6 Royals Could Always Be the People you Least Expect

It was already the next day, and King William and Queen Isabelle were discussing some kingdom affairs when their trusted advisor, Julius came rushing in.

He quickly bowed, a roll of paper which had the background check results tucked in his left side.

"Your majesty, I have the most important news!" He exclaimed.

The King and Queen were confused.

"What is the meaning of such an interruption Julius? We were discussing the affairs of Zenovia," King William stated.

Julius looked quite guilty, having to barge in such important activities, but the news he had to share had to be shared immediately.

"Sire, please, the results of the maiden Emma Grey has arrived, and it was quite unexpected. She isn't a mere commoner, and she does come of royal status."

The words took a while to sink in, and both the King and Queen had looks of shock on their faces.

"Royal status? How so? Julius, you are to tell me everything you know."

Julius nodded.

"Sire, she's the daughter or a result of the deceased Duke Kennedy of Zenovia. He had an affair with a commoner at the time by the name of Chloe Grey. He abandoned her when she was pregnant with a daughter, who turned out to be Emma, who ended up taking her mother's surname," Julius explained, also shocked by the findings.

The King furrowed his brow.

So the maid's daughter was really of royal status.

She was a countess if what Julius was saying was true.

"The Duke was out of hand. It's foolish to think he would take responsibility for such immature activities. But does this Chloe Grey know of this matter?" The King asked, oblivious to the fact that Chloe was one of the hired help at the palace and had been working here for about fifteen years.

Julius replied, "Sire, Chloe Grey is one of the maids working in the palace. She's, as you already know, Ms Grey's mother. She's been working here for the past decade and a half."

The Queen remained silent, unsure of what to say and let her husband do the talking.

"I am to meet this Chloe Grey immediately. Bring here right this instant. I must speak to her," King William ordered.

Julius left briefly to ask some help to fetch Emma, while the two monarchs looked at each other.

"So, both of our sons are interested in a countess? Someone of royal status? Do they know she's a royal?" Queen Isabelle asked.

By the time she had finished, Julius had already returned.

He had bowed before answering the Queen's question and shaking his head.

"Your majesty, I highly doubt Emma Grey herself knows of her royal blood or status. The check we did on her was comprehensive, and Duke Kennedy used a false name while dating her mother. So as far as I know, the two don't know of Emma's status," Julius explained, carefully glancing at the scroll in his hands.

After a while, or another round of banter, Emma came into the throne room, wearing her usual uniform that any other maid used in the palace.

She curtsied and proceeded to greet the King and Queen, who were observing her every move quite carefully.

"Your majesties."

They both nodded.

Julius stared at the girl, taking in her appearance, and how she looked like the late Duke.

He curtsied to the girl who still didn't know of her royal heritage.

"My Lady," he greeted.

Emma was in a state of shock.

'What did he just say?' She thought. She was a nobody. The word 'lady' wasn't right for her.

Her confused look had reassured everyone that Julius was previously telling the truth. She really had no idea of her royal heritage, but she was about to find out.

"Sorry for the confusion caused, Lady Grey, but we must speak to you immediately," Julius told her.

Emma nodded.

"Miss Grey, what can you tell us about your father?" Julius asked.

Emma furrowed her brows.

"Excuse me?" She asked. She had never known much about her father, and when she was called to the throne room, she hadn't expected to be asked such...personal questions.

She thought Julius was joking, but his serious look didn't say the same.

"My mother never told me about him. Other than the fact that he had the last name, Kennedy. That's all I've ever known of him," Emma answered, unsure of how her father was related to any of this.

The King and Queen gasped.

She really was the daughter of the late Duke.

The King explained to the confused Emma what was going on.

"Ms Grey, this 'Kennedy' you are speaking about, is the late Duke Kennedy. From what my advisor, Julius, is telling us, you are the biological daughter of the late Duke Kennedy of Zenovia," he explained.

He continued.

"And if it is true, you are of royal status, and you are to be granted a royal title immediately."

Emma almost fainted.

Wait...what?

She was a royal?

Emma couldn't process the new information; she simply couldn't.

She managed to sputter out, "I'm a what?"

"A royal. A direct descendant from the late Duke Kennedy, which makes you a countess," Queen Isabelle explained.

During all of this, the King and Queen were quite shocked by the news, as it really did shock them to find out that their close friend had a daughter.

The both of them had remembered a small agreement that they had a couple of years ago as the duke married his now-deceased wife, the Duchess of Zenovia.

It had happened a few years back when the Duke and Duchess were getting married. As they were celebrating their marriage, the King and Queen, who were their close friends at the time, had proposed an idea to the newlywed couple.

"When your first-ever son is born, he is to marry my daughter. If your first child is a daughter, on the other hand, she is to marry my eldest son," King William had proposed.

The Duke, being elated at the idea, agreed, knowing that if their two children married, they'd almost be like brothers. Not realising that it would affect everything that was to happen for generations to come.

Now that the King and Queen had found out the Duke had a daughter, it was only fair that they kept their promise, honouring their late friend.

They looked at the poor girl, who was still in a state of shock.

She couldn't process the information, and her jaw had already dropped to the floor.

She thought of what would happen to her job and decided to ask.

"I'm his daughter? B-but what would happen to my job? My friends here at the palace?" She asked curiously.

The King laughed.

"My dear, you are to move into a guest suite immediately! It'd be rude if you were to stay a maid! We have to honour the late Duke, my close friend, and what better way to do so by treating his only daughter well?" He asked.

"You and your mother will be transferred to one of the guest suites in the palace, and a ball will be held tonight in your honour, introducing you as Duke Kennedy's daughter. The whole kingdom will be there and think of this as your debut. The Duke and I always had the close relationship, and I feel the need to do him some justice," King William continued, not bothering to mention the agreement about her might having to wed Prince Adam.

She was already still in shock from the news. A ball, held in her honour? Her, being a royal? Her not having to be a maid anymore, and the possibility of her inheriting her late father's inheritance?

The King and Queen looked at the girl that was set to marry their son worriedly.

Even for them, they knew it was quite a lot to process.

The Queen broke the silence, telling Emma, "Ms Grey, I know this is a lot to handle, but this is the truth. We do hope you'll be going to the ball held in your honour, but you're excused for now, and your belongings will be moved immediately to one of the palace rooms."

Emma nodded, trying to compose herself as she curtsied and left.

She rushed to her mother's room, wanting to find out the truth.

She found her mother and bombarded her with questions that needed answering.

"Mother!" She shouted.

"Why didn't you ever tell me I was a royal?" She asked.

She continued asking her mother, who didn't even know what her daughter was talking about.

"Why didn't you tell me my father was the late Duke?"

"Why couldn't you tell me before someone else did?"

Before she asked the next question.

Her mother raised her hand in the air, silencing her daughter.

"Em, what are you talking about? What late Duke? Your father was a commoner, his surname was Kennedy, and that was all I knew about him," she answered.

The realisation struck her.

Kennedy. As in the late Duke Kennedy.

She asked herself why she hadn't figured this out a long time ago, only realising her daughter was of royal heritage right that second.

"Who told you this?" She asked.

"King William and Queen Isabelle did, mother," she answered.

Chloe gasped.

They knew?