Chapter 146: Got Caught
Erica waited for a while before leaving her hiding spot inside the hollow of the tree. It has been a while when she last heard the footsteps of the bandits chasing them. She looked at the way where her maid ran and made a sad smile.
"Please be safe." Erica said silently.
After that she ran the opposite direction where the bandits chased her maid. She still needs to survive and to take revenge against the king.
'I will surely kill your beloved bastard daughter in front of your eyes.' Erica thought.
Erica ran under the cover of the trees. It was just past midday, and the sun was still high in the sky.
Not long she had come upon a back road. This road is different from the one they have been travelling on. The road towards the tower was a main road used by many, while this back road is small.
'Maybe I can find someone that could help me.' Erica thought
Erica had conjured a story that she would tell when she met someone on this road. She would tell them that she was a normal merchant lady and her carriage full of goods, were attacked by bandits. She was lucky to get away.
Erica has been walking for some time now but still wasn't able to encounter anyone on this road.
"Well this is a back road after all." Erica said. 'I guess not many uses this road, with the main road which is much nicer to travel on as an alternative.' She thought.
Not long, Erica heard some horse hooves. It was approaching her from behind. She turns around, feeling hopeful that she was saved. She sees a beautiful black stallion.
Erica looked up and can only see the rider's silhouette because the sun was just behind. The stallion seems like a war horse, so maybe the rider was from the army. The build of the rider was male, so probably this was a soldier from an army unit. Erica was now elated, she can pretend to be a merchant in distress. With her current look now, none will recognize her as a noble. And not all people from this country had seen the queen, even an army soldier.
"E-Excuse me, can you please help me?" Erica started to act. "The carriage I was riding was attacked by bandits. Luckily I was able to escape."
Erica was silent for a while, waiting for the rider to reply. Once he replied, she will tell him her conjured story.
"Well, look do we have here." The voice of the rider rang out. Erica was a little surprised with the rider's reply. Why did he reply like that and the voice also sounded familiar?
"Why is the queen of the nation being here in such a remote road?" The voice asked sarcastically.
Erica was now surprised, the rider recognized who she is instantly. She tried to block the sunlight with her hands. She squint her eyes to see the rider's face. Then she had the shock of her life.
"P-Prince Regaleon?!" Erica had her eyes opened wide.
"It is really surprising to see you here, Queen Erica." Regaleon smiled. "Oh, you are not the queen anymore. You have just been banished to the far corners of Alvannia."
Erica felt frightened with Regaleon's chilly smile. She felt shivers ran through her spine.
'Of all the people, why did I have to encounter him?' Erica thought.
"Speaking of, aren't you on your way to the tower o Grace?" Regaleon looked puzzled.
"M-My convoy... My convoy was attacked by bandits." Erica can't use her conjured story anymore, with Regaleon being here now. "I was lucky to escape. I am not sure of the rest."
Erica lowered her head. She was telling half the truth actually, except that she was now running away from the bandits and the royal knights as well. Now her escape looked slim. Regaleon will surely report this incident to the capital right away. She will be captured once more and be traveled back to the tower of Grace.
"Then you are lucky that I took this way now. This back road is usually used by bandits. You could have been found by them and you would have been in danger." Regaleon said with a convincing tone. "The next town from here will take a day if you walk. Why not I escort you? I also have business on the next town." He smiled respectfully.
Erica looked at Regaleon with scrutiny. She was pondering whether to take his offer or not. But she was sure that this prince would report her whether she goes with him or not. And staying here out in the open is also not safe. As Regaleon said, those bandits might come back.
"Then I would trouble you, prince Regaleon." Erica said.
Regaleon smiled and extended his hand and Erica reluctantly takes it. He pulls her up to his saddle and let her seat on his back.
"Well hold on tight." Regaleon said with a grin. "The town is at least four to five hours on horseback, and that is we fly like the wind."
Erica was shocked when Regaleon kicked his horse and it bolted forward. She grabbed Regaleon's cloak just in time. If she had been a moment too late, then she would have fell from the horse with a serious injury.
Erica had a sour look behind Regaleon. She cannot believe that this prince is so arrogant towards her right now. If she doesn't need his help, then she wouldn't have even spoken to him.
***
(Regaleon's POV)
It looks like this woman just fell asleep while we were riding. The sleeping powder Dimitri gave me was quite effective. I put some on my cape and so Erica was able to sniff it from behind.
'To think you can keep our guard down in front of me.' Regaleon thought. I smirked wickedly.
The sky was starting to get dim while the sun was starting to set. I never really planned to take Erica to the nearest town. I just wanted to give this wicked woman a last shimmer of hope before I shatter it completely.
I take a turn from the road and went into the woods. Not far from there, a small remote cabin was seen. Standing outside was my shadow guards.
"Your highness." The shadow guards kneeled down in front of me.
I came into a halt just before them. "What's the status?" I asked.
"Your highness, the royal knights are all accounted for. The knockout gas was very effective." Dimitri was the one to answer. "The royal knights will be in a comatose state for five days. Once they wake up, they will have difficulty to move and can go back to report the situation after two days have passed."
"Good. Then I will have time to torture this wicked woman." Regaleon smiled wickedly. "You know what to do with this woman."
"Yes." Dimitri answered. He gestured towards the shadow guards took Erica who was behind Regaleon and entered inside the cabin.
Regaleon also came down his horse as well. He let Dimitri take Midnight to put him with the other horses.
"I am looking forward these five days. I will let you experience how your life feels like a living hell." Regaleon had a face full of furry.
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Chapter 147: Torture (1)
(Regaleon's POV)
Darkness has enveloped the outside as the night had fallen. Erica was inside a dimly lit room, strapped on a chair. She was still sleeping because of the drug.
"Wake her up." I told Dimitri.
"Yes." Dimitri bowed. He took a vial from his pocket and walked towards where Erica was seated.
Dimitri opened the vial and put it under Erica's nose. Not long, Erica gasped awake.
"W-Where am I?" Erica was still visibly disoriented, looking around the room.
"My queen, are you awake now?" I hooked one side of my mouth up.
"P-Prince Regaleon...you.." Erica stammered.
"Do you remember what happened?" I asked nonchalantly.
Erica was visibly distraught. I knew she was now panicking internally. She thought that she was saved by me but in fact it was the opposite. She tried to move but saw that her whole body was strapped on a chair.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Erica roared.
"What do you think is it, queen?" I replied with a smile.
"How dare you, do this to me?!" Erica yelled.
"Oh, I do dare." I looked at her with coldness.
Erica looked around her and saw Dimitri wearing his shadow guard uniform with his faced concealed. This shocked Erica.
"You... you were the one that ordered to attack my convoy?" Erica asked in disbelief.
"I see you are still clever, your grace." I said sarcastically.
"Why are you doing this?" Erica asked still in disbelief. "What have I ever done to you? Answer me!"
I look at her with anger building up inside of me. She asks me such questions. Doesn't she know what she has done to Alicia?
"You ask me this. Do you not know what you have done or have you forgotten?" I asked her with such cold tone.
Erica was stunned with my reply. "This has nothing to do with you crown prince of Grandcrest. This is our family's affair. You have no part in this."
I scoffed on her words. "Nothing to do with me? Family's affair?" I asked with coldness. "Have you forgotten who you tried to kill, Queen Erica?"
Erica looked at me as if she is not getting the meaning of my words.
"The one that you have wrong since from the start was my fiancée and future wife. By the time she became my bride to be, everything about her concerns me. Even if it was her past grievances, I am sure to get revenge for her, as she is the future crown princess of Grandcrest." I said these words with such authority.
Erica shrank feeling my imposing aura. I know that she can clearly see my inner rage.
"I...I was already given punishment with my crimes against Alicia and her mother. What else do you want from me?" Erica said clearly frightened.
The former queen who was like a tigress in the past, is now frightened like a mouse before me. I unintentionally hooked up a wicked smile.
"Do you think that banishment is a suitable punishment for your crime?" I smiled at her. "A life for a life. You have killed Alicia's mother, then you need to pay with yours."
Erica was squirming in her chair, trying to undo the straps. She was evidently scared now and trying to break away from her straps.
"No...let me go. I don't want to die." Erica said while trying to break free.
"Call him in." I ordered Dimitri. He nodded in response and went outside.
"What are you planning to do with me?" Erica asked.
"I know you are smart, Queen Erica." I smiled to her. "You know what the people call me, correct?"
Erica's eyes went wide. I am sure that she knew such small information. The nickname that my enemies called me, the 'Black Devil'.
"Killing you is so easy. You need to suffer first. I want you to suffer like how my Alicia suffered. You took away her mother from her. Prevented her to have a loving bond with her own father. And you let your daughter's bully her since the time she set foot inside the palace." I counted all of her wrong doings against Alicia. "Do not worry. I will be sure to give back to your daughter's the same treatment they gave to my wife to be." I smiled wickedly.
"No!. No no no! Not my daughter's!" Erica yelled.
Not long Dimitri came back with a man in tow. He was one of my men, the best in torturing my enemies for answers, Shawn.
"Your highness." Shawn bowed down when he saw me.
"Rise." I replied.
Shawn stands up and looks at Erica who was sitting strapped on a chair.
"Is she the one I need to do my work on, your highness?" Shawn asked.
"Yes, she is the one." I replied.
Shawn placed his large pouch in the table right beside Erica. He rolled it open and different kinds of small torture devices were spread on the table. Erica was shocked when she saw them.
"No..Noo! Let me go. Please, don't do this." Erica was rampaging in her seat. Tears were now flowing from her eyes. "Just kill me. Please, just kill me!" She pleaded.
Dimitri and one of my shadow guards held on the rampaging Erica. Dimitri took a cloth and tied it on her mouth to stop her from shouting any more.
Shawn was readying himself for the work he was about to do. I stood up and walked lazily towards him. I looked at the devices he was arranging in a row.
"You won't need to do the work." I said nonchalantly.
The air inside the room went stale. All eyes of the ones present in the room were all on me, shock written on their faces. They might have had an idea what I was planning to do.
"I want to personally torture her." I said with a cold tone. I look at the woman in front of me fiercely.
This woman had inflicted such pain to my Alicia, both physically and emotionally. I want her to suffer by my own hands.
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Chapter 148: Torture (2)
(Regaleon's POV)
The air inside the room went stale. All eyes of the ones present in the room were all on me, shock written on their faces. They might have had an idea what I was planning to do.
"I want to personally torture her." I said with a cold tone. I look at the woman in front of me fiercely.
This woman had inflicted such pain to my Alicia, both physically and emotionally. I want her to suffer by my own hands.
"No, no, no, no! Don't come near me!" Erica screamed in fright.
I walked towards the table beside Erica where the torture devices are laid out. I pick them up one by one, inspecting them.
"I will explain the uses of each device, your highness." Shawn said with respect.
"Hmm." I nodded in agreement.
"This, your highness is a thumbscrew." Shawn picked up a small metal object with a screw. "A person's fingers are one of the most sensitive parts in the body. This device is used to crush the fingers or toes slowly and painfully." Shawn explained.
"I see." I hold the device and inspect it carefully.
There is ten of this thumbscrew device in Shawn's pouch, which means one for each finger.
"Then let me use this first." I smiled wickedly.
"No, don't come near me. Take that thing away from me." Erica was squirming from her sit.
I take one of her hands that were balled into a fist, she was fighting hard. I acknowledge her fighting spirit. Of course, it would be boring if she just sits there submissively.
I forcefully pried open her closed fits and inserted a thumbscrew in her forefinger. I slowly nutted it in place until it tightened.
"Ahhhh!!!" Erica screamed with the pain. With her scream, I hooked up my mouth into a smile.
"Please bear with it a little. This is my first time doing this." I grinned.
"Nooo... Take it off!!! It hurts." Erica begged with tears.
"Does it hurt? Well then that's good." I was satisfied with her pain.
After that, I have inserted all the thumbscrews in her fingers. Erica was screaming and crying in the process.
"Let's tighten them up a little more." I was not yet satisfied with the tightness of the thumbscrews.
"Please...No more!" Erica begged. Her face was now full of tears.
"I like hearing you beg." I grinned. "Beg more."
Erica looked at me with pleading eyes. "Please I beg you, have mercy. Let me go."
My grin widened even more. "The respectable and high queen is begging for mercy. I like it." I said. Erica was looking at me with hopeful eyes, thinking that her begging had moved me.
It was really a pleasure for me to see the high and mighty queen who was at the top of the pedestal, stoop down so low to beg for mercy in front of me. In my eyes, she looks like a dog begging for a bone.
"What else can I use?" I looked at Shawn with a smile.
Erica's eyes went wide. Her hope just back then crumbled into dust.
"No, please. You said if I begged..." Erica said.
"I didn't say that I would stop if you begged." I looked her way. "I just said that I like seeing you beg." I grin wickedly.
Erica resumed her begging, telling me to spare her from such pain.
"This is nothing compared to the many years you have tormented Alicia." I said in a cold tone.
I looked at Shawn again to inquire about the other torture devices.
"This your highness, is used to slowly pull the nails from the fingers." Shawn picked up a plier like device. "With the thumbscrew slowly crushing her fingers, pulling her nails would deal much more pain."
"Hmm, I understand." I get the plier like device from Shawn and inspected it.
"No no no!!!" Erica screamed. "Please stop this, stop!" She tried to get out from her bindings and the chair tumbled down in the process.
"Hold her." I ordered a shadow guard.
The shadow guard quickly pulled up the chair Erica was strapped on. The ropes strapping her are slowly eating on her flesh while she tried to break free from them.
"You know, you can't escape." I smiled at her. "So just bear with it."
I use the plier like device and started with her thumb. I slowly pulled out her nail.
"Ahhhh...!!!!" Erica screamed loudly. She trashed her hand that I was working on, but my shadow guard held her tightly.
"If you move like that, I can't pull your nail in one go." I said. "Oh look, because of that I have to work a little harder. This is my first time doing this you know. I can't promise you a good work." I joked.
I intended to make a mistake in pulling her nail out because I know how excruciatingly painful it is. Erica screamed even more and it gave me the satisfaction of torturing her.
I pulled the nails of all her fingers one by one. Her fingers are all dyed with blood where her nails were pulled out. My hands are also stained with her filthy blood and I looked at it disgustingly. Dimitri hurriedly passed me a towel for me to wipe with.
I looked at Erica who was sitting on the chair. She passed out before I pulled out the last nail from her finger. She wasn't able to handle the pain. I put down the plier like device on the table.
"Wake her up." I ordered.
My shadow guard quickly took a bucket of water located at the far corner of the room and splashed it to the passed-out Erica.
'Cough cough' Erica woke up from the water disoriented.
I pulled her hair to lift her head up. "You are not permitted to sleep while I'm at work." I slapped her face to wake her up completely.
"P-Please...just kill me." Erica said with a low voice. I can see that her strength was crumbling and this made me smile.
"Kill you? We are just getting started." I grin wickedly. "We still have a few days to do this. I am sure to let you feel much more pain."
***
These five days I continued to torture Erica in many ways. She always begged for death but I never gave her the easy way out.
But because I promised Alicia that I would be back before the grand parade, I have to go back to the capital.
"Shawn, you know what to do." I instructed him.
"Yes your highness, please rest assured." Shawn bowed.
I ordered Shawn to continue for another day and give her death at the very last moment.
I looked at Erica still sitting on the chair she was strapped at. She was a far cry from her former self. Her body was filled with wounds and bruises. All her fingers from hand to foot are now crushed and stained with dry blood. Her whole body is in fact stained with blood.
Erica has stopped begging after the third day. That is because I cut off her tongue. Her excessive pleas for death irritated me. She is now but a lifeless shell, only waiting for death. Looking at her made me satisfied.
"Then I will be going first, you finish here." I said to my subordinates.
I took a last look at Erica and smiled. "Do not worry my queen. I will surely take care of your two daughters after you are gone."
Erica, who was silent the whole time, looked up at me in an instant. Her lifeless eyes began to shed tears once more. She was muttering words incoherently, shouting and trashing with all her might. My shadow guards quickly subdued her in place.
This made my smile even broader. Just the idea of what I will do to her daughters frightened her back to life.
After her one last satisfying plea, I turned around and walked away.
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Chapter 149: Royal Family's Meeting (1)
(Three days after Regaleon left)
It has been a few days since Regaleon left the capital for some business. As for me, I have been in my courtyard all this time contemplating the news about my mother being alive.
I am currently walking at the rose garden this morning, just after breakfast.
"Princess Alicia." William said while escorting me in my walk. "You have been sighing for many times now. If you have any problems, you know that you can confide with me."
I look at William in a daze. He was looking at me with worry in his eyes. This made me snap out from my daze.
"I didn't realize that I have been sighing." I smiled at him.
"Well you have been out of it this past few days." William said. "You know you can talk to me, Alicia."
I look at William and contemplated. He has been a loyal friend to me and I know he won't ever betray my trust. I sighed heavily and looked at the light blue sky with white clouds passing by.
"Will, what if your mother was still alive?" I asked metaphorically. "I mean, what if she didn't die of illness back then and she got better now. What will you do?" I looked at William seriously.
"My mother?" William was taken back by my question. He cupped his chin with his fingers and thought carefully. "Well I guess, if my mother never died because of her illness and she got cured and all better now, then I will make every effort to make up for all the years she was never by our side."
I looked at William who was wearing a smile on his face.
"I will take her to beautiful places that she wasn't able to go because she was sick. Me and my siblings will make sure to spend time with her. We will do many things as a family that we weren't able to do back then." William answered. "I have always wished my siblings have spent time with our mother while growing up." There was some sadness in William's tone that had a pinch in my heart.
"William, I'm sorry." I apologized. "I let you remember something painful." I regretted asking William about his deceased mother.
"It's okay, Alicia. The memory of my mother is a precious thing to me." William smiled at me and I smiled back.
"Your highness." I heard Theon's voice behind us. I turned back to see him bowing. "His majesty the king asks for your presence in the throne room."
"Okay, I understand." I replied. 'Why is father calling for me?' I thought.
***
I entered the throne room with William escorting me. As my personal knight, William is given authorization to accompany me in the presence of my king father.
"I greet king father." I give my curtsy and William kneeled down in one knee as well.
"Rise my daughter and sir William." My father announced.
I looked up to see my father looking at me with a smile on his face. His gaze was warm and his facial expression was tender towards me. This made me feel surprised. He has never given me such expressions in the past.
I look around and all of my family members are present. My step siblings, Veronica, Elizabeth, and Richard. Grandpa Robert was next to Richard as per usual. Elizabeth's personal knight, now Veronica's fiancee Bradford, was standing next to Veronica. These attendance I am not surprised, father seemed to call for a family meeting. What I was surprised was prince Gladiolus' presence.
"Take your seat Alicia." Father said.
I bowed my head and took my usual seat with William standing next to me. I look at the throne area where my father was seating and noticed that the queen's throne was vacant. Then I remembered that my stepmother the ex-queen, was sent to the tower of Grace a few days ago as punishment for her crimes. Just thinking that she was now far away from me gave me some peace of mind.
But not long, I can feel the burning gazes of my stepsisters. Their hatred was so evident in their eyes. Now that their mother has been taken away, they have lost their backing. This made me sneer towards them.
My stepsisters saw me sneering and it just made their faces more twisted in hate. This made me feel some joy.
"I am sure you are all wondering why I have called for all of you today." Father started. "This meeting is regarding our royal family's matter."
All of us who are present are now looking at father.
"As you all know, your mother has been convicted with a serious crime. Hence, she was exiled as punishment." Father explained.
"Father how could you?!" It was Elizabeth who said this and stood up from her seat. Tears start to fall from her eyes. "Mother can never do such a thing. I am sure that she is innocent, she was just framed. It's all your fault." Elizabeth pointed a finger towards me. "You framed mother for the assassination attempt on you because you hated her!"
I stayed silent with Elizabeth's accusations towards me. I was prepared for this kind of scenario happening in such a meeting.
"Silence!" Father roared furiously. Elizabeth was visibly shaken after hearing him. "This matter had been investigated properly by our kingdom's judiciary. Are you saying that their investigation is wrong?"
Elizabeth was speechless by this time. She cowered in fright.
"King father, please quell your anger." Veronica stood up and said calmly. "Elizabeth is just shaken up with the event pertaining our mother. I hope you don't take offense with what she had said. She loves mother dearly. Sister please sit down and calm yourself."
Elizabeth took her seat after Veronica helped her. It looks like Veronica is taking the role as mother hen and defending this baby chick.
"Your mother's punishment was given by the judiciary and is final so let's not talk about this further." Father said.
The people inside became gloomy. Aside from the outsiders and me, all of the remaining people have a blood relation with the overthrown queen.
My gaze swept towards Richard who had his head bowed down slightly. My heart squeezed in pain when I saw his sad face. Queen Erica was still his mother. I know that it pains him to see his mother exiled from the kingdom.
Grandpa Robert was looking tough and patting Richard's shoulder, consoling him. But I know deep down, Grandpa Robert is also hurting inside. Queen Erica was his sole daughter.
"Before your mother left, we have talked about the marriages of you siblings. That is the agenda of our meeting today." Father said.
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Chapter 150: Royal Family's Meeting (2)
"The reason I called for this meeting is about the marriages of my royal children." Father said.
Currently, I am the only one engaged out of us four siblings. With what happened to Veronica and Sir Bradford in my engagement party last time, I am sure that she will be engaged to him. That only leaves Elizabeth and Richard.
"As you know, Alicia has just been engaged to the crown prince of Grandcrest, prince Regaleon." Father said. "My eldest Veronica has found a suitable suitor. He is one of my capable royal knights, Sir Bradford. He has asked the hand of Veronica and I have given them my consent."
All the eyes of who was present in the hall turned to look at the couple. Sir Bradford bowed his head in acknowledgement, while Veronica was forcing a smile on her face.
"Congratulations sister." Richard gave his sincere greetings.
"Congratulations." Grandpa Robert smiled.
"Congratulations eldest sister." I also give my greetings and smiled.
"Thank you for your greetings." Veronica replied to us.
Veronica looked at me in the end, with such fierce gaze. I gave her a smile in reply.
'You tried to steal my man. Of course I won't let you get away with it.' I sneered internally.
I will never let Veronica try such a thing once again. She tried to use her chastity as an excuse for Regaleon to marry her. And because she was willing to let go of her chastity just like that, then I have given it to someone who has longed for her.
'She is fortunate that I let Sir Bradford be the one to take her chastity.' I thought. If I have been a little evil, I would have given it to a random passer-by on the streets of the capital.
"I am happy to know that my daughter Veronica will be in capable hands." Father said.
"Thank you for your trust your majesty. I promise to cherish princess Veronica all her life." Sir Bradford replied.
"I know you will. I will be counting on you." Father said. "From here on, I will be giving Sir Bradford the title of Duke."
Sir Bradford having the title of duke is not surprising. He is from the noble line and to be marrying a princess is an honor for nobles. Receiving a duke's title is just fitting for the husband of a princess of this country.
"You will be bestowed upon the lands that were confiscated from the dethroned queen's maternal family. You will now be addressed as Lord Bradford of Stalin." The king said.
Stalin was the name of the land governed by the dethroned queen's maternal family. This land is situated near the Atlantian Sea, where the ports are situated. The dethroned queen's maternal family was a military one but wedded in a daughter in law of a merchant family, making it a more rich and powerful family. With them managing the ports, they ventured into smuggling that was a serious crime.
Giving the land was fitting because Veronica is the daughter of the dethroned queen. Being the eldest, she is to be the next in line to inherit the vast lands and riches of the dethroned queen's deceased uncle general McGregor and his merchant wife. With the only son of general McGregor being a wanted criminal and in hiding, it is best to give the governing of the lands to the future husband of Veronica.
"Thank you your majesty. I will do my best to govern it the best that I can." Lord Bradford said sincerely. Father nodded in satisfaction.
Lord Bradford is an honest man to say the least. I am sure that he will at least not go into illegal ways such as the former lord or the land once did.
"Next will be my second daughter Elizabeth." Father continued.
Elizabeth looked excited when she heard her name and glanced our way. Her gaze fell upon the handsome man standing beside me. This made me giggle.
"Hey Will." I whispered to him.
"Hmm?" William slightly bent down to my level.
"It looks like Elizabeth is still expecting to be your future wife." I giggled.
William turned his gaze to look at Elizabeth. His eyes wrinkled upon seeing her looking at him with such expectant eyes full of love and want.
'Cough' William coughed lightly. "You know that I will be accompanying you in Grandcrest, princess. Of course if ever someone would be engaged to princess Elizabeth today, that certainly would not be me. And I never in the slightest thought of her as my future wife." His eyes landed on me. His gaze bore down in the depths of my consciousness.
"I know." I smiled shyly. Deep down I know what William's gaze to me meant 'You are the only one I thought to be my future wife'.
Well that just means that Elizabeth's fantasy won't be turned into reality. It looks like I have also stolen away one of my stepsister's dreams.
"As you know, crown prince Gladiolus of Jennova is here with us today." Father announced. Gladiolus nodded his head. "He came here in Alvannia in search of a wife."
With father's sentence, everyone knew what will be said next. Father had only three daughters. I am engaged to Regaleon while Veronica is engaged to Sir Bradford, which leads to only one daughter remaining.
I glanced at Elizabeth who was just looking at us with fantasizing eyes, now looking surprised at father.
"Because my other two daughters are already engaged, my remaining daughter Elizabeth will be the one to be married to prince Gladiolus." Father said calmly.
Everyone was silent inside the hall and looked at Elizabeth. It was known all over the capital how Elizabeth is very much infatuated with William. She has been very vocal since young that she will be William's wife. The Cunningham family has never denied such rumors as well. Because of this, many people expected that this would come true in the future. But I remember William explain to me before so that I won't misunderstand, they never rebuked the rumors because they knew Elizabeth is a spoiled princess. They don't want to invoke the wrath of the queen back then.
Prince Gladiolus stood up from his seat and slightly bowed to father. "Then I accept your majesty's bestowment of marriage to princess Elizabeth." He said respectfully.
"No!" Elizabeth screamed suddenly. All of our attention was swept passed prince Gladiolus who accepted the engagement to Elizabeth now. "I won't accept this!"
All of the people who are present were shocked with Elizabeth's sudden outburst. I know that she is a spoiled and frivolous one. But to show such actions to an outsider and a crown prince of a neighboring country to top it off is so embarrassing.
"Elizabeth, mind your manners!" Veronica reprimanded. She held her sister back. "Calm down. This is not the place to let out your temper."
"No!" Elizabeth was pushing Veronica away. "This isn't fair. Mother said father has promised me to be wed to Sir William."
A smirk spread out of my lips. 'I never thought I would watch such a good show today.' I thought.