DUCHESS 48 Into the backrooms of the Grand Hall of the Royal Palace, the people inside were only me, Viscount Ludwig and His Majesty the King. Her Majesty the Queen and the Crown Prince were not explicitly invited thus they cannot enter here in the back rooms. The back rooms are a private room that only His Majesty the King can use and have access in to. not even the servants can just enter this room and when serving us food and drinks, the trolley was left outside and we are the ones to take it from there. Being invited in the backrooms means that His Majesty the King has something important to discuss, or it is something of a top secret kind of way. Once inside the backrooms and already had our fill of the meal: steak, fried potatoes partnered with hollandaise sauce and some wine wiiiittt h dessert included some mixed fresh fruit and honey, perfect for a refreshing end of the meal. We sat in silence as we savoured the greatness of the meal and none among the three of us dared t
DUCHESS 49 The breeze of the cold wind at night made the balcony all the more relaxing, but all that relaxation was slowly being replaced by anxiety as I held the envelope in my hands. The contents were still unknown, but I hope that it would solve the final piece of the puzzle. The theory of His Majesty the King was highly plausible, given the fact that a person cannot simply overlook the emotional pain that they are holding, and it is true that the said pain will catch up to them soon. But the theory alone cannot simply explain it all. No, there must be something else, the mere grief is not enough to make a person of such good nature and good heart turn into the most tyrannical person that a person can be, and at such a fast pace. Holding the envelope in my hand, I took the both ends and proceeded to tore it apart, creating an opening for me to take the paper inside. The paper smelled like flowers and fruits--- whoever used this paper must be of noble blood and took great effort i
DUCHESS 50Her Majesty the Queen then proceeded to tell me how the too much intake of steroids made my grandfather turn into a tyrannical maniac. How my grandfather would always request to have a cup of tea with her because he would experience immense straight after their tea. And then, after a few months of having constant tea with Her Majesty the Queen, Queen Elise finally gave my grandfather the blend of tea that she would always serve with him. It was mixed with all the herbs, chemicals and plants that would make up the steroids. It was a foolproof ploy and soon enough, my grandfather turned for the worst. Her Majesty the Queen erupted in a laugh as she saw the devastation and fear smeared all over my face: eyes wide from shock, tears still streaming down my cheeks as she told the whole story. She said she purposely made the writers omit that part since it would trace it all to her, “so I had to erase some footsteps so whoever tries to investigate what happened at that point of t
'Sssiiipppsss.' Ahh, nothing can beat a cup of tea on a stressful day. Although, the best tea for me is Chai tea that is prepared by simmering a blend of cow's milk, water, tea leaves and, some spices like dried ginger and mint, together with honey as a sweetener; this relieves the stress that builds up when I'm reading the current reports of the whole dukedom. "Frielle, are you alright? Do you want me to handle some of the matters for you?" He asked with a concerned look. This is my cousin— Drew Adrian Fortess. A gorgeous young man who receives tons of letters about marriage proposals. Even though he's an illegitimate child of his father, he's still my closest relative and is acknowledged in the high society because of his mastery in academics, a professional in the field of archery, and good looks. I mean, who wouldn't fall for a man whose eyes are tantalizing magenta complemented by the glint his glasses give, a perfect greek nose, and those peachy thin moist lips. It all goes alon
The leaves of the trees that surround the road dances together with the wind, the shadow that it casts follows its steps as if it wants to create a shadow play in the middle of the day. You can hear the playful chatter of the people inside of every shop you pass by. Their juicy gossips echoing from the shops to the alleyways separating each shop. The clattering of dishes inside the restaurants reverberates together with the heart felt talks of couples sitting on their tables. Everything might look normal and peaceful, but when you look at the shop owner’s faces— you can see sadness in their eyes despite their happy faces. This can only mean one thing: even though they have customers, it’s not enough to keep their shops open; thus, they might close down or worse, get bankrupt. It breaks my
‘Why is he here?’ My mind entered a state of confusion for a little while, wondering why a very important person could be out in the open so freely, without any guards or servants with him. ‘Is he not aware that he could be killed at any moment?’ I thought to myself as a switch flipped off inside my mind. The ‘protect mode’ was flipped on and I was ready to grab His Highness and drag him to safety, to my carriage and ride off into the insides of the palace to keep him safe. I was about to stand up and do what I had in my brain but I felt a hand grab my left arm that’s on the table. I looked down and it was Drew, he has a frown in his face; his brows knotted together and his eyes held the stare of a warning— sharp and a bit deadly. He’s grip on my arm tightened the longer I remained in the position of standing up. I slowly sat down again and his grip loosened together
Footsteps at a fast pace can be heard going back and forth, many of them in a hurry. The scratching of the bristles of the broom was echoing on the hallways, as dusts flew everywhere. Shouts of orders were given amidst the chaos ensuing inside of the Fortess Estate. Everyone is busy— doing tasks that never end. They are anxious— slightly trembling and sweating cold beads. They are all waiting in anticipation for the arrival of an important guest. While I was here, stuck in my office— as usual— doing paper works and examining letters upon letters. ‘Is it strange or lucky that no one has sent me any marriage letters?’ I said to myself as I sort through another pile of letters. From what I know when I was Reine, ladies of legal age (also even in their early teens) would receive or be arranged in a marriage of convenience for many reasons. It could be for fortune, fame, power, preservation of bloodline, and even because of debt. Come to think of it, nobles and royals ba
“You mean, you need money?” “You can just ask us to lend you money right?” The two boys said in unison. I can’t help right now but sigh in disappointment. “Wait, better than that… we can just give you money. You know, I have a treasury all to myself, Drew has a pastry shop who has a great amount of income. Just ask and we can give you the amount.” Uriel emphasized. He said it in a monotonous tone and yet it still bears confidence, his face— emotionless, no twitches, no smudges— it’s a straight serious face and it scares me. This guy, the Crown Prince, a person soon to be king, has his own treasury that should be used for the sake of the kingdom— will willingly give me some of it just because I asked for a way to earn money. ‘I don’t know if I should feel loved or terrified.”