The Second Prince's World Rewritten

Chapter 9 - The Fallen Silver Princess

The Salon is quiet in the evening as ladies are either usually summoned or helping out with dinner preparation. This is the first time as the Black Ribbon Lucelia will be spending the evening.

She is left with Tatiana cleaning up the sewing kits after the other maids took the finished blankets away.

Lucelia is still lost in her mind thinking about so many things that keeps puzzling her. Not just about the capital city politics, the palace intrics, her father's health, the barony business under her brother, and Radeon ... he never seems that bad in front of her. Is that a victim syndrome? She does not know.

"You don't have to worry too much about what the girls said," Tatiana woke her up from her daydream.

She quickly shakes her head, "No, it was really okay. I'm not thinking about that."

The older lady sat down and look out the window, "Lady Vivien is the most experienced, she might be talkative and seems mean. She never means harm, she does care. It is with just the lessons she got and how carefree she speaks, she might hurt others even if it's facts."

Lucelia noticed that as well.

"She seems like an amazing person if she wants to be," Lucelia decides to follow Tatiana on the couch.

"Everyone has a story, she might be one with the longest history. Even when I'm older than her, she would be one I look up to. Do you want to hear?"

Lucelia nods as Tatiana begins telling stories.

"You will need to get you know your sisters here ... believe it or not, we only have each other ..."

Vivien Chester, the granddaughter of a noble Count Chester. She got caught in a power struggle between her father and her uncle with the father ends up passing and her mother got mentally unstable with the years passing. With her uncle being the head of the house, Vivien is endangered by constant terrors from her uncle and cousins. In the end, Lady Maebel took her to the palace and secure her safety.

She became an idol, a veteran purple ribbon who impressed many patreons. Noblemen competed to make her their official black ribbon mistress. However, as seen too many offer, Lady Maebel decided to not say yes to any unless Vivien agreed to it.

It is being said that she has met all kinds of patreons, unmask most noble figures in the royal family. No wonder even Tatiana or Lady Maebel would ask her opinion on a certain patreon issue.

She ended up choosing the most powerful figure to be her lifetime patreon, Duke Hart, the king's cousin. It secured her safety from her own family and protection for her ill mother. Under agreement that even if she bear child one day, he or she will serve the stepbrother, the official successor chosen.

"You might notice an awkward event sometimes, but you have to know before making a mistake," Tatiana gives a deep sigh, "The duke's first son, Lord Albert Hart also a patreon of a Bridge Maid ... Lady Hannah Stuart."

"You mean ... Lady Hannah?" Lucelia stutters realizing the relationship between the two ladies.

Vivien is the father's mistress, while Hannah is the son's mistress. In some ways, Hannah respects Vivien very much, however the awkwardness remains lingering around. She is just a daughter of a fallen viscount who got caught in a political scandal in the past. Vivien, as her trueself, never mentions anything about it. She would call it, 'a useless argument'. It is never worth her time to have any bad relationship with Hannah, she just pretends nothing serious happens.

"Lady Carin, on the other hand, is a unique existence on itself," Tatiana continues.

Carin is believed to be illegitimate daughter of a countess. Carin Hazels, it is said high possibility Count Hazels was not her biological father. Doubting her own daughter and wife, his father casted her aside, sending her to marry a nobleman. She ended up catching the attention of Duke Azkarys, the youngest brother of the king. However, as he is married to a lawful wife, he wishes to take her as mistress. Count Hazels agreed to selling away his daughter for a political relationship with the duke.

The duchess has always been unhealthy and not in a good state since giving birth to their daughter few years ago. Count Hazels is eager to see Carin providing the duchy a male successor. The gossips that arisen caused the duke to send her to Bridge Palace until the situation calms down and let Lady Maebel takes care of her. Carin is such a sweet and playful young girl who just ended up as a pingpong ball.

"Ladies, the dinner is ready!" They heard Vivien's voice outside the door.

They move to the dining room as Lucelia wonders. She has small regrets not to asks the obvious questions.

***

On the dinner table, she observed how Vivien and Tatiana joyfully talks to each other with a hint of respects. It is the first time she joins the dinner table in the Black Ribbon quarter. Her time back in the Pink Ribbon was very different. Loud dining room, girls groupings and began talking. The purple ribbons looking down at the pink ribbon who are just "those newbies do not know anything".
This dining table is very peaceful, 5 members at most, with either Lady Maebel or her assistants joining after rounds to other quarters.

"Both of you were seriously talking about something back then?" Vivien looked at Lucelia.

She gasped awkwardly.

"About us," Tatiana answers the question for her. Lucelia got shocked to the lady's bluntness of 'I was talking about you'.

Vivien laughed, "Oh, she doesn't know yet?"

"She is new to the capital, let alone knowing what is happening here."

Lucelia sighs, "Yeah, I apologize. I haven't had proper time to get to know everyone."

"Yeah, especially about Lady Tiana, would be really awkward to hear from other people. It is better for us to remain sisters and hear from each other," Vivien pats her shoulder.

Lucelia and Tiana looks at each other, suddenly awkward.

"Oh I apologize I never actually tell you anything," she bows her head.

Lucelia gasps, "Oh, I understand, I thought it would be hard for you to talk about it."

"Wait, you don't know? Wait, Lady Tiana, you talk about everyone but yourself?" Viviena smirks teasing her.

She blushes ashamed of herself. Her fair skin reddens very obviously from her silver hair. It will be a long way to go.

***

"As I have told you, I am Tatiana Svetlana," she opens when they sat down on the salon couch.

"I am sorry, as in the Svetlana Kingdom?" Lucelia talks in low volume.

Tatiana seems surprised she knew that much. Svetlana Kingdom was a small northern kingdom almost fallen to the hand of the Heros Dinasty, another big empire on a big campaign few years prior. Arthenz with strong military managed to maintain the balance of the continent. Smaller kingdoms chose to become vassals to Arthenz to protect their political standings than surrendering to Heros.

Tatiana Svetlana, the princess was brought as a tribute of political alliance to the king of Arthenz.

"Yes, my patreon is none other than his majesty the king himself," she took a deep breath, "When his majesty decided to release all his concubine as to respect the queen and the ladies, which include Lady Maebel if you heard, it just could not easily apply to me. The kingdom alliance might be shattered."

His majesty wishes to respect the Kingdom of Svetlana by keeping their princess safe. However, nothing could be done as he avoid power struggles of having concubines. Tatiana has lived as the most senior Black Ribbon ever since, enjoying herself and taking her time.

"I was basically too old for the princes, no place for the king," she laughed.

"What would you do if you have the chance, Lady Tiana?"

She smiles grimly, "I really like children," she exhales loudly, "As I don't have any hopes of having my own children, I would love to be a teacher, or maybe just a sitter would do ..."

Her silver hair, the beauty of the Svetlanian race is glistening to the candle lights. Vivien and Lucelia just look at each other, then take the princess out to the balcony to enjoy the night stars.

"Does it feel cold, Lady Tiana? The winter is coming," Vivien asks.

The silver hairs wave to the night breezes while she looks up to the sky. With a whisper she said, "It feels like home ..."

***