She…she was messing with me. Was I supposed to just…chat casually with her now? My chest felt tight with uncertainty, and my brain struggled to process the huge shift in her demeanor.
Nothing prepared me for meeting royalty, and I was floundering on expected decorum. She seemed to be as laid back as Alora was–apparently at least–but I didn’t want to disrespect her.
My questions were answered as she quickly reached out and pulled me in for a hug, her scent of roses wrapping around me. My shock quickly wore off as I wrapped my arms lightly around her as she squeezed and cooed, rocking us side to side gently. “I’m so happy to finally meet my daughter's best friend. She’s said such amazing things about you. I’m so thrilled she’s met someone who accepts her without using her for her status.”
Aw, there was a mushy side to Queen Ama. I hadn’t expected that, but I was grateful that I wasn’t going to have to convince her of why I was a good friend to her daughter anymore. Despite being the queen, she couldn’t get rid of me. Alora and I were stuck like glue.
“Mom!” Alora snapped, and I couldn’t help the snicker that spilled from my lips. “Please stop. I don’t need you to thank people for being my friend. It makes me look so pathetic.”
I couldn’t help the small smile that pulled at my lips in response to their banter.
It wasn’t that I enjoyed my friend's feeling of embarrassment over her mom’s words, but I enjoyed seeing a family dynamic like this. I felt included, and a sense of warmth washed over me at seeing the inner workings of their relationship. It was clear they were very close–that there wasn’t a lack of love between them.
They were everything I’d ever wanted in my own imaginary mother-daughter relationship.
With Alora’s words, Queen Ama pulled away from me. I fought back a laugh as they began to bicker between themselves.
It truly was like watching the same person argue with themself in a mirror.
“Honey, there is absolutely nothing wrong with what I said! It’s hard to find people who don’t treat you differently for being a princess,” her mom argued back. As she placed her hands on her hips as she let go of her scythe, and it disappeared.
Alright, so scythes can come and go apparently. Good to know.
Alora let out a growl of annoyance and shook her head. “Mom, you don’t—”
“Don’t what? Don’t understand being ostracized as a princess, and a hybrid one at that?”
I cringed and slowly took a few steps back until I ran into Elwin’s chest, soaking in his warmth as his hands came up and rubbed my arms.
As soon as Alora’s mouth popped open and a scowl pinched her lips and brows, her mom lifted a hand, preemptively cutting off whatever she was going to say next.
“Don’t sass me, young lady. Do you want me to tell your dads about the security breach at the academy? You know at least three of them would drag you kicking and screaming back home. And don’t get me started on how hard it’s been to not tell them about your date!”
Oh, shit. I had a feeling more than just three of them would respond like that based on how protective Alora told me they all were. It made me wonder what deal she could have possibly struck with her mom to not only stay here but to keep the breach of DIA’s ward from her dads too.
“You promised!” Alora shrieked.
I just continued to watch, my gaze volleying back and forth between them like I was watching a ping pong tournament.
Queen Ama laughed and let her hip pop out to the side. “Yeah, and I also promised your dads that I wouldn’t keep any secrets from them when it came to you after we tried to prank Grandpa and you ended up breaking your arm in your fall. But here we are, once more with multiple secrets. I know that you’re not having any more issues with control—”
Alora’s gaze fell to the ground, and instantly, her mom stopped talking.
Queen Ama closed the distance between them and turned Alora around, exposing the rips in her poor dress.
“Honey, are you struggling to control your powers? You promised to tell me if this started happening again.”
Again? The fact that this has happened before was news to me, though I knew it was only fair that everyone was entitled to their privacy. It felt wrong listening to this, and I let out a sigh of relief as her mom dropped the subject when Alora’s shoulders sagged forward as she failed to respond.
Queen Ama’s gaze flicked between Alora and us before she pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead and brushed her loose strands of hair behind her ears.
“We’ll talk about this when I get back, okay? Now, say your goodbyes before I take your friends to see Aunt Zurie.”
I wasn’t sure why I thought Alora would come with us to see her aunt, at least for a little bit. It hit me square in the chest as we locked eyes that I was going to have to say goodbye to her now. And I didn’t know when we’d see each other again.
Ifwe’d see each other again.
Chapter 4
