The day Sigrid and Roland returned to the Vale was a dramatic one all through the kingdom. For starters, ten servants from the Shadowre estate had been arrested for poisoning the food and drink of their masters. Servants killing noble masters!! it was worse than a scandal, it was terrifying.
An act like that would no doubt result in a cleansing in so many hos. Many servants, innocent or guilty would soon find themselves terminated from their posts.
The biggest scandal however was sothing that had occurred the night before, Emmah’s pictures and video had appeared in the evening news paper, even the evening news had covered it.
Ever since Lord Bailey and Lord Aberdon were seen on television debating the news on marriage and education, every other Lord that held public office was keen to show off their knowledge and talent on the laws and general knowledge.
Six of them were on the morning news arguing about the implications of the video and pictures because it concerned a mber of the royal family. A priest had even been invited to weigh in on the matter.
He was struggling to share his moral opinion because Lord Shang, Eldoria’s self proclaid minister of morality was yelling over everyone, splashing them with bits of saliva just to get his point across.
He was not condemning Emmah alone, he had dragged Sigrid into it, blaming her for the recent popularity of silk dresses and abandonnt of the large dresses with voluptuous arms. Lord Shang also brought up the skirt pants and won carrying knives which in his opinion were short swords.
He did not forget to assign bla to The Rise of Lady Blanche for the change in won’s attitudes and the introduction of short sleeved dresses and high heeled boots to the kingdom.
Sigrid’s attention was split between watching the debate and watching the three beauties that were about to put on a performance. Mauve had actually whipped them into shape rather quickly. She had handled them with such ruthlessness that they had abandoned all their plans.
Lord Shang brought up the crown princess again and Mauve hurled a spoon at the TV in anger.
"One and twenty tis, he has brought up your na one and twenty tis. I don’t see him blaming prince Benjamin for enjoying the show that Emmah was putting on for him. Why do won get all the bla?"
"Because in this case, the woman is the problem." Mrs. Elsworth said.
She signaled for the maids to put down the tea and tested it for poison first. Extra caution was being taken after what they heard happened at the Shadowre estate.
"Where is my coffee?" Sigrid asked.
Pushing the cup of tea towards Sigrid, Mrs. Elsworth said, "Your mother said that coffee is not pregnant won and she instructed to watch you like an eagle and ensure that you don’t indulge."
"That’s not true, you can drink it in limited portions."
Mrs. Elsworth would not hear of Sigrid’s excuse, or what she considered an excuse. As far as she was concerned, in Sigrid’s stomach was the next crown prince. The baby had to protected at all costs.
Reluctantly, Sigrid sipped so tea slowly, blowing at the rising steam playfully.
"Should I blow on it for you, your highness?" Lanai offered to help.
Sigrid found the offer funny and absurd. Only children had their tea blown on for them.
"I can handle that simple task Lanai but thank you for the offer." Turning her eyes to Mauve, she raised her voice and waved her hand. "Mauve, co, sit down and talk to . Have you been invited to the castle to discuss the possibility of a marriage between you and the third prince?"
"Yes, she has." Mrs. Elsworth responded to the question which was not ant for her in a voice that was loaded with disappointnt.
Sigrid’s brows shot up curiously. "I take it that things did not go so well."
"Our Lady Mauve here was very sharp tongued when she faced the king. She blantly told him that she was unwilling to marry a man that was panting after another woman so openly that he dared to defy his father for her.
She said that if he was willing to turn on his father, what would stop him from turning on her?" Mrs. Elsworth covered her eyes as she was still in shock. Mauve’s bluntness that day had shocked not only her parents but also the king. "She told the king that if he wed them by force, she would file for a divorce the very next day on the basis of her husband being incapable of performing his marital duties."
Sigrid chuckled into the cup, the air from her mouth caused ripples on the surface of the tea. That last part was her idea, the king liked to use force so if one wanted to have the upper hand when facing him, they had to be as forceful as well at tis.
A little blackmail was also not a bad idea. The king valued the image of the royal family especially now in the era where newspapers existed and information traveled at the speed of light around the kingdom.
"Did he threaten to behead you?" she addressed the question to Mauve.
"He would not be the king if he did not." she answered with a laugh. "I told him that even if my head was separated from my neck, I would leave behind a thousand letters to be distributed through the kingdom sharing this fact."
"A safety net, nice." Sigrid laughed.
Mauve recalled how the king’s face had turned red and her father had fallen to his knees begging the king not to mind the words of a child. "My father did not think it was so nice. He pulled down and told to apologize to the king. Which I did, but quickly followed up with a threat to sue him if he forced to marry his son. Forced marriages are now illegal according to the new marriage laws. Be it royals or commoners, we must all follow the law."
Sigrid was now in stitches, she thought to herself that she would have to see the kings face at that mont.
"He threw a tantrum of course, hurled papers down and ordered us to leave his presence." Mauve finished her story.
Just like that, she had saved herself from a terrible fate of a loveless marriage thanks to so advise from Sigrid.
Mauve bit into a strawberry crepe, "Mmm, are you attending Blythe Ye’s tea party tomorrow? They have claid that it will be better than your bachelor’s auction ball. Can you imagine, it, a tea party better than a ball! I think the Ye’s have made so much money that it has gone to their heads."
"Blythe Ye’s tea party." Sigrid moved the cup of tea around slowly, "I will attend."
She had to attend, after all, it would be the last day the Ye’s got to flaunt their wealth. They would be lucky to keep their lives.
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