Page 25 of The Promise Born
“I hope I can be that.” I nodded. “Thank you for the reassurance.”
“I'm sure you will do just fine.” She grabbed my hand. “Now it's time to see the queen.”
They took me to the room where the queen sat. It was the same room that I stood outside and heard her arguing with Asante the first night I got to the fire dragon’s home. I wasn't sure what I expected walking through the door. Maybe something opulent and over the top. Tall and imposing statues looming over me, suffocating. I’d been in rooms designed that way before. Royals often used things like that to make their guests feel smaller.
But it was a simple setup in the center of a large room. Tall pillars, swathed in vibrant orange vines emitting a sweet, intoxicating perfume that saturated the room, lined the walls.
At the center of the room was a round table fixed with a simple tea setup. On the table were sweet pastries, colorful fruits, salty crackers, and creamy cheeses, accompanied by two sets of fine teacups. I walked to the table and stood by the chair meant for me and waited. A few moments later, the Queen entered. A group of women, whom I had seen with her at our first meeting, surrounded her. They didn't join us, they only stood by the door as the Queen walked over to me.
Queen Toci was more beautiful than I’d stopped to give credit for before. She had a presence that made the world stop and give attention. Her skin was a rich umber and glistened with the protective oil she used to coat herself, an effort to protect the dragon within. Though she was far my senior, she still held a youthful presence. Despite that, she was still as intimidating as any queen I’d ever seen.
“I'm glad you could join me.”
“Of course, I wouldn't have missed it.” I did a small curtsy.
“Please,” she gave me a gentle smile that betrayed the way I thought she felt about me. “Sit.”
“Thank you.” I returned her smile and sat just a moment after she did.
Before we started our conversation, the server filled our cups with tea and took the glass tops off the deserts that covered the table. When she was done, she rejoined the others along the wall by the door.
“How did you meet my son?” The queen got right to the point. No need for extended pleasantries. We both knew why we were there.
“He visited the town where I lived and came into my bakery after some of the locals recommended it,” I explained between bites. “He enjoyed my sweets so much that he often sent his aides to acquire more for him.”
“So, you moved him with your food?” She chuckled. “Just like his father.”
“I'm sorry?” I lifted a brow.
“The King. When we first courted, I would often feed him sweets that my mother made. I'm not like you. I don't have the skill myself.” She sipped her tea. “But he loved them so much that he didn't leave me alone.”
“Well, now I see where he gets it from.” I grinned.
“I've had my people look into you and they weren’t able to find much at all. They visited the small town you're from. And, from what I understand, you simply appeared a few years ago.” She narrowed her gaze at me. “No explanation as to your home or your family, even the people there know little about you. Why is that?”
“It's true, I keep to myself, but that's not a mistake. It's by design.” I straightened and told my truth. “I don't want to be a part of everyone else's world. When I moved to the area, I hoped to cultivate a quiet, peaceful life. An existence that was small, quiet, and undramatic.”
She laughed. “Then here comes my Asante.”
“Exactly. I wanted peace and freedom. I didn't go there looking for love or to catch the eye of a prince. But one day, a prince walked into my bakery, tasted my treats, and fell in love with them. When he requested I continue making them for him, I did not know it would lead to this.”
“Why do you want to be with my son now?” she asked. “If it wasn’t your intention before, what has changed?”
“You might expect me to have some story about wanting to lead this territory by his side and be the best for these people, but that's not the truth. While that sounds heroic, my presence here is not a selfless act. My life before Asante was good. But I wasn’t completely happy. Asante swept me away from that with a promise to give me the life I truly want for myself. He made me feel like I could have everything I desired. It is very selfish, and I understand if that is not the person who you want to be with your son. My choice is one for me.” Everything I said was honest, if a little edited.
“I can appreciate a person who knows what they want for themselves. Even more so, I can appreciate that you didn’t completely uproot yourself solely at Asante’s request. You chose this path for yourself. I commend you for that.” The slight twitch at the corner of her lips hinted that the queen was doing a little editing of her own thoughts.
“Thank you for understanding.” I nodded but, if she appreciated it, why was she so scrutinizing of me?
“And what about your family?” She pointed to my tea, and I took a sip. “I understand you wanted to be alone, but you have to understand my position here as the Queen. If I am to allow this to move forward, allow you to be with my son, I need to know where you come from.”
“I can't say that my family is something that you would approve of. But I was raised proper, taught the ways of the royals because everyone has to learn, right? I am no longer with my family. I have no connection, no ties, no understanding of their lives now. That it is, again, by choice, one that I hope you and everyone here can respect. And if you cannot, I understand that as well.”
The queen dropped her mask just slightly and asked the most direct question she could. “What are you running from?”
“Control. I'm running from those who seek to control my life.” I straightened, lungs struggling beneath the corset. “Everyone deserves that basic right, but my family didn’t agree. They wanted to control every aspect of my life, and I couldn’t take it anymore.”
“Do you not think they would be proud of you now?”
