Later that afternoon, Bella flopped onto her stomach on her bed. She actually wished her teacher had assigned homework—she needed something, anything, to keep her mind from racing ahead to tomorrow. And to stop me from thinking about how mad Ivy and Clara are at me, Bella thought.
She changed into comfy after-school clothes—bright yellow leggings and a plain white T-shirt—then left her room to wander the castle’s hallways. When Queen Katherine had taken the throne, she had completely redecorated. Bella’s mom had told her daughter that she wanted the castle to feel “welcoming.”
New rugs, all a warm, cherry-red color, covered much of the hallway floors. Beautiful wrought-iron candelabras lit by long ivory taper candles hung along the walls every few feet, illuminating the lovely artwork decorating the castle’s royal walls. Even the dusty, old, heavy drapes that had hung over the large palace windows had been replaced by the queen with light, airy curtains.
Bella hurried up two flights of stairs to the main tower. She skidded to a stop in front of her parents’ open bedroom door. Queen Katherine tilted her head toward the door where her daughter stood. She put the pile of mail in her hand down on her bedside table and smiled at her daughter. Queen Katherine waved Bella into the bedroom.
“I’ve never seen anyone move so slowly,” her mom joked. Then she saw the look on Bella’s face. “What’s wrong, Bells?”
Bella crossed the room and sank into the cushy white-and-blue comforter. It felt like she was sitting on pillows. She traced an index finger over one of the swirly designs.
She shrugged, not looking up. “Nothing. Okay, something. But it’s silly.”
“I love hearing about silly things,” Queen Katherine replied. “Especially from you.”
Bella looked up into her mom’s hazel eyes and took a giant breath. “I’m scared about tomorrow,” she began.
Queen Katherine put a hand on her daughter’s knee but stayed silent.
“I’m nervous about the parade,” Bella continued. “What if no one comes? I’ll be so embarrassed—plus, it’ll be upsetting to you and Daddy.”
“Is that all?” the queen asked. “Are you sure there’s nothing else bothering you?”
Bella frowned. Her mom knew her way too well. I won’t get away with keeping anything from Mom, she thought.