I feel soone tugs my hand. I look at my side and find Rufus looking at worriedly. "Are you okay? You look nervous."
I just arrived at the palace, and Rufus decided to wait for here because he doesn't trust his temper around Prince Fraser. That's why he was waiting for to arrive. I look at Rufus and sigh. Nervous? I am more than nervous. I feel like I'll be having an anxiety attack any minute now. "Do I look like I'm okay? If it weren't for her majesty, I wouldn't even want my silhouette to be seen in the palace tonight." Rufus offered his arms to , which I accepted imdiately. I need so support. I really feel nervous seeing Prince Fraser. With his temper? I'm sure he will definitely get back at . I'm not that worried about Prince Joachim. If anything else, I could just apologize to him if I ever cross the line with what I said. That is, if he will apologize to too. After all, his guard still did sothing wrong to my employee.
"Purplany, relax. We will just attend a small banquet. We're not going for a competition, so you don't need to feel nervous."
I heave a sigh. "I would be more than happy to attend a competition than to attend this banquet."
Rufus imdiately looks at . "Purplany! Be careful with your words. We are now inside the palace. Do you want her majesty to hear this?"
I shake my head. If it weren't for the two Princes, I would gladly attend this banquet, but because they will attend this banquet too, I couldn't help but feel nervous for my dear life.
"I wish I could calm myself that easy. But you also know the reason why it's difficult for to do that." I look at Rufus. "You promised , Rufus. You will not let those two do sothing to while I will do my best to stop you from snapping at Prince Fraser."
Rufus stares at for a couple of seconds before he gently caresses my head. "You can mark my words. As long as I am with you, you can be assured that those two Princes cannot do anything to you. So, you don't have to worry about anything and just enjoy the banquet. I'm sure you are excited to et her majesty now. Let's go."
Rufus gestures his hand inside the palace, inviting inside. I take a deep breath before I let Rufus lead inside.
We walk through the familiar hallway I often walked by when I was a kid. My visit to the palace got limited these days because I got busy with my work. Unlike when I was a kid, I was often seen in the palace, playing with Prince Fraser or Rufus. Now things have changed, and I need an invitation before I can go to the palace. Rufus and I stop in front of a painting.
"The peony flowers painting." Rufus then looks at . "You probably know who painted this, right?"
I look at the peony flowers painting. How can I forget this painting? It was Prince Fraser who told who painted this.
"Purplany?"
I smile bitterly. I suddenly rember the conversation I had with Prince Fraser about the painting when we were young. I look at Rufus and smile at him. "How can I not know? Everyone knows that it was painted by his highness, Prince Fraser." I tried to touch the painting but changed my mind. My hand just remains in the air, an inch away from the painting. "Rufus, do you know that peony flowers are linked to romance and marriages?" It was the sa question Prince Fraser asked when I was young. Rufus stares at with amusent in his eyes. "Really? What is my cousin thinking when he painted this as a child?" He then looks at the painting. "Peony flowers, huh?"
I am also curious. What was Prince Fraser thinking when he painted this? Did he think about romance, or did he just paint it because of the beauty of the peony flowers?
I shake my head. What's the use of mulling over what he is thinking? It's all in the past now, and it doesn't matter what he was thinking because I know what's the other aning of this flower aside from romance.
"Rufus, do you know that aside from romance and marriages, peony flowers have another aning. I have read this in the library of Alderrdeen. In that book, they said peony flowers could symbolize anger which doesn't look like that, right? Every ti I will look at the peony flower, all I can think about is how beautiful it is. How gentle and peaceful it looks like. However, the more I look at it, the more I understand why it symbolizes anger because it has sothing I couldn't have."
I was lying, though. I didn't read it in the library of Alderrdeen. I know it because while writing this novel, I did my research about the language of flowers. Because of it, I learn that in the victorian era, peony flowers ans anger. Rufus looks at and frowns. "What do you an by that, Csille? You have a beauty that everyone loves to have. How can you compare yourself to a peony flower?"
I just smile at him and shake my head. "Forget it. Let's just continue walking. I'm sure they are already waiting for us. It won't be good to make them wait. So, co on."
I didn't wait for Rufus to reply and dragged him away from the painting.
How can I compare myself to a flower? This peony flower has a sense of tranquility that I would never have. The gentle beauty and the peacefulness. Because in this world, I am the villainess, and villainess is not ant to have a peaceful life.
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"You have finally arrived, Csille. Co here," The Queen imdiately stands up when she sees Rufus and entering the dining hall.
I smile in return to the Queen and walk towards her. I do a curtsy first to his majesty, to Prince Fraser, and to Prince Joachim before I look at Queen Amalone. "Greetings, your majesty. I hope you are doing better."
Queen Amalone smiles warmly at before she takes my arm and lets sit beside her. His Majesty is sitting on the end of the table while her majesty is occupying the other end. Prince Fraser is sitting beside his majesty while Prince Joachim is sitting on the other side of the King. Rufus takes a seat beside because he doesn't want to sit beside Prince Fraser.
They didn't use a long table today. In fact, they only use eight seater table. Enough for all of us. That's why Rufus decided to sit beside Prince Joachim than to sit close to Prince Fraser.
Queen Amalone held my hand, and she frowned when she noticed how cold my hand was. "Csille, are you okay? Your hand is cold." She then looks at Rufus beside . "Prince Rufus, is it cold outside? You should have given Da Csille your coat. Look how cold her hand is. Csil—"
We were all startled when Rufus, Prince Joachim, and Prince Fraser abruptly stood up and took off their outer coat. Then they all offer it to .
I just look at the three Princes and heave a sigh. I knew I wouldn't have a peaceful night with these Princes. I heard Queen Amalone laughs. "It looks like Da Csille's charms are quite famous with the Princes." She then looks at . "My dear Csille, who are you going to choose?"
My queen, why do you do this to ? I agreed to co to this banquet because of you, but why are you doing this to ?
I don't want to choose Prince Fraser because I don't want to owe him sothing. But if I don't choose him, I'm sure he'll be mad at again. I also don't want to choose Prince Joachim because I feel uncomfortable receiving anything from him. I look at Rufus, who is sitting beside , the only coat I want to accept is from Rufus, but if I do that, it will definitely result in sothing I don't even want to think about. So, I would rather not choose.
I smile at her majesty before I stand up and look at the three Princes who are offering their coats at . "I am grateful for the offer, but how can soone like accept a coat from the royalties? If you are worried, I can just get my coat that I left on the carriage."
Her majesty stands up and holds my hand. She looks satisfied with my decision. "If that is what you want." She then looks at the three Princes. "My dear Princes, you can wear your outer coats again and take your seats. The banquet will soon start."
The Queen then helps sit on my chair and ask a maid to get my coat from our coachman before she sits on her seat. The King who has been watching the scenes laughs. It looks like he is enjoying what is happening. "Now that everything is settled, I think it is okay now to start the banquet." He then waved his hand, and the butler imdiately went to his side. "Prepare the al now. We have special guests tonight, so I want you to serve them well."
The maids then start to put the dishes on the table. I sigh in relief when I am sure I escaped that dangerous mont. I know if I choose a soone earlier, it will definitely result in conflict. I don't know if it's a challenge posed by the Queen or it's just a coincidence. But I'm glad I made the right choice.
The banquet started with a lighter mood. They didn't talk about the villagers or anything related to the project. They are probably worried that Prince Joachim wouldn't enjoy the al if they talked about that. Instead, what they did is they asked Prince Joachim how his stay in the Vrawyth Kingdom and if he wanted us to tour him around the capital. And I almost choked on my food when I heard her majesty question. I almost plead her to take back her question because I definitely don't want to spend days with Prince Joachim. However, no matter how much I disagree, I know I couldn't do that. So, I just eat my dinner in silence. Hoping I could just lt away. "Da Csille, isn't Prince Joachim, your professor in Alderrdeen? Shouldn't you be the one who tours him around the capital? After all, you spend ti with Prince Joachim in Alderrdeen."
I smile awkwardly at Queen Amalone. I don't understand why she always puts in a difficult situations. First with the coats and now with Prince Joachim. Touring Prince Joachim around the capital? I think I'm going to say pass with that. I don't even feel comfortable around him, and you still want to tour him around as if we're so close friends? Nope! After what his guard did to my employee? I heave a sigh before I answer her majesty remarks. "Your majesty, as much as I want to tour Prince Joachim around, I still have a lot of things to do in the Foundation. As you know, I was away from the capital for a few weeks, and this resulted in having my work piled up in my office. Also, I don't think I am the right person to do that. Prince Fraser is more knowledgeable when it cos to history and geography of the capital. I think he is more a better option than ."
I would rather push the responsibility to Prince Fraser. That's right. If these two got busy touring around the capital, I'm sure I wouldn't bump into them. I would be killing two birds in just one stone.
Queen Amalone looks at for a couple of seconds before she nods her head in satisfaction. Why do I feel like her majesty is testing today? What did I do? I thought Csille and her majesty, Queen Amalone, were on good terms? Why does it feel the opposite today?
Rufus, who is sitting beside , noticed that too. "Purplany, did you offend her majesty today? Why do I feel like she is testing you?"
I look at Rufus and shake my head. I don't know. As far as I know, I didn't do anything to offend her. So even I am clueless about what is happening.
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