Where Thorn Blooms

AURETTE EVIGHEDEN ROOSEVELT

"Princess Aurette, His Majesty has summoned you to the dining table because it is time for your breakfast," my personal servant Wanda politely called to me while standing behind me.

I took a deep breath and nodded. I looked at my reflection in my vanity mirror before standing up straight while elegantly holding my hand in front of my stomach.

"Is my brother already at the dining table as well?" I asked her.

"Yes, Princess. In fact, you are the only one waiting at the table," she replied.

I nodded and continued walking out of my chamber. The servants we passed in the hallway on the second floor greeted me politely. Some even paused their tasks to bow respectfully before me.

I clasped my own hands tightly and continued walking toward the dining hall, ignoring the greetings of the passing servants. I simply kept my usual fierce expression.

When we arrived in front of the large double doors of the dining hall, the two Royal Guards guarding it opened the door for us and then greeted me. I immediately entered, with Wanda still behind me.

"I'm sorry for being late, Your Majesty," I apologized to my father, the king of the Ruilux Kingdom. The King sat in the center, with the Queen at his right. To the King's left sat my older brother.

"You can sit now," the King answered coldly.

After straightening my posture, I respectfully bowed to the king. I sat beside the First Prince of Roosevelt, who was looking at me and smiled a bit. I wanted to smile back, but I couldn't. I feel like my lips have defaulted toward just being a thin line.

I was about to grab the spoon and fork to start eating when the queen suddenly spoke while looking at me.

"Is that the proper way to hold a spoon, Princess Aurette?"

I swallowed and adjusted my grip on the spoon just like my teacher had taught me on table etiquette lesson.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty..." I said formally to the queen.

The atmosphere of this dining hall was always like this. I feel like there are hands strangling my neck. It's suffocating. Even though there are only a few of us here, I feel like there are so many eyes watching my every move. Just waiting for me to make a mistake.

The only sounds heard from the dining table were the clinking of cutlery on fragile plates. Father didn't like anyone talking while eating because he said it was disrespectful to the food, which I agreed with.

We had finished eating when the king finally spoke. "So Gunter, how's Raesal?".

Raesal is one of the three towns in the Ruilux Kingdom under our family's rule. It serves as the kingdom's main mining hub, rich with natural gemstones found only in this region. Raesal also hosts the factories that process these gems-polishing and refining them before they are sold.

My brother cleared his throat before speaking, "It's fine, Your Majesty. The production of Amethyst and Orange Sapphire is doing great."

The King nodded. "That's good. Are there no problems so far?"

"Nothing, Your Majesty. I can assure you that the production of gemstones will be smooth. I think we will be able to import more now into the Kingdom of Dasta than last year."

My father's face lit up upon hearing that, even the queen smiled proudly for my brother. I quickly looked away from them. I couldn't understand the pain that ran through my chest. Am I still not used to it?

"Hmm... how about you, Aurette? I heard you already completed your dance class and your instructor gave you an award?" my brother turned to me.

I nodded. "Yes, brother."

"Your Highness," Her Majesty strictly corrected.

"Your Highness..." I muttered.

My brother apologetically looked at me and held my hand under the table. I forgot that brother Gunter told me that I would only call him brother when it was just the two of us together.

"But I also heard that after she received her award, she didn't attend her next etiquette classes," the king said seriously.

I gulped. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty. I suddenly had a headache at that time," I reasoned. I couldn't look into his eyes because it was disrespectful, even though I was his daughter.

The queen sneered. "That's no excuse for missing such an important class, Aurette. Even when I had the flu before, I still attended mine."

I bit my lower lip. "I'm sorry, Her Majesty. It won't happen again."

Breakfast ended with all the reprimand I endured at the dining table, but it no longer had any effect on me-I had grown used to it. I suppose I was numb. Everything I did seemed wrong, even though I was trying to be a good daughter. I was becoming more obedient, more careful, more silent-but it was still not enough. It was never enough.

"Aldwus, I wish you were here so I wouldn't be alone..." I whispered while looking at our childhood portrait hanging on the wall of my room.

Aldwus Éoheort Roosevelt is my twin brother. I am five minutes older than him. We were so close back then because we were the same age, but that tragedy happened, causing our family to rock to its core. Besides grieving his loss, I also mourned the loss of our parents-figuratively.

Since he died, our parents' treatment of me has changed. They blame me for Aldwus' death. I know. It's all my fault.

I closed my eyes tightly to stop myself from getting emotional. My twin wouldn't be happy if he saw me sad.

When have you been happy?

That question suddenly popped into my mind. I laughed bitterly and stood up to go to the balcony of my room to breathe in some fresh air.

The view from my room is the right side of our kingdom. The vast garden that is maintained by the palace gardeners. In the middle of the garden is a circular fountain that makes the maze-like garden even more beautiful because of the bushes made of leaves cut into various shapes.

I sat on the iron chair, still looking out at the garden. The gardeners were busy trimming the leaves and watering the plants.

Apart from the garden, I had no other view outside the palace. I didn't know what lay beyond the high walls of the palace where I grew up and thought apart from... that forest.

I took a deep breath and opened the book I was reading about the laws of the various kingdoms in the world of Yaunus.

As the son of King Gunter Reiss Roosevelt VI and Queen Althea Elevit Beecker - Roosevelt of the Ruilux Kingdom, I am required to study the laws of the seven kingdoms of Yaunus, even though my people don't know me.

I laughed bitterly. I do everything within this palace to become a respectable and worthy Princess, but my people don't even know me.

Besides the workers inside this palace and members of the royal family of our kingdom, no one else knows my existence. The only ones they know as children of the king and queen of Ruilux Kingdom are brother Gunter and Aldwus. But even so, it didn't reduce the heavy pressure on me.

I was about to go back to my room when my eyes caught sight of something down in the garden. His golden hair that I knew so well and had never escaped my sight.

He is wearing a deep navy blue long half-shoulder cape with shoulder epaulets with a touch of gold. He is also wearing a white long sleeve shirt topped with a deep navy blue fitted vest and white pants with black knee-high boots.

"What is Randall doing here?" I asked myself.

Randal Roxley Vittorio is the bachelor Grand Duke of Ruilux Kingdom. He's my brother's best friend. I didn't expect to see him here today because there is no important meeting today at the palace.

I immediately placed the book I was reading on the table and, without hesitation, left my room to go see Randal.

"Randal!" I called to the Duke when I reached the entrance to the garden.

He turned to look at me and immediately smiled. He straightened his posture before bowing respectfully.

"What brought you here, Your Highness?" he asked calmly, with a smile registered on his lips.

I felt my cheeks heat up because of his dazzling smile.

"Uh... I saw you from my terrace and thought I'd come here to greet you. Hmm, are you looking for my brother?" I stammered.

He chuckled. "I'm glad you're here with me, Your Highness. And about Gunter, we've already talked. I'm just waiting for him so we can go to Raesal together."

"I told you to just call me by my name, didn't I? You're so formal." I pouted.

"You also know that I can't, Princess. You're still the Princess of this kingdom."

I took a deep breath. "But-"

"Aurette?" I turned around when I heard my brother's voice.

"Your Highness..." I muttered.

My brother's expression immediately changed when he heard what I called him.

"Stop it, Aurette. Our parents weren't here, so you can call me brother," he said and slightly shook the top of my head. "What are you doing here? Don't you need to study now?"

"I have, I'm just resting my brain," I reasoned and glanced at Randal, who was adjusting his glasses with his index finger.

My brother raised his eyebrows, clearly not convinced by my answer. He knows what I feel for Randal and he wasn't against it at all.

I was only ten years old when I met Randal at a party held at our palace. My brother and I were fifteen at the time. He's kind and gentleman that's why I fell for him but I knew I had no chance for him from the start that's why I didn't dare to confess my feelings.

"We need to go, Aurette. We need to go back to Raesal as soon as possible," my brother said seriously.

My forehead furrowed. "Is there a problem with Raesal?"

My brother shook his head and smiled at me assuredly. "Nothing, Princess. You don't have to worry about us. Just focus on your etiquette classes for now, hmm?"

They started walking inside the palace, but before they could leave, Randal turned to me and smiled.

"Don't worry, Princess. I'll take care of the Prince for you," he mouthed.

I smiled back and nodded. "Thank you, Duke Randal..."