Hessy quietly indicated to a maid to follow Laylin. Princess Scarlet smiled at her quick thinking. She bowed deeply towards Ivan, and moved to get past him, but stopped for a moment, looking back at him hesitantly.
“I will be fine, General.” Princess Scarlet insisted once more, “I have a prior arrangement so if you will excuse me.”
With his feeble nod, she left him behind. Princess Scarlet led her entourage through the halls of the palace and the garden. Some of her witches headed off to fetch errands for her. She watched as they moved around her. She was trying to quell any kind of suspicion the servants of the King's Palace might have.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Melissa waving her hand and she hummed, turning around to face her entourage. "Sansy is there with me so please excuse me." They all snapped their heads to look up at the creepy bird circling the sky and glowering at them from above.
"But Princess, the protocol-"
"Get going if you don't wish to be fired." She cut the guard off harshly. He was a mole.
She was aware that several of the people who were closest to her were spies but she preferred it that way. You must always keep your enemy close to be one step ahead of them.
She didn't want to meet Laylin while these rats tailed her. They hesitated, but they knew better how volatile the Princess's temper could be.
Once all the people from her entourage were gone, she followed Melissa inside the maze she had disappeared to. She took several twists and turns behind the maid only to come across a private tea party.
Laylin was drinking Tea with an empty chair in front of her. The table had several refreshments but the Princess didn't look pleased. Scarlet noted the red dress she was donning: only Royalty was permitted to wear red in the inner castle.
She raised a brow at the obvious message King Ambrose was sending, "You have him wrapped around your finger, huh?"
Laylin scoffed, already expecting her. She was barely restraining herself from screaming out loud, “So you heard about his late-night visit? I should have known the moment I saw an unknown man prancing around your Palace." She clicked her tongue with distaste.
Scarlet rolled her eyes. before plopping down on the seat, "He has a knack for being in places he doesn't belong." Flipping her hair back, she leaned forward to pour herself some tea. "You were waiting for me. I could tell by the detour you took to get here. You wanted me to see you."
Princess Scarlet frowned as the tea left a smog of vapors in the air. She looked up at her. The Princess had been here for well past an hour, there was no way the tea could have remained hot. In fact, she was pouring for the sake of pretense.
Laylin placed her tea cup down, smiling at her amazement: "You are plenty cunning than people give you credit for."
"I got to be." She shrugged offhandedly, "You won't tell me about it even if I ask?" She pointed to the hot teapot.
Laylin shook her head with a grin, "...It's a special teapot." She almost wanted to slap her own head. She had used her aura to make it hot because she thought there was still time for her to come.
"How inconvenient.” she said and took a sip. She had never eaten or drank anything without testers who check for poison before. But somehow she believed Laylin wasn't the kind to play such tactless tricks.
“It would be difficult for you these next few days now that you are in his Palace. How about I lend you one of my servants to assist you as your attendant, hmm?” she suggested, and Princess Laylin shook her head.
“Don't bother. You will be caught and he won't play nice then. He's keeping an eye on me. He..." She clicked her tongue, looking away, "He... It looks to me, he's not sure what to do with me.” She finally concluded.
The King didn't remember that night and indirectly it made this Palace the safest place to be before she could find freedom. The Palace was to big that there was no way for her to meet the King. So she had decided to stay for a while.
Leaving without a proper plan was stupid anyway.
She hummed offhandedly, “Besides, you’ll need every hand you could get to help prepare for Moon's Arrival. I couldn’t possibly add to your workload.” The real reason definitely was that Laylin didn't want spies to tail her.
“Oh, you heard of the Moon's Arrival?" Scarlet was surprised, it hasn't been long since she arrived here. "Please, that is the best festival of the year. I insist you take one of my servants! I have several who are good at combat and you will need that.” Scarlet insisted back, urging her to accept.
"...Females who can combat?" Laylin was surprised. That made her think again.
Princess Scarlet smiled brightly and nodded, "Yeah, women with such expertise are rare and I have an eye for rare things." She extended her hands in front of her.
Laylin frowned, tilting her head. "Rare things, you say." She mumbled with a barely-there smile. A thought popped up in her head and she leaned forward, "Is Moon Arrival really grand? The handmaiden assigned to me won't stop talking about it."
Scarlet nodded and got busy with the refreshments. Laylin just stared at her, she had never seen an decent woman gobble down food before. Even pigs would have more etiquette than the esteemed Princess of Rakhbar.
Shrugging it off, Laylin looked away. She didn't come here for idle chitchat. There was a question in her mind that was bugging her. She tried to ignore it but the nagging in the back of her mind grew louder, making her give in.
"The King," Scarlet looked up from food, "Does he... entertain several ladies?"
Lyalin winced as Scarlet's smirk grew suggestively. "I thought you would never ask." She took another bite of the pastry.
Scarlet had always thought there was something wrong with her as she couldn't ever taste or stomach food but the food with Laylin present was always light and tasted better.
There was something about her.
"There are like 17 unofficial Ladies..." Laylin tea spluttered out in hysteria."...Hey! They visit the Palace freely as they have a permit but only the ladies who have spent a night with the King or has been 'graced' live in the King's Palace. Other than you there is only one woman, Sayon." She took another generous bite, moaning at the burst of flavor in her mouth.
"...Sayon?" She pronounced her name with unfamiliarity, "She is not from around here?"
Scarlet nodded. "She's a low-born exotic beauty. You can say the King has a thing for exotic beauties." She looked pointedly at Laylin. "Anyways, rumor has it she was a slave once. You can see the Western Continent clearly written on her face. Beware of her, the King had been madly in love with her. Not even Magny could raise her head in front of her."
She smirked gleefully, "But! Sayon is barren and even Ambrose is bothered by her inferior birth."
"Sure, he is." Laylin scoffed, feeling bitter hearing about his lady. It was involuntary, Princess Scarlet noted. Scarlet gulped down more tea to hide her growing grin when Laylin asked with a flushed face. "Bothered... to what extent?"
Scarlet tilted her head, tapping her chin in thought. "She was never given a seat in Court Balls. He never even tried to give her a rank. She visits him whenever and he feeds and clothes her. Oh, and her brother is the King's shadow guard, but she's no threat to your position. Though she's awfully arrogant and brazen. What else can you expect from a woman who leeches off a man!"
Sighing, Laylin thoughtfully looked at the sky. Everything about him frustrated her at the moment, there was also restlessness because she was keeping her aura confined for a week now.
"Aren't we all?" She sneered with a laugh.
"Huh?"
"Aren't we all leeching off powerful men for survival? He keeps a mistress and he hasn't even looked for me since I shifted to the Main Palace. Some life I'm living but you can say it's better than being a cold corpse." Laylin said apathetically, though Scarlet could see a hint of disappointment on her face.
It wasn't like she was infatuated with his ill-mannered temperament but lawfully only he could be her lover unless she could risk having an affair. Come to think of it he was handsome for a man as rugged and barbaric as he was. His charm was devilish and his speech was rogue.
Somehow after seeing him as a human, in her mind, Layin saw his two selves as two different people so she wasn't that scared of him.
It just frustrated her further. "I'm sorry, I'm dumping my depression on you. It's just, I'm so burnt out." Her voice cracked and she hardly maintained a smile.
Princess Scarlet noted the subtle infatuation of the young Princess's face and hid her smile. 'Perfect. The Princess was under his charm and will do anything to win his favor.'
Scarlet scoffed, "Don't be like that! You haven't had the marriage ritual yet. I have requested it to be scheduled after the Moon's Arrival and once that is out of the way, you will be the only Court Lady with a rank. The inner Palaces will be under our palm!"
Laylin bit her lip. She hadn't ever thought of a grand life of power struggle. Her husband's love and a peaceful household were all she ever wished.
What would she do of a rank when her husband was indifferent to her and had another woman in his heart and another in his court?
"Tell me about this Magny too."
Unconsciously Princess Laylin was blinded by jealousy over a lover she 'didn't' want
"First Daughter of House Calanty, a high-ranking official and your biggest rival." As she said that she saw Laylin's body stiffening, "There's a way to men's hearts. Ambrose doesn't necessarily have to love you but he can't hate you if you wish to survive." Scarlet leaned closer to emphasize her point. "If you give him an heir, your position in the court will be steady." She fell back in her seat. "...An heir? Do you know what I saw that night? I'm scared even of the thought of being alone with him again." She shuddered but her heart thumped in excitement. Scarlet giggled, at Laylin's reddening cheeks, "For someone so uninterested, you sure are snooping a lot around him." Laylin rubbed her sweaty palms, looking away, "...I was asking to be aware." It was hard for her to think of the man she saw last night as the beast who had tried to feast on her... Scarlet pursed her lips: "Transforming in our lycan's form is painful and leaves you with aches for days. We are not allowed to shi
"I heard of your arrival so I thought I would come to visit,” she flicked her long hair back and sat on the couch with seductive grace. The King nodded at her briefly in acknowledgment, before rising to his feet and fixing his appearance. He then stepped aside, striding past her to pour himself something. Sayon followed him to the counter, flaunting her figure in her see-through dress. The King turned his eyes to her and furrowed his brows, "You came here like this?" What she called a dress was a halter neck with almost a see-through pattern. It fell past her knees and no woman would even wear it in her bedroom as it offered no resistance against the cruel cold. You could see her lingerie from anywhere. He can only guess how it was in natural light. “Yes, I did." She stood up in front of the mirror and giggled coyly as she swirled in it. "Don't I look like the most beautiful creature you have ever beheld?" Scoffing, the King chugged down the bitter nectar, and turned back to the co
"Argh...! Where the fuck did she even come from?" She loved to think she knew King Ambrose better than anyone in Rakhbar. After all, she was the one responsible for bringing up that tormented child. She watched Ambrose change with a purpose in life. It was him, who gave her a purpose in this world. The moment he became her savior, her fate was sealed to him. In frustration, she sat down, untying the bundle of another set of letters. With her one hand, she flipped the table, clattering everything in the room. She breathed hard, trying to reign in her rage. Scoffing, she picked the letters from the floor and threw them against the wall. All the intel was mundane and nothing that would faze King Ambrose. Though she had just laid the foretold as an excuse, there was something amiss about the foreign Princess. She was sure there was a secret this Ehanian Princess carried. It just wasn't possible for her to survive a mad lycan as strong as the King. Maybe if she’d see the Princess hers
“Laylin!” She looked around at the chaotic scene, before seeing her frantic Governess. She in tears, holding onto her hands as though she was holding on to dear life. Laylin was instantly alarmed by the uncalled frankness. “Agatha, what is it? What’s wrong?” she quickly inquired, feeling her heart sink. “Why did I just see armed Knights? Is it perhaps because of the commotion we heard earlier in the day?” she frantically looked around out of the window, before spotting a trail. Laylin couldn’t help but feel her heart constrict in her chest when she realized they were all heading in the direction of the forest beside the West Tower. “No! It can’t be!” Laylin exclaimed in disbelief, turning back to ask the Governess, “Isn't that where Eloise said she was going to subdue her aura? Is she back? Summon her at once!” “Oh, she isn't back!” Wailing Agatha cried out with tears streaming down her face, “I heard them say, an assassin witch caused the explosion!” Laylin gasped in alarm, cover
Laylin had just managed to arrive inside the corridor but was immediately stopped at the reception hall. "This is the King's Office District. You don't have a permit to enter. Princess, please return." A middle-aged man raised an arm, stopping her from proceeding any further. When the Princess only craned her neck stubbornly, he clicked his tongue. This wasn't going to end well. The King was already irked by her servant who turned out to be a witch and now this woman... Laylin clenched her jaw and spoke with her most daring voice, "I'm here to see my husband. What makes you think you are authorized to get in my way?" Martin scoffed with a smile, "Husband? Last time I checked, you didn't have a ceremony-" Laylin sneered, getting in his face, "I had, in Ehan, with the seal of the King's agreement. I was his bride the moment I stepped in the carriage headed to Rakhbar!" The man's brows climbed up. It was what the law was, though it wasn't how weddings worked but he had nothing to ref
“You keep forgetting a charge of treason and attempted murder also falls upon you. My Mistress almost lost her life!” The King began cruelly, “Millions have flushed down the drain at the construction site because of you.” He listed off all of the cases against her, making Laylin face the harsh truth. With every accusation, he took one step closer to her, looking all the more imposing. He only stopped when he was only a step away from her quivering form. His sweet scent confronted him. “And you want me to show mercy to a witch and be a laughingstock?” he finished, looking down at her, “Tell me why I would do that?” She gulped, feeling the tremors of fear and nerves from his proximity run through her veins, “...I have never seen Lady Sayon. I have no reason to hold resentment for a person I don't even know of-” “Didn't you do it because you were jealous of her? Isn't it because I didn't visit your chambers?” he accused her, caressing Laylin's thin waist with the firm tips of his fing
“I’m worried for you, Dear Princess,” Agatha voiced out, “You look worn out from this ordeal. Eloise would not like for you to ignore your well-being for her sake. I have written a letter to appeal Ehan's court for an official apology. I'll need your seal here.” She immediately brought over the letter she had set aside earlier. "No," she was quick to shake her head, pushing the letter away. "It will just serve as amusement for them. You will be a fool to believe my father is unaware of this." Laylin could only watch as her governess got busy with some food. She forced a solemn smile at the missus. The Princess was most likely dragging them to their graves, Agatha thought. Laylin sighed in frustration. It was impossible for her father to not be aware. His ambassadors have informed him. They were quiet because this was her father's instruction. He hadn't replied to her previous two letters, so she didn't think another would prompt a reply. For a while, she had considered the Govern
"Eloise must be in a lot of pain...." Laylin admonished her selfishness as she recalled the hollow face Eloise sported when she'd seen her unconscious. Seeing her like that was like a knife to her heart. On the table in front of her was the summons from the court for the hearing tomorrow. The charges were of attempted murder and trespassing in the Palace, both if proven, were punishable by death. All the current evidence and instances point to Laylin and her servant as criminals by law. If she went to court and the trial took place, a death sentence was confirmed. Considering her royal lineage, they might reduce it to a lifetime of house arrest but all her servants would be slaughtered. It didn’t matter how much she tried to veer away from making a deal with him, she always ended up with the same answer. And that was to accept the King’s offer. Her jaw clenched at the thought, remembering the way the King gazed at her with rampant lust, making her feel so appalled and ashamed of e