Chapter Thirteen
Princess Simona’s castle was said to be the most beautiful castle in all the land of Atheness. It had many rooms of many different sizes. Some would say that you can spend a whole year at the castle and never see all that the castle has to offer. Everything was running normally in the castle. All the servants went along with their normal routine; the kitchen began buzzing with servants getting ready for the evenings’ dinner.
A small fire sizzled and spat in the kitchen’s fire place, with a large black iron pot slowly getting red from the hot fire beneath it. A very thin young man with straggly hair and boney shoulders went over to the pot. With a wooden spoon, he stirred the thick contents that began bubbling inside the pot. He took the spoon and lifted a heaping spoonful of the soup and brought it up to his mouth.
“William!” A large lady yelled behind the young man, making him drop the spoon onto the hard stone floor with a loud thunk. William looked longingly at the spoon and the soup that was now splattered on the floor.
“Clean your mess up! You know we are not allowed to eat any of the food until the Princess has eaten it first. She hasn’t been the same since she has returned from her riding lesson.” She handed William a dish towel and walked back to the other ladies that were starting dishes. They gathered around the dishes like a bunch of hens in a coop, talking about the latest news of the royal family. She gave William another warning glance as she went back to her conversation with the other large ladies.
“I think Simona is so much better, now,” started a lady with gray hair, tied back in a sloppy bun with a small bonnet covering most of it. “Think about it; before she was quiet, and hardly left her room. Now, she is giving orders like a Queen should, and all she talks about is her coronation next weekend. She is very excited to be Queen.” She took a plate and began to dry it with a dish rag.
“I don’t know,” said the first lady. “I have known Simona and Varek all of their lives. Simona wouldn’t just forget about her parents like that. She loved them very much. What happened to Varek? He never came back, and Simona doesn’t seem to care. Also, did anyone notice her eyes? They are green.”
“What’s wrong with her eyes being green? Green is a lovely color.”
“That’s just the problem; Simona has had blue eyes since the day she was born. I used to call her sea child, since her eyes were the color of the sea. I don’t think this is the Simona we know.”
“What are you saying that there is an imposter in the palace?” Another woman in the group asked.
“Oh, you worry too much. How could she be anyone but our Princess? In one week, she will be Queen, and all will be well again in the kingdom. How about you go rest Rolanda, and relax, it is going to be fine. You have far too much on your plate these days. I know it has been hard since the King and Queen’s deaths. You were very close to them. Practically family, you were. Go to your quarters and rest; we have it from here.”
Rolanda nodded thoughtfully and began walk out of the room. As she passed William, she handed him a piece of dry bread. He gladly took it from her and nodded his thanks and he slipped it into his large pocket. She smiled sweetly and left the kitchen.
As she walked back to her quarters, she began to put some of the pieces together. When Simona returned from her riding lesson, her eyes were different. She brought back with her, several servants’ she had never seen before; servants’ who seemed cold of heart. Varek had still not returned and this Princess did not care if she ever saw him again. She was suddenly excited about being Queen. The Simona she knew was still in mourning for her beloved parents. She knew this was very wrong and she was going to find out before an imposter was put on the throne. She entered her room and began writing down the facts before it was too late. Someone had to know what was going on.