Chaos in the Kingdom

 The lady in the hood walked briskly past the crowd, her tattered cloak flowing in the wind behind her. She ignored the murmurs and whispers from the people, all having gathered around the town’s sole notice-board.

Most towns in Elander had a couple of public squares scattered through them, with announcements pinned up on a large board. However, Olivia, the woman in the cloak, had taken care to ensure that the towns she passed through were small enough that fewer people would interact with her.

Of course, this meant that people might notice someone they hadn’t seen before in their tight-knit communities, but the situation announced that morning from the capital city, Thanard, had caused mass panic. People were already leaving the major cities en masse, and there were a lot more people in such small towns, having the same idea as her.

It would be in her best interest to move quickly and leave the city, but Olivia was exhausted and burnt out. She had been travelling non-stop for the last three days, and had only gotten a couple scattered hours of sleep. She had only eaten an apple or two she had snatched from a local fruit-seller, and had regretted the decision terribly when she was chased out of the town by an angry crowd.

The rest of the little food she had packed wasn’t eaten by her, but instead by the baby she held so desperately in her arms. Clutching the bundle of clothing, Olivia decided to finally rest. She had come far enough that there weren’t as many people looking for her.

“Besides,” Olivia murmured to herself, looking around herself with a suspicious gaze. “I won’t be able to do my job if something goes wrong. The baby is getting fussy, I need to feed him soon. I should probably get myself updated on the situation as well”

Pushing her way through the crowd, Olivia got to the front and began to read the newly-pinned pamphlet on the cork wall.

“It’s terrible isn’t it?” whispered an old lady beside her. “Duke Darlham says that the royal family was executed for committing treason, but I don’t believe that power-hungry scumbag.” The old woman may have been small and weak, but her eyes shone with a fierce fire. “I remember how the late Queen Mellina used to care for the citizens. She would never betray her people, I know it.”

Olivia couldn’t help but feel curious. The old woman’s opinion was not a common one these days. A lot of people felt schadenfreude at witnessing the scene at the capital from afar. “How can you be so sure, ma’am?”

The old woman looked up at her with surprise, wrinkled face stretching out into a smile. “My name is Bertha, dear. Are you a palace maid? Your brooch, it’s the same one my granddaughter wears when she comes home to visit.”

“Ah, yes, it is. I didn’t feel safe in the palace after the sudden execution, so I decided to go home for a few months while the situation calmed down.” replied Olivia, a hasty smile plastered on her face.

“Oh, I understand. My little Pauline had come back too, in tears.” said Bertha, a pained look on her face, a mixture of sympathy and understanding. “She kept going on about the baby Prince Orion, and how he wasn’t dead.”

Olivia made sure to keep her face straight, empty of all emotions but sympathy and curiosity, holding the waking baby in her arms a little tighter. “Why would she think that? I thought it was common knowledge that there are no remaining members of the royal family after the Duke’s announcement.”

Bertha sighed, looking away from the girl she was speaking to. “The poor girl, she can’t handle knowing that the Duke had even a small child killed, her innocent heart. She kept making excuses like how there was no blood, even though the Duke said that the prince was dead.”

Letting an exhausted breath leave her mouth, the grey-haired woman looked back at the notice on the wall. “Silly child, didn’t think that the baby was simply moved to a different location.”

Olivia simply nodded in sympathy, and let the silence stay unbroken as they were surrounded by the noise of the crowd. The peace between the two women was disturbed by the loud crying of the baby in the younger girl’s arms.

Noticing Olivia’s regretful grimace, Bertha simply laughed. “I brought up two handsome young boys as well, dear girl. I understand. Go, take care of the baby. Maybe I will see you in the town later.”

Giving the old woman a grateful smile, Olivia slipped out of the crowd and left the busy town square. “You’ll probably not see me again.” Olivia couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, a melancholy smile on her face.

“Now come on, little Prince Orion. Queen Mellina tasked me to keep you safe until you were old enough, so I can't have you dying on me, just because I didn’t feed you. Quiet down, now.” 

Not a soul was around to hear the palace maid’s soft words, whispered to the baby cradled in her arms. It was a secret only known to herself, the baby, and the late queen.