Heartglass

Heartglass 25: Shattered

"I never implied that. You're the one who jumped into that conclusion," I said with a small grin.

Queen Adriana sighed. "Enough with this nonsense. Lady Azalea, don't mention these kinds of things, especially not in the palace," Queen Adriana warned. "The palace is secured and you're definitely safe here. And we aren't wishing for any of you to die. It will be unfortunate if that happens in the selection."

"Yes it will really be unfortunate. But on the last selection, I heard all of the candidates died except for you, Your Majesty." I did some research about the queen too. Because I couldn't help but be suspicious of her too.

Queen Adriana's eyes narrowed at me. "It was inevitable. They fell in love and they broke their hearts. It was their choice. They were aware that love could lead to their tragic fates."

Well, she was right. There was no assassination that time. That was why it was a mystery that someone was after my life.

Lady Shirdine bit her bottom lip. "Did love kill them? Or was it something else? I mean like distrust or jealousy? Or maybe due to other people?"

Queen Adriana turned serious. She sighed. Her cold blue eyes became distant. And somehow they are filled with enigmatic loneliness. "Love is actually a wonderful feeling. . . when everything is properly reciprocated. But if not, negative emotions will be born despite the love. People who are in love tend to feel insecure. . . jealous. Sometimes a seed of distrust can grow in our hearts. These negative emotions can definitely break one's heart."

"Can't these feelings be avoided?" Lady Shirdine asked. Her eyes were clouded with worry.

Queen Adriana shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. If your partner returned the kind of love you're giving. With the same intensity. To the extent that you will feel satisfied with what you have and with what you are receiving. But if you want more or if you ask for more than what is given to you, a problem will definitely arise. Well, it is rare for humans to be content with the love they receive. We tend to ask for more. We tend to expect more. Expectations can break us too."

"You're strong, Your Majesty," Lady Candice praised with a smile.

"That's why I don't want the future Crown Princess to harbor intimate feelings with my son. Our heartglass is really fragile. It can easily break even with just the slightest pain. So be careful with your hearts," she reminded us in a serious tone. "Anyway, you can now return to your palace ladies. I will summon you again for tea next time."

We nodded. "Thank you for your time, Your Majesty."

We stood from our seats and headed outside the door. We silently walked to the hallways and passed through the queen's outstanding garden full of winter flowers in different colors.

"It is so hard to love," Lady Shirdine mumbled and the three of us were bewildered. Our maids followed us from behind with a measured distance.

"Do you like His Royal Highness?" Lady Jaera asked Lady Shirdine. Her eyes were filled with curiosity and somehow she was excited.

Lady Shirdine blushed. "It's not like that, Lady Jaera. It's just that since we are all interacting with the Crown Prince, what if we fall in love with him? Unfortunately, we can't control our hearts."

"Then if you don't love him, you don't have to worry about dying," Lady Jaera said. "But if you feel something for him, why don't you just give it a try and confess your love? Maybe he'll return your feelings. Well, he's spending more time with you so I think you have a chance."

I tightly shut my eyes and breathed deeply. This didn't seem right. I felt like something bad would happen if Lady Shirdine was pushed to do this. I turned to Lady Shirdine with concern. "Don't listen to Lady Jaera. Don't confess. Don't even dare to fall in love with the Crown Prince. It's risky."