Chapter 7: One soul made for one alone
Eight years passed since the Flores sisters were captured and brought to Blackthorn Palace. Old leaves fell from the trees surrounding the palace, giving way to many new ones. The trees grew taller, and so did the Flores sisters who had blossomed into young women.
It was early in the morning, where the sun's rays slowly conquered the Kingdom of Versailles and the Blackthorn's Palace before penetrating the rays through the transparent windows and lighting up the entire place by bringing a new day.
The hour was forty minutes away before the royal family members of the Blackthorn would be having breakfast in the dining room.
The maids and the servants hurried with their work so that their lowly presence didn't spoil the mood of the royal family. Among them was Anastasia Flores, who was in one of the many guest rooms with another maid, where they were fixing the bedspread. The maid said to Anna in excitement,
"I hear that the prince of the Storm family is going to visit the palace very soon. It is said that he is a very good looking man, of course not as handsome as the princes of Blackthorn family. But he's worthy of his looks."
Anastasia, who was fluffing one of the pillows, looked up at the fellow maid named Charlotte, and she signed with her hand to lower her voice.
Since her first encounter with the Mother Queen of the royal family, only two people knew she could speak, while the others she had initially met had forgotten about her. After all, she was a person of no importance and a lowly servant until the last three years.
"Don't worry, no one is going to hear me!" Charlotte responded and went to fluff the other pillow. And though she said it, the maid leaned to look toward the room's door and then turned back to say, "They say he's looking for his soul mate. You know what people say here about soul mates. Though I haven't heard of any servants having one."
The people of Versailles and the few other neighbouring kingdoms believed that some people were fated even before they were born. A person made for another person and just for them alone. They would be drawn to each other when they met after they were both eighteen. And the force would be strong, and no one would be able to deny it.
There was also a loose rumour that went only in whispers behind the walls that Lady Lucretia was King William's soul mate, whom he found after he was married to Lady Sophia, which was why Lady Lucretia was given as high importance as his wife. But they were only speculations of the idle and gossiping mind, Anastasia thought.
Anastasia walked towards the window and pushed it open, welcoming the light and gentle wind in. The little strands of her brown hair that weren't able to sit tight in her bun, loosened and moved backwards as she stared at the scenery in front of her.