The Royal Series 0 - A Royal Archive

Chapter 3

She had enough of that from her parents.

"Now, tell us why you think your papa would contact us and why it would mean you could return home," Sienna insisted, once again slipping into her mischievous nature.

There was nothing Serafina hated more than when Sienna caught her off guard or tried to distract her with one conversation before returning to the original question she had failed to answer. "I wrote papa a letter," she revealed, too afraid to tell them what it entailed or how she thought he might react. "I thought, perhaps, he might have agreed with me that I could live in your villa, instead of staying here. Or that they may need me at home during this difficult time."

Lindley's eyes immediately narrowed, while Sienna began to unpack the picnic they had brought with them. "What 'difficult time' would that be?" he questioned, with a tone that suggested he knew there was no such thing.

"Well, Jaycob is trying to get pregnant, after all," she said, pleased with herself for so quickly thinking of a reasonable explanation for her words. "It is quite dangerous, while he is still undergoing treatments. The fact that he continues to work as rigorously as he ever has surely has some detrimental effects on his well being or the work he is performing. I am sure father and papa would like some additional help with the Royal duties that he cannot possibly be asked to perform," she reasoned, gratefully accepting the glass of cool lemonade her aunt passed her, along with a plate of sandwiches and fruits. It looked delicious. She had certainly worked up an appetite with her continual attempts to light that damned candle.

When she looked up, the smirk on her aunt's face did not bode well, but she took a bite of her sandwich and tried not to let on that she felt nervous. Logically, her papa could not have received her letter yet, nor could he have passed a message to her aunt about its contents. If she had only remembered that before opening her over-eager mouth.

"Perhaps you should write Jaycob and ask how he is keeping instead of presuming?" Sienna remarked, raising an eyebrow at her that was distinctly judgemental.

"I will write to Jaycob shortly. It is only my first day here," Serafina argued back.

Despite Lindley's laughter, as he had always enjoyed her aunt's feisty nature, Sienna did not look impressed. She extracted a bottle of dark red liquid and poured it into an elegant glass, taking a sip before speaking again. "You best curb your attitude, Serafina, dear. The nuns here are not little old women who have been cowed by their religion. They are all young, strong women who worked hard to reach the level of respect they have found within these walls."

She smiled then, making Serafina swallow at how very vicious and dangerous she looked, all of a sudden. "Though, I suppose, if you can speak to me the way you have and, no doubt your own papa, then I presume you have no trouble speaking to the nuns here with as much disrespect. Perhaps we should leave you here to ponder your behaviour as the nuns do, through prayer. Clearly charity and compassion have no place in your life," she said, tilting her head in that curious way that asked Serafina what she would do.

Her choices were limited. She could alienate her aunt and storm off, only to be left here alone for the rest of her sentence in this awful place, or she could apologise and have an ally of sorts to turn to when she needed one.

"I apologise, Aunt Sienna. I am simply tired from the heat and strength of the sun," she said, ducking her head in shame. "I do not understand why I am here or what it will accomplish. I cannot understand why no one will believe that I have no talent to speak of. And I feel discarded from my family, an unwanted creature that has been sent away for being inadequate. Please forgive my outburst."

There was no telling how Sienna would react. Serafina knew better than to cross her, but she truly had not been able to help herself. Manipulating others was the only skill she had and it had nothing to do with her magic. Yet, out the corner of her eye, she saw Lindley reaching out a gentle hand to her arm and hope flared in her chest. It died immediately when Sienna grabbed a knife from the table and stabbed it into the back of his hand.