When I arrived, the door was wide open. My guards stood on the other side of the hall. Maids ran in and out of my room, carrying different kinds of cloth. I stepped into the room and everyone was touching my things whilst Bethilda stood in the middle of the room.

“Leave my room before I send you all to the dungeons!” I shouted, causing everyone to stop. All the maids fell on their knees, their foreheads touched the carpeted floor.

Bethilda turned to my direction as well. “Robert!” she greeted with arms wide open. “Isn’t it beautiful? Your room needs a lot of adjustment, it’s too… well, dark,” she walked towards me.

Looking around the room, it didn’t feel mine anymore. The curtains were changed from thick, dark red drapes to thin, light yellow ones. My bed was made into a blue monstrosity from its white predecessor. They were removing all of my red velvet carpets only to replace them with dark blue ones. Princess Lorain’s flowers were moved to the window. My writing desk was moved to the right, under my royal portrait.

“As much as you’re my aunt, you are trespassing and touching everything in this room without my permission,” I replied, trying my best not to explode. “Before I fully lose my patience, I would like for you to take all the maids and your materials out of my room and to never step foot here ever again.”

She giggled, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Robert, I’m your aunt. Your relative, a part of the family,” she smiled. “As I’ve heard, you allow family members inside your room as I think I do have the right to be here.”

“No!” I shouted, my voice echoed from my room to the hallway. She quickly removed her hand. “You are a relative but you are not a part of the immediate family. You have no right to step into my room without my permission,” I continued, stepping closer to her and she walked back. “Before I disrespect you completely, leave my room now!”

The maids rushed out of my room and Gonzalo finally arrived, standing behind me. “Your Highness, I heard you shouting. Is there something wrong here?”

“Didn’t his father tell him about the changes I’m making in this castle?” she turned to Gonzalo, confused. “Dear child, I’m doing this for your mother,” she returned to me.

“I don’t care what you told my father. All I want is for you to get your big, fat behind out of my room now!” I screamed again.

“Your Highness, please calm down,” Gonzalo held onto my shoulder and arm. He then turned to Bethilda, “Your Grace, forgive the young prince. But what you’re doing isn’t the norm here. Even if Their Majesties are sick, they never did overall changes in this castle, most especially with the rooms of the princess and the prince.” He added, “And before they do so, they would ask permission from Their Highnesses before proceeding.”

She cleared her throat. “If that is what His Highness wishes for,” she replied, lowering her voice. “My deepest apologies for intruding your personal space, young prince,” she curtsied. She left my room, her head low.

Gonzalo then turned me around to face him. “Are you all right, Your Highness?” he asked.

I let out a deep breath out, hanging my head down before answering, “Now that she’s not inside my room, yes. I feel much better.”

“I will have the maids come back to put everything back to normal and to remove everything that the duchess brought in,” Gonzalo said. “I will oversee everything as well.”

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“Thank you, Gonzalo. I will stay here to make sure everything is returned to its proper place,” I nodded.

He gave a quick bow and left my room. I looked around my room in disgust. How dare she touch my things and assume that she has the right to do so?! How rude and inconsiderate of her!

♔♔♔

An hour passed and my room has been returned to its original state. As the maids were leaving my room, Elizabeth barged in, burning red and full of rage.

“Brother, may I share your room with you for the rest of Aunt Bethilda’s stay here?!” she asked, breathing heavily.

“Why, what’s wrong?” I asked, walking towards her.

“Aunt Bethilda entered my room without permission and changed everything!” she complained. “Everything has changed to a lighter color and it’s painful to my eyes! She thinks because I am a princess, everything in my room must be all prim and proper!”

“But Elizabeth, you are the embodiment of prim and proper in this castle,” I teased. “I thought those kinds of things never bothered you.”

“I may be all prim and proper but that doesn’t mean my room has to embody that! And if I wanted that to be the design of my room, I would’ve done it myself!” she replied.

“I think it’s time to have a word with James,” I answered. “He doesn’t respect our privacy and our free will. I would’ve stayed silent but now, it’s not something worthy to be tolerated.” I then turned to Gonzalo, “Where is James right now?”

“As of this moment, I believe he’s in his study, Your Highness,” Gonzalo bowed.

I headed to the master’s bedroom, Elizabeth and Gonzalo by my side. James better has enough explanation before we lose all of our patience regarding this matter.

♔♔♔

When we got close to the door, we overheard a woman’s laugh which was clearly Bethilda’s voice. We barged in and the doors swung open, creating a loud thud as they hit the brick walls.

“Oh my!” Bethilda squealed.

“Oh my isn’t enough to express it,” Elizabeth snarled.

“Robert! Elizabeth!” James shouted as he stood up from his chair. “What did I tell you about knocking before entering?” he continued as he walked over to us.

“What did we say about interfering with the designs of our rooms without our permission?!” I snapped back, walking towards them.

“I don’t think your children are entirely concerned about the well-being of their mother, James,” Bethilda entered the conversation, standing behind them. “These changes are very important for the recovery of the queen.”

“I suggest that you close your mouth before I shove a shoe in it!” Elizabeth threatened, grabbing her shoe in the process. Gonzalo quickly held her back. Elizabeth wasn’t in her forgiving mood.

“Don’t you dare disrespect your aunt in such a way!” James shouted at Elizabeth.

“And you have no right to shout at Elizabeth when we were the ones who were aggravated!” I stood in front of Elizabeth. “This woman,” I pointed at Bethilda, “This lady that we’ve never seen before has the audacity to barge into our rooms and act as if she has the right to make changes, changes that we don’t approve of! She disrespected us!”

“I asked for your father’s opinion and permission,” Bethilda interrupted once more. “He agreed to it.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, you old hag, the rooms you entered were our rooms,” Elizabeth replied. “That means that entry to our rooms requires our permission!”

“I am the king of this castle, the head of this household. My permission, my decision is above all else!” James fired back.

“In that case, you’re not worthy of being a ruler because you don’t listen to people lower than your stature!” I spatted.

“I don’t think your children have a manner of respect for hierarchy, James,” Bethilda continued to give her unnecessary remarks.

“One more word from that mouth of yours and I swear, I will not hesitate to get one of the apples in the garden to close that hole in your mouth!” Elizabeth shouted once more as I stopped her from moving any closer.

“Elizabeth!” James shouted at her once more.

“You have no right to stop my sister from expressing what she feels!” I pointed a finger at James. Gonzalo held onto my arm as well. “Mother would rearrange our rooms but she never did so without our permission,” I continued. “And third, you were never a proper father to us so why would your decision come first before ours?”

No one spoke after my response. James was stunned. Bethilda was confused. And Elizabeth held me back, putting a hand on my chest.

“Elizabeth. Robert,” a weak voice called from the door. We turned around to see Mother, supported by Linda and the two other maids as she walked into the room.