That night, the entire palace was filled with excitement due to the upcoming celebration. Many people were excited to share stories about how the kingdom treated them throughout the day while the rest of the guests were excited about the upcoming celebration."I can't believe that it has already been two weeks since you got married." Catherine heard a voice mutter beside her as she washed a dish.She looked over at the voice and found that it belonged to none other than the queen."How long have you been standing there, your majesty?" Catherine questioned."Long enough to notice that you weren't smiling during your meal. Are you upset about something?" the queen asked carefully.Catherine shrugged her shoulders before setting down the plate she was holding and turning around to look at the queen."You know, for someone who hates having to deal with me, you're awfully observant." Catherine remarked."Well, I can't help it if I am. You're my friend, and I'm not always going to forget w
The queen picked up a quill and scribbled something on a piece of parchment, which was placed on top of the wooden table next to Catherine."Here you are." the queen told Catherine as she slid the paper over to her."What is this?" Catherine asked curiously as she glanced down at the note."This is a list of things that I want you to pick up for me while you are out shopping for supplies." the queen explained happily.Catherine frowned slightly, looking back up at her queen."But why do I have to buy those things for you?" the servant asked uncertainly."Because I need some clothes for tomorrow." the queen insisted stubbornly. "You can bring the clothes back whenever you are finished and return them to me afterwards.""But that isn't necessary. It's not like I'm going to need new clothes for a very long time." Catherine pointed out."I know that, but if I wanted to keep up appearances while we're out, I suppose it' best for you to stay with me while I'm buying the materials for my ne
As Catherine approached the gates, she noticed that almost everyone was holding flowers or other gifts. Some girls were even crying, most likely because they were unable to obtain gifts for the queen as it was very rare for her to receive gifts from random strangers.Catherine quickly stepped forward and opened the gate once she reached it. Everyone stopped talking and turned to face Catherine. Her eyes darted around nervously as people were staring at her, trying their hardest to catch a glimpse of the dress that she was wearing.She tried her hardest to hide her anxiety as she slowly made her way inside the garden, trying her best to act normal. Unfortunately, there were many people present, making it harder for her to get close to the queen without being suspicious.A young couple stood in front of the queen, obviously having fallen deeply in love with each other. From what Catherine could tell, they were both incredibly shy, probably fearing rejection.Catherine could sense their
She turned towards the queen and knelt down in front of her. The queen smiled and gestured to Catherine to stand upright. "I think you've met my husband, haven't you?" the queen asked, pointing to the king.Catherine nodded hesitantly, unsure whether or not to continue standing."You are welcome to remain kneeling, Catherine. Please, stand." she explained. "It will give me a chance to show you something."After Catherine stood up straight again, the queen turned around and faced the king. She then took a deep breath, raised her arms upwards, and yelled "Your majesty! May I have permission to have Catherine kneel before you?"The king was startled by the loud voice that came from his wife. He raised his head, which was still resting on his hand, and looked questioningly at the queen. "Why?" he asked cautiously, his gaze fixated on Catherine.The queen looked at Catherine and spoke gently, "Because, Catherine has come up with a way for the entire kingdom to benefit from our marriage
There was a knock on the bedroom door. Catherine quickly wiped the tears from her face and straightened up her posture. She opened the door, hoping to look presentable enough for the queen to allow her to leave. Instead, she saw the queen standing there with a concerned expression etched upon her features."What's wrong, Catherine?" the queen questioned, stepping further into the room.Catherine averted her gaze. She didn't want to meet the queen's eyes. She had become so accustomed to the queen's kind face when she had first arrived at the palace. But now, her kindness had vanished. Instead, Catherine was gazing anxiously into the queen's eyes, searching desperately for answers."Please tell me what happened yesterday." the queen pleaded, placing her hands tenderly on Catherine's shoulders.Catherine looked back up at the queen and gave her a small smile. "Nothing happened, your majesty. It's perfectly fine, I promise.""Catherine, you don't have to lie to me. I can tell that you'
The queen stared silently at Catherine for several moments, clearly waiting for Catherine to continue.Catherine took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment, preparing herself for whatever questions the queen had going through her mind. Taking another deep breath, she began. "My father is dead."The queen's eyes widened as she listened. She slowly nodded her head, prompting Catherine to go on."He had just died yesterday evening. We buried him the day before yesterday." Catherine continued.When she received no reaction from the queen, she continued, "We were supposed to have gone to visit our aunt at Dexter kingdom this morning, but when we got there...we just discovered that they had already moved the funeral service to the palace, along with all the other funeral ceremonies."The queen frowned and remained silent."I don't really understand what happened, Your Majesty. It seems like every time my father goes anywhere, something bad always happens to him." Catherine e
They led straight to the gate of the garden, leading to a small bridge and eventually coming to a halt right in front of the entrance of the garden.Catherine felt her heart beating rapidly against her ribcage as her eyes scanned the floor carefully. She suddenly realized that this could be evidence that whoever had been chasing Catherine last night might still be lurking in the area, and she was now certain that she had to be extra careful from now on."There appears to be some sort of trail leading towards the gate of this castle, and it looks as if someone has left behind some sort of message." The queen remarked."But, Your Majesty, I've seen the footprints myself. It could have been anyone that was following me last night." Catherine replied uneasily.The queen gave her a strange look and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Then what do you suggest that we do about it?" she inquired curiously."We should check it out, Your Majesty. Maybe we'll find out who it was." Catherine sugges
"It's okay, Catherine. Everything will be alright." She heard the queen whisper soothingly as she tried her best to console the sobbing young woman.Catherine sat rigidly in her chair, her eyes focused intently on the floor as she continued to cry."Catherine..." the queen began hesitantly after a while. "What do you mean by you've experienced something horrible?"Catherine sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve. She couldn't bring herself to look up as she replied quietly, "I... I saw my own mother die."There was a long pause and Catherine finally dared to raise her head. She found the queen staring at her intently with wide, disbelieving eyes.Catherine lowered her eyes again quickly, feeling very uncomfortable. She was surprised that the queen didn't seem angry or upset with her. Instead, she was simply stunned.Eventually, Catherine felt the queen's hands brush across her back. She tensed up slightly, fearing for a moment that the queen was going to strike her. However, inst