Riona pov

The chatters that echoed throughout the hall were never-ending. Even though I’m here playing dress up as a human it didn’t make me human. Perhaps that is why I would never truly understand humans and their way of life. I would never understand why they cared about such lavish things to the point they killed for it or why they dressed as such. But when I think about all these things it brings me back. Back to that fateful day of my coronation. The day when fate introduced me to betrayal. The day I lost everything and would never understand why he did it. If I was a human would I be able to know why? It's not like it mattered much now anyway…

“Isn’t that Duke Axel's fiancee?” someone whispered “She’s trembling like a fish out of water”

I turned around to see a group of Noble girls, no larger than a group of 5, lurking behind me. Their smirks showed that they were not going to be friendly. Madame Noelle taught me that since I was announced without a surname they would look down on me but I would need to remain humble and stand my ground.  

One of them looked me up and down, not with disgust but amusement. “Is she not going to greet us?” They were wondering how I would entertain them. But I shall not. Once I was Riona the princess. Once I bore no name and was simply branded as a ‘slave’. Now I was Riona, Adonis’ fiance.

I did a swift simple motion of a curtsy one leg forward and the other backward at a certain angle. While I pinched both sides of my dress and faced downward. Instead of returning the curtsy, which was expected, they simply smiled trying to suppress laughter. Even if they did laugh no one would care much, but they still wanted to play friendly and, most importantly, act modest. A woman laughing loudly was never a good look. 

It felt strange as I rose back up. I was raised to be the one that was bowed to, not to bow. But fate never was one that liked the easy way. Maybe back then I, the elven princess, would feel humiliated. But it didn’t matter much. 

I lost my chastity to those I can not even remember this couldn’t really compare to it. It couldn’t compare to the days when I had to grovel for the rights to my body. My mother used to say chastity is one of the foundations of being an elven queen after the subjects of the kingdom. But I have none of that. My subjects are dead and killed in such disgusting manners and for my chastity? That is something I no longer have. A queen without any of these is far more humiliating. 

I didn’t mind this. Because I can and was going to endure the stupid antics these ladies try to use to make me fall. Because how can one make another fall if they have already fallen long ago?

“Greetings, I am Riona,” I said as I tried to keep my voice composed. 

“Hmm such a fragile thing,” one of them sneered as they examined me. 

They weren’t wrong I was skinny and not too long ago I was malnourished. To them, I seem like a beggar who is trying to play dress up.

Before I could even speak again one of them spilled their wine a few centimeters away from my feet as they all continued to smirk.

“Oh, my deepest apologies. I hope I didn’t stain your shoes. Although they look like they’re from several fashion seasons ago, I guess this is all you can afford. I would call for a servant to clean up, but I guess there is no need for that,” she spoke as she eyed me. “I shall lend you my handkerchief; perhaps that will make it easier for you to clean up,” she offered, pushing her silk handkerchief into my hand before I could oppose the suggestion.

“I thank you for your offer but like you said I am nothing but a fragile thing, especially after all the busy nights with the duke my body is nothing but exhausted, and in regards to my shoes the duke picked them out himself. Although I doubt your husbands or betrothed care much about what you wear since you all are such carbon copies of each other” 

I stepped closer reaching out for her hand, returning the handkerchief, and pulled her down slightly while whispering into her ear “If I could I would make you grovel before me and clean up the wine using nothing but that indecent mouth of yours,” I took a step back as she fell onto the floor as the other ladies glared at me and the other guests’ attention were directed on us.

I crouched down slightly as I extended my hand “Oh my are you okay?” I asked her with nothing but fake concern. She looked downward onto the floor as her hands trembled with fear and embarrassment. “You're trembling like a fish out of the water did you hurt yourself?” I moved forward and pressed my shoe down on her finger, she let out a shriek and quickly placed her hands over her mouth. “Oh my, I am really clumsy, but what are you doing sitting on the floor like a beggar?”

“What is going on here?” The same man Adonis was staring at before stepped out of the crowd and in front of me. 

“My lady, is everything well?” He asked as he wasted no time helping her up.

“Who did this to Lady Zenith!?” he calls out looking around as the murmur continues and becomes even louder.

Another girl in the group stepped forward. With her fan covering her mouth she spoke while pointing at me, “It was her!”

He looked at me and when his eyes met mine he let out an arrogant scoff. “Of course, it’s Adonis’ pretty bitch,” he muttered quietly under his breath as the murmurs of the crowd shielded his statement from all ears but mine. 

“My apologies it seems there has been a misunderstanding,” I said to him as I bowed despite the urge to take the pins from my hair and use it to rip out his tongue. Why was dealing with humans such a headache? 

“A misunderstanding!? I can assure you that Lady Zenith’s acquaintance makes no mistake!” He yelled as he released Lady Zenith’s hand and stepped forward looking down at me.

They all looked at me. They looked at me the same way I looked at myself. Disgust. A disgrace. Disdain. They thought I had proven them right, the girl with no significant background that Adonis had brought as his fiance was a disgrace. I was similar to that. I was a disgrace. I was someone with no significance. I was nothing. And I’m so tired. But I’m fine. I’m fine even if I’m a bit tired. I’m fine even if things are looking a bit blurry. 

I bit on my tongue to prevent myself from speaking without thinking. I think I pressed dowm too hard because there was a familiar thick bitter taste in my mouth I grew to get used to as a slave. Blood. It was not a lot I only grazed my tongue. 

“You act as if you were there,” I sighed annoyed.

“Do you expect me to believe a girl like you?” he scoffed.

“Do you expect me to listen to a mor-”

A moron like you, I was about to answer back out of anger. Which would have been a disaster but I was cut off by another.

“I believe that you have offended my fiancee please apologize,” Adonis requested as he stood in front of me like a shield.