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I took the folder from my bedside table, sitting up straighter on my bed. “I’ll read it in English first so you can understand.”
“How thoughtful,” she said as she looked away from the camera to the chef bringing her food. “Thank you, dear. Did you add the strawberries and the—”
“And the banana, yes, ma’am. I also added just a hint of nutmeg to give it a little kick for you,” the deep voice of the chef I couldn’t see added.
“Oh, it smells heavenly—”
“Mom!” I called to remind her I was here.
“Huh? What? I’m listening!” she said, looking back at the camera. “You said you’d say it in English. Go on. You have my full attention.”
I gave her a look as she ate her yogurt, and she just nodded for me to go on, taking another spoonful. Lifting the speech, I cleared my throat. “It is with great honor and reverence that I stand here humbly before you all, the future of Ersovia. What you have accomplished is marvelous, but it’s just the beginning. As you go out into the world, whatever you may do from here, I wish you to remember to err on the path of kindness. To have some compassion for yourself as well as for others—”
“Wait, wait, wait.”
“What?”
She put down her spoon, frowning as if what she had just eaten was sour. “Is that how you are starting your speech?”
“Yes, why?”
“It’s boring. Didn’t I teach you to capture your audience—”
“Mom, it’s not a beauty pageant. It’s a speech from the royal family to the public. It was crafted by like a dozen speechwriters—”
“No”—she shook her head at me seriously—“it’s a speech from you, Odette Wyntor, to a bunch of fresh, naïve, hopeful, scared, and excited college graduates. They don’t care if all the palace helped write the speech. At the end of the day, it’s going to be yours when you say it. And to me, your mother, who loves you with extreme bias, you sound boring and scripted.”
My shoulders dropped. “I think you’ve just made my fears worse! What are you expecting me to do? I have to give this in the morning. It’s not like I can change it. I’ve spent the last couple of days—”
“Odette, breathe.”
“I can’t.”
She glared, so I took a deep breath for her.
“If you can’t change it, at the very least, deliver it with more passion—more you than you are now.”
“Of course, it’s not going to be in passionate now, in my PJs, with a scarf on my head,” I muttered.
“Okay. Keep going.”
I didn’t want to. I was too worried about how she’d feel hearing the rest of it. “Mom, I should go to bed. I have to be up early in the morning.”
“All right, go. I love you.”
“Love you too. Goodnight. Well, morning for you. But bye.”
She blew me a kiss before hanging up. I tossed my phone and the speech to the other side of the bed before falling back. No matter how much I tossed and turned, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept watching the time pass by. Frustrated, I rose from the bed, slipping my feet into my slippers and moving to the coffee table to get a glass of water. Truthfully, I wanted something strong.
“No, Odette. No wine. No, nothing but water,” I muttered to myself. I didn’t even want to eat in the morning out of fear that I would get sick. Walking over to the balcony, I opened the doors and inhaled the fresh, warm summer air.
I was glad my room overlooked the cherry blossom garden. They were beautiful in the day, but at night, they had a whole aura around them. Leaning against the balcony, I found myself even wanting to wish upon a star.
“That’s a good girl. That’s a good girl.”
Glancing over the edge, near the brushes of the trees, dressed in dark-blue pajamas, was someone sitting down, petting the royal dog. Was that the king? I checked all around to see if anyone else was near, his nurse, his guard, assistant, or anyone. But he was there just humming to himself—alone!
Quickly, I rushed back into the room, putting down my glass and grabbing my robe instead before making my way out. I didn’t even realize I was running until I nearly slipped down the stairs. I grabbed the staircase rail, catching myself, and then taking off my slippers, I continued to rush down. I hoped someone else would notice and already be there. But when I reached the garden exit and saw him still there playing with Persephone, I put back on my slippers to walk out onto the grass.
