As the men left the passage, Madame Rosalie and Freya, having now settled on who the godmother would be, walked back inside the palace. They had decided to take turns being the child’s godmother, so they wouldn’t have to drag the matter out for too long.
"What about Malcolm and your father?" Madame Rosalie asked as they walked back into the palace, returning to the hallway where they had been standing earlier. "They were here a few minutes ago."
Freya nodded, pointing toward the room Oriana was in. "Maybe they’re inside. Let’s go." When the two women entered the room, Oriana was resting, dressed in white, with the newborn on her chest while the maids cleaned the room.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Madame Rosalie and Freya bowed. When they raised their heads, bright smiles lit up their faces.
Oriana returned the gesture with a tired smile. Her face looked paler than usual, with streaks of sweat curling the edges of her golden hair. The usual brightness in her golden eyes was now replaced by a dull hue, evidence of the energy she had expended bringing the little one into the world.
"I thought my father and General Malcolm were in here," Freya said as she went to sit beside Oriana.
Oriana shook her head, trying to sit up properly, but her face contorted in pain. Madame Rosalie noticed this and rushed to help her, placing a pillow behind her.
"Thank you," Oriana mouthed.
Freya touched the newborn’s tiny fingers while she slept. Though wrapped, the little one’s red hair could still be seen.
"She’s so beautiful."
Oriana smiled, looking at her child, who was sleeping peacefully on her chest. "She betrayed me. I carried her for this long, and she came out with her father’s face. I’ve never faced such betrayal in my life, ever."
Madame Rosalie and Freya laughed at this, shaking their heads slightly at Oriana’s attempt to make a disappointed face.
"Well, on the bright side, I’ve given Walter a sister. If not, I’d be forced to go back inside the room and come out with another child," Oriana joked, laughing as she remembered the little boy’s request the very first day she arrived at the palace.
Amidst the laughter, Freya asked, "That’s true. I haven’t seen them since I returned, and even Princess Sophie."
"Oh, they left the day after you went to Eridor. Princess Jasmine and the children went back to stay with Father, while my sister and her husband have been traveling around different kingdoms," Oriana replied, gently touching her child’s small body.
Looking at the child she had brought into the world filled her heart with warmth. She was now a mother, responsible for another soul. In that moment, Oriana vowed to give her daughter the love she herself had been deprived of while growing up. She might not be perfect, but she had people around her Adric and others who would help raise her daughter with love and gentleness. This thought brought a smile to Oriana’s lips and joy to her heart.
As everyone watched the newborn in silence, Madame Rosalie cleared her throat, breaking the quiet.
"Freya, maybe now is the time to tell us why you came back from Eridor crying," the older woman said, her eyes shifting from the newborn to Freya.
Freya pressed her lips together. The joy of returning home had almost made her forget about Eridor and Rowan.
"Your Majesty, Rowan wants to come in and congratulate you," a lady-in-waiting announced, causing Freya to jump from her position.
Madame Rosalie and Oriana exchanged a glance before turning their attention to Freya.
"When did he return?" Freya murmured to herself, rubbing her clammy hands on her skirt. "I need to hide," she looked around the room for a perfect spot to hide. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖
Oriana narrowed her eyes. "Why do you need to hide? Did you not return with him?" she asked, and Freya shook her head gently.
"Don’t tell me you still hate Rowan. Were you two quarreling the entire time you were in Eridor?" Madame Rosalie raised her brows in slight annoyance. "Freya, you’re not a child. Why quarrel with—"
"We weren’t quarreling, we were sleeping together," Freya blurted out, surprising even herself. She gasped immediately and covered her mouth with her hands.
Oriana’s eyes widened in shock. She gently touched her newborn and muttered, "Hear no evil, my child. Not on your first day... hear no evil."
Madame Rosalie’s jaw dropped. She was at a loss for words, simply staring at Freya in disbelief.
Freya closed her eyes, staring down at her feet, shame washing over her. She knew this was the moment to explain, or it would never come. It was now or never for her, and she didn’t want to lie to these women. They were more than just friends to her. "Please don’t let him come inside. I’ll explain everything..."
"You," Oriana called to one of the maids. Carefully, she handed the newborn to the maid. "Also, tell Rowan that if he could please return later," she instructed before turning to Freya. "You’d better have a good explanation for this."
Madame Rosalie waved her hand. "Maybe what Freya meant was that they shared a room, right? Our sweet Freya wouldn’t have done anything more than that. Right?"
Both women turned to look at Freya, who pressed her lips tightly together. Freya herself wished she hadn’t done more than that.
"I’m sorry... it was more than that," she whispered, biting her lip.
Oriana inhaled deeply. "Was it a mistake?" she asked, frowning. "Did Rowan make you do it? That young man! He asked you to, didn’t he? I knew I shouldn’t have let you go with them!"
"No," Freya shook her head, answering truthfully. "I was the one who wanted it, and it wasn’t a mistake," she said softly.
Madame Rosalie nodded. "Then it happened once?"
Freya raised her eyes and started counting on her fingers, trying to recall how many times it happened when Madame Rosalie, almost fainting, grabbed her neck.
"Madame Rosalie!" Oriana shouted the woman’s name. "You need to hold yourself."
Madame Rosalie fanned herself with her hands. "She’s counting her fingers. Did you see? It was more than twice."
"Let’s hear her out," Oriana suggested calmly, trying to be rational. "Maybe they’ve decided to get married. Right, Freya?"
Freya gulped, slowly backing away from the two women who now looked like elder sisters scolding her. "I told him to forget everything that happened. We’re more like strangers now."
The silence that followed was deafening. Freya stood there, waiting for their judgment, her heart racing with fear.
"Madame Rosalie," Oriana called quietly, her eyes never leaving Freya’s face. "Burying someone right after giving birth won’t affect my child, right?"
Madame Rosalie shook her head. "You don’t have to worry. I’ll dig the ground, so you won’t soil your hands." The two women cracked their knuckles, glaring at Freya.
"You two might want to think about this... calm down, remember we just welcomed a bundle of happiness," Freya stammered, trying to calm them down as she swallowed hard.
Madame Rosalie pointed at her. "Come willingly and get beaten, or run and get buried."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
