The Palace of Laeken (Château de Laeken) in the city of Brussels, Belgium situated right in the centre of woods, filled with a natural blooming fragrance. It's the year 2006 and despite this surreal surrounding the palace was in a state of hustle. The tens and hundreds of servants roaming with busy hands in the corridor with their hands occupied and mind hazed. To an outsider it might seem to be some kind of national emergency, but for them it wasn't something new. It was again the same old cause. Something that has happened a couple of times already. Something they all know about and still are unknown of.
One young maid with a fresh bowl of warm water and a hot bag rushed towards the chamber, outside which were standing many but still. She with her head down took it to an elderly looking woman right outside the door. She took the trolley in her control and knocked twice. The door slightly open with a man's face visible. Not to tall nor too short with his hair still black and a rectangular spectacles hiding the color of his eyes. She passed the stuff to him and quietly whispered, "Is the princess fine now? Its been longer than usual."
He looked at her and nodded with a faint smile, "Don't worry Ane, she's doing all well now." And he closed the door again. He took his steps further into the room which was as huge as some grand hall. The bed in the centre was now in sight where was sitting a young lady in her late twenties. Her face had its own charm but it looked pale showing the tense atmosphere. Her gaze fixed at the bed wherein lay a tiny figure, like about to disappear. It seemed to be getting thinner and thinner. It was of a young girl child. Her skin becoming scary white and so her hair seem to be loosing color and thickness. Her cheekbones were all visible now. Her eyes closed but her breathing getting heavier with each passing second. The lady grasped her tiny hand which were icy cold now just like her whole body.
"You think this warmness of water will keep it for long, your majesty", the man said keeping the bowl and things beside the bed, "I'm telling you your majesty, if you'll decide to still keep your silence, her recovery won't be possible."
"Can you not treat her again just like the last times?" She said in a low tone.
"Of course I could, exactly the way I did every other time. But for that you also know, your highness, that you first need to explain the situation to me. Its only then we can draw some conclusion over it."
"And you'll ask me to grant her wish or find some mid way to solve all this."
"Yes, but for that we first need to figure out the exact thing that hurt her, but the moment I have come hete, you haven't spoken much. How am I supposed to find ways in this manner? You very well know, your highness, the only way we can treat the princess is through her mind. She'll only hear what she wants to now .There's no other way out. So, we must find out the reason first."
"But I already know the reason."
"You know?" His face showed the surprise," And still you aren't doing anything. Why?"
" I dunno. I don't know, doctor." Her voice trembled a bit, "....this isn't that simple this time. It's not like those past wishes of her to hang outside, get a lab or a library or her some misunderstandings something, which were difficult to comprehend but easy to agree with. This is something I only had nightmares of. Yet I was careful enough to never let anyone discover it. Still how on earth did she find out, I got no idea of....you don't get it doctor, this isn't so easy this time."
" I know and I could tell since I haven't seen her this weak before. It can only remind of the first time this happened. But then we were unaware of the cure. But, it's totally different today. I cant believe despite knowing it all you're not ready to open up."
"It's not that I'm not trying. I am running my mind wild to think of some other way out. To say something that she can agree to and will find acceptable. But all of them makes my heart break. It will change everything. It will.....change my Emmarian."
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"I really don't get it....", murmured a maid queued up outside in the corridor, "isn't she a princess? Then why just one doctor inside."
"You're new?", said someone ahead her, "Did you join in the new line up?" She nodded. "Hmm.... Though it's not something new as her highness keep on falling ill frequently since her birth, but the question you asked is just no longer fresh. We all used to be curious to know that. The palace will have it as its hot topic to discuss around but soon it became dead after too much digging in. As it's a palace and her majesty is very strict with rules. The fact that even our headservant Ane doesn't know a thing makes it's totally some kind of royal secret. She's the one who had already served two generations and no secret of palace has been a secret to her."
"In that case I'm doubtful. Who knows she might know already?"
"If she did, she would not have been standing outside all this while. She's the one who adores the princess the most. Of course we all do but to her she holds a different meaning. She's never tired of praising her. And yeah....about that doctor, he isn't just some doctor. He's even a scientist and is a proud of our nation. I don't exactly know his field and all those heavy words but you might have heard his name on the television or the daily. He was again honored recently....Dr. Denis Haartsen."
"I'm afraid I have. Science and all isn't my cup of tea. But....is her highness suffering from some kind of illness? Falling sick so often. She might be weak then."
"No, not at all. Our princess is the most lively being I have ever seen. Full of energy and charisma. I guess you haven't seen her yet. She's the life of palace but what makes her different is her presence." Her face suddenly lit up,"Even though she's just a child but there's something about being around her that captivates you. Like some attraction you can't avoid."
"I have heard of it but since I'm new I am yet to fulfill the tenure to get to see the princess. The Queen's strict on that. But through your words I feel much better now. I was worried for her highness."
" Hmm...." She looked down, "Actually....this time I'm worried about it too as it's never took this long before."
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On the other side of the door, it got even quieter after the last conversation. He might be by now one of the really trustworthy of hers but still she is the queen of the nation and he doesn't hold that much power to force the queen or offend her. Still he's duty as a doctor was to save lives first and he could totally tell that the child can't hold more for long. His head was puzzled may be like in the same state as that of the queen, he thought. Both of theirs eyes were stuck at one one face in the bed. The night was getting darker now and even more subdued.
But the silence broke with the familiar sound of her breathing which got even louder now, creating a sense of panic around. Dr. Haartsen panicked even more and so did the queen. They both got up on their feets hovering Emmarian.
"This doesn't seem to be working now.", said he while injecting her shots, "I'm even going out of it now. That was the all blood I had, that we took from her in these past years. You still want to stay silent, your majesty. Please, it all depends on you now. The only way to hold a bit longer is gone as well. Your majes...." he was interrupted by her. She showed her palm, silencing him.
There was nothing more left to say now. She bent down slowly, a little hesitantly but firmly. Her face right above Emmarian and her lips closer to her ears. Her words came out, faint but loud enough to be heard by all in the huge empty room, "Emmarien, when you will wake up, I will let you know who your real parents are. So, quickly get up, my child."
Her eyes were all watery and her voice hoarse. But for Emmarian the case was different. The cold pale body was getting warmer, her skin regaining it's shine and her light brown hair by now started turning black, dark and dense. It was sudden yet slow as the blood rushing in her was now flowing at a highest rate possible. The blood still quite visible in those syringes. It was red but like some mist and glowing, glowing even brighter now. But it wasn't from that syringe itself but the actual one, being produced within her, right after that one statement which again made the room silent as the dead of the night.
"She'll soon wake up, doctor but I'm afraid if she'll get hurt again. You see...." She sat back,"....my only family isn't my own blood. You might be very surprised to say anything. "
He sat back too, "What if I say I'm not, your majesty. This might be astonishing to others but to me it's nothing in comparison to the secret you told me three years back. Nothing else in this world can surprise me more than that. But....how come"
"Emmarian get to know the truth....I told you. I don't know. All out of a blue she came with a heartily smile on her face just to ask me where her real parents are now. You could say I was thunderstruck listening to that. There was no second person besides me who knew about it and so how can a six year old can actually found that."
"And you were reluctant to tell her anything which led to her feel down."
" I was in a state of utter disbelief. I'm still in. I just wish it was all some dream because....I still have no idea what will I tell her. You know very well how different she is from everyone. I don't even know if she will still treat me like her mother after knowing this. And what's more important is what will I give her in reply to her questions of which I'm myself unaware of. I have no idea who here real parents are."
"And that can depress her again making her condition even worse. "
"No doctor, it's even worse. Emmarian just need a reason to make anything happen. She just need a motive to make anything reality. Even if it takes years, she'll make it her goal and will take it all to find her parents. And for the results, she's smarter than people even twice her age. But once she'll find out the truth, she can only hate me even more. You see, doctor. There are more secrets than you imagine."
"Even if that is the case, your highness, I still have the same thing to say. It's only you who can help stop it. I don't know about her parents but with her condition you're the best option for her. She's still a child and hence its more difficult to handle. There might be a right time for everything. But right now its definitely not the correct time. Her body hasn't yet compensated for all that lost blood. Another shock is a big no."
She had a wry smile on her face, "You're always unexpected, doctor. Yet you always come with some solution. But this isn't that appealing to me. Its like I'm hanging between choices. You're asking me to lie to her."
"I'm only asking for what's best for her...."
"Nathalie...."
The two adults heard the little voice turning their heads at the same time. Even in the quite dim room, the light in her eyes couldn't be ignored. The blue color of her eyes felt even lighter in shade showing what was coming next, at least to the queen. Finally had she opened her eyes. Emmarian was finally up.
It didn't take her a second to sit up straight. This same child was lying on the bed a while ago looking all dead, but now she was beaming like a lighthouse, all fueled up, "Nathalie....", she repeated, "Thank God you're still here or else..er..Denis?"
Her talk to the queen paused when she finally noticed the other person present there too. Dr. Haartsen gave a brodest smile to her, "Greetings to the little princess...."
She sighed, "Oh Denis, you here again. Don't tell me you wanted to see my face just while passing by the palace....again...."
He gave a soft laugh, pattingher head, "You caught me....how can I miss a chance to see her highness lovely self while passing through here....I might"
"That I know, Denis." She interrupted, " But I have to apologize for today. I can't spend time talking with you, we might postpone it for some other time. Actually....", her smile widening, "I and Nathalie got something really important to talk on tonight. You get it right Denis?"
"Of course, your highness. In fact I was about to head out only. Seeing you beaming was enough. I....", he looked at the queen who was all silently sitting by now, "....might ask you to excuse me now, your majesty, so could I take my leave. Have a nice evening, your majesty and so do you princess."
He didn't wait for the queen to say anything next and swiftly left his place moving towards the door outside. Emmarian just counting his steps, waiting for him to finally leave. And it was then came the time. Her excitement level was sky rocketed. She could get to know now. She was almost googling at Nathalie, full of anticipation and so she broke the ice, "You're telling me now, right Nathalie?"
She didn't hesitate to reply instantly, "Of course, Emmarien but....first I think you should get some rest."
"No!", she was resolute, "I don't think I need any rest. It's not even I'm sick or something. You should first tell me."
"It's not that. I only meant it's getting darker now. We can talk about it in the morning. Bed time, child. You should dodge off now."
"You know very well, Nathalie, I can't sleep even if I want to now because my mind won't let me. But if you're sleepy....yet, it won't take long. Please....Nathalie. Just the name tonight, or even their places will do. We'll talk about their faces later."
"There's nothing to tell, Emmarien. I'm your mother, can't you just get that."
"But you just told me....how can you turn like that? Please, please....Nathalie. you denied it the last time. But I know this isn't true. I heard you say it myself."
"You heard me?," she was shocked, "What did you say? How can you hear me? I guess you might have heard wrong. Child, there's nothing like that...."
"No! It's not me who's wrong. And I'm serious. I really want to know. Tell me for real Nathalie. Why are you so reluctant to say just two names?"
She didn't reply and Emmarian kept on saying but Nathalie's mind went blind for a while. Emmarian is never wrong and no one knows that better than her. But how can she hear her say that. She never in her life have repeated these words in the last six years. Not even any shadow know this truth. The only witness was she and that fire that broke that time, taking her everything from her and even giving her everything to her as well, her everything....her Emmarian. Her arrival was the that could happen to her then. Not just for the monarch but even her own life. Those two eyes which always filled her with unconditional happiness and even today.....her eyes. She came out of her thoughts just when she noticed the tears. Her eyes, they were watery. It couldn't happen again. It was then only she paid attention to what Emmarian was saying now.
"Why can't you tell me, Nathalie? Were my parents not good people?"
And this again send her into thinking. Her words repeated in her mind, 'my parents....not good'. May be they were but who knows. This was her chance. Because right now Emmarian needs her more not those whose even existence is unknown. If not for Emmarian than for at least herself. As she definitely needed Emmarian the most.
Nathalie bend down to Emmarian level, holding her shoulders and bringing her closer, "I would tell you, Emmarien but I'm most afraid of just one thing. So, before that you have to promise me first - that you....won't feel sad at all after listening to me. Promise?"
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"The doctor left.....does that mean the princess is doing well now?", the young maid was taking much closely to her other pal now.
"Well? Ha ha....You might she her running through the palace by tomorrow."
"That's a relief then....I was worried she won't be well on her own birthday. Will she show up in public this year? Got any idea...."
"I'm afraid the queen won't allow this year either. You know....she might not have yet recovered from the shock of her lost....of her whole family."
"You mean from that accident in France....do people in palace know any details of it. It was such a confidential incident that hardly anybody in the sate have any clue of it."
"May be yes or may be not....24th December, the day our princess was born and the same day we got news of the death of Queen's mother, father and...husband. They were all in Paris but after a few days returned only her majesty and the princess. Every single detail of that incident was kept to only afee officials. Some who were present their all along and a few trusty who were here. It was because her majesty was het to take over the throne but even affer that nothing was disclosed. At that time it was such a dilemmic situation for all of us....neither could celebrate nor mourn exactly. Since then, the birthday celebration was always grand but she never let princess go out.
"At first I thought, it might her way to express requiem to her loved ones but slowly I realized it was something else...."
"Is that...", she muffled "....confidential too?"
"No, I guess. It's just an intuition of mine. The queen became really quite after that, may be as a result of that shock. But, whenever I saw her with the princess, I always felt she has returned to her old self and that how precious she is to her. So, the reason she might keep her off from the world because that incident might have created a sense of fear in her majesty's mind of losing her.:
"That sounds reasonable...."
"Hmmm....", sighed, "Now, if your questions have ended, would you like to get to some job....", she began heading out from there, "Soon the whole family will reunite at the palace for the festive celebration. There's ton of work to do."
She nodded swiftly rushing her steps behind her.
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"I asked you not to be sad, Emmarian", said Nathalie, " and you gave me your word, right. So, you shouldn't feel bad for those people at all. All that matters is that I'm here with you and you're with me. You should just simply forget about all that and remember that it's me whose your mother and it's here where is present your family."
"I'm not sad at all, Nathalie. I don't want to worry over people who have no worry for me. But about you being my mother...."
"Emmarian!", a sudden anxiety filled her in, "I told you there's nothing to worry about that. I will forever be your mother."
"But that won't change the reality. In real sense you're actually helping me. You haven't even legally adopted me, in fact."
"Emmarian!" She exhaled out heavily, "I guess you're too young to talk all about that...you're just six. We should end the discussion now."
"But I'm not completely ignorant....and it's 6 years 11 months and 19 days to be exact. And I'm not saying I'm not blaming you in anyway, Nathalie. It's just to remind me what I should do. Good night, Nathalie! You might want to go to sleep now. See you tomorrow, your majesty."
Nathalie didn't reply properly to it. Her good night was faint to be heard. She saw Emmarian getting busier in her own tasks. She left the room. Outside, the crowd was almost gone except the guards and a few servants. She was first received by Ane who eas eagerly waiting meet her. She didn't paid much attention to what Ane was speaking. Her mind was occupied. She reached her room at last and went straight to the armchair.
Emmarian is different, she knows, she's extremely smart, she knew that as well and yet she decided to lie to her. What if she finds out the truth. She said she's not her mother....which is true but she never addressed her that way either. But it was because she likes calling everyone by their names to which even she was not an exception. But at least in her heart she was still her mother. But now she will see her differently. May be she was meant know this but....it was too early when she still hasn't forget that ominous night....
The night she saw her own family burning in that fire with Emmarian lying peacefully in her lap. She was terrified. Her body stiff. And then all she remembers was running away, holding her tight in her arms. The licking flame was roaring behind her but all she remembers after that was Emmarian's face.
Tears were already rolling down her cheeks. Her body still remembers that feeling. She was the reason, she was able to hold this long. She became her life and at all cost she has to protect her from everything, after knowing how different she was. But despite her all efforts this had happened....which should never have been like this at first place. She might have managed it this time but it could be even terrifying. She doesn't know how she got to know, if there's some traitor or anything. But, she won't allow it any longer from now on. She would never let anyone take her Emmarian away from her and for that she needs to take things completely in her control. Though it wasn't possible for all on herself to do that. She needed someone trusty for that.
"Frans!", she yelled, "Summon Frans right now here in my chamber!"
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And the next day....
ROYAL INVITATION TO BE APPOINTED AS A CARETAKER
HONORABLE HER MAJESTY DECLARES IN THE STATE THAT PRINCESS EMMARIEN NEEDS A FULL TIME CARETAKER AS HER NANNY TO BE WORKING IN THE PALACE. THE ELIGIBLE CANDIDATES AS PER THE CONDITIONS NOTED DOWN BELOW ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT AT THE ROYAL PALACE OF BRUSSELS (Palais Royal de Bruxelles) AT REPORTED DATE AND TIME. HER MAJESTY HERSELF WILL TAKE THE HONOUR TO APPOINT THE RIGHT CANDIDATE.
TERMS&CONDITIONS:
1...
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