Chapter four: "Who bakes broccoli?"

A woman walks out of the room with blood stains on her hands, she seemed to be walking towards someone. Denville sprang up to her feet on sighting her. " How's she Rowelle?". Rowelle shot her a quick calming look and gripped her shoulder " Denvie....you have to listen to me carefully" she paused and patted Denville's hair. Denville in return sighed promisingly.

" I'm ready Rowelle", she said.

" Denvie..." Rowelle drawled again, making Denville's ears vibrate on her face. " You have to give up one of them" Rowelle finally said, and anticipated a maddening reaction from Denville.

And of course, Denville's head screeched madly at first, she had this bizarre expression plastered on her face. She moved back unconsciously and grabbed a chair " wha--what are you say-ing?"

Rowelle made to hold her from falling, but Denville hit her hand off " you have got to save them both!" She yelled and staggered almost immediately. " Denvie..." Rowelle began sobbing.

"I can't she'll either die or he...dies"

On hearing this Denville's knees became wobble, her hand went numb, her face turned dead pale, and her heart hurt like hell. She could fell the ground slowly decipating from beneath her, she fell and blacked full.

" Queen Denville!! Your highness!"

Her vision was quite blurry as she parted her eye lids slowly,she was hearing voices, but they sounded very far and faint, was she dead already?....was she really going to be finally at peace? She blinked and tears rolled down for some reason....she needed nothing more but rest, but a voice kept ringing in her head.

' you must avenge me'.

Yes, that voice, it had always kept her going since that tragedy took place years ago.' No, it's no time for rest Denvie, what have you achieved so far? We should get back' she bostered and slowly turned her head

" She's alive!" Someone screamed and Denville could hear it loud and clear,she was finally back, " the queen...she isn't dead!" Ciellé yelled again sobbing in between as she immediately tried to help her up. " My queen...." Ciellé continued sobbing and staring at Denville longily. " I thought--i thought I would never get to see you smile again..." She paused and then burst into an uncontrollable sob " I still haven't given my answer yet..and I can't witness this again, you just got into the palace, barely being served by your court maidens.....i--i, I'll....".

Denville dazed at Ciellé with pity instead " breathe-breathe Ciellé" she said and patted her back " I won't die, not even in the garlic princess's grandest dream. I'm fine and no night-" she paused abruptly and gripped her chest, she was terribly hurting as it arched, to have had another glimpse of that moment." Ha" she squirmed

" You okay your highness?" Ciellé inquired worriedly. Denville slowly got over the pain and faked a smile " no nightmares either" she said, her gaze firmly glued on nothing in particular. Death would have to wait till she accomplished her mission.

" Where are the maidens Ciellé?" Denville asked slowly getting off the bed.

" All in their quarters, they shall come into the palace after the first Royal meal" Ciellé said going after her.

Denville halted and curved her mouth " I've got a Royal meal to grace?"

" Yes your highness" she replied curtly. Denville smirked and then narrowed her gaze on Ciellé.

" Do we have arsenics in the palace?"

" Your highness!" Ciellé eyes could have jumped out of their socket. " hehe,hehe just kidding...get me dressed" she waved off, but was really caught up in her dream.

(ー_ー゛)

Queen Denville suddenly got thrills as she approached the dining hall. It was as though she was approaching a cemetery. She halted and turned around to check if Ciellé was still behind her. " Are you checking to see if I'm still behind you, your highness?" Ciellé asked out of the blue

" I was just wondering... Ciellé, will you always be with me wherever I go?" Denville asked making Ciellé stare at her meaningfully " as long as the Queen resides in the palace"

" Uhh oh" Denville drawled pondering for a while " someone has to give her answer as quickly as possible then" she added

Ciellé moved closer" is there a reason why her highness needs my answer urgently?". Denville pondered again " I need to know my people" she smiled and kept walking. Ciellé twitched her mouth, clueless about what Denville had said " her people" she muttered. " Hum..your highness, what do you mean?" she inquired catching up with her. " Ciellé?" Denville called after turning around abruptly.

" We'll talk when we get back"

Ciellé nodded obediently and followed after her.

The door to the dining hall came apart and Queen Denville walked in graciously barely noticing the troupe in there

" You're late" someone said coldly. Denville raised her head swiftly, and it was then that she finally saw the other family members, all sitted there, just glued on their chair, with cold eyes fixated on her like she was their delicious prey.

'Sapphires! Got one hell of a family' she thought" " I said you were late...."

" And I heard you" she replied almost immediately, when she suddenly felt those daggers thrown at her by the grand princess's eyes. " Hum..I meant to say- I meant I was sorry, for arriving a minute late" she said stiffly, as it chewed her up to apologize to the grand princess.

" My queen, you should join the meal...and say hi to the prince and princess" the king, Howard of Northernland, gestured her over. She shifted her gaze on the princess who had all along stared at her haughtily. " Hum" she coughed and took her seat beside the prince, and across her sworn enemy, the grand princess.

" Welcome to the palace, Queen Denville" prince Sillin said warmly, he was the only one with a rather inviting look, if only Denville didn't sense some kind of mischief in it, then she could have thanked her stars for giving her a friend, bleh...it was the least she needed.

" My pleasure prince Sillin. I have heard of the prince's great archery skill..the kingdom says it is one to be acknowledged" Denville praised dryly, clearly sucking in her distaste. " Ahhh, don't flatter me queen, I own it to my father, king Howard" he replied grinning widely, the king also chuckled. " The prince is of the same age with yours, my queen, I hope you two get along" king Howard said .

Sillin and Denville both looked at themselves coincidentally, Denville was first to avert her gave. ' oh..I feel rather hot' she thought.

" Most definitely, your majesty" prince Sillin answered still staring at Denville's side view.'O God', Denville almost screamed.

She needed to change the topic and make the prince look away and so she turned to the princess

" Princess Agatha, it's a pleasure meeting you."

" Me too" Princess Agatha slowly said with clear disapproval, but Denville could have sworn that she admired her tone to that of her brother's. " As I am two years older than you, I hope we could get along as sisters" Denville furthered.

" Thanks, but I won't be needing that" princess Agatha replied icily. 'Whoa, that's not good', Denville thought. King Howard could feel some tensions building up and so immediately chipped in" hum, the princess loves to define status clearly from family strings, hahaha.....I hope you understand my queen"

Denville didn't bother answering but only looked away. The princess was the least of her issues, ignoring her was the easiest thing to do. " Sure--your majesty" she paused and then turned to prince Sillin

" The prince and I would make the most of our time together" she glued her eyes on him and could bet, that she knew that look he gave her.

" Well, well, well... I'm hungry if no one is" grand princess Agnes suddenly but in. " Okay, let the Royal meal proceedings begin!" King Howard declared and the royal cooks began to move the royal meals out.

Denville could tell what those dishes were, just by the smell of it. They were roosted chicken, pork tenderloins, spinach beef soup, oxtail stew, Rice, tofu, potato dumplings and grilled cheese sandwich. Damn the nonsensical etiquette, she was almost salivating. The cooks served the royal members one after the other and Denville smiled anticipantly.

And then her plate finally arrived. " What is this!" Denville shrieked angrily at the dish placed in front of her " is this----- baked broccoli salad?" She grimaced at the brown vegetables in front of her. " Tsk...who bakes broccoli?" Prince Sillin scoffed with laughter. Queen Denville kept staring at her plate,and of course every other person's plate, "well this isn't funny...what happened to my dish!" She yelled.

" That is your dish, queen Denville" grand princess Agnes replied this time and Denville Could have just jump over the long table and strangle her to death right in front of family members. " No I need my pork tenderloins" she demanded fiercely.

" It is a tradition for the queen's royal meals to be purely vegetables...till she conceives an heir" grand princess Agnes said again already eating.

" Traditions again?"Denville cried aloud " why do I feel like this palace only offers their Queens the worst punishments from hell and call it traditions" she added

"That is blasphemy, Queen Denville" grand princess Agnes corrected.

Denville seriously wanted to strangulate that witch sitting across her, it was clear that she hated her " I mean how could I possibly give the kingdom a healthy heir if I am deprived of having the right nutrient?"

" Grand princess Agnes dropped her cutlery on the table and wipped her mouth before returning her gaze on Denville. " You will have an healthy heir, you just wait and see" she replied firmly. Denville sighed, clearly losing it already.

"All these for what?" She inquired

" All these for a perfect body shape for our dear Queen of Northernland. But father, it seems to me that our queen here has a perfect shape already. Could we just be lenient with her" prince Sillin said smiling warmly at her.

O good, one person on my side.

" We could make her feed on boiled cow's milk, I believe it's a nutrient supplement" he added and Denville's head momentarily turned to him, 'did you even attend school?' she asked in her head glaring furiously at him. ' if you're going to make matters worse then hold your mouth" she thought again.

" She should just stick to traditions" king Howard added. 'you too?' Denville thought almost crying.

" It must be had on her....."

" Excuse me everyone!,....." Denville yelled interrupting prince Sillin. " If you're going to debate about what'll do, then at least do it after my death!" She said and the hall immediately turned dead silent. She looked around and saw the look they threw her. " I meant to say that I can make my preferences"

" It's tradition!" They all screamed at her.

" Sapphires!" She screamed back at them. " Bring sapphires from the Westernbridge kingdom" king Howard instructed the butler. " I don't eat sapphires" Denville was on the verge of crying.

" No one eats them my queen" he replied and Denville laughed at how stupid they had made her become, all in the name of food. " I'm so loving my stay here" she muttered, in-between laughing and crying.

" Ciellé I see you haven't started to prep my queen yet" king Howard said.

" Your Majesty.." Ciellé began

" Seeing how rashly she behaves and talks...she hasn't learned our ways" he added. Oh please Denville almost screamed. ' you and your ways sucks'.

" Ciellé is doing her best, it is your ways that appears to be complex" Denville replied. " It's a way of honoring our ancestors" grand princess Agnes humphed. " Oh, at the expense of someone else's life?...I could relate" Denville murmured to her self remembering that dream she had again. " I heard you" prince Sillin whispered to her " I won't judge nor tell on you" he added and smiled. 'O please', Denville hissed inwardly at closed her eyes shut. All she had to do was eat the whatever that was on her plate and get out of that doomed hall, away from his hotness.