Though it wasn’t entirely necessary, he took them all the way to their new rooms himself. The rooms were next to each other and in a different wing than the mistresses and the Queen. This part of the palace hadn’t been used often, and now it was just the two of them residing there.

Owen recommended they bathe and change clothes before joining him down in the hall. It wasn’t an order, but Emeria knew the worth of his words. She nodded her agreement to him before he left.

Instead of separating into the different rooms, Emeria took them both into Delilah’s new room and then asked one of the two waiting maids to help them. She couldn’t sense any malice from them as they started up light conversation with her, asking her about where she’d been living, about her daughter, about life outside the palace and her favorite color.

When she’d replied that it was green, one of them scurried off into the other room to find a green dress that would fit her. The maid, who was named Camile, visibly lit up, her lips curving into a bright grin, when Emeria thanked her.

Jenny, the other maid, ran water and offered up no complaint when Emeria asked to be present in the room when Delilah was bathed. As much as she wanted to trust them both, it had to be earned. She couldn’t let her guard down so soon in unfamiliar territory, surrounded by strangers.

Once Delilah had cleaned up, Camile set about getting her dressed in a blue dress that made her red hair pop. There was a green intricate design on the upper half that matched the color of her eyes.

Jenny then helped Emeria bathe, the water becoming darker with dirt and grime than it had with Delilah and eventually revealed Emeria’s true colors. Before long, Emeria was listening to the two maids dote on Delilah, showering her with compliments as they did up her hair. Jenny came and helped Emeria finish dressing and then did up her hair simply, as had been requested of her.

The knights, including the Captain of the Guard, Angelo Sharde, met them at the door when they exited the room. The two knights who had stayed with them from the trip until now, and had remained at the door while they readied themselves inside, confirmed his identity to both Emeria and her daughter, telling them he was trustworthy.

Captain Sharde bowed to them both as if it wasn’t just Delilah who was royalty. He treated Emeria with unspoken and utmost respect. It was something that not everyone would do, and it gave Emeria insight into his character.

The three of them, Sharde leading the way, followed by Emeria and Delilah, with the two knights trailing behind them, headed down to the hall. Delilah clutched onto her mother’s hand in this unfamiliar place, even as she let her gaze wander over and around everything she could see. A lot of history was on display down some of the hallways. Paintings, new and old. A few artifacts here and there within the walls, some bearing written descriptions on little plaques.

When the doors opened and announced their arrival, the hall was filled with Nobles who had arrived for business, the mistresses of the King, the Queen, and King Owen himself along with several knights and aides. Queen Ariana and the ladies had each brought one or more ladies-in-waiting calmly standing with them, showing their prestige in the number of servants at their beck and call.

Owen beckoned them both forward with a smile once Sharde stepped to the side to walk behind them. As they walked, Emeria felt the curious gazes as well as the furious ones take in every inch of them, ready to comment on or criticize their appearance. She didn’t need to glance to the side in order to feel Ariana’s silent and swirling wrath, contained within her gaze, at least, for now it was. She wouldn’t put it past the Queen to already have several schemes to take them down, but it mattered not at this moment. She held her head as high as she dared against the stares, keeping Delilah’s hand firmly in hers.

Emeria, knowing the customs, bowed politely as a commoner would, once they reached the base of the steps leading to the platform. Delilah followed her lead to near perfection, mimicking her actions carefully. Owen himself wasn’t even standing near his chair, he was on third step, and then he was walking down them.

He knelt down next to Delilah, and held out his hand. There were several noises of surprise from those who had no idea what the purpose of this gathering was. Delilah placed hers in his and then he stood, lifting her hand a bit higher.

“This is my daughter, your Princess, Delilah.”

Gasps and murmurs filled the hall. Faces filled with shock as they took in the small child who indeed looked like a mix between this mysterious woman and their King. Delilah had the green eyes of her mother and the fiery hair of her father.

Even so, nobody had guessed this particular announcement, even if they’d heard the King was bringing a commoner back to the palace. It was a strange thing to suddenly learn that the King had an illegitimate child with some commoner, and even more so, a child that was already half grown. A few tried to guess the age of the young girl, to pinpoint exactly when the conception might’ve occurred, but they were scratching their heads. Two of them glanced at one another with startled expressions, seeming to ask one particular question.

Was this child created while he was still the Crown Prince?

Some nobles gazed at the woman and her daughter, their new princess, with mild sneers, no doubt believing this to be some kind of ruse, a trick. A commoner woman who had a child that seemed to resemble the King. Surely, the rumors that their ruler was infertile weren’t wrong. They thought Emeria would be arrested soon, for deceiving the palace and the people.

Others were stunned but believed without a doubt in this new fantastical reality. It was like a fairytale come to life. And now, they had a beautiful young princess and heir to their kingdom. It was the perfect happy ending.

Jizelle, in particular, despite feeling under the weather, had made the trek down to the hall for the announcement, and was smiling with her hands clasped in front of her as she thought of the story Owen had told her. For certain, this had to be the woman, she thought, the one from all those years ago. Her mind raced with all the things she needed to do, to prepare. A gift. Two. One for each, at the very least. But would they prefer something handmade, or something practical? Would a bracelet be too much, even if it were simple in style? She met another lady’s gaze and they nodded discreetly to each other.

Yes.

These two would be protected, not just by the guards, but by Jizelle and the others. Anyone who had lived through Ariana’s cruelty would help keep an eye out for them, to make sure the princess and her mother remained safe at all times.

“This is her mother, Lady Emeria,” Owen announced among the chattering. “I will only say this once. An attack on them… On Lady Emeria or Princess Delilah,” Owen met the Queen’s gaze directly as he continued, “is an attack on me and this kingdom, and will be punished as such.”

The Queen was the first to step forward, and Owen clenched his jaw as she nodded her acknowledgement to Emeria and Delilah before turning and leaving, a trail of frantic servants and nobles following her.

Once Queen Ariana was out of the hall, several ladies and nobles came forward to greet the princess, and reluctantly for some, to greet her mother as well.

Not long after, urgent work called Owen from the room and Sharde was ordered to give them a grand tour of the palace. And so, the next hours were spent wandering around, learning of locations and where it was best not to go in order to avoid the Queen. Of course, Captain Sharde never blatantly said Ariana’s name while walking around, but it was inferred.

“It would be best to not come this way often to avoid steely glares of less than pleasant people,” he would say as they walked down a corridor. “And I wouldn’t come here often either. Too many unpleasant people down this hall as well.”

Of course, he didn’t mention the Queen. He couldn’t, but his telling exchanges of glances with Emeria told everything to her silently. She was grateful and nodded her thanks with smiles.

It seemed, Captain Sharde was a great ally in this new territory. As Emeria thought this to herself, he pointed out a location that was visited often by great people and had a pleasant atmosphere.

Of course, Captain Sharde was on a mission to help them, not just because the King ordered it, or because the potentially future Queen was the one with a life at stake, but because a certain lovely lady had expressly told him that he should warn them of places they should and shouldn’t go to in order to avoid the wicked thing everyone was forced to call a Queen. And how could he deny such a lovely lady when she smiled so sweetly at him, like an angel descended from heaven with her long golden hair.