Peter had made sense. To take Levina whilst on my quest to see the Queen. But did it matter? Wouldn’t Levina be stopped by the guards?
The Queen’s guards were notorious for their vigilance. Diana had mentioned that to me, during one of the times she had regaled me with stories about the palace and its features.
So, Levina might not even get through the gate, let alone into the Queen’s chambers. The Queen would have informed the guards that she had sent for only me.
I huffed.
But what did the Queen want with me, anyway? My mind raced with questions and doubts.
She had talked about plans. What plans could I be of use to, in this unrefined state of mine? Or was she just making small talk?
I stood up from my seat down suddenly, to the surprise of Laura and Peter, and started to pace the living room, wringing my hands at intervals.
Levina’s presence was supposed to provide some sort of protection, but I was sure it wouldn’t be enough or even necessary. The Queen was powerful and unpredictable.
What could she possibly want from me? The uncertainty gnawed at me, a constant reminder of the danger that lurked around every corner of this community Laura had promised was peaceful. I felt it was anything but that. The feeling was beginning to intensify with every passing moment I spent here.
Then, my thoughts turned to Diana. I stared at her, she was looking at me with the same emotionless eyes. Well, it didn’t matter. I had to drop the secret about her training with the Queen before I forgot.
It was too important, too dangerous to keep hidden. Diana might never forgive me for exposing her secret, but her safety was more important than her trust in me. I needed my sister alive, not dead.
The decision weighed heavily on me, but it was the only option. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing Diana to the Queen’s schemes. If something happened to her and I had done nothing, I would never forgive myself. I would rather have Diana hate me and be alive than keep her trust and risk her life.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. I had to be strong. I had to do what was right, even if it meant facing the wrath of both Diana and the Queen. My resolve hardened, and I knew what I had to do.
“I have to tell them,” I whispered to myself, forgetting for a second that I had an audience.
“What do you have to tell us, Maya?”
I swerved, taking note of the furrow on Laura’s forehead. Her hands were clasped on each other, and splayed on her laps. She was looking at me expectantly. The same with Peter. Diana remained the same.
The room was tense as I gathered my courage. Laura and Peter, as if knowing the weight of my next words, stood up before me, their expressions curious but patient.
Diana remained sitting, a shadow of unknown energy, until my eyes flickered to hers and stayed.
Taking a deep breath, I spoke, “I have something to say.”
My eyes remained on Diana, who now met my eyes with a flicker of apprehension. Silently, I mouthed, “I’m sorry,” knowing that what I was about to reveal would change everything.
Diana’s eyes widened, and she shifted on her seat, but I pressed on.
“Laura, Peter,” I began, my voice wavering, “Diana has been having lessons with the Queen.”
The room fell silent, the weight of my words sinking in.
Laura’s eyes widened in shock, her hand flying to her mouth.
Peter’s face drained of color, his usual calm shattered by the unexpected revelation.
“What?” Laura finally cried out, her voice a mix of disbelief and outrage. “Diana, is this true?”
Diana shrank from her mother’s outstretched hand, her body tensing as if bracing for impact. She glared at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of anger and betrayal.
“You’re just jealous!” Diana spat, her voice trembling with emotion. “You’re jealous of my relationship with the Queen. You’ve always been jealous!”
She turned to leave, her movements jerky and erratic. But just as she reached the door, she stopped and spun around, her face twisted with a new kind of determination.
“You think you’re so righteous, Maya,” Diana said, her voice cold. “But why don’t you tell them the whole truth? Tell them how you’ve had your memories back all this while!”
The second confession hit the room like a thunderclap. Laura and Peter exchanged stunned looks, their minds struggling to process not one, but two shocking revelations. Peter took a step forward, his voice filled with hurt and confusion.
“Maya, is this true?” He asked, his eyes searching mine for any hint of deception.
My heart pounded in my chest, my carefully constructed world crumbling around me. I nodded slowly, tears welling up in my eyes. “Yes, it’s true,” I whispered. “I’ve had my memories back for a while now.”
Laura’s face contorted with a mix of grief and anger. “How could you keep this from us?” She demanded, her voice breaking. “We trusted you, Maya. We trusted you to help us, to be honest with us.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, my voice barely audible. “I thought I was protecting you all. I thought it was the right thing to do. The Queen could read off your energies when you are lying. I didn’t trust her enough to know my past through you two.”
Diana’s glare only intensified. “You’re a liar, Maya. You’ve always been a liar.”
The room seemed to close in around us, the air thick with tension and unspoken accusations. Peter, usually the voice of reason, found himself at a loss for words, his mind racing with the implications of what had just been revealed.
“How could this happen?” Peter finally muttered, mostly to himself. “How did we not see any of this?”
Laura shook her head, her eyes filled with tears. “We were blind, Peter. We were blind to everything.”
Diana, still seething with anger, crossed her arms defiantly. “Well, now you know. The Queen has been helping me, and Maya has been lying to you all along. What are you going to do about it?”
The question hung in the air, a challenge that none of us were prepared to answer. In that moment, the fragile trust that had held us together was shattered, leaving us to pick up the pieces of our broken reality. The room was silent, each of us lost in our thoughts, the enormity of the situation sinking in.
I stood there, feeling the weight of their disappointment and betrayal, fearing greatly that nothing would ever be the same again.