Selina pushed the pot back to Alia and said, "Save it for one of the ladies who listens to your every word. I am already in trouble. I am not going to end my family line by hitting one of the duke’s daughters."
Selina looked down at her true enemy.
"While your battle is with Penelope, it is Rue who needs to go. She is not well-behaved, and her threats are suited for a man. Is she truly a woman?" Selina wondered.
Alia chuckled. "She would have to be a pretty man. It was a mystery why the duke married a poor baron’s daughter, but I don’t believe Elijah will make the sa mistake. He will marry a woman befitting the title."
Selina believed Elijah was wise, but Rue was close to the family.
"She is the daughter of Rafael Callahan. He is a good friend of the duke. What if my efforts were all for nothing?" Selina asked, wanting to bite her nails.
Alia touched Selina’s hand. "I feel embarrassed hearing you be concerned about a woman from the border. Since the start of the season, we have all heard you would marry Elijah. Why are you concerned about that woman?"
Alia didn’t consider Rue a threat anymore after seeing how she acted.
"Because she is close to the Collinses. Look at how the twins side with her. I am certain they would get in their brother’s ear and try to have him pick soone else. I am close to their mother," Selina said, standing firm on what she said earlier.
Selina didn’t like how the twins dismissed her. She was often around the Collinses, getting close to the duchess. If Penelope weren’t so distant, then she would have noticed.
"Will Elijah truly care about what his sisters think? He is a man and he shall pick what he likes. All you need to do is prove yourself as a worthy candidate for his wife, and he will co to you. Stop wasting your breath arguing with those beneath you," Alia said, looking down on the group.
"You are right. I didn’t act like myself today," Selina admitted.
Selina was normally one of the few ladies to remain quiet unless spoken to. Never had she allowed soone to make her act out of character.
"I shouldn’t bother myself with her. My father spoke of her marrying the crown prince to-"
"She will not!" Alia yelled, getting unwanted attention. "Now you have lost your mind to think she could beco our queen. The prince is a sensible man. He will not make the sa mistake as his brother."
Selina was puzzled by Alia lashing out until she realised who Alia was after now. "You still wish to beco queen."
"When did I ever say that I would stop? Since I was a little girl, all I ever dread of was becoming a royal. I cannot share it now, but I am quite close to that dream. As queen, I will need a duchess at my side. Friends?" Alia asked, offering her hand to Selina.
Of all the ladies Alia sat with, Selina was one of the few worthy of her ti and would marry a man Alia would need in the future.
Selina didn’t trust Alia, but she knew it would work well in her favour to have Alia as a friend rather than an enemy.
"I thought we were friends," Selina said, shaking Alia’s hand. "Now, as my friend, could you get out of trouble with the queen?"
"I can help you, but you won’t like it. For now, you should apologise to Rue and have her agree that the queen doesn’t need to call upon your fathers. Then, you will go with Rue to the queen to settle this matter. Surely, you can play nice for one day," said Alia.
Selina didn’t like the idea of going to Rue to work with her to stop the queen, but she didn’t have any better ideas.
"Very well," Selina agreed. "You must co with . What if I am attacked when I stand there?"
"I wasn’t going to miss this," Alia replied, walking with Selina to go down to where Penelope walked.
This gave Alia a reason to be around Penelope and hopefully, give an apology which would be accepted this ti.
Selina and Alia walked beside each other to the floor below, where Penelope now sat down.
Penelope frowned when she saw the pair coming her way.
"What is it now? I take back what I said about missing the palace," said Penelope.
Penelope noticed how Alia’s gaze was pinned on her. She didn’t like it.
It was evident that Alia was only playing nice because she believed they would soon beco family.
"Princess Penelope," Alia greeted Penelope with a curtsy. "Pardon us for intruding on your talk."
"There is still ti for you to continue on your way. You are behaving quite strangely, Alia. If you have sothing planned, I must remind you that Prince Tyrion is in the palace," Lily said on behalf of Penelope.
"I was seated at the table when Penelope inford the queen of her husband’s presence. I assure you that I am not here to harm a princess. Penelope and I got off to the wrong start, and I would like to move past it," Alia offered once more.
Penelope smiled. "It will take more than this to fool , Alia. I have already agreed that I will not bear any bad feelings toward you if we are in the sa room. That is enough moving on for us. We shall never be friends."
"The future is unknown," Alia replied.
"It is," Penelope agreed. "But I will stay determined that you are not in mine."
"Is it because I once loved your husband?" Alia laughed.
Penelope laughed.
Alia did have a way of humouring Penelope.
"Today, I sat in a room with many ladies who once courted my husband, and I thought nothing of it. Besides, we both know it wasn’t my husband you loved, but the crown he was going to wear," said Penelope.
Penelope continued, "The crown is sowhere in the palace. Go find it and see if it satisfies you."
"I had many monts alone with the prince-"
"Don’t," Penelope interrupted Alia. "I will not have you say sothing to spark up gossip. Rather than apologise and try to start anew with , you should learn what not to say. There are plenty of other ladies you must apologise to. You must start now if you want to be done by dinner."
Alia bit her tongue. She couldn’t go on with letting Penelope speak to her like this.
"You shouldn’t point your jealousy at , but at all the other won the prince looked at before you," Alia said in the spur of the mont.
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