CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

[Light]

"The young lady must accompany me to the royal chamber now," the kind guard instructs, rousing me from my brief distraction as I stand in awe of the delicate details of the part of the castle where I find myself.

The truth is, I feel somewhat confused and extremely nervous to be in such a luxurious and distant place from my reality. Since I had never, in all my life, set foot in the castle, only admired its beautiful and sumptuous facade from afar over the years, I need to distract my mind with any triviality, whether it be futile or not, to calm the erratic beats of my heart and avoid fainting.

What am I, a simple midwife from the town, doing here? What could someone from royalty want with me? Had news of the future heir of the Duchy of Barnes reached the ears of the nobles, and was that why I was being requested to perform one of my services?

"Miss?" The guard calls me back from my wandering thoughts, and I blush with embarrassment for leaving him unanswered.

"Oh, yes, of course, sir," I nod in agreement, following him along the indicated path, twisting the ends of my gloves in my hands, apprehensive with every step taken by my trembling legs.

"The royal family is awaiting you, Miss Luz," he says as we stop in front of enormous double doors that I don't have time to inspect, due to the shock of the information I've just received.

"What? The royal family..." I inquire, desperate and on the verge of panic.

"Please wait a moment, Miss. I will announce your presence to the sovereigns," he interrupts my display of panic and knocks on the door.

I almost take a step forward and beg him not to do it, but I restrain myself when suddenly the door to the room is opened, and I am practically pushed inside like a mere spectator outside my own body. I enter the entirely surreal and intimidating room, guided by the guard's hand on my back, which soon disappears from view as the doors close behind me, leaving me trapped inside.

"Is this her? Is this the girl, Francesca?" Frederick, the heir to the throne, the first in the line of succession, directs the question to Princess Francesca, his younger sister, who is sitting on a sofa a few meters from where I stand, frozen like the marble statues that adorn the castle gardens.

Then I realize belatedly the critical mistake I am making under the scrutiny of the four most powerful pairs of eyes in the Kingdom, the lack of manners and etiquette they must be thinking I possess, and how I must lack a decent education. For this reason, I hurry to rectify the mistake quickly, which makes me appear more awkward than I would like.

"Your Majesties," I flex my knees in a quick and efficient curtsy toward each of them according to their titles.

"Miss, please, have a seat. The matter we have to discuss will be somewhat complex and extensive for you to remain standing," the king, who is seated behind a large mahogany desk, indicates the chair next to his desk, and I immediately comply.

"Would you like tea and cookies, Miss Luz?" Princess Francesca herself serves me on a silver tray, but I am forced to decline her generous offer. My stomach is not strong enough at the moment to handle any kind of food given my current state of mind. I could end up vomiting all over the expensive carpet beneath my feet in a matter of seconds. The best option is not to risk it.

"No, but I appreciate your kindness, Princess," I reply, with a twinge of fear that my refusal might offend her, although she doesn't seem to be bothered.

"Look, she speaks!" Prince Frederick comments as he casually sits next to his brother Felipe, and I furrow my brow, not understanding his statement.

"Excuse me?" I clear my throat nervously as I ask.

"Ignore him, Miss," Prince Felipe intervenes, stepping in front of the older brother.

"Let's get straight to the point, Miss Luz," King Ferdinand says with a serious expression, and I almost hold my breath in the face of the tension in the air.

"Everything discussed in this chamber is completely confidential and secretive, and it must not leave the confines of these four walls under any circumstances. Is that clear?"

"Absolutely, Your Majesty," I affirm, nodding my head up and down with my eyes fixed on his.

"Good. Now that we have an agreement, I can proceed, knowing that no information will be transmitted or leaked to anyone other than those present here at this moment."

"Fully agreed, Your Majesty," I assert confidently.

"Miss Luz, what I, as your king and sovereign, as a father, and my children as my family, have to propose to you at this moment may sound audacious or even somewhat absurd to your young and inexperienced ears. But understand that all possible alternatives have been explored for the solution of this case, yet none has been efficient enough to contain the damage. This was the only reasonable solution we found to address the problem."

King Ferdinand says with difficulty, each word carefully thought out and articulated so as not to express how this conflict, which I am still unaware of, affects him.

"What great misfortune is this, my king? And in what way can a person of simple character like me be of help to you?" I ask, concerned, making myself available to help in any way possible. If the royal family needs my services, then I will do anything within my power to assist them, for few people in our land and the surrounding areas can boast the pride and conviction of how good and just their rulers are to their subjects, as our people do.

"Tell me, Your Majesty! What can I do, and I will do it."