chapter 7

Months passed and the minor Hanover family; Rex, Scarlett, and Rose considered the minor branch of the Hanover family tree, were thriving well. Rose was growing up well she is going to be 6 months in the next few days, and she is showing signs of growing milk teeth. which makes sense of the gnawing wanting to chew anything near her or in her grasp, not to forget to mention the continued fussing and cries all day long. For babies her age it is normal she is teething and the big struggle of parenting starts; fever, diarrhea, chewing, crying, and swollen gums that make eating a struggle during the day and the night and that is the case for the little Rosie here. nothing can be done aside from traditional remedies and constant surveillance and long patience when the teeth come out all of this will come to an end and that takes time.

It was Autumn already and everybody was preparing for the Autumn ball season and the celebration of the infants that came up at age of 6 months per tradition all mothers and babies gather in City, Village Hall, or Church sharing baked desserts or bread. Rose and 3 more children are aristocrats and would gather up in the church and share the desserts with the orphans, Scarlett and the 3 mothers agreed on it yesterday. The celebration would be next Saturday as it happened planned with the headmaster of the orphanage Sister Marie at 2 pm.

Not many preparations are needed the children are 35 with 5 being less than a year and 30 are above 10 years old, 15 are teens from 16 and 17th while the other 15 range from 10 to 12. The desserts would be diverse according to the preferred desserts amount for each age group but the carrot cake and milk pudding will be the stars of the event since it's the most traditional and favorite of all, fresh fruits and juices will be provided too.

Scarlett was in her office arranging the documents and finishing the paperwork for her business and the final layout for the babies' event, she will be handling it to Liza this afternoon. They have to reserve the goods required for the celebration in advance to avoid unnecessary complications.

On the other hand, she needs to organize her schedule, she will be attending balls, and charity events in addition to the family business, Rex has his baron title and his hands are full of responsibilities towards the estate.

"This season would be a little difficult to manage", Scarlett drinks a coffee cup while sitting in her office. She rested her head on top of the documents beneath, "what I will do?" Thinking of the decorations and the speech the Queen of Marion will give in the next 15 days. Part of the job of being an honorary member in the Queen's household would request her to organize and run events and prepare for Queen or the monarch's figurative speech, it is a high prestige of courtesy any royal can imagine as it is a very important and sensitive task only the trusted and potent ladies cant take.

Scarlett proved to be well-trusted and full of great potential not because she is from the royal family but as an impressive young lady. she had proven her worthfulness by fixing an important diplomatic event organized by the previous lady. It was a social-diplomatic assembly with the foreign minister of Austria and NGOs from Marion adding to the event the mother queen and young queen were attending. 1928, Monday, May 24th, Angels Hotel the queen came by to check the procedures and the final touch, Scarlett was next-door in a business meeting. During her coffee break, she learned the queen was near and it would be improper not to greet her.

she sighed before knocking on the door and asking for permission which was granted. she walked to see the queen lying on the floor and an attendant standing stiff as she saw a ghost, she ran to the unconscious queen shaking her "your majesty wake up" Scarlett realized something she turned her head towards the right.

scarlett's POV:

I shake the queen hard I know I should not touch her as royal protocol but she lost her consciousness can't leave her like this. I yelled for help and shouted at her attendant "hey! the queen on the floor. Are you blind? are you deaf! Hey!" but she didn't respond and at that moment I turned towards the source of this mess.

There at the end of the room, hanging from the red curtain rods a body. shockingly it was the countess Mira, the fainted queen's mother, my great cousin. i wasn't sure what to do, tears flowing from my eyes and my throat was sore I couldn't speak. I was still holding the queen in my arms I slapped her hard to wake up after I checked her pulse, I continued calling her name "Joan wake up. JOAN!"

I struggled standing up, I gotta find water to splash her she was pregnant and that wasn't good at all, she could die or the baby dies May God forbids, true we have a bad relationship her husband also our cousin he proposed to me before when he was a prince, we did love each other but she charmed him and took him away, countess Mira didn't agree on the acts of her daughter. She did break my heart hard and made me get psychological aid but that won't stop me from helping her, my conscience won't let me allow that. I found water near the table, splashed her but still wasn't waking up, I tried all my power even my hands gave up on me, it was no vail to wake her up and that attendant was in shock. I tried standing up with help of the chair near me, but my legs were shaking I continued yelling for help and ran towards the door, the guards outside, I realized that I was barely shouting my voice from the shock was gone, tears running wild smudging my makeup. I finally arrived at the door, I opened it wide, "HELP! THE QUEEN!" finally my voice came by it echoed in the entire building. the guards ran towards me, one holding me as I felt my head so light and darkness covering my vision.

I didn't know what happened afterward only heard muffled voices and screams. I felt so heavy at that time. later I felt something cold running in my veins it kinda burned and voices I did not understand; I tried opening my eyes it was blurry at first but it adjusted within seconds, my assistant Maria was talking on the phone sobbing "Mari" I called her out.

She turned her face "She woke up!" and ran towards me leaving the phone hanging from the desk. Holding my hand with the IV instead in, "oh Rouge, you are okay now" she sobbed, I nodded smiling at her. she had a mortified expression on her face, "where is the queen?" I asked hair, "she is fine and so does the baby thanks to you"

"what about countess Mira?" hoped the answer would be yes she is fine also, but Maria's face changed from happy to sorrowful shaking her head. "she is in a coma and her chances are very slim"

I gazed at the ceiling thinking of the sweet aunt Mira, remembering her voice, her smile the great time we spent together, couldn't control my tears.

Time passed and my food was served, my parents burst in crying out for me, after all, I am their only left child living, my brothers all died tragically; one in a car accident, one with chickenpox, and the other my twin died protecting from the fire that broke in the school.

I felt lucky and safe but remembering the scene made me feel scared.

Hours passed and queen Joan woke up but she was in hysteria and who on green Earth won't be, like technically your mother is dead-sort-of hanged in front of you. My heart ached for Aunt Mira.

"How is Aunt Mira? Any improvements?" looking at my father, looked at me with sadness in his eyes, "no. It is still too early to conclude that, the doctors say we need time. But the police are investigating the situation, they will come in to take your testimony about the incident."

I nodded, "it is impossible that she wanted to take her life in the first event of her daughter, she is her mother and the event organizer!" exclaimed my mother.

"There is no doubt about it dear and she never suffered from any mental issues, she is still 48 years not senile" he added, "My cousin was put up by a criminal, a sociopath that wanted to sabotage our relationship as a country with Austria. And causing fuss inside the royal family."

"somebody wishes to hurt Joan and Mira" mother said then she squeaked placing her hands on her mouth and heart with shocked yes, "someone is framing us!"

Father and I looked at each other than at her, with a quick realization my mother was right! She does have a point in that, She queen Joan and I are in a bad relationship, making me the only suspect as no one in the nobles' circle is on bad terms with her and her family except us.

as we three were in terror of realizing the big trouble all of the sudden the door was knocked, " Your Right Honourable, I am Luietent Rogger Mormon, may I enter."

I tell you our breath frizzed in our throats when we heard the name. father didn't think at all, "c'mon in". the door was opened and a tall scary mid-aged man, well-built with scars all over his face behind him 2 stern-faced officers. They bowed for my father and mother, "we are here to ask some questions to lady Scarlett regarding the situation of countess Mira's incident."