The Switch

Cloak

*Raina's P.O.V*

"Sorry," I muttered as I stood up slowly, my eyes trained on the Queen's face the entire time. Her eyes scanned over my face slowly. Queen Eleanor had the same hair color as Anastasia and a similar facial structure as well. Her eyes were a dark hazel color with a golden ring around the pupil.

"Do not mutter, you were taught better than that," she stated as she gently cupped my face. "It has been a long five years," she said as she straightened up, pulling her hand away after a moment. 

"Yeah, yeah it has," I said, wincing internally when my voice cracked from how much I was forcing Anastasia's voice. Eleanor put her hand on my shoulder and gently squeezed it, a small smile on her lips.

"Come with me dear," she said as she had me follow her. Her hand stayed on my shoulder as she guided me, her hand suddenly moving to my other shoulder so that her arm was across my back. She turned us into a room where a whole group of people were waiting. Three women wearing cloaks with the hoods down stood in a small group together with four men standing close by.

"Eleanor," one of the men said as he approached. I diverted my eyes down, quickly putting the descriptions Anastasia gave me to him. The man that was approaching us was King Lukas, Anastasia's father. "Anastasia," he said when he spotted me next to the queen. I smiled at him as I glanced at the other people. I quickly put names to faces thanks to Anastasia's descriptions and the portraits she had shown me when she snuck me into the castle one day.

"Anastasia," the queen said, making me look up at her. She smiled softly as she touched the clip on the cloak. "Is this one of my old cloaks?" she questioned.

"Yeah, it is," I said quietly as she unclipped the cloak. 

"There is no reason for you to wear this when you are not travelling," she said. I put my hand over hers to prevent her from removing the cloak. "Anastasia," she said, her tone sounding confused.

"The girl has probably worn your cloak since you've left," one of the women said. I glanced at her when she spoke and unless they had switched appearances while gone for those five years, that would have to be king's mother Rose who had spoken. "I doubt she is willing to part with it after so long," she stated.

"What she says is true, your majesty. Anastasia put that cloak on the day you left and has had the hood up since that day as well. This is the first time since you've left that I've seen her face," a man spoke from the corner of the room. I glanced at him and noticed that he was the head guard that usually accompanied Anastasia on her outings.

"And you just allowed her to do so?" the woman who I deduced as the queen's mother Giselle asked. 

"Grandmother, do you really think a guard could tell a Mischel what to do?" the last woman asked. I could instantly tell by her young face and the slight smirk on her face that this was Aurora, Anastasia's older sister. She was 23 years old and was an exact replica of the king in every way possible.

"No but I expect a Mischel to know their manners and not wear a cloak inside, especially with the hood up," Giselle stated as her eyes scanned over me. I looked away with a frown as I kept my hand over the queen's to prevent her from taking the cloak.

"To be fair Grandmother, should it not have been her Governess that taught her that? And since they did not it is a failing of their teaching and not the fault of my little sister," a young man who I quickly realized was Anastasia's older brother and the one who was next in line for the throne. His name was Tristan and he was 25 years old. He gave me a small smile which I returned.

"The boy does have a point," Gerald, the king's father, said plainly.. "I mean as long as she keeps the hood off she should be able to wear it," he stated.

"I for one agree with Gerald for once," Nicolas, the queen's father, said as he glanced at me. "She was only eight years of age when we left, too young to be blamed for wearing a cloak of her mother's to keep her close. Her Governesses are the ones that failed," he stated.

"Well even so, I think it would be best if she took the cloak off now," the queen said. "I promise you will have the cloak back but I want it off for when we eat which is not that far off," she stated. I glanced at the Aurora, Giselle, and Rose who had all taken their cloaks off just a bit ago. I frowned as I reluctantly moved my hand off of hers. She took the cloak off gently and folded it over, glancing at me. She froze and frowned as she tensed up.

"Uh...how long have you been wearing a corset? Who started you on wearing them?" Aurora asked, making me glance at her. I noticed that everyone seemed to look a little upset. Anastasia and I had discussed a lot of things but I wasn't quite sure on the age she had started wearing a corset.

"She was 10 when one of her Governesses started with corsets," the head guard spoke from the corner. I let out an internal sigh of relief that he had answered the question for me and looked back at the queen.

The queen moved to stand behind me and started unlacing the corset, her movements jerky and fast as she undid each lace. I sucked in slightly as she continued with the laces before taking the corset completely off me. I let out a small breath when I glanced at her and noticed that she was looking at the corset with a look of distaste.

She snapped her fingers and the head guard was at her side almost immediately. "Burn this and any others that I give to you," she said, making him nod as he took the corset from her.

"Do you not think that is a bit far?" one of the guards said which earned a glare from the queen. The guard fell silent as the queen glanced at the head guard.

"Know your place," the head guard said as he glared at the guard. "I will handle this your majesty," he said. "We shall give you the privacy that you probably wish to have with your daughter," he stated as he as well as the other guards left. The queen relaxed when the door shut and crouched down to make eye contact.

"You should not have been wearing a corset at that young of an age or even now. You may choose to wear one when you are an adult but as long as you have not reached that age of adulthood, you will not wear a corset again," she said. I nodded as I looked into her eyes, seeing the seriousness in them.

"Yes ma'am," I said softly, making her smile. I think I surprised both of us when I threw my arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. The queen faltered for a moment before returning the hug before gently rubbing my back. I clung to her for a while and I could tell she was wondering when I would let go. I heard her sigh after a bit as she rubbed my back.

"Come here baby," she said as she pulled me close and put her hand under my bottom before lifting me up. I squeaked softly from surprise as she straightened up and let me rest slightly above her hip. "Take as long as you need to," she said softly.

"Let us go eat," the king said. He stopped next to the queen and he seemed to wait until everyone left before speaking. "Is she doing good?" he questioned softly.

"I think she just missed us quite a bit so she latched onto me once she got the chance," she said as she rubbed my back. "Poor girl has a death grip on me," she stated.

List of characters for those that may be lost.
Eleanor-Anastasia's mother
Lukas- Anastasia's father
Aurora-Anastasia's sister
Tristan-Anastasia's brother
Giselle-Anastasia's maternal grandmother
Nicolas-Anastasia's maternal grandfather
Rose-Anastasia's paternal grandmother
Gerald-Anastasia's paternal grandfather