Bad Blood

Chapter 32: Speculation

When the truth had come out, Louisa told everyone to give her a few minutes alone with Amelia. Alden took Felicity away to talk to her about the recent discovery while the butlers left for their duties.

"This was drawn right after they announced their relationship and pregnancy to us," Louisa said as she pointed to the portrait Amelia was holding. "I had never seen your mother as happy as back then."

Amelia smiled as she looked at the portrait again. "She looks really happy indeed."

"She was," Louisa smiled before taking another portrait. "And this is James with his brother and father," She pointed to the family portrait of the butlers. She then looked at Amelia. "Your father's family."

Amelia took a closer look at the portrait. Before Louisa and Alden had told the truth, she was almost certain James was her father. But knowing it for sure made her look at this portrait, at her father, in a different way. She wanted to know more about him, and about the relationship between her parents.

Louisa smiled as she looked at Amelia. "You know, you look a lot like your mother."

Amelia looked at Louisa. "So I've heard," She looked at the portrait again. "It's why I sometimes thought I had no father."

Louisa scooted closer to Amelia and wrapped an arm around her. "Your parents were the most loving, kind and nice people I've ever met. They were amazing, and perfect together."

Amelia smiled a bit. "I wish I could've met him."

"I know."

Amelia sighed. "Now I've got no one left."

"That's where your wrong, dear," Louisa said as she made Amelia look at her. "You may not have your parents anymore, but you still have your family."

"Right," Amelia sighed. "An uncle that killed my mom and tried killing me... Great family."

"I meant your father's family, Amelia."

Amelia looked at Louisa. Then she looked at the portrait of James's family: the butlers. "Carl and Chandler?"

Louisa nodded. "Chandler is your uncle as well, he's James's younger brother and a good friend of Felicity," Louisa smiled a bit before continuing: "And Carl is your grandfather, he's James's father and was very close with Cassandra."

Amelia smiled. "I hadn't thought of that yet."

Louisa patted Amelia's shoulder before getting up. "Pay them a visit, they'll love it."

"I will." Amelia smiled before looking back at the portraits.

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Louisa went back to her bedroom. She entered the room and was met by Alden and Felicity, who had been waiting for her arrival.

"So how did it go?" Alden asked.

"Good," Louisa nodded. "I think she's happy she knows the truth," Louisa went to sit down next to Alden on the bed. "Though I do wonder what she's going to do with that information."

"Nothing," Felicity got up. "She just wanted to know the truth. She had the right to know about her mom and dad, especially since most of it happened here."

Louisa and Alden nodded but said nothing to that.

"I do wonder," Felicity thought out loud. "Cassandra was most likely killed by her brother's soldiers," She looked at her parents then. "Who says he isn't responsible for killing James too?"

"Well that's impossible," Louisa started but the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if that could indeed be the case. "But he didn't know about their relationship..."

"You said James went to get Cassandra at her kingdom," Felicity said to which Alden and Louisa nodded. "Maybe Cassandra told her family and the Crown, and they got rid of James."

"Why would they do that?" Alden asked. "He was set to become their king."

"Precisely because of that reason," Felicity nodded, she felt like she had figured it all out. "They couldn't bear to see a butler, a poor Northerner, on their throne, as their king. So they killed him."

"But they didn't get rid of Cassandra or Amelia." Louisa said.

"Correct," Felicity sat down again, watching her parents. "Because they needed them to rule and they needed an heir to the throne."

"They killed both of them anyway." Alden went on.

Felicity looked away, that's where she was stuck as well. "I think that was only Prince Piers' doing. The killing of James was done by him and the Crown," She looked at her parents. "I don't believe James would fall to his death by just going to the kingdom. I mean, it's a flat road, straight ahead."

Louisa sighed as she buried her face in her hands. "I really hope that's not the case," She looked at Alden. "Could you imagine? And poor Cassandra, of course, would've known that."

"She would've known they killed James?" Felicity asked.

Alden nodded. "The ruler always knows these things."

"And they probably used it as a warning to her, to keep her straight," Louisa shook her head in disbelieve. "I can't believe how cruel people are over there."

"We don't know for sure though," Alden intervened. "This is just speculation."

"But it does make sense," Louisa went on. "We should let this get investigated."

"How?" Felicity went on. "It's been nearly 16 years since he died. All the evidence is gone."

They all sighed but continued to think about it.

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Amelia stopped right in front of the door of the room she had been looking for. She took a moment to think about what she was about to do. Would she confront them? Would it be better to wait? Should she ask them about James and her mom? Or should she simply leave?

She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that Chandler and Carl are her family: her grandfather and her uncle. Yet they didn't treat her like that. They always treated her like the Princess of the South, as they should have been doing. But knowing what she knew now, it isn't what she had been expecting.

She inhaled deeply before knocking on the door twice.

"Come in." She heard from the other side of the door.

She took one more deep breath before entering the room.