Chapter Two: Unveiling
"What's so amusing?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips as I approached the group. Their laughter came to a sudden halt, and a chill seemed to pass through the air, causing some of them to shudder involuntarily.
"Princess Siren!" Lady Mia exclaimed, her eyes widening.
I feigned ignorance, pretending not to remember her name. "Hello, Lady..."
She furrowed her brows in disappointment. "Mia Levidis," she muttered.
"Ah, yes, of course. Mia Levidis," I replied, as if her name had just come to mind.
Lady Ava, one of the few who occasionally spoke up to me, frowned. "Looks like the princess has a faulty memory."
I sighed dramatically, "I have many important things to attend to. Sometimes the trivial matters slip my mind. Remind me, what was your name again?"
Ava's cheeks flushed with anger, erasing the laughter that had filled the air just moments ago.
I sniffed dismissively, "Well, it seems I've dampened the mood. Carry on with whatever you were doing." I waved my hand nonchalantly and turned to leave, expecting someone to call me back. It always happened.
"Your Highness, please don't be offended," Lord Harper spoke up, his voice familiar to me. I smiled in triumph, keeping my face turned away from them. Then, composing myself, I turned towards them with an impassive expression.
"I was not offended, Lord Harper Calimeris," I stated, enjoying the surprise that registered on his face. "Oh, you remembered my name," he remarked, genuinely taken aback.
"So you thought I had a poor memory?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow.
He flushed with embarrassment and shook his head. "No, not at all. Please, if you'd like, join us. We were heading to the garden."
I smiled and nodded, noting that Lady Ava remained silent this time.
In the group, there were three gentlemen from different families: Lord Harper Calimeris, Lord Asher Moralis, and Lord Wayette Kouris. As for the ladies, it was me, Lady Mia Levidis, and Ava Levidis, who were half-sisters. Despite Ava's earlier outburst, it was clear that she held no fondness for Mia. That girl was even more arrogant than I, but at least I was aware of it.
We strolled through the garden, and I soon regretted joining these individuals. They seemed more tense than I had been when my mother instructed me to kill my father. As we passed a bush of roses, I noticed them exchanging glances, including one between me and Asher, who seemed lost in his own thoughts.
"Is something wrong?" I asked, breaking the silence.
Lord Harper coughed awkwardly. "Well, my lady... We..." He hesitated.
He glanced at Lord Wayette, who shrugged, as if signaling that he wouldn't be the one to say it.
Lady Ava huffed, "Seriously, Princess, can't you take a hint? They were supposed to propose to us tonight so we could be betrothed. It was a double date, and you ruined it!"
I tilted my head in confusion. "You could have mentioned that from the beginning. Besides, look," I pointed at Lord Asher with my thumb, "he's here too."
"He's supposed to be a witness!" Ava exclaimed, frustration evident in her voice. Lord Harper nudged her to quiet down, but she paid no attention and continued to complain.
Observing them, a realization dawned on me. "Wait... I haven't heard anything about this from my mother. You all come from powerful families. Aren't you supposed to obtain permission from the queen?"
They blinked at me. "We sent her a message..." Lord Harper admitted hesitantly.
"Did she reply?" I inquired further.
He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, not exactly. But our parents believed it was best to become betrothed and then seek the queen's approval for the marriage later. Baroness Sagona agreed too... we didn't expect you to be here."
Ava scowled, "I didn't even think you or the queen were invited."
"We can't hold an engagement ceremony without inviting a single member of the royal family," Mia said, as if realizing the oversight just now. "But if the queen..."
"Exactly," I interjected forcefully, causing Mia to startle. "You cannot become engaged without the queen's permission. It is the law. And by breaking that law, the queen will prevent you from marrying anyone."
"Not if she doesn't find out," Lord Wayette muttered, his words shocking not only Mia, Harper, Ava, but even Asher, who had caught up with the conversation.
"Oh, believe me, she will know," I muttered under my breath.
Ava clenched her teeth, spitting near my heel. "And you're going to tell her?" she choked, wiping away her tears before they fell.
I glared at her. "No, Baroness Sagona will," I replied, leaving them with confused expressions. Unconsciously, I ran my hand through my hair, disheveling the carefully arranged flowers. Now that we were outside the hall, everyone seemed bold, speaking to my face and spitting near my foot.
"I don't think I should even help idiots like you," I said, almost laughing in disbelief while holding it in.
"We're not idiots," Ava retorted.
"You've grown quite bold in the few minutes we've spent together, Lady Ava," I said, gazing at her firmly, looming over her to make her feel small and insignificant, like the bug she was.
"The Baroness," I explained, "she was planning the downfall of your families. Why do you think she invited my mother and other nobles who could expose you to this banquet? Instead of disrespecting me, you should be grateful that my mother sent me in her place."
Ava furrowed her brow. "What's the difference?"
I chuckled, tinged with fear. "Believe me, there is a difference. I have much more mercy in my heart than she ever will." I chewed on my nail, feeling overwhelmed with stress. I had many thoughts swirling around in my mind.
First, I had lost whatever little respect I had for Baroness Sagona. The guilt for criticizing her bland dress had vanished, and I now found solace in the fact that I had spoken my mind.
Second, they had dared to disrespect me when we were out of sight, giving me no personal reason to help them.
Third, I needed to prevent the Baroness from accumulating too much power. By thwarting her plans, I would help these families escape her trap, thereby achieving my last objective.
Lastly, with the potential demise of my father, who was likely on his deathbed, or even already dead, the punishment for traitors would escalate. The Baroness would undoubtedly execute them, leaving me with no means to deceive anyone into granting me the freedom I sought. I would be left alone, with no one by my side.
This last reason became personal, fueling my desire to assist them.
My sudden silence seemed to distress these young individuals. "This is not good," I muttered.
"What's wrong?" Lord Asher asked, speaking for the first time. "Why would you be worried about them? Aren't you the princess?"
"It has nothing to do with me or any of you. It's political, not personal. Firstly, the Baroness chose an inopportune time for this."
"What do you mean?" Lord Wayette inquired.
I seized their curiosity, ready to craft some lies.
"I'll be frank. My father is on his deathbed. He has been sick for a couple of weeks." A potential poison that my mother used to weaken him before her final move.
Ignoring their shocked expressions that lingered for a moment, I continued, "That's not all. My mother... well, she's not the kindest person. When she becomes the queen dowager, she will be vulnerable to attacks from other nobles. It is highly likely, though I cannot be certain, that she will execute traitors."
Confusion clouded their faces until Harper's complexion paled. I pressed on, "Ordinarily, the punishment would be banishment from marriage, but this time it will be much, much worse."
Asher's eyes widened. "So that's what you meant by the timing..."
"I meant that the Baroness likely foresaw this outcome. She audaciously planted a spy in our palace to exploit every opportunity and bring down the other families."
And worst of all, she would attempt to blackmail my mother. I strongly suspected this, but without evidence, I would have no chance to explain. If my mother executed these children, there would be no room for maneuvering, no proof, only speculation.
"What do we do?" Mia asked, her face drained of color. "The Baroness has already announced our engagement. They may not know it's a secret from the queen, but if a word slips, she will find out..."
I glared at Ava. "Do you now understand why I called you idiots?" They hadn't even bothered to do basic research.
She trembled. "P-Princess..." She dropped to her trembling knees. "Please, f-forgive us... forgive me." She wept, pleading for my assistance.
Disgusted, I recoiled. "Stop. I was going to help you regardless because I can't let that woman get away with this, so stop."
Her head jolted up with hope, and each couple looked at me gratefully. It felt strange, unsettling, to be looked at in such a way. No one had ever regarded me like that before, and it didn't sit right with me no matter how I looked at it.
I took a deep breath. "I will help, but on three conditions."
"Name them," Harper nodded.
"First, no one must know about this conversation. Second, step aside and refrain from taking any action until I instruct you to do so. And third..." I hesitated, searching for the right words. "If I ever request something that goes against my mother's orders, I want you to help me carry it out."
"Do you have a specific request in mind?" Asher asked.
"Yes, but I won't discuss it now."
He nodded in understanding, his long dark bangs falling over his eyes.
"Oh, and Lord Asher, that last condition does not apply to you. As long as you don't admit to being a witness, everything will be fine for you."
"Yeah... I suppose so," he replied calmly, which only annoyed me further as I struggled to contain my mounting stress.
"Now what do we do?" Mia asked.
"Proceed with the engagement as planned. I will do everything in my power to secure the queen's approval before she realizes what has happened."
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