Her secretary entered the room. Sir James de La Costa entered the room, and Abigail promptly suggested he sit. Sir James de La Costa was distantly related to the Royal family on his mother’s side. Essentially, Abigail and Sir James share the same great-grandfather.  However, his talent and mindfulness kept him employed as a secretary for Princess Abigail. He had been serving the young Princess since she was fifteen after a recommendation by her grandfather. He carefully selected events that would benefit the Princess’s growing reputation as a charitable leader. Due to his organized nature and astute understanding of the social dynamics of the kingdom, the events in which Princess Abigail appeared were consistently praised by both commoners and the nobility. Her popularity was partly due to Sir James, and Abigail was thankful. 

“We have to make a few changes to this week's schedule, Sir James,” said Princess Abigail.

“Of course, what are those changes?” said Sir James.

“We need to add dance lessons to the schedule at least an hour or two. Also, did the head gardener drop off his bookkeeping account?” said Abigail. 

“Yes, I have the books here. A few of them are also from last year,” replied Sir James.

“Do you mind reviewing these books with me today since I am available?” inquired Princess Abigail. 

“Not at all,” answered Sir James.

Princess Abigail and Sir James got to work reviewing the materials and conversing well into the evening about a few inconsistencies with the plant orders. Princess Abigail annotated each inconsistency and dismissed Sir James to continue their work tomorrow morning. 

She had to switch to her evening gown.  This gown was much heavier than her earlier gown since the weather tended to become colder in the evening, and their discussions often ran late. Luckily, her father insisted on having meals before their evening discussions in the library.

She walked down the hallway. She wanted to discuss the situation with the head gardener, but she didn’t understand the situation yet and did not want to jump to conclusions. If she were wrong, her parents would question her judgment. She hoped that for her thirtieth birthday, she would be crowned Queen, and she needed to show that her judgment was fair to accomplish that goal. 

Her brothers were standing in front of the dining room, speaking quietly with one another. She approached them, but their parents showed up before she could inquire about their conversation. 

They all proceeded to enter the dining room and took their usual seats. Just like a fine-tuned clock, all the maids came in to set the table. Again, she noticed that Alfonso was smiling at the maid.  She needed to speak with him as soon as possible. 

Today’s dinner was extremely quiet. Her parents seemed lost in thought, which meant they had much to discuss. She focused on the meal before her to ease her nerves. 

Finally, the meal was over. They all proceed to walk to the library together as a family. Her parents lead them down the hallway. It had become a tradition for them to lead and for all of them to walk a single file behind them based on birth order. Since she was the eldest, she followed after her parents, followed by Alexander and Alfonso behind her. Alexander was twenty years old, and Alfonso was nineteen. They did not bear the brunt of royal duties as she and her parents. They were still being trained as future rulers in case she could not ascend to the throne. However, neither of her brothers showed the same aptitude or inclination towards leadership she had shown throughout her childhood. In a way, the fact that her brothers were disinterested in the country’s future helped her to feel secure as the future Queen. 

They finally reached the library and entered the room.  In the middle of the room was a table filled with refreshments and desserts for the family to enjoy. Comfortable sofas beckoned the family, and each family member sat down. 

Her father said, “We need to be more careful than ever. The newspapers report that I may not be a legitimate King”. 

“Father, can you please explain this in more detail?” said Alfonso. Abigail was trying to gather her thoughts; her father was the rightful ruler. He had ruled the country for more than twenty years. Why was his legitimacy being questioned now?

“Yes, of course. I was the second son, and neither your grandfather nor I expected that I would ascend the throne. However, your uncle, who was the first son, suddenly passed away. I was the only candidate that could become King since your grandfather could no longer rule due to his grief at losing his son. To my knowledge, my brother did not have any children, nor was he married. But several newspapers report that your uncle was married to an unknown commoner, and she had a child.” said her father.

“How do they know if this information? What are their sources? ” said Alfonso.

“They’re keeping their sources secret for now. The sources feel their lives may be in danger.” said her father.

“Do you think it is true?” said Abigail. 

“I don’t know. My brother was fifteen years older than me. We were not close due to that age difference. I know we need to investigate this a bit more and not provide any public comment on this situation,” said her father. 

“Should we begin searching for the child?” said Abigail.

Then she heard the word “No!” shouted by everyone, including her brothers. 

“Why shouldn’t we search for her or him?” asked Abigail. 

Her mother looked at her sternly, “Abigail, please refrain from asking silly questions. If we search for her, that means your father’s reign, and may I add, yours may be jeopardized. It is better for all of us if we do not find her”. 

“Abigail, we first need to know if my brother married a commoner. As you know, only legitimate children can inherit the throne if their child was born after he got married; then, they may have a right to the throne. I will search for a marriage certificate before we try to find the child,” said her father. 

“But Father, that child has no one left. We are their family; we are responsible for our cousin,” said Abigail. 

“Enough. This is not a negotiation. We will do as I said. We need to make sure that my brother's marriage is legitimate first before we look for the child. Remember, Abigail, you are not the ruler of this country yet, and if you ever want to be, you should listen and obey my words,” said her father. 

Abigail reluctantly fell into silence. The meeting continued to discuss trivial subjects related to their annual events. The meeting was over, and they all left to their respective sides of the palace. 

As she prepared for bed, her thoughts went back to her cousin. She wanted to search for her. However, she knew her mother was right. If they found a legitimate heir to the crown, she could not become Queen. She had spent countless hours training to assume that role. Instead of attaining balls and socializing with the other children, she would sit in the library reading books for hours to read the words country's previous kings and queens. Her annual allowance went to charitable organizations since she supported countless organizations throughout the kingdom. However, what pained her the most was that she could never rest, even when her body demanded it. Even when she was shaking and afraid, she attended every event. This was to demonstrate that she had the capacity and will to spend time with the people of this kingdom. She had trained for hours to learn the multiple languages in her kingdom to communicate with everyone. She was afraid now since all her effort could have been in vain. She wished they would never find their cousin, but a small whisper deep in her conscience said it was wrong. 

She walked to the window and out into her garden. Hoping that the scenery would calm her mind. She took deep breaths and exhaled slowly. She then touched the windowsill for a few moments to calm down her mind. 

She saw someone in the garden. When he passed by the lamppost, she saw that it was Micheal. 

Before she could comprehend the reason behind her actions, she put on her slippers and a shawl to head down to the garden. She walks down the hallway, passing rows of portraits showing the fantastic wealth of her ancestors until Abigail reach the stairs and walked down its steps. She glanced around her, afraid but excited to be in the fresh night air. Hopefully, she wasn’t too late. She wanted to see him to confirm if he was the man from her dreams. To see a hint of recognition in his eyes. She opened the doors to the garden and prepared herself to embrace the night.