I NEED COREAN TO STAY on his line. I remembered his attitude during the day. I can't let him do that again. Not now. He needs to be the king.
"Prince Lauren and Prince Corean did not leave the premises of the academy, Lady Tori."
Good.
"I will have to change, Lily. Please be with Rowan for the moment." Finishing the éclair, Tori served herself her favorite chamomile tea. Glancing at the folded commoner's dress, Tori did not mind using it. Finishing her splendid breakfast inside the cell, Tori took the dress and changed for herself with no handmaiden helping her at all. It was not that hard for Tori since the commoners' dresses did not have the added fancy designs like nobles' dresses.
Tori's golden ringlets flowed freely with no jewel pins or ribbons. Her ears were bare from any pearls and jewels. They adorned her neck with the necklace that Lady M gave her. Tori felt light oddly enough.
A knock stopped Tori from her train of thoughts. "Come in."
Stepping inside the room, a dashing Rowan came inside. Gone was the baggy knight uniform from the Rozenreff Duchy. Tori smiled wickedly upon realizing the sigil he was wearing. It's the Castaña Duchy's coat of arms.
"I did not know that the Duke is quick. You're now wearing the coat of arms." Tori leaned towards Rowan who was just smiling beyond the steel bars as she touched the sigil of his Duchy on his right chest.
Grasping her hand, Rowan's eyes met hers with just the steel bars separating them. "I present myself to you, Lady Victoria Rozenreff, as your knight and the official heir apparent to the Castaña Dukedom. With this title, I swear to protect you and the endeavors you will take. I will be your sword and shield against anyone who wished and will wish you harm." Without losing eye contact, Rowan brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently.
You will be more than my sword and shield, Rowan. You will help me secure my life.
Smiling slyly, Tori replied with her wickedly sweet voice. "Take me to the courthouse, my kind sir. We have a trial to trash."
Gone was the anxious shadow that always loomed Rowan's eyes but was replaced with confidence that only people with power could have. Walking by his side towards the exit of the prison cell, Tori steeled herself before facing the commoners waiting for her outside.
"Don't worry, I will protect you." Rowan knew what those commoners were capable of since he was once a part of that crowd before Tori helped him. Those people enjoyed seeing a noble suffer.
Shaking her, Tori walked before him and straight outside the prison doors with her head held high. Caught off guard, Rowan was a minute too late. And when he dashed outside to protect her, fruits and eggs were being thrown toward Tori.
"Lady Tori! Knights, secure them! Lady Tori!" Rowan dashed to cover her form, but her calm face did not show any distress that a normal noble would feel because of the humiliation.
The knights that Rowan stationed gave a brief reprieve for her since the thrown things only hit her feet at most. With Rowan covering her mostly, the knights barricade the restless crowd as Tori never stopped walking towards the waiting carriage.
Such a petty thing to do. Look at my face peasants and never forget that the girl you condemn today will be the queen you will bow to in the future. For I will never forget this as long as I live.
Glancing up at the sky before she would go inside the carriage. Aah, what an auspicious day it is.
A HOARD of commoners welcomed Tori as soon as she stepped out of the carriage. With tomatoes and eggs in their hands, they volleyed them to her. "Cover us!" Rowan instinctively covered Tori using his entire body. He walked before her. But as they progressed, the common folks became wilder than the last time.
Tomatoes and eggs flew from every direction, rendering Rowan helpless under the onslaught. Tori knew it would cover her with filth and grime. Glancing at the people waiting at the very entrance of renaissance styled courthouse, a familiar group of people looked at her as if she was beneath them.
What did the original Victoria do to earn this Duke Luwen Rozenreff?
Even from afar, her red eyes met his. Not even blinking as she was at the center of the onslaught.
Just as she was about to be covered by slime, strong and warm arms engulfed her body like a cocoon. "Close your eyes. They only deserve to see beautiful things." Her face pressed on his chest and instinct, she closed her eyes like she was only waiting for those words to be said.
The angry growls of the common folks grew, but a pair of gentle hands covered her ears. "What are you doing here, Prince Corean? You should be in Trifecta Academy." Tori's muffled words were still heard by the second prince, who was sweating hard from his earlier sprint just to save Tori. His knights helped in covering them as they sauntered towards the door.
His grip on her waist tightened. "Do you think I can turn a blind eye to this after you declared that you'll be my queen? Not a chance, Tori." His warm breath touched her bare neck making shivers run down her spine.
You are getting into a noble trial where your head might get chopped off, but your lady part is practically like Niagara Falls! I'm such a slut.
The chaos that ensued around her was muted by the very feeling of being protected. Tori knew that she was just using the second prince, but the feeling that was way more chaotic than those around her was making her head spin. I need to stop this before it becomes too late. Politics doesn't need this feeling.
It is too late now. There will be no other path but to move forward. Father was watching when the second prince covered me. It's he's thinking that something is going on about us or he might realize that I am a member of the aristocratic faction.
"This way, Lady Tori!" Rowan led the Castaña Duchy by making them barricade their pathway to the door. Tori saw the familiar knights from the Rozenreff Duchy, but as soon as they met her eyes, they would look elsewhere as if they did not know what to do. The Duke or Sabina might have ordered them to stay put in this kind of situation. Ha! What a cute thing to do.
The large double doors of the courthouse opened. It led them to a room that was assigned for her to wait. Rowan walked ahead of them with his head held high. Tori could tell that he was born for this, to be the future Duke of Castaña Duchy. She was supposed to do that, but the territorial left arm of the second prince was stopping her from doing that. Glancing up at him, Tori argued with him in a low voice. "You can let go now, your highness."
His golden eyes were cold and furious, a complete contrast with his gentle smile. "No. I will let go of you when I want to. Who knows what you'll ask with Lady M when I let you go wander around again? So no and that's final."
"I hate to burst your illusion, but it is time for me to enter, your highness. So you must go now and I'll also go."
Realizing the weight of her words, even with the disapproval on his face, Prince Corean finally let go of her, though hesitantly.
Tori immediately made a meter distance away from him as she immediately checked her plain dress. As she expected, the filth and grime covered the lowest part of her dress. "It's ruined, huh." Talking to herself, Tori inspected the back part of her dress when a mocking voice echoed inside the room.
"We're only gone for a few months but looked at the mess you created."
"Is this necessary?"
Tori immediately turned to where the voice was coming from. Standing near the opened door, a neat-looking Crown Prince Allistair was standing. At his back was the still serious-looking Crown Prince Yei Lin.
Answering Crown Prince Yei Lin's question, Tori nodded as she sat on the sofa. "Yes, it is. This will give us two months leeway to prepare for the Hunt of the Elysian Crown."
The two princes sat before her while Rowan sat in the chair next to hers. Prince Corean, on the other hand, was sitting elegantly at her side and was busy sipping tea.
Tori continued as she served the tea to three more teacups. "There's an old saying. To kill a ferocious tiger, you need to sever its head. But to get his head you need to sever its legs, first the front legs and next to the hind legs. Without the ability to escape or attack, it will be so easy to chop its head."
The crown prince of the Monakre Kingdom laughed like an insane person. "I feel pity for those who wronged you. After all, you have two motives for doing this."
Smiling slightly as she sipped her favorite tea. Tori did not answer. But the four powerful men knew her too well that behind those sweet smiles of hers laid venom that would kill anyone slowly but surely.