The Queen's Maid

Six

On the dining table, all of my family sit nervously as they wait for me to open and read the announcement letter. I open the envelope slowly, trembling as I go. I pull out the letter and fold it open. My hands keep shaking as I hold the letter tighter. I take a deep breath and read it.

To Anne Ashton
At Pinewood Hill,

I, The King of this powerful and beloved country, represent my beloved wife, Queen Alessandra, to choose you to become one of her maid in our palace. Starting from next week and so on, you will be working in our palace until the time I dismiss you. For the sake of your work, I ban you from going out of the palace without my permission.

Thank you for your loyalty to this country and your obedience to the law of this country. And thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

King Carlton Luxford

I keep staring at the letter, didn't believe of what I just read. I lift my face up from the letter and take a glance at my mom, dad, Luna and Sam one by one. Sadness sweeps across their faces as they lower their faces. Sadness hits my heart in a painful way. I stare at my dinner blankly as thoughts running in my head.

This is really happening. The royal family really chose me. And the queen herself chose me to be her maid.

"But-but what about us?" Sam stutters, waking everyone, including me, from our dazes. Tears begin to fall from his eyes as my eyes land on his face.

"Can't you just stay here? Can't you just work here?" His voice shaky as he asks that.

Lump forms in my throat with tears pooling in my eyes, blurring my vision slightly as I try to let some words out from my lips.

"I'm sorry, Sam. I can't. I can't do that." I press my lips into a thin line, trying to hold back my tears from falling, but failed. As I blink my eyes once, tears falling down both of my eyes.

"But I promise," I stare at all of them. "I promise I will send a letter here every time I can to." A reassuring smile forme on my face as I say the last word softly.

"But-but it's not the same." Luna sobs quietly. I turn my head and look at her. She looks down at her lap in sadness.

"We usually see you everyday. We can't see you for years. We can't see each other any-"

"No, Luna." I cut her in mid sentence and her head snaps up at me. "Of course we can see each other again. Sooner or later. Maybe the royal family didn't need me for a long time so they just sent me home."

"But it's no guarantee you will be coming back here." She stares at her lap with tears streaming down from her face. Silence sweeps across the room as those words throw out from her mouth. After god knows how long, the silence break by mom's words.

"About you're coming back or not, it's the royal family matters. We can't do anything to stop Anne from working at the palace. And we can't make you come back without the king permission." She closes her eyes and took in a deep breath and let it out silently and open her eyes.

"All we can do is let Anne go."

I wish I could erase the sadness from those faces. But I can't.

What could I do to make them happy anyway? Telling them that I will stay here no matter what until the royal staff come dragging me to the palace and punish me because I break the law? Of course I can't. It'll only make things a lot more worse. It'll only make them sadder. They would be mourning over me. And I can't let that happen.

There's no way we can fight the royal family and break the law.