Cold Welcome

<

>

Fiona had gone horse riding and was returning to the castle. She got down from the horse and let the horseman lead the horse back to stable. She had got to the front door, ready to enter when she saw the carriage. It pulled over at the tree before the castle.

Fiona watched keenly to see who it was and had a frown when she saw it Rebecca. She was displeased to see her and didn't conceal it. Rebecca got closer and hurried to the castle. She stopped when she saw the Princess.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Fiona scoffed.

"Where is His Majesty?" Rebecca asked eagerly.

"I have no idea. And if I did, I wouldn't tell you. So it's best if you return to where you had come from. That hole will befitting for you than my castle." Fiona said smugly.

"I didn't come for you. I just want to talk to George and I'll leave." Rebecca replied plainly.

"You are indeed brainless. You have no respect for your king and have boldly addressed him by his name. How dare you?" Fiona said curtly, raising her hand.

Rebecca caught it before she could slap her. Fiona was surprised and looked at her wrist. She glared at her. Rebecca let go of her wrist.

"If you won't tell me, I'll go and find him myself."

Rebecca entered the castle. It took the Princess a minute to understand what was happening.

"Rebecca!"

Fiona went after her. Rebecca was familiar with the castle and knew which way led to where. She arrived at the throne room and saw the King where he was seated. George was having discussion with one of the victims of the attack and was raised his brow surprisingly when he saw her.

"Rebecca?"

George stood on his feet and walked towards her. He stood in front of her. He was stunned to see her. Rebecca panted as she caught her breath and was happy to see him. She had a smile on her face when her eyes met his.

"You can leave now!" He said dismissively to the villager, without making eye contact.

The villager bowed and left the throne room. George looked at Rebecca and observed she was different. She didn't appear in the clothes someone from the lower class would wear. Her dress was of good quality and fitted her perfectly. He was astonished by her new look.

"You-."

"Rebecca!" Fiona called loudly.

Rebecca looked at the entrance and saw her. The Princess glared at her and came up to her.

"A maid like you needs to put be in her place." Fiona said curtly.

George pulled Rebecca to the side and stood in front of his sister. He looked at her coldly.

"Let her be!" He muttered icily.

"A disgusting woman like her has no place here. She belongs outside, with the other filthy people." She retorted, in a bold voice.

"Rebecca isn't as you've described her. It's best if you leave now before I lose my temper." He warned her, in a stern voice.

Fiona diverted her eyes to Rebecca and sneered at her. She looked at her brother and stormed out of the room. The King watched and looked at his guest when his sister had left completely.

"You look different." He said, still stunned by her beauty.

Rebecca turned a deaf ear to what he said. She had a lot to tell within a short period of time and hoped he wouldn't interrupt her.

"Why didn't you tell me you were back?" She asked him wryly.

"I had recently returned from my holiday. I had no idea where you were." He replied airily.

"Didn't you look for me to know where I was?" She asked.

"It was of no use. I had other things to thinking about asides you. It would only be a waste of my time and effort if I did." He answered flatly, giving her a cold shoulder,

"Why did you come here?"

"I-I came to see you." She said timidly.

George's eyes met hers and immediately looked away. Rebecca noticed he wasn't happy to see her as she was to see him.

"Well, you shouldn't have." He replied coolly.

"I had to. Your sister threw me out of here and you hadn't return from war-." She explained herself.

"Look, Rebecca! If you believe what we had still exist, you're only wasting your time. I made it clear to you that I don't love the day I had gone to war. It's been a year; how hard it is for you to move on?" He said bluntly.

Rebecca was heartbroken by his words and gestures. Her eyes became teary.

"It's not that easy because I love you." She replied sincerely.

"Oh, Rebecca! What we had wasn't love and you know that. We just enjoyed being with each other for a while and that was it." He said.

"What are you saying? Those weren't the words you once told me. You told you loved me and that-." She said tearfully.

"I only said that you get what I wanted from you. You were so naïve that you believed everything I had said. I needed to relieve my burden somehow." He said openly, revealing his true intentions.

His revelation broke Rebecca even more.

"I can't reuse what I've discarded. It won't feel the same way as it was the first time."

"You knew I hadn't been with anyone and you took my virginity. You told I was your most priceless possession." She cried, looking at him.

George sniggered and looked at her. He wasn't moved by her tears.

"I did say all that, that was before you became useless to me. I had no idea you were still untouched and saw it my prize for getting you in my bed. Our relationship was just something I would call, 'Trial and Error'." He replied gleefully,

"Who knows how many other men had been with you since I left you? I guessed you enjoyed the pleasure and used it as a way of making money. Otherwise, you wouldn't be dressed this fancy."

"You were sweet at first but now you taste like the rest." She added.

Rebecca looked at herself. The clothes were gifts from her husband as well as the jewellery and other accessories she had on. She had been indirectly being addressed as a prostitute.

"The only reason I didn't disgrace you in front of Fiona was because of Queen Violet. I know how close you're to my wife and didn't want her to come down here and see you." George said plainly,

"I want you to leave and never return here. I don't want to see you anymore. What we had or what you believe we were is over."

Rebecca's eyes leaked. Tears ran down her cheeks without her blinking. She looked at George blankly. She had expected a warm welcome and wanted to him about his daughter. But after the way he treated her and revealed his true intentions, she decided to keep it to herself.

"You heard him. Leave!"

Rebecca turned round and saw the Princess standing behind her. She hadn't been there long and hardly heard what they had discussed. She wore a smirk when she saw Rebecca in tears.

"Are you deaf or have hearing problems?"Fiona said gleefully, mocking her.

Rebecca was devastated and heartbroken. She couldn't move as her feet felt numb to her sadness.

"You want it the hard way then."

Fiona walked towards her and dragged her. Rebecca didn't rebelled as she was being pulled roughly. The guards opened the door and the Princess threw her out of the castle. Rebecca lost her balance to due the push and fell down on her face. She slowly raised her head and looked at her.

"I've always told you belonged outside. I'm glad you finally realized you're just a daughter of a smelly fisherman. You irk of the awful fish smell." Fiona said sarcastically, still wearing the smirk,

"It's going to the maids a week to get your smell out of the castle. I'll to tell His Majesty to import some perfumes, the really expensive ones that you've probably never heard of."

"I guess this is your fate now." Fiona said smugly.

The guards closed the door at her command. Rebecca stood on her feet and looked at the closed door, then the castle.