Chapter 10: Double lie??
[Narrator's POV]
After what seemed like an unexpected outburst of anxiety, the protagonist found themselves in Danielle's room, with her obviously passed out on her bed.
Danielle's room was dimly lit but not dark—warm gold lights glowed from antique wall sconces, casting soft shadows on rich crimson curtains. The air was faintly perfumed with vanilla and something woodsy. Something royal. Her bed was draped in silk sheets, golden in color, with velvet throw pillows tossed across like they were placed by accident—but weren't. There were books stacked haphazardly on her desk, most with cracked spines and bookmarks peeking out. Her boots stood at the corner, polished yet worn. The walls were decorated with quiet elegance—family portraits, oil paintings of Spanish countrysides, and one peculiar painting of two faceless figures dancing. The room felt too heavy for someone like her, like she didn't quite fit inside it—or maybe it didn't fit her.
Zory wondered whether to leave the now sleeping beauty alone to get some rest, but just as she stood up to go, a voice pulled her back.
"Zory??"
"Yes, I'm here. You passed out. Are you good now? They said you'll be fine. I didn't realize you also had anxiety. I'm sorry.....about that,"
Worry filled each word as she spoke, closing the space between them as she slowly sat back down on the edge of the bed.
Well, she was right about one thing. Danielle didn't also have anxiety. She was the only one. But the whole foundation was already built with lies—I can't possibly pull the whole block down now, can I?
"Well, I'm good now. Thank you for worrying about me. Must've been the running. I was too eager to take the cupcake."
She gave a really obvious lie.
Zory, being oblivious, believed it.
"Yeah, the pastries were real good. But I doubt they were worth it, knowing your condition. You fell hard—hope you didn't have a concussion."
Zory reached out trying to check her on the weak princess, bringing her hand to meet Danielle's chin—a gesture she thought innocent—until Danielle flinched, just a little. A spark of electricity jolted through her like a current in the wrong subway line. She could've sworn it gave her a mini stroke.
Zory had never felt anything like that before. She probably didn't even know what it meant, and in the position she was in now, she could barely think straight.
Danielle, on the other hand, had been doing things—things without name or reason—since their first encounter. Including flinching from just a subtle touch. Why did it feel colder than usual in the room? Why was the air both freezing and chokingly hot? Danielle didn't know, and she barely had time to figure it out.
Because their eyes were locked.
They both wondered who would win this unplanned staring contest. Who would blink first? Was the prize getting free from this awkward situation? They both thought: I should probably blink.
"Wait… you also have the same tiny freckles in your pupil." Zory broke the staring contest finally, guess she won.
Of course I do. I didn't forget after she told me during the dance. I checked. I really do have it. I am different from him. But now she thinks we both have it. I cannot keep up with this. But how do you even confess something like this?
I will eventually. Just… not now.
For now, two lies in one sitting.
Double lie.
Danielle thought.
The awkwardness in the room felt like it had built walls around them, and neither of them could figure out a subtle way to get out—until…
"Mi hija!" Queen Mother barged in, calling.
Saving the day from more awkward silence
Guess she was really serious about being a "present mom" this time.
"I just heard what happened, dear. I promise if I knew sooner I would've come earlier," she said, voice almost trembling.
"It's fine, Mama. I'm fine. It happens more often than you realize."
While the mother-daughter banter continued, Zory sneakily found her way out of the room, avoiding the intrusion.
"You know what, hija, I was arranging and preparing for your father and I's trip to France tomorrow. But if you want, I can cancel it. You matter more, baby."
Those words sounded foreign—strange—from Queen Reina Isabel's mouth. The past week had been full of odd changes. Danielle wouldn't say she hated it, she just wasn't used to it.
Maybe it was the 15th effect?, if such exist
"Mama, I swear I'm fine. Go enjoy your trip and send me multiple pictures so I can brag about how beautiful my mama is on social media. I love you, Mama."
That might've been the first time in a long, long while those words came out in that exact order from Danielle's mouth. Truth is, they barely spoke.
"I love you too, mi hija," Queen Reina Isabel replied, pulling Danielle into a hug.
How cuteee.
---
Meanwhile…
Mama Sofia's room was laced in nostalgia. The scent of eucalyptus oil, old photographs, and wooden incense clung to the air. A rocking chair creaked slowly under her as she waited. Books with cracked leather spines leaned in rows beside an ancient record player that hadn't played anything in years. Sunlight filtered through floral curtains, creating dancing patterns on the floor. She glanced toward Queen Mother Elena, who was staring longingly at the golden embroidery on a pillow that matched her robe.
"What could we possibly be doing alone… bored," Sofia muttered, rising to her feet. Her movements were slow but sure, graceful with years of practice. She smoothed out her gown, reaching for Elena's hand.
"Mi amor, why don't we go on a stroll around the garden for a while, like old times? Instead of sitting here and getting older faster than we ought to."
Elena blinked, nodded, and took her hand without hesitation.
They stood, a bit slower than they once did in their youth, but in sync nonetheless—two halves of a forgotten rhythm. Their fingers interlaced naturally, without needing to try. Together, they made their way down the hallway, shoes softly padding against the cold marbled floor. Every step echoed with quiet grace and the weight of shared years. The palace corridors were mostly empty at this hour, lit with chandeliers above and guarded only by portraits of their ancestors, judging silently yet lovingly.
Once at the garden entrance, Mama Sofia pushed open the wooden double doors. A gentle breeze swept over them. The garden was soft and lush, as if the air had a texture of its own.
The path beneath them was stone, winding through archways of roses and climbing vines. Tiny lanterns hung like glowing fireflies above. The sky was dimming, gold blending into pink.
The koi pond rippled nearby. Birds chirped low in the trees. They walked without speaking, the quiet comfortable.
"Let's play a game," Mama Sofia finally said.
Elena turned to her, eyebrow raised. "And what's that, mi reina?"
"Two lies, one truth. I'll go first."
"Okay," Elena replied, not paying full attention, but still smiling.
"While you were away… I slowly got used to it and forgot about you…"
"You did," Elena replied instantly. "Yes, yes—true, true."
They chuckled.
"I fell in love with somebody else and moved on."
"Trueeee. You fell in love with a handsome man who knew more about shoes than I did and wasn't afraid to get dirty in the garden with you like you always wanted."
Laughter again.
Mama Sofia took a breath. "Lastly… Fifty years of sunrises and sunsets, storms, autumns, winters… fifty years of breathing and my heart still remembers your rhythm. Fifty years in this world, and I still do—and always will—love you."
She leaned in.
They kissed. Soft. Respectful. Earnest.
Possibly the sweetest thing on Earth, how could this have been an Issue?
Queen Mother Elena smiled but whispered:
"Lie. "
"I love you do much " Mama Sofia added
"Double lie!."
A tear rolled down Queen Mother Elena's cheek as she spoke.
This was the life they were robbed of, all those years.