Chapter 8: Chapter 8. Permission

It was a bright new day in my palace bedroom, and I were going crazy.

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I needed to get out of my room! I wanted to go visit the city.

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I’ve been stuck inside my room and only the closest places possible for the last two days, after the royal physician came to visit and told us I had to get a lot of rest.

It was relaxing the first day, comfortable the next, but now, the third day in a row in which everyone around me insisted I spend as much time as possible in bed, I think I might be going crazy.

I want to go out and see stuff.

I want to go out and do stuff!

Maja and everyone around me have been treating me like a queen, entertaining my every whim, but there is only so much one can do in the confinement of one’s bedroom.

But if I were to get out of the palace, I needed to make a plan.

First, who would agree to me going out into the capital?

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Father?

No, he has been overprotective ever since the doctor visit, insisting I walk and move around as little as possible.

There is no chance he will let me leave the confines of the castle without a contingent of guards and a dozen physicians observing my every move.

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Maja?

No, although she’s super nice, she doesn’t have the authority to decide such things, and asking her she’d probably tell someone to talk to father about it, which would put me back at square one.

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My brothers?

Not the worst idea, though they are also super overprotective.

I’ve not visited them outside of my room yet, but every time they come over, they treat me like a frail dove, so there is probably a more than fifty per cent chance they’d say no.

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That leaves only one person, my mother.

Jackpot.

She’s the nicest of everyone, and although she is the strictest, she’s also the one I’m closest to.

And I also wanted to go visit her anyway, so it’s a win win.

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I got out of bed and went to the bath, getting out of my underclothes with help from the maids. Maja massaging soap into my scalp and hair, while I sat and enjoyed the heat of the water and steam.

So relaxing!

When I’ve been in the water so long that I felt like a completely salted fish, I finally got out of the pool, getting dressed into a lovely white dress while Maja dried and combed my hair.

If there is one thing I’ll never get tired of, it’s this.

It’s like I’m getting spa treatment every day!

Wonderful people bathing me, dressing me and combing and fixing my hair.

I never went to a spa in my last life, I wasn’t that kind of guy, but this incredible treatment coming from people that only want the best from you, is something else.

How can you not enjoy it?

I do of course make sure to thank them a lot, and even though they keep telling me it’s all part of their duties, I can see it makes them happy to hear me say it.

I treat them like normal people, and they all have different personalities and talk about different stuff, which makes the tedious stuff go by a lot quicker.

Sometimes they catch themselves talking and get completely dazzled and embarrassed, which is super cute and my entire goal.

Although they are super professional, they’re also just normal people.

I’m grateful for whoever picked out my personal maids.

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and now that I’m ready for the day, it’s time to visit mother!

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I asked Maja where mother usually was at this time of the morning, and she told me that she was usually at her office in the royal quarters at this time of the morning.

Making our way over, the castle was bustling with a surprising amount of life.

People walking around carrying reports and books and stuff, moving around with purpose in their gait. Others walking around with their hands filled with boxes etc.

I’d have to ask my mother if there were an event or anything happening soon.

In the end we found ourselves in front of a pair of warm, brown-colored double doors.

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I knocked three quick knocks, ignoring the guard stationed outside the door.

“Who is it?”

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I could hear the melodic voice of my mother coming from inside the room.

“Guess who.” I answered.

I could hear someone getting up from the chair, and soft steps approaching the door.

“Hmm, I sure wonder who it could be.”

The door opened inwards into the room, revealing my mother smiling brightly at me from the doorway.

I jumped into her arms, giving her a tight hug, nuzzling my head into her chest.

Reluctantly letting go, I followed her into the room.

It was a small room, but with a very homely and comfortable feeling.

It had large brown bookshelves filled with books on two of the walls, while a large window filled the room with light from the last one.

It had a large dark green carpet on the floor, while a huge wooden desk took up most of space of the room, lined with a couple of chairs.

The perfect place to read, or to get some work done by yourself.

It was the office I wished I could have had when working with reports in my old life.

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“Wow, it’s so cozy!” I said.

“Thank you, I designed it myself.” she said with a bright smile on her face.

“This is where I spend most of my time while working.”

 “Very few people dare disturb me when I’m working here,”

Her face changed to the face of a dignified regent for half a second, looking at me with scary eyes.

“And what about me?” I asked meekly.

“You-, you have special permission to come in without knocking and to come visiting whenever you want to.”

Her expression changed to a bright smile before guzzling my cheek with her hand while answering.

“Stop it!” I squeaked, before giggling.

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“So, is there a reason for this early morning surprise visit?

She looked into my eyes.

“Firstly, I just wanted to see you.”

I said with a bright and honest smile on my face.

“Secondly, I was wondering why everyone were so busy around the palace, is there something happening soon?”

She nodded knowingly at me while I was speaking.

“and thirdly I was wondering if maybe I could leave the palace and visit the palace soon because I’ve been going crazy being coped up inside my room now that I feel better,”

I said in one long breath.

Mother sighed.

“Okay, let’s start with the first one. The reason why everyone are so busy, is that the festival of Goddess Helena is happening in three days, which means that everyone are getting ready all the nobles that will come to visit the palace.

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Huh, was the start of the summer this close?

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“Wow, I didn’t know it was that close! I exclaimed.

She smiled back at me, before saying.

“I’m sorry, I can’t allow you to move around too much in the castle while there are so many untrustworthy people moving around, but at the day of the festival, the emperor and his family has a tradition of visiting the temple of the Goddess.

“If, and only if, you’re feeling well enough that day, we can go together to the temple this year!”

she said with a bright smile, before looking a bit sad.

“I’ve always wanted for us all to go together. You’ve always been too frail to visit, but looking at you recently, you have had much more energy than usual.”

She still looked a bit sad, before looking at me with serious eyes again.

“But you’ll only come if you’re feeling okay, and you’re not allowed to walk around the palace unattended until the festival.”

“Deal!” I said with a smile before exclaiming.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

I jumped into mother’s arms again and gave her a big, big hug.

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Leaving her room having accomplished my goal, my mother had an exasperated, but happy expression on her face.