Princess Rivalee (Part 16)

She slept in.

When the sun shone through the window, she pulled the covers over her head and went back to sleep. Her swollen eyes didn’t want to see the light of day, so she wouldn’t let them. And that was that.

Kadric came into her room around noon.

“Riva, get up! It’s urgent. I need you to focus.” He went to her bed and pulled away her covers.

Bright needles stabbed at her brain. She curled away instinctively, hands thrown up to shield her eyes.

“I can understand you missing meetings every once in a while, it’s expected. But right now I need you! So sit up!”

Riva pulled herself into a sitting position, glaring at Kadric in the most hateful way she could muster. Had he actually looked over and seen her glare he would’ve realized something was wrong. Riva never glared in earnest, no matter how angry she was at you.

“I just got a letter.” He swallowed looking pensive. “Read it.”

Riva, feeling very put off that she had been foiled in a perfectly wonderful pity party for herself, took the letter and opened it. She was still glaring, hoping that he would notice.

Kadric was too busy pacing to see her expression. “Are you reading?”

I hate you. She started reading, might as well get it over with.

My dear Kadric,

I trust you are well and that bastard King is alive as well. Now that I’ve gotten through the pleasantries, I’ll explain myself. Kadric, I’m about to die.

Riva skipped down to the bottom of the letter. “Bethel Poulter? Who’s that?”

Kadric had begun to wring his hands while he paced, Riva had never seen him this tense. “Keep reading.”

She continued.

...I’m about to die. It’s time that I told you all I know. If I take it to my grave I could be sentencing you all to your deaths. Riva is not the princess, she is my grandchild.

Riva paused waiting for some kind of emotion to settle. There were several floating around but she was so numb after last night that nothing hit home. She kept reading.

...grandchild. I hope that you’ve been looking after her, she is the only thing I have left. I will explain, but to do so I will have to start at the beginning.

There is a prophecy about a prince with white hair he is foretold to bring love and peace to Alsteare. The prophets divined that he was to be born during Riva’s generation, and then the Queen got pregnant. Everyone was waiting to see if the child would be the boy in the prophecy.

“How come I didn’t know about this prophecy?” Riva asked.

“Do you really think your father would allow prophecy to circulate in the palace after his foreordained son turned out to be an illegitimate girl? Your father never listened to the prophets or anyone like them ever again. He’s discredited them at every turn. As far as he’s concerned they are of the devil, not of the gods. Keep reading.”

Then Kendra, my daughter, had a vision.

My mother- Kendra. Riva stroked the page, outlining the name. She had visions...

The vision was of the Queen’s and the child’s death. The Queen would die giving birth, I, of course was not happy about this, I do have pride as a midwife. The boy would survive but within three years of the boy’s birth he would be killed unless we did something about it. We immediately told the Queen and together concocted a plan. Kendra’s due date was only weeks before the Queen’s and so we decided to switch the children. Kendra could act as nursemaid and protector for Riva. The prince would be miles away from the palace and away from danger.

Things went perfectly, except that the King believed that his wife was having an affair. She’d been disappearing during the night, having secret meetings with us. She didn’t want to tell him. Who would want to tell their husband that in a few months you would die and your son would be taken away to be replaced by an impostor?

I had found a good woman to be the boy’s mother. Her name was Edith Summer. Find her Kadric, find her and find the boy, make sure they’re safe. I was banished before I could explain to her who he was. She has no idea that she is raising the heir to the throne.

Tell Riva I’m sorry I’m not there. The King wouldn’t listen to reason. When I went in to explain to him the only words I was able to get out before he literally threw me out of the palace was, “Riva is not your daughter.” The stupid man jumped to conclusions and now he’s ripped my family apart and destroyed his own.

Riva, my dear, dear grandchild. Your mother protected you with her very last breath. Even though you weren’t the child in the prophecy you were attacked countless times. Kendra died drinking poison that was meant for you. She loved you, we both loved you.

Listen to Kadric, he’ll teach you all you need to know. Take things slow, enjoy the small things, life goes to fast. Keep smiling, be happy, you are loved.

Bethel Poulter

Riva smiled through her tears. They were happy tears.

“Well? What do you want to do?”

Riva looked up at Kadric, he was still wringing his hands. “What do I want to do?” She sat back and tried to think. “Well, we need to find this boy and Edith. He’s the one in the prophecy. We’ll keep a look out for the spy and keep doing what we’re doing.” She threw up her hands in dismay. “Is there anything else we can do?”

Kadric finally sank into a chair, sighing loudly. “No... no, there’s nothing else we can do.”

“Get me a copy of the original prophecy so I can study it. I need you to handle finding Edith on your own, I don’t trust anyone else.”

“Of course, I’ll get right on that.”

Riva nodded and slid out of bed. It was time to move on. There was work to be done.