Time and Destiny

Chapter-16

"She is obsessed with Nicholas. She wants to be the Queen of Arcane. All these years she has tried to charm him but that hasn't worked" Ada answered and continued,
"But when the word spread that Nicholas is marrying the princess of Elysian, she was livid and vengeful. She's only come here with evil intentions towards you" Ada said in a worried tone,
"You need to be careful, Bella. She has managed to earn the respect of Nicholas by her loyalty all these years, so it isn't going to be easy to take her out" Carter said,
"What could she possibly do to me here, when there are guards around all the time? Will she attempt to kill me?" I asked,
"I will protect you with my life, you don't need to worry about that" Carter winked at me showing off his biceps. I laughed at his behaviour.
"Thanks Carter, I appreciate it" I smiled. He was like a brother I never had.
"Is there anything else I need to know?" I asked,
"Do not underestimate her child, she's malicious. She can turn Nicholas against you, after all she's known for her manipulative nature. She's helped Nicholas spy over many Kingdoms by her seductive charms" Ada said.

It all makes sense now. I understood why Nicholas had a liking towards her. She has done him a lot of favours in the past. I felt my insides burn. Maybe I was jealous and I now I knew how it felt to be jealous.
"What's the point, Ada? Nicholas likes her. I saw how close they were. I'm sure manipulation is not necessary for her" I stated.
"So are you jealous, little Bella?" Carter grinned teasingly,
I glared at him and he laughed heartily.
"Oh lord, you are jealous and you have begun to fancy him, the Devil" he chuckled,
"Quit teasing my dear Bella, or you will be dealing with me, son" Ada scolded him,
"Okay Ma, I'll stop" he said immediately, but not before bursting into a fit laughter again.
"Bella dear, I've seen the way Nicholas looks at you and it's different. Don't let her come between you both" Ada said and continued, "Also, I'll make you irresistible for tonight's banquet" she said with determined eyes,
"Banquet?" I questioned stupidly,
"It's the party held before the Annual Winter Ball. Did Nicholas not say anything about it?" Ada asked,
I shook my head no. When does he ever talk when he's with me? I internally rolled my eyes.
"There's a ball too?" I asked in disbelief,
"Yes, and I've ordered plenty of gowns beforehand, for the occasion" she said proudly,
"Splendid! I'm going to enjoy dressing up" I said sarcastically.

I already dreaded the ball. I hated crowds. And I definitely wasn't a fan of gowns.
"Bella, you should get some rest before tonight's celebration. You just recovered from that head injury" Carter said to which I nodded.
"Also, you need to eat and like I had said, no more excuses" Ada piped in,
"Alright then, but you both are eating along with me" I said. They hesitantly agreed and I just smiled. I have powers of persuasion, I knew it.

The food was brought in and I ate in the company of Ada and Carter. I enjoyed being with them. It was fun watching them quarrel occasionally. In the amidst of all this craziness it was good to talk and laugh normally. A while later, they left after strictly instructing me to rest. I got under the covers and closed my eyes. Soon, I fell asleep.

I woke up to Ada's voice calling out my name. I saw three other maids in the room. I proceeded to get ready for tonight. When I said 'to get ready' it's just me sitting on the seat thinking of Quantum mechanics while Ada and the other maids worked their magic on me. I didn't even bother to see what I was wearing and after a while I heard Ada say it's done.

I snapped out of my thoughts and got up. I looked in the mirror and saw a completely different person altogether. I saw the reflection of a breathtakingly beautiful woman in the mirror and I had trouble believing it was me. Ada looked at me in admiration.

"Your beauty and compassion is your strength, my dear. Always remember that and let no one tell you otherwise" she said and continued, "You look lovelier than ever, my dear Bella" she said looking at me in joy,
"All thanks to you, Ada" I said in appreciation,
"You must go now, dear. Have a wonderful time" she smiled and I nodded.

I walked through the empty hallways towards the dining room where the banquet was being held. My palms were sweaty and I was a nervous wreck. The only sounds I could hear was my own footsteps. I reached the dining room in no time. I saw a whole lot of people who had gathered there. They were chatting and drinking in joy. In the far corner of the room, I saw Nicholas with Cassandra grinding herself against him. They were in very close proximity with each other and that sight itself was enough to enrage me.

Cassandra noticed me from the corner of her eye and smirked. And then I saw it, the most dreaded sight I could ever ask for. She smashed her lips against his and started kissing him.

And I felt my heart getting crushed and shattered into pieces!

<Aesthetic picture of Cassandra above>
She looks evil, doesn't she?

Please vote and comment!
Thank you for reading ❤️

(Not edited)