweat that had pooled in odd patches on her silk shirt, her now dirty bare feet, her dishevelled hair.

"No manners, no etiquette, no beauty. Why and how on earth were you even Selected?" she asked, in a low voice that somehow carried.

No one dared to snigger or whisper now - the Queen seldom spoke, and even when she did, she was never this cruel.

Everyone looked at her in pity. Katherine seemed to want to burst and speak, but she wisely held her tongue.

Aurora felt dirty, filthy even, as she saw the disgust in the Queen's gaze.

But she wouldn't leave without explaining herself. She was sure the Queen would be remorseful if she told her why she was late.

"Please let me-".

"You may go now," she said, returning back to the book, not sparing her a glance.

Aurora's eyes stung with tears, and she felt ashamed of herself after hearing the tone the Queen used on her.

No.

Why should she be ashamed?

She hadn't done anything wrong.

She turned around, not bothering to curtsy as she walked out of the room.

She heard audible gasps as she did so, but she walked out with her head held high.

Her resolved died the second she stepped out of the solar.

She burst into tears, and ran. 

Ran to wherever her feet took her.