The kidnapping of the Princess shook the entire Palace. Shortly after Valeria chased after the intruder into the forest, a patrol discovered that both Her Highness and the Commander had disappeared, so everyone was immediately put into a high-alert state.
For the King and the Queen, the only consolation was the thought that Valeria was with Oriana. That didn’t mean, however, that they were willing to sit idly and wait for their return. Countless soldiers were sent in each direction, tasked with finding the missing Princess.
When Valeria and Oriana showed up at the gate shortly after sunrise, another thunderstorm rolled through the Palace.
From questions about what happened, to the insistence on having them both checked by a healer, all attention was focused on the two women.
It took an entire morning for the situation to calm down enough for the Commander to take a bath and change from her dirty uniform.
She just came back to her room and was drying her hair with a towel when Kyra came for a visit. It was her first opportunity to talk with her sister since she came back.
She fought the urge to drag the healer to Valeria’s room to run a proper check up on her, so instead she kept a watchful eye in case she showed any signs of injury. Kyra was well aware that there weren’t many things that could pose a real threat to the Commander, but even this knowledge couldn’t stop her from worrying.
Valeria, on the other hand, was trying to find a good way to break the news to her sister that Oriana now knew her secret.
After dancing around the subject for long enough, she couldn’t put it off any longer.
— Oriana knows about me. She knows who I really am. I had to turn in front of her. — she said in one breath.
— How did she react?
— She asked why I was naked…
Kyra raised her eyebrows.
— Oh… — It wasn’t the answer she was expecting to hear. Then after a moment of consideration, she concluded that it actually did seem in character for the person they were talking about. — Are you worried that she could tell someone?
— I don’t think so. Frivolous as she may be, she’s not the type to spill secrets like this. But I was planning to talk to her about it anyways.
Kyra nodded in agreement. Knowing Oriana for so many years gave her a good insight into the kind of person she was. Even with all of the absentmindedness and carefree approach to things, she was still one of the very few people that she was ready to trust with her life.
— I think it’s for the best. Now you don’t have to pretend anymore. — A mischievous smirk rose on her face. — It should help bring you closer.
Meanwhile, the Princess’ chambers were still under siege by maids, healers, court members and the Royal family.
The Queen insisted that her daughter be examined by at least three professionals, and no amount of assurance and begging could convince her that it wasn’t necessary. Therefore, Oriana spent the rest of the day in her bed, under the watchful eye of her mother and half of the Palace.
Once every imaginable test conducted showed that the Princess was simply slightly tired and that there was nothing threating her life, everyone was dismissed, and the Queen was the only one left staying by her bed.
Her Majesty took her daughter’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
— Now, that nobody else is listening, can you tell me what happened? — she asked while caressing her palm.
Oriana sighed, hearing the same question repeated yet once more.
— I already told both you and father that I was unconscious most of the time. I only woke up once Valeria was there, and it was for a brief moment too. I don’t even remember how we got back. — Not everything she said was a complete lie, but seeing her mother’s worried and tired gaze, she felt a prickle in her heart.
Oriana didn’t want to lie to her, but this was the only way she could avoid telling anyone the truth about what happened in the shack, and how they managed to come back on their own.
While she trusted both her mother and father, Valeria’s secret was too important to share with too many people.
Hearing Oriana’s answer, the Queen wasn’t fully convinced, but decided not to push any further. After all, if her daughter had set her mind on something, there was no force in the world that could talk her out of it. The best she could do was to wait patiently for the time when she could trust her enough to share what really happened.
— If you say so, I won’t pry any further. — The Queen squeezed Oriana’s hand. She hesitated before speaking again. — Your father is thinking about postponing the wedding. Gideon is against it, and trying to persuade him to not do it, but he’s quite hellbent on that.
— I thought Aelius needs Adler’s support as soon as possible. Isn’t postponing it a bad idea? — From what the Princess gathered while accompanying the King during his meetings, and from what she learned from Valeria, the Kingdom was desperate for more money and manpower due to unceasing attacks at the border with the Alandic Tribes. Making her relationship with the Prince official as soon as possible was more of a necessity than anything else.
The Queen couldn’t hide her surprise. Oriana never was keen on learning politics, neither did she ever show any interest in diplomacy. The sudden sense of obligation that she noticed in Oriana both comforted and worried her.
— The Kingdom isn’t relying solely on your shoulders, Oriana. There’s still your father and I, and we’re not planning to go anywhere anytime soon. You don’t have to sacrifice your life for this, so if you have any doubts, it’s fine to call it off or at least postpone it.
— It’s okay. I’m okay. You can tell father that there’s no need.
Queen Hester watched Oriana quietly for a moment. Seeing how her daughter seemed to stand by her choice, she decided to not inquire any more.
— I’ll let you rest for now. — She patted her hand and got up to leave. She stopped by the door to look at Oriana one more time — Remember that even when you’re all grown up, we are still your parents, and it’s fine to rely on us when things are too difficult. Mother loves you very much.
— I know. I love you too, mom.
The Queen left, and silence filled the room for the first time since morning.
Oriana sighed, and slumped in her bed.
Her heart was a mess, even before the whole kidnapping ordeal. She didn’t even have time to properly think about the feelings she had for Valeria, and what it really meant for both of them. She had no chance to talk to her about this either. Not to mention that she wasn’t fully certain whether she even should in the first place.
What if she doesn’t have feelings for me?
What if she does?
What if she has feelings for me, but we still can’t be together?
Oriana covered her eyes with her hands, and grunted while sinking more into the bed. She felt like all she had were questions, and she had no idea where to even start looking for answers.
And on top of that, that Bastard turned out to be a werewolf and a Princess. You really aren’t making things easier for me…
Less chapters is better than no chapters, or a burnt out author - besides, this still gives me something to look forward to on Mondays. ;)
Poor Oriana. The romance she's getting is from a very different sort of storybook than the ones she imagined.
For all the support and motivation I'm getting from these comments I will never drop Mondays
@DannyTheDaikon Awwww <3