Bad Blood

Chapter 8: The letter

"What am I supposed to write down in the letter?"

Louisa took a sip from her cup of coffee before looking at the still empty piece of paper that was supposed to be a letter from Felicity to Amelia. "Whatever you like."

"Why would you want to meet up with her, for example." Alden went on, seeing his daughter was struggling.

Felicity looked back at the empty piece of paper. "I think I'd like to talk about the kiss," She then looked up at her parents, as if asking for their approval. "We need to discuss it, I think."

Louisa nodded. "That's a good start."

"Where will you meet?" Alden then helped.

Felicity nodded and started writing, she seemed to finally know what to write down to Amelia. She wanted it to be good, not too personal but not too distant either. She wanted Amelia to come so they could talk, but that's it. Or so she thought.

"When will you meet?" Louisa went on.

Felicity smiled as she was completing her letter. She felt like she finally knew what to say and how to handle these feelings she might or might not have.

Then she stopped, she was done. She read the letter in her head, going over the message, making sure it was perfect.

Then she put the letter down on the table. "What if she doesn't come?" Felicity was suddenly overcome with doubts.

"Why wouldn't she come?" Louisa asked, putting her hand on Felicity's. "I'm sure she'd like to talk about that kiss too."

Alden nodded. "She's not a bad person, I'm sure you've noticed."

Felicity looked down at her letter, she couldn't help but wonder that Amelia might not want to see her again. She wasn't the best to Amelia after the kiss, she had turned her away basically.

"Maybe try to lure her here with something else," Alden then suddenly suggested. "Tell her we'd like to go over something for the alliance."

Louisa gasped. "You mean, she has to lie?"

Alden slowly nodded.

"No!" Louisa shook her head. "We're not going that low."

Alden looked from Louisa to his daughter. "Just tell her that. Once she's here, you can talk."

"But what if she won't like that?"

"I'll tell her I wrote to her because I was worried about you," Alden smiled, caressing his daughter's cheek. "She'll understand."

Felicity nodded and then took a fresh piece of paper, and started writing.

___________________________

"We're all pleased your meeting with the King and Queen of the Northern Kingdom went well, Princess." Lord Ernest said, he seemed pleased. Amelia wondered if he thought she wouldn't succeed. "We've heard nothing but good feedback from our people at the party. Though some have said you disappeared for a bit."

Now everyone looked at Amelia, and Amelia dreaded this question. She knew someone must've seen her leave with Felicity, but it didn't seem like they knew. "I was out, getting a bit of fresh air. It was a bit overwhelming at first."

Lord Ernest nodded and seemed satisfied with that comment, he sat down again. "So our alliance with our Northern neighbors seems to be just fine," He then looked around the table. "I think that's a big win."

"We should be wary though," Lord Rufus, the second oldest member of this council, said. "We can't trust those Northerners."

"Absolutely," Prince Piers then went on, throwing more oil on the fire. "Now that our leadership has weakened, they will try anything to get to us."

Amelia looked away. Why did they have to do this? Everything was fine, everything went well, why ruin it? Why make her feel like she's worth nothing? Why say bad things about people that welcomed them into their home? Why?

"Princess Amelia," Lord Ernest then said, gaining everyone's attention. "What did you think of the Northerners?"

Amelia looked at the bunch of Northerner haters. What was she supposed to say? They only wanted to hear lies. "I think they were nice," She started, immediately noticing some disagreeing faces. "Though it's too early to tell for me. I've only met them once."

"Exactly," Prince Piers said, taking the attention away from Amelia. "She doesn't know enough, yet she went to the meeting on her own."

"You went alone?" Lord Ernest asked, rather unamused. He wasn't pleased, Amelia could hear that.

Amelia nodded. "I felt like I needed to do that on my own," She started but once again saw that no one cared about what she was saying. She was basically talking to a wall. "Ultimately, it's me who'll rule. I'll have the alliance with them."

"But Prince Piers knows way more than you." Lord Rufus said, shaking his head in the process.

"I beg your pardon?" Amelia leaned back, she couldn't hold back her frustration anymore. Why was she still trying? They obviously didn't want to hear anything. "I'm the ruler, I decide who'll join me in meetings or on trips." She then leaned closer, taking on her mother's famous position. "Deal with it." She then got up and left the meeting room.

She walked through the hallways back to her room. The more she thought about it, the more she felt confident that she did the right thing in there. Maybe it wasn't what a Princess was supposed to do, but she didn't care. Her mother learned her to follow her own path, not the one someone laid out for you.

When she arrived in her room, she noticed a servant in there. "Your Highness." She bowed.

Amelia walked in more and looked around, nothing had changed. She wondered what that servant had been doing here.

The servant stood back up and noticed Amelia's puzzled expression. She stepped forward. "I came here to deliver this letter to you," She said as she handed it to Amelia. "It was sent to you personally."

Amelia looked at it and then nodded.

The servant bowed one last time before leaving the room.

Amelia sat down on her bed and then opened the letter. She looked at the letter and immediately noticed the names at the bottom: King Alden and Queen Louisa. Why did they send her a letter? She just met them last night.

She shrugged and started reading the letter.