Best Friend With Sister In-law

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