Cromwell Palace
Island Kingdom of Henfordshire
The door to the study burst open, and in poured a young woman and a young man, both engaged in a heated discussion. Palace guards and a steward attempted to contain the situation with polite deference.
King Maximilian, rising from his chair, fixed his hazel blue eyes on the scene. “Children!” His voice, though firm, was imbued with a father’s love as it resonated in the study, halting the commotion that had erupted between the siblings.
“What is the meaning of this ruckus?” The king’s tone was authoritative, yet it carried the warmth of a father deeply invested in his children’s well-being.
The young woman, Princess Royale Victoria, spoke first, her voice flustered yet composed. “Papa, please tell your son to finally set a date, and soon! I wish to marry Henk, but can’t, until the Crown Prince is married, yet he delays endlessly. I am going to be old and grey by the time I can finally marry the love of my life! Because of HIM!” She pointed at her older brother.
Crown Prince William, his calm facade betraying a hint of frustration reflected in his light green eyes, replied, “Father, please inform your daughter that I am not yet ready for the responsibilities of marriage. Mina and I have our entire lives ahead of us, why the haste? Moreover, my royal duties keep me thoroughly occupied. I still have much left to learn from you, please tell Victoria that! I have no capacity for weddings and such now, I simply cannot fully dedicate myself to weddings and martial duties and Mina knows that! Unlike my impatient sister, she is NOT in some undue hurry!”
King Maximilian, with the patience and wisdom of a seasoned monarch, managed to bite back a grin at the fact that his two oldest children were bickering about a topic like marriage while sounding like tired toddlers, keeping a straight face as he addressed them both. “William, Victoria, let us maintain decorum. William, you are aware of the tradition that the future king must be wed by his twenty-fifth year. That time is nearly upon us. Merely a few weeks now, son. So, your sister is not all that unjust after all, won’t you agree.”
William sighed, “Oh Papa, for heaven’s sake, that rule is so antiquated. I understand the need for an heir by the time I turn thirty, and you shall have one, if not two, but must I be married by twenty-five? There is still plenty of time until thirty.”
Victoria, her emotions simmering beneath the surface, interjected, “What’s the difference, whether you marry at twenty-five, twenty-six or twenty-nine? You love Mina, she loves you, so marry her already, why wait? I am twenty-four and ready to move forward with my life, as Hendrik’s wife. Yet, I am bound by the rule that the Crown Prince must marry first. So, marry already!”
Princess Royale Victoria, with her striking light blue eyes and impeccably coiffed darker blonde hair, stood beside her brother, Crown Prince William. Her emotions were a tempest beneath the surface, bound by the decorum required of her royal status. William, with his light green eyes and the same golden hair as his father, maintained a composed demeanor, though the bond of affection between the siblings was palpable.
“No, I won’t! Because I am not ready yet!” snarled William.
Princess Victoria, her cheeks flushed with emotion, spoke first. “Papa, please persuade your son to finally set a date! I am eager to marry Henk, so I can live with him, yet I am constrained by his indecision. I am twenty-four, unlike my brother, I feel very much ready for marriage, and ready to embrace the next chapter of my life! With Hendrik! I want a wedding. I want to move to Zeehaven and live with him, rather than just visits that must not be too long, for appearances’ sake! Yet I am bound by the stipulation that the Crown Prince must marry first. So, quit dragging your feet and set a date already, Will, preferably within the next few months! Christ on a bicycle! Makes one almost wish something were to go wrong in a manner that would force you to marry her rather quickly, so a certain Maths wouldn’t be too obviously off, if you catch my drift.”
“Victoria, my petal, such ill wishes are unbecoming. None of that, please! Last thing this family needs is more rubbish printed about us, especially not at the hand of the Crown Prince. We have had our fill and then some!” King Maximilian admonished her.
“How is wishing an heir upon my brother and his fiancée ill-will, please? You want an heir, and I want William married. If he were to accidentally knock her up, it would serve all of us well. So there! Two birds with one stone!” Victoria retorted, sounding more like a hormonal teen than a 24-year-old princess second in line to the throne.
“You need medication for that, Vic!” William interjected, forgetting his good manners and sounding just like a brother for a moment.
King Maximilian opened his mouth to respond, but the door swung open with a creak, interrupting him. William and Victoria’s mother, his wife Queen Aria-Grace, a youthful 46 years old with warm brown hair, always perfectly coiffed, and the same light green eyes as William, entered. “Here you are! I apologize, darling, for these two bursting in on you like that. I’ve been trying to contain this disruption, but I got a call from my mother. You both, out, with me. Leave your father alone with these unripe bursts of mind! He has more important things to focus on. So do I, but that’s just what you get when you have children …”
“Mama! Tell my deranged brother to find a way to help his cold feet and get on with it already! Or tell Papa to make him!” Victoria demanded, sounding pouty like a child.
William’s face flushed with frustration, his voice rising. “I will marry when I am dang well ready and not a second sooner, no matter how many out-of-wedlock babies you wish upon me! Mama, tell your insane daughter that I am not her son and to mind her own business!”
Victoria’s eyes blazed with fury as she shot back, “I am minding my own—my own happiness! Which would have me get married, but alas, I can’t, because of YOU. So, lucky for you I am not your mother! If I were, I’d make you get married before you end up with nonsensical ideas again, putting yourself on the front page of the tabloids and blemishing the Cromwell name. Again! It took forever for me to reclaim my title as Princess Royale in my own right and not just as the sister of the Crown Prince with his naked bum plastered on all the front pages!”
William clenched his fists, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “At least I didn’t let two guys chase me at the same time!”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed, her retort sharp as a dagger. “No, you chased two girls at the same time!”
Just as the tension reached its peak, their mother, Aria Grace, stepped in with an air of authority. Her eyes were stern as she took in the heated argument. “Enough! Both of you, stop this nonsense at once. We are a family, and we will not tarnish our name with petty squabbles. William, Victoria, you will speak to each other with respect, or there will be consequences. Don’t challenge me on this! I do not care how old you are, if you act like children, I will treat you as such!”
The siblings exchanged one last glare before reluctantly falling silent, their mother’s words reminding them of the greater responsibility they bore as royals.
Their heated exchange was abruptly interrupted by a voice from the corner of the study. “Hello Victoria, William, Your Majesties,” came the soft yet steady voice of Eugenia Chamberlain, rising from the visitor chairs and curtseying.
The siblings fell silent, their attention now riveted on their aunt. Nobody had even noticed her presence; it was clear she had been there all along, and they had burst into the room while the king was talking to her. Eugenia stood before them, clearly seeking forgiveness. Once disgraced, incarcerated, exiled, and stripped of her titles for her involvement in the Princess Royale’s abduction when Victoria was 16, she had ultimately been instrumental in Victoria’s escape from captivity, possibly saving the young princess’ life.
Eugenia was King Maximilian’s late younger brother, Prince Leopold’s, widow. She was also the mother of his only descendant, a daughter, Eloise, who was now married and living abroad. After Leopold’s death, Eugenia had remarried Lord Chamberlain and had another child, a son, with him.
“You? YOU!? How dare you! Max, what is that creature doing here?!” Aria-Grace seethed, her fury palpable, but her husband quickly calmed her as Eugenia curtsied again.
“Your Majesty, my Queen; my King, Maximilian, I plead with you to lift my exile and permit my return to Henfordshire. I have served my deserved sentence in prison. Now, I long to be reunited with my husband and son, and to resume my life among my family,” Eugenia implored, her voice carrying the weight of her plea.
“Absolutely not! Out with you! Be gone from my sight before I forget myself. The audacity to come here with that insolent request!” Aria-Grace’s voice rose, her anger undiminished by decorum.
“I agree with Mama! You are delusional!” William echoed, equally indignant.
“Papa, may I speak?” Victoria asked, which the king granted with a nod.
Victoria, momentarily stunned, found her voice. “I understand why she is asking. We are all human, and to be human is to make mistakes. Eugenia, your betrayal cut deep. You were my aunt, or at least by marriage, and I looked up to you. Yet, you let your awful, sinister sister, who was jealous of me because my father chose my mother over her, and somehow she held me accountable for it, subject me to such cruel and vindictive actions. And all because the boy your daughter liked, liked me more and you felt that was somehow my fault. I never did anything to hurt you or your family. I can never forget what you two did to me. Yet, I forgive you. And if I can, I am sure my family can, and father can grant your request to return home.”
William and Aria-Grace could only stare on, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
King Maximilian, recognizing his daughter’s maturity, applauded her. “Victoria, your grace and forgiveness are commendable. If my daughter can find it in her heart to move past the wrongs done to her, who am I to deny you a second chance? I shall grant your plea. Your exile is lifted, and you may return home, permanently.”
Eugenia’s eyes widened in gratitude. “Oh, thank you, Your Majesty.”
King Maximilian responded sternly, “Don’t thank me, thank my daughter.”
Eugenia, overcome with emotion, curtsied deeply before Victoria. “Thank you, Princess. Your forgiveness means the world to me.”
Victoria, though uncomfortable, took a deep breath before responding. “I forgive you, but my forgiveness does not extend to a familial bond beyond title. I cannot forget the pain you and your sister caused me. Trust will take time to rebuild, and though you are allowed to return, you must earn that trust back.”
With that, Victoria turned and hurried out of the study, her mother, Queen Aria-Grace, following closely behind to offer comfort.
William and King Maximilian watched them leave, as the king rang the bell to summon a steward. “See Lady Eugenia out,” he ordered.
As the steward approached, Eugenia curtsied once more, gratitude evident on her face. “Thank you, Your Majesty. And your Highness. Many, many thanks!”
The steward led her out, and the door closed softly behind her.
William and King Maximilian watched them leave, then turned to each other.
William broke the silence, his voice filled with astonishment. “I did not expect that from her.”
“Nor did I,” King Maximilian agreed. “But your sister has shown what true regality and grace mean.”
The King walked to the window, staring out at the sprawling grounds of the palace. The weight of the day’s events seemed to settle upon him. “It’s been a day, hasn’t it, William?”
William nodded slowly, his mind still processing the unexpected turn of events. “It certainly has, Papa. Victoria has grown so much. I never realized how mature, let alone just how strong she is. Admirable. I am beyond astonished and impressed.”
Maximilian turned back to his son, a proud yet contemplative look on his face. “Strength often reveals itself in the most trying of times, but she has not let her trials harden her. Showing kindness in such a context is another display of inner strength not many possess. I myself was about to fall prey to harsh feelings—I was going to deny Eugenia’s request—but I now know Victoria was right to choose the path of righteousness and forgiveness. She has proven herself to be not just a princess, but a young woman of great character.” He paused, a twinkle of humor in his eye. “And speaking of growing up, might you take a page from your sister’s book and decide that perhaps it’s time you set a wedding date, if not to please your parents and serve your kingdom, then maybe to make your sister happy.”
William smiled defeatedly, shaking his head. “Alright, alright. I’ll talk to Wilhelmina about it. If she is ready, then I suppose I should be as well.”
Maximilian chuckled softly, clapping his son on the shoulder. “That’s all we ask.”
He then showed his son some fatherly affection, wrapping his arm around the young man’s shoulder. As they walked through the silent halls together, the echoes of their footsteps mingled with their thoughts, weaving the fabric of the next chapter in their kingdom’s history.
EchoesOfLegacy 