10 : MEETING DANTE

Dedicated to all my wonderful readers. Enjoy and read the note beneath.

***

She sat on the couch in her room looking at the boy and his nanny.

The little child was scared and seemed shy. Trails of tears long wept still marked his young face.

The nanny still was not concerned about the young child rather she seemed a bit annoyed and anxious. She had been expecting the king to reward her for helping them catch her mistress and his child but instead the princess had asked to see her. She had heard countless tales told of the cold hearted princess whom many believed to be a dark witch. She hoped that things would bode well for her.

The princess fixed her eyes on the nanny for a very long time enjoying the way she squirmed under her gaze.

" are you his nanny? " the princess asked in a bored tone.

The girl was shocked wondering why the princess had asked her a question as irrelevant as that. Maybe she was trying to test her loyalty, she thought to herself. " not anymore your highness. "

The princess's gaze turned colder but the girl was too dumb to feel it and soon found herself relaxing in the princess's presence.

" hmm… funny. " the princess said looking confused. " I thought my guard informed me that you were the child's nanny. My guard must clearly be mistaken then "

The girl licked her lips still feeling kind of nervous. " uhm… you see your majesty. I used to work for councilman Ernest as the boy's nanny but when I found out what they planned to do against the king, I decided to do the right thing by aiding the royal guards in capturing councilman Ernest and his family. "

" ah so you're loyal to the crown and this boy has no meaning to whatsoever? " the princess asked with a lovely smile.

" none whatsoever your highness. He was just a job and a mistake made in the past that I would like to forget. " the nanny replied with her own smile.

Her words hurt the little boy whose head dropped even more than before. A tear slipped past his eyes and down his cheeks until it fell on the floor in a silent plop.

A glint appeared in Clarissa's eyes but the smile on her lips never wavered.

" fine then. Please wait outside the room while I talk to the little traitor. "

She bowed and did as the princess asked.

The princess looked at the little boy who hung his head in fear and hurt. He understood that his papa and mama might have done something to anger the lady in front of him and the men who were in the room earlier. He wondered if he would get punished.

He hated punishments, his mother liked to serve them to him for every little mistake he made. Although she never permitted anyone else to hurt him. Now he stood before the beautifully dressed lady expecting the worst.

" For a boy you sure are weak. " Clarissa said causing the little boy to look up. " do you always let people's words bring you down? "

The boy was quiet unable to answer. His mother had always said that he was useless, weak and a mistake she regretted everyday. Hearing even the lady before him repeat those very same words hurt but he was now used to this.

Clarissa rolled her eyes wondering how he could be of noble blood. Most noble bloods were known to be very proud even when they didn't have a reason to. His parents must have done a good job in breaking him.

" come to me. " she said to the boy.

He hesitated but soon found himself moving to her.

She held his chin up the minute he was within her reach. She could feel him jump like he wanted to leave his skin and run.

The child seemed quite handsome and too innocent. A mirror of the child she had once been. Too bad they grew up in homes with opposite atmospheres. But still this was good as the child would not grow up to believe the stupidity that there was good in everyone.

She looked into his eyes and said to him. " don't bring your head down for anybody. Don't let anyone hurt you with their words. "

He nodded finding the lady's weird words to be comforting.

" now drop your hands from behind your back and stand like a man. "

The boy immediately stood straight trying to do as the lady said.

" do you remember what happened today? " she asked letting go of his chin.

The boy immediately felt sad remembering all that had happened but did not dare slouch so as not to annoy the lady. " yes " he replied keeping his eyes on her, trying not to cry. " my mama, this morning, she asked my nanny to pack my things and nanny wouldn't play with me. While the Coachman was loading our things on the carriage she asked my nanny to fetch something from her room but then she didn't wait for my nanny to get back. She tried to force me into the carriage but I ran away to tell nanny to come quick and then she left me. I thought maybe if I got nanny she'd take me to go meet my mama… "

He said letting a tear slip. " but when I got upstairs nanny looked angry and dragged me upstairs. She locked me in my room and I was scared. " he said as his voice became filled with tears. " I kept telling her mama was leaving us but she didn't say anything. She just said to keep quiet. That I was giving her a headache. Nanny never spoke to me like that before. I thought maybe she was angry that mama left us but when those people came she gave me to them. She even told them where my mama went and then they both refused to talk to me since then. " the boy said letting out loud hiccups and a pitiful cry.

Clarissa put a hand to her head unable to understand why the boy could not listen to simple instruction. His whining was giving her a headache. " I just told you something and you're doing the opposite! " she yelled at him.

The boy looked up sad that he had disappointed someone else. The sound of his crying increased. " I'm sorry! "

Clarissa was even more annoyed. " what did I just tell you?! " she asked him and answered herself. " I told you that you shouldn't let anyone's words hurt you, that you should keep your head up and lastly to act like a man! Do men cry?! "

The boy's lips trembled as he replied. " I don't know. "

Clarissa's mouth hung open at his reply. She scoffed at him and continued to look at him shocked.

The little boy had stopped crying out loud and was now sniffing. He looked at the lady and said. " miss, I don't think you should keep your mouth open, my mama says flies might get in. "

His words almost choked her and she was back to yelling. " you think I don't know that?! I know that! And what do you mean by you don't know isn't your father a man? " she asked incredulously.

" yes, " the boy replied shaking his head in reply " but he sometimes cries when he's drunk. My mama says he's weak and that I'm just like him. "

Great! Clarissa thought now this definitely made her job harder.

Author's note

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this.

I'm very sorry I know I haven't been updating contrary to what I said before. I was really sick and was unable to write anything and my studies are starting to take a toll on me. I hope you understand. Thanks for your support 💜