The parlour rippled with a melodious tune as Sera softly pressed on the keys. Her eyes were closed in concentration while her Governess stood before her, supervising the whole practice.
Her posture feels too rigid–that stiffness is influencing her keys. Yet somehow… she is able to merge them all into a harmonious tune.
Thalebrook observed with her brows creased together in concentration.
How is she able to do that?
Thalebrook's brows arched high in surprise when Sera struck a high note mid-piece while also maintaining a steady flow of harmony.
She concentrated more on Sera's hands which glided calmly on the black and white keys. Unhurried yet precise.
Thalebrook's back straightened and a frown marred her countenance when she finally found the missing piece of what she had been searching for.
"It's pure…" she murmured, and her frown deepened. Her eyes turned back to the Princess who seemed wholly absorbed in the practice, even though her hands moved swiftly like a professional, jaw tightened as she focused on it.
Thalebrook had every right to be surprised because of the nature of the person seated before her.
When she had been told to substitute Miss Connor, she subconsciously prepared to teach a snobbish and hubristic child. However–she had been in for a shock when she met her.
Internally, she initially thought that this was a mask of pretence the enigmatic Princess kept on. But the mask had not cracked even after four hours of teaching.
Thalebrook's thoughts were interrupted by the high-pitched chord.
Sera's sapphire eyes glinted beautifully in the sunlit room when she opened them, and an embarrassed smile flickered on her lips, half-hidden behind a calm front.
"I'm sorry for the last part." Sera smiled sheepishly. "I tried to make it soar higher but it seems I missed the mark."
Thalebrook stared at Sera calmly before she sighed.
"It was good overall. The last part managed to sound… suspenseful."
A satisfied smile graced Thalebrook's lips.
"I would give you a pass for this, don't worry," Thalebrook playfully assured Sera, who was running her hands on the keys of the piano.
"Father used to beam with smiles whenever I played." A wistful smile broke out on her face. "He usually sat opposite that drawing board with Mother, their hands entwined in love."
Thalebrook was startled at the abrupt revelation but she soon gathered her composure and sat on the stool opposite the piano.
"Was that when you were learning to play?" Thalebrook inquired softly, as though not wanting to intrude.
Sera sighed and nodded in response.
"You… you sound like you miss them."
The words slipped out and Thalebrook's eyes widened when she realized her mistake.
"I'm sorry, I went too far…"
"No, no, I was just struck by what you said." Sera waved it off, resting her hands on her thighs. "Mother died when I was barely a toddler. I was small at the time, you know, and Father… he was devastated by her death and began retreating into his shell."
Sera sighed once again. She rose and walked to a portrait at the corner of the hall and stood before a portrait that was covered with a thin black cloth.
"He loved her that much," Sera whispered before pulling the cloth to reveal the painted portrait of the current royal family… or what it was before.
King Hendrick stood behind a beautiful woman, smiling – while a younger Sera sat in her mother's lap, and her brother stood by the side, his gaze stern.
Thalebrook slowly walked over and looked at the portrait with quiet astonishment.
"Word goes round that the King has never smiled before… but I guess it's a lie."
Sera chuckled. "Well, he never smiled again after Mother left."
Sera's shoulders slumped under quiet grief as she spoke. "He got himself engrossed in court matters and the power got into his head. He even forced his…"
Sera stopped when she realized she was going far. Thalebrook was a stranger to her but here she was, sharing some of her family's secrets. She was truly pathetic, just as her father said.
Thalebrook realized this when she saw Sera exhaling a long sigh. She could not say that she understood what the Princess was going through, but that didn't mean she didn't have sympathy for her.
She could not understand her in the sense that she couldn't fathom what a Princess could want that would not be provided to her. Naturally, she is entitled by nature to have several people, both of the upper and lower echelon, fawning over her. And even if that is not enough, she had everything at her disposal – after all, she was the Princess of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the South.
"You miss them, yes–but you had everything at your disposal: power, fame, beauty."
Thalebrook simply could not wrap her head around why the Princess was behaving petulantly. Her lips pressed into a thin line. As someone who hailed from a poor background, she had had one thing ingrained in her since childhood, and that was the preeminent importance of money.
"Forgive me, my Princess, if I don't seem to share in your sorrow. I'm truly sorry if you think I'm rude…"
"You think power is everything?"
Sera's expression sharpened. She chuckled dryly before sweeping her gaze across the lavish room.
"You think money rules? You think beauty equals satisfaction, you think fame brings back happy memories?"
The room turned quiet as Thalebrook took in the questions. Her mind churned a single answer for all the questions, but she did not know how to continue, lest she provoked the Princess. After all, she was a person with ego.
"Power doesn't give you anything, it ravages you from the insides when you take it in long sips. Power wasn't there when I was all alone, my brother was!"
Her voice cracked, her eyes brimmed with tears before she turned away slightly, attempting to maintain a bit of the decorum she had thrown away.
"What about you, Miss Thalebrook? Would you have been satisfied with what I have? Would you crown fame, beauty and wealth as the peak of your dreams?"
Sera turned to her Governess, who looked more composed than she did.
Damn it all, Sera cursed within, grieving her public appearance before the Governess. She had tried to maintain the perfect Princess figure before her but it seems it broke down.
Thalebrook thought of the question she was asked.
Would she have been satisfied with everything that came her way if she was in the Princess' shoes? Maybe she would have. Because by then, she would be a fireplace which was refuelled every minute in winter. Maybe then, she wouldn't have to beg doctors to treat her sick mother. Maybe, just maybe, she would not think about her future at the tender age of six.
This maybe has a high potential of becoming a yes.
Thalebrook stared back at the Princess as stubbornness gleamed in her eyes.
"I would be content, my Princess." She nodded. "Love doesn't pay my bills. Money does."
She pulled out her pocket watch and bowed before her stunned student.
"I will be taking my leave, My Princess. Thank you for having me."
The door clicked softly and Sera could hear the receding steps of her teacher.
She walked towards the window and saw Miss Thalebrook being escorted by the royal coachman who helped her into the royal carriage.
She couldn't find words to describe the state she had been left in.
Meanwhile, the sun slowly moved its carriage west, preparing to leave its shift.
King Hendrick sat at the head of his bed with a tired expression.
"Has Sera started her training yet?" he asked while looking at the black liquid which swirled in the cup before him.
"She has, your Majesty." Minos bowed his head low as he responded, standing five metres to the King's right-hand side.
"And the Prince?"
"Your Majesty, it seems the Prince broke through into amethyst."
His low voice echoed silently in the dim room.
Finally, an animated expression found its way to the King's tired face.
"Amethyst? Garran? It seems that brute's training has paid off."
He drank the tea in a gulp and winced. "Can this be any bitter?"
"Has it begun?" His tone sobered.
"Yes, my Lord. He has gained the support of Earl Reggie."
"Mhmm. What about Veyron? Have you received any letter from him?" His gaze darkened as he inquired.
"Yes, Your Majesty. He is set to arrive in a week or two."
"That's nice. Tell the Princess to lead the preparations for a ball. If she asks why… tell her it is to celebrate her brother's breakthrough."