3 Three

Chapter Three- Danielle

After my emotional night with my mother she asked me if I could give a chance for my father to talk to me. She thinks that it would be better if I clear some things with my father. Now that I know the whole truth, her exact words were "He deserves a time with you". So here I am walking around town, going towards Scented Café to meet my father. I wore my mothers necklace but it was hidden inside my blush pink shirt. I wore my casual shirt and pants today, I figured that if I'm to face something so important I might as well be comfortable with my clothes.

I got inside the coffee shop and the place was not so packed with people plus it gives this vibe that anyone can enjoy. I used to come here with some of my friends but after graduating, coming here became less of a habit.

"Hi" One of the servers greets and smiles to me. She looks a little older than me and she's very pretty. I smiled back to her as I choose which drink to order. On a normal lazy day I would definitely go with something cold but since today is no ordinary day, I could use some strong sweet hot coffee.

"One caramel macchiato with extra whip and caramel please" I ordered and the lady in front of me smiles as she takes my order.

"How would you like to pay for this maam?" She asks me and I hand to her my mobile phone that holds all my cards. She scans my phone screen and after a few seconds she returns it back to me. She gives me a pager then leaves to do my coffee. I went to one of the tables set for two beside the glass window and waited for my order to arrive. I'm pretty sure my father would arrive real soon, I would have ordered something for him but I don't exactly have the idea what he drinks. He might not have the same taste.

My pager goes off and I walked back to the counter to get my order only to see my father approaching the entrance. He sees me take my order and we both had to awkwardly walk back to where I left my things. I place my order on the table and awkwardly smiled to my father.

"So? Coffee?" Great start there self. I couldn't handle the growing pressure between me and my father so I need to distract myself with other things first and that other thing is taking my fathers order.

"No, I'm quite full but thank you for the offer" and there goes my distraction. I guess, he is not the type that casually drinks coffee or maybe he just doesn't like going to this kind of places.

We both settled down and no one spoke first. I held on to my coffee and my father, well, he is studying me. He doesn't even hide it, he is literally eyeing me up and down. Maybe he is compiling the things he wants to change in me once we are done, or maybe he is plotting some other ways to get rid of me.

I know I have the wildest imagination but I don't really do well under pressure that's why all I could think right now is that my father could kill me. I kept tapping my fingers on the the mug in front of me and that's when I heard my father sigh.

"I'm sorry that I got mad at you during dinner the other night. I know that you have the right to be mad and I snap, I'm sorry" He starts, watching me for any violent reaction.

Before I came here, I promised myself that I will be reasonable and hear what he'll say. I need answers and I wont get them if I stay mad and not listen to his side of the story. So him apologizing for what happened the other night is pretty much a good start.

"I want to apologize as well" I inhaled and smiled "One for being disrespectful and two for being a brat and not listening to both you and mom" He smiled when I said the word 'brat' but it was only for a second before he masked it out with his serious face again. "I at least know now my mothers version of my lovely beginning so now I would pretty much appreciate if you tell me yours" I bit my lip when he looked at me weirdly but then he settled and fixed his coat looking away and eventually he starts talking.

"I loved your mother and she was my ray of sunshine. When Val and I broke up, I thought I would never love anyone again but I did and out of that love you were born. I thought things could actually be simple for between me and your mom. But I was dreaming. The life that I have, the position that I have. I could never have a life that's normal nor simple" Looking at my father now, he doesn't look so proud or happy, he looks so lonely. "The power that I have took away your real mother and for that I really am sorry" He turns his eyes to look at me, guilt and sorrow written all over his eyes. "That's why when I saw you alive, my initial instinct was to protect you and that's why I brought you to Val. With the royal regents protection, you were able to live well and happy. I had no one else to trust back at my country. Marissa, my current wife, she would have loved to take you in. She adored your mother despite all the things that happened. But she too knew that you were not safe with us. All this time we kept your identity safe. Only the royals and my current family knows about you. Well, that's up until recently" There was a sudden change of feeling coming from my father. I am now sensing his frustration. "You should already know that you are set up to marry one of the princes of this kingdom?" my father asked and I just nod wondering. "That's because we could no longer hide you and the only way we can protect you is for you to become a royal yourself. With the royal regents blessing and the King and Queen's. You were allowed to enter the palace as a lady in waiting. The rest of the details will be explained to you when you get there, for now, you need to prepare yourself" he informs me like he is commanding me. Does he really think its a simple thing to prepare yourself into? Does he even bother thinking about my own opinion with this matter?

"How do you expect me to just nod and follow your commands? I get that for you marriage could possibly protect me from whoever it is that's trying to harm me but for me, its stupidity" I do understand all their story and maybe someone is really trying to kill me or make my life hell, but i've been fine all this time. Why would someone try to harm me now? Why wait this long?

"I know this is all too much to take and I am so sorry that you have to do this but there is no other choice. You are no longer safe Danielle, the council will eventually find out and I wont be able to protect you then" I can feel the desperation on my fathers voice. How could I even believe all of this? My life was never full of trouble or this kind of drama. I've always been the kid that's well reserved during school and I never stood out so who would even take notice of me.

Plus there's this thing about being with the royals. I couldn't even stare at them without bowing in respect to their booming confidence. Now I'm supposed to marry one of them. How in the hell am I supposed to do that? I don't even know a single thing about being a royal or a noble lady. I mean I've read a few books about it but tha'ts not enough. I just can't do it. not now, not ever.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't" I said to my father before rushing out of the cafe and leaving him calling my name. I didn't look back nor did I stop from running back to where I should be and where I really belong.

By the time I reached my house, I was wheezing because of all the running. I literally ran from the cafe up to my house just incase my father was chasing after me but in reality no one was really chasing after me. I was just being paranoid.

Everything that I just learned and discovered are all crazy. Hell I even want to go crazy after learning all those thing. They can't just expect me to believe that everything is going to be fine once I join the royal family. Hell, to that. I respect them, even though some of them happens to be really crazy. I still respect them. Joining them is a different story.

I kept tossing and turning on my bed thinking about all the stories I've heard both from my mom and now from my dad. Thoughts about my real mom and my father and the royal family made me me so tired that eventually sleep consumed me. But that didn't last long because I woke up feeling like my lungs closing on me. I was feeling suffocation and I was catching my every breathe. By the time I realized what was going on, I hear my mom shouting from downstairs; calling out for my name. My room was filled with smoke and every second I try adjusting my eyes to the fog it only gets worse. "MOM!!!!!" I tried calling but with all the smoke I was breathing in, it only makes my voice crack.

How could there be a fire in my house? I tried moving and going out my room but the smoke was getting thick and more unbearable. I'm already having trouble breathing and I can't locate my mom with the smoke and fire everywhere.

"Mom?!!" I called again but there was no response.

All my senses are kicking in just by thinking that something might have happened to my mother. I need to get down and see my mother. "Mom?!!"I screamed but still no answer.

I can hear faint sounds of siren going off outside which gave me hope that help is coming. I still need to see my mom soI took one of my jackets and went to my bathroom to soak my jacket with water. After soaking my jacket I covered my mouth and nose just so I can breathe less smoke. The fire was now unstoppable and spreading really fast that the logical thing to do is run out of the house. I could have gone out my rooms window but I just can't leave knowing my mom could be trapped somewhere.

"Dani?!" my mother whispered as I passed by the living room, avoiding the falling panels inside the house. My mom was trapped inside the kitchen, lying and so close to losing her consciousness. She was reaching out to me.

"Mom?!" I cracked. I wanted to go to her side but I can't with the log in front of me firing up. I kept shouting her name and then the fire fighters came to my side trying to pull me away from the scene but I was fighting them too, all my attention was on my unconscious mother inside the burning kitchen. I need to get to her, I need to save her. I have to make sure she'll be okay. I can't lose her, not now!

"Miss we'll get her but you need to go out first before you get injured" One of the fire fighters told me while the others try and rescue my mom. I saw the event all too quickly though. One second my mom was unconsciously lying on the floor and the next second the ceiling was on her caught up with the fire. The sudden fall of the ceiling made me too shocked to even realize what just happened. The fire fighter was able to get me out but I didn't miss the panic growing on the eyes of some of the fire fighters trying to get to my mom. Everything was happening in a blur, in my eyes, all I could see was fire consuming the house. The house that I grew up to. The very house where my mom would welcome me after school and where my safe haven was. Now its all fading.

Then it happened.

Glimpses of a memory I didn't use to have.

Fire

A thick fog suffocating me

An unbearable pain on my back

And a woman.

A woman and she was crying.

But why was she crying?

And who is she?

Then its all blank.

Weeks passed and I still can't believe a fire just destroyed the house I used to have. But that's not the only thing it took from me.

Now dressed in black and listening to people I didn't know before speak about my mom makes me more mad that this is all so true and not just a dream.

The fire fighters never got to save my mom nor our house and for days all i've been doing was prepare my mothers burial and avoid my father. Lori and her family helped me a lot, my father offered to take me for awhile and do all the arrangements but I insisted on doing everything. No one knows more about my mom than I do. For days all I've been doing is pretending that everything is just a dream but now that the day has come, my mother is really gone and there's nothing I could do to stop all of it.

"...and we all wished and pray that she become more happier now that she's up there" The lady who I assumed was one of my mothers co-worker finishes up then bows. I was about to go up next and speak before they bury my mother when a royal guard suddenly appears.

"Make way" The guard speaks up "The King and Queen has arrived" he announces and everyone stood up to bow in respect, halting all the ceremony that's happening. We all waited but what I don't understand is what they were doing in here. I get that my mother has served them but they didn't have to come here.

"Please, we are not here as the Royal family, we are here as Vals friends" the King announces making us all raise our heads and look at them. They walked near my mothers casket and bowed in respect to the dead. I just stood there watching as the royals pay their respect to my mother. The King and Queen are dressed in their fine black dress and suit. When they were done paying their respects they went to one of the empty chairs and sat down. Everyone became wary of how they should act in front of the royals, I should feel upset but somehow I wasn't.

I stood up in front as it was now my time to say something and I've been preparing for this since last night. I didn't want to accept that my mother is gone and that I wouldn't be able to see her smile again. With that thought in mind, my heart quench and my eyes started to sting because of the unshed tears I was keeping since the burial started. I saw my father together with Michael enter the scene but no one noticed them. The royals were all watching me, waiting for the things that i'm about to say. Lori was sitting next to where I was sitting awhile ago giving me an assuring smile.

"Hi" my voice cracks and I had to cough it out so that I could speak clearly. "Many of you know my mother as the sweet, calm and kind lady. And hearing all your kind words about my mother made me think 'wow, I don't really know my mother that much'" I paused and watch all mixed emotion welcoming me "Up until recently all I know about my mother was that shes this beautiful, sweet and soft hearted person who would do everything for my sake" a tear slips down my face "She served the palace all her life just so she could support me and not just that, but also to protect me" I looked to my father and he just nods for me to continue "My mother was noble at heart, she always showed kindness to those she encounter. I never once saw my mom got mad to anyone who had harmed her and she would always remind me to be kind and not show any sort of evil. She taught me to become the lady who I am today and I will always be grateful" I wiped the tears that was leaking from my eyes and watch as the people try to sympathize with me, no one really understands my situation. My mom just died and I no longer have anyone else to my side, with that ringing in my mind. Tears kept pouring out of me and I was breaking. "And where ever she is now. I just hope she's really happy because she deserves it more than anyone else" I finished wiping my tears and rushing back to Lori's side. She puts her arms around me trying to console me. The preacher goes to my mothers casket and blesses it with oil.

Then its done. My mother is no longer part of this world. She is now away and I could never see her smile again. My mother is really gone and there's nothing I can do more than just hope that she is in the better place now.

After the burial, friends and workmates of my mother came and said their goodbyes but all I could do is nod and accept their condolences. I was eventually left with Lori and her mom with my father on the back waiting for an opportunity to talk to me and the royals sitting waiting for everyone else to leave.

Now with no one else to hear or witness what's about to happen, my father walks towards me and the King and Queen standing up to match his action. Lori stood defensively in front of me but I know then that I could never ran away from this anymore. I need to face this on my own and that's what my mother would have wanted me to do.