56

Noah
“This is not right,” I stated, rubbing my forehead while looking at the guards strapping an unconscious Rose to her bed in Edgemor Cottage.
“Noah, please don’t start. ” My mother warned while settling down on an antique chair.
I scoffed and looked at the faces in the room. My mother ordered the guards to knock Rose unconscious with one blow, carrying her to her family’s large cottage.
“You could have talked to her, instead of doing that to her. ” I retorted sharply, banging my fist against the wall.
“Stop making a fuss over this. Do you want your father to hear about it?” Eugene asked, she was cleaning the blood off Rose’s hand with a white rag and afterward, dipped it into a basin half filled with water.
“But will strapping her like a crazy person do the trick? What happens when she wakes up?” I asked.
“If you have nothing to contribute, you can leave. ” Ruby pointed towards the door, a subtle glare on her face.
“I thought she was over opium. Why is she demanding it? What is going on, Eugene?” My mother asked with concern.
“I don’t know. She came unexpectedly and I don’t know why she still hasn’t grown up and fully understood that she’s a Princess of Midon.” Eugene answered, letting out a deep sigh and reaching out to touch Rose’s hand.
I crossed my legs, “The real question that we should be asking is why she takes them in the first place or who is the reason why?”
There was a huge mountain of silence for a couple of seconds as Eugene turned to look at me.
“Are you insinuating that I am the reason why my daughter is taking opium?” Eugene asked.
I clicked my tongue and shook my head, putting both hands into my pants.
“I didn’t mention any names unless you find yourself feeling a bit of guilt. ” I chuckled.
“We’re not here to fight or throw knives at one another. Fixing it should be our utmost concern, ” My mother started, her hands on the hand rims of the antique chair, “And Eugene, she can’t leave Midon until her phase is over.”
“Does fixing it involve her?” My eyes were still fixated on Eugene, watching her as she rose to her feet swiftly.
“Good heavens,” Ruby stated while rubbing her forehead and walking out of the room. I watched as she banged the door, muttering incoherent words as she left.
“Did I ever tell you that your son loves to put all the blame on me? Why don’t you blame me for your stupidity?” Eugene blurted out, red staining her eyes.
“Coming from a mother who doesn’t know her daughter, that sounds pretty amazing,” I clapped, “She threatened to kill her and you kept watching. What if she cut her neck? You don’t have a single ounce of motherly affection for anyone, not even your daughter. ”
Eugene bit her lower lip, clenching her right fist and her lips curving into a stern frown.
“You want to hit me?” I teased.
I advanced towards her, tilting my head and patting my finger against my cheek.
“Here’s my cheek, do what you desire with it,” I muttered.
I heard Eugene grunt and breathe heavily as I turned to look at her, straight in the eyes.
“You are going to do more harm than good to Rose and I won’t allow it,” I said.
“Noah, stop it this instant.” My mother warned, rising to her feet.
“I won’t stop it. I know what you all are planning to do. You’re going to have her tucked away and locked up like a mad woman away from the world. ” I countered back.
“Have you gone mad?” My mother yelled, anger pulsing through the way her eyes narrowed at me.
“I am not-” I stopped when the door opened, revealing Eli who seemed like he had raced all the way here.
“And look who is here, it’s the father of the year. ” I laughed, ignoring the death stares that surrounded me.
***
Dinner was cold, tense, and quiet. After my words to Eli, my mother announced while trying to hold back from lashing at me that we all go eat dinner and talk later. I walked out first with Eugene and my mother having a word with the guards and the servants, telling them that if Rose wakes up, she should be fed with food and water laced with a sleeping pill, and no condition should she be let out.
I scoffed. The best approach was to talk to Rose but I doubt that my mother would listen to me. She would prefer to hear Eugene sing than hear me whine.
“You are banned from seeing her. ” My mother voiced out softly before putting a piece of boiled fish into her mouth. She didn’t want to be direct because Matilda was seated beside me, her perfume smelt so nice, and the way she dolled up as if she was headed out made me laugh. She didn’t have to do so much when her parents weren’t there.
I had heard from Daniel that my father was still weak and eating in his chambers but I was surprised that my mother was here, eating instead of feeding him.
“Yes, mother. ” I answered while still focused on my beef pepper soup. The taste made my senses go wild with happiness, knowing that it was Gordon who did it. My mind reminisced on the fact that he didn’t know that his son was recuperating in the military base.
I looked up and noticed Eugene picking at her food.
“You are picking at your food, dear aunt. Is anything the problem?” I said before scooping a spoonful of soup into my mouth.
“Nothing to worry about, my boy.” Eli cut in rudely, his knife cutting through chicken dipped in soup.
“I wasn’t talking to you, Eli. ” I muttered while blinking. There was a stillness in the room with Ruby sending a glare right at me my mother dropping her fork, a little bit carelessly.
“I’m sorry. That was rude of me. ” Eli exclaimed while laughing before digging back into his food.
Everyone began to eat in silence and then Matilda decided to shift her bowl filled with vegetables towards me.
“I’m full. Could you help me finish it up?” she asked in a whisper
I clicked my tongue, putting beef into my mouth and chewing it slowly. Once I swallowed, I gulped a glass full of water before turning to look at her.
Matilda was truly beautiful, her eyes almost enchanted me for a moment but it wasn’t as innocent as Ashley’s.
“Here in Midon, it’s disrespectful for you to give me your food. You’re literally saying that the chef did a bad job. ” I whispered back.
“Oh.” came her response as she pushed it back, sizing it up before poking her fork into it.
“Is anything wrong?” My mother addressed Matilda.
“No. I’m quite alright.” Matilda hastily answered.
The tension in the air and the stares that Eugene gave me were glaring. She focused more on me than her food. No one wanted to act out of line because of Matilda. When we were all done eating, my mother left, walking slowly with Ruby by her side, while talking to Matthew.
Matilda made every attempt to lure me into a conversation outside the dining hall but I was not interested and when she was exhausted by her persistence, she called out for her servant and walked out while consistently greeting Eugene a good night’s rest.
Eli had turned in for the night. I was disgusted at the way he looked at Matilda, licking his lips. If Matilda didn’t notice that, perhaps she was blind.
I was about to stand with my hands on the table when I heard Eugene say;
“Sit, Noah,” she said.
“Why?” I responded, the harshness in my tongue so bitter that I could almost feel it in my tongue.
“You have truly lost your mind. Do you know who you are, Noah?” The corners of Eugene’s lips curved into a crazy smile.
“Why don’t you tell me?” I blurted out.
“You are a pathetic boy who thinks that because he’s the heir to a throne, he has the right to speak in any way to his family and devalue them.”
A smile spread across my lips as I tilted my head. I wasn’t shocked by what she said, instead, it amused me.
“You find it hilarious?” Eugene stated.
“Yes,” I answered with a nod, “You have said whatever you’d like to say. Goodnight. ”
I winked and pulled my seat, backward and as I began to walk, I found it crazy how she was gulping up her food which was already cold.
“Stop, Noah.” I heard her say. I rolled my eyes and resumed walking.
I could still hear her eating and all of a sudden, she dropped her fork, noisily. That sounded less than the Eugene I knew. If there was anything I was certain of, she never allowed anyone but me to see this insane side of her. Even the guards were terrified of her, they never questioned her or tried to retort back at her but she still couldn’t control and have her fingers wrapped around Eli.
“Ashley Boark is quite pretty. ” I heard her mutter and I felt a chilling sensation hit me straight in my bones. I swallowed hard my lips mashing together. My hands balled into a fist, my nostrils flared and I felt goosebumps around the skin on my hands, I turned back, a frown on my face as I advanced towards her, my clenched fist meeting the table in an instant.
“What are you talking about, Eugene? “