Aurelia gave herself a once over in the huge mirror.I look fine, I guess. She told herself.“Oh, rubbish. You look beautiful.” Her mom who have heard her while entering the room looked at her daughter lovingly. Today it was an official meeting of the crown prince with all the courtiers.And the best part was, she was expected to attend it as his fiancée. Her mom came near her and tried to fix her already made-up hair.“You look ravishing, hun. Do try to get in his bed after the meeting.”“Mama?” Aurelia was too happy today and she did not want her mom to ruin her day.“Aurelia! This will be the first meeting where I won't be able to accompany you. Neither your father. You are on your own.” Aurelia did not reply and kept praising her image in the mirror.“If you want to get to the prince you need to lure him in such a way …” Her mom was not taking the hint.

Alda:Today was one of the best days of her life. The shocked look on Hazel’s face! It just made her day. She had sent her daughter to her room for the much needed rest. Aurelia was upset and as a mother, she tried to make her unwind. It will take time but her daughter was hell strong. She would cope with it and would fight back. She was her daughter so she was supposed to be stronger than her.From a very young age, Alda’s mom told her that she would be the queen. There was no training during those days. Her mom just asked her to lure the king and become her bed partner.Alda was very young when she lost her virginity to the king. When she confided it to her mom, her mom celebrated it by cooking her favorite meal.She not only became a bed partner to King Lucas James but kept trying to make him fall in love with her. Almost every night she used to share his bed. He had become habitual of having her around. Confiding in her about politics, kin

“You need to take damn control of your life, Aurelia.” Alda was getting agitated now.“Ha-ha mama. To take control of life which is already in YOUR control. Are you jesting with me?”“Listen to me, sweetie. Look here.” She forced her face to turn to her, “Aurelia. Don’t you dare give up. I will take care of that girl. Trust me. You just need to handle the prince.”Aurelia was feeling tired from all this politics.“Mama. I don’t understand anymore, what should I do? Right now I need peace in life. And that seems nearly impossible. Can you leave me alone please?”“Aurelia. Trust me …”“Mama.” There was warning in her voice, “I said I want some alone time. Please?” Alda became quiet and then nodded her head though she did not like the tone. Once Aurelia was alone she started thinking about the things her mom was telling her.

“Sweetheart. You look upset!” Ezequiel gave her a concerned look. She had been sitting idly in bed for quite some time.“Did you say something?” She jolted up a little.“You are not even listening to what I am saying!” He sat beside her shifting her closer to him, making her sit on his lap, “What is it, sweetheart?”“I am just confused.” She looked into his golden eyes. The eyes she always thought could look into her soul. “When I came into the palace as a maid, everybody told me that palace is a strange place. Every time somebody used to tell me that, I used to mock them secretly. But now …”Instead of saying anything further, she kept playing with her fingers intertwining them until his strong hand covered hers, silently asking her to complete it.“Zeki. Life here is so artificial. No one is trustworthy here. Thank God I have got you.”“Thank G

Hazel rushed into the main library where she usually found Ezequiel working but had to stop when she found Maria James instead.She was sitting on the swinging chair which was fixed there by Ezequiel for his wife. The moment Maria saw her daughter-in-law, she rose from it and came towards her with a naughty smile.“So the future queen got Alda arrested!”Hazel did not know that the news traveled so much faster, “I am sorry. I know she is your friend.”“She is my friend. But she is not more than you.” Hazel was taken aback by the affection.“My Queen, she …”“Call me, mother.” Maria interrupted.“Yes… mo … mother. She tried to attack me …”“She did what?” She frowned, “Oh dear. Are you alright? I think she has lost it now.”“Yeah. I know. I will get her released before midnight.”&