[Music Recommendation: Wicked Game ~ Ursine Vulpine & Annaca]

The next morning, the visitors from Avon sat inside the living room. All eyes were on Sophie, except for Saline, who was still looking at Oriana.

"How did this happen? I mean, how did Sophie end up with a commoner?" Curtis asked nobody in particular. "Oriana, what were you doing when—"

Adric cleared his throat, stopping the man from completing his words. "My wife wasn’t born to babysit her elder sister... And that’s not how you talk to a Queen," he said firmly.

Curtis touched his nose. "T-that’s not what I meant, Your Majesty. I was just thinking, since they’re sisters, they would look out for each other, and Oriana is wiser than her sister; she should help her not go astray."

"I like how you’re eating your own words now, King Curtis, but that’s not why we are here," Africa spoke with a calm voice. "My Queen asked us to bring her sister back. She could have suggested sending Sophie back alone, but she didn’t. So Sophie is now your problem, and we’ll be on our way."

"Father, Mother... my husband’s name is Galen. Galen, show them what you can do with the big ball," Sophie said, touching the young man’s face.

Galen, who couldn’t sit properly because he was anxious and afraid of the royal family, gulped. "I- can’t," he muttered. It was the same ball that had gotten all of them into this mess.

"You!" Curtis pointed at the young man. "What do you do?"

Galen stood up and bowed. "I-I am a village charmer. I usually come out during the fairs... Your Majesty."

"A commoner at its peak," Curtis sighed. "How did you even—Sophie is next in line to the throne, but I can’t have her take over if she’s getting married to someone like you... I really wish Oriana wasn’t married yet," the king lamented sadly.

Oriana watched as her family felt pain. It wasn’t close to the pain she had felt, but they were feeling it. She turned to look at her mother, who had been staring, and Saline quickly turned her face away.

"We have no choice but to allow Sophie to marry him. Looking at it, there’s no hope of a change of heart," Curtis spoke with a tone of finality. "You can move in with Sophie, into the palace."

Galen cleared his throat. He was grateful to the king for not suggesting to kill him, but he didn’t want to live in a palace far from his kingdom.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness, but I am from Avon, and I hope to live there and grow old."

Curtis sneered. "You should have thought of that before laying your filthy hands on my daughter!"

"Don’t shout at my husband," Sophie frowned. "If Galen wants to live in Avon, then I’m going with him!"

Curtis ruffled his hair, turning to Saline. "Do you have nothing to say about this? Your daughter is acting out and you just sit there like a mute!" The man barked with anger, causing the veins on his neck to pop. He turned to Sophie,

"I can’t have you live with a low-class person. No matter what, you’re still a princess. So you and Ga- whatever will live here in Orion and that’s final!" The man waved his hand dismissively.

Sophie ran to Oriana. "Help me, Ana. Father wants to keep Galen here and make him unhappy. I only want to make him happy."

"You have to listen to father this time," Oriana said to her sister, knowing Sophie. She was still of royal blood and knew nothing about associating with others. Sending her off to live alone was like putting a fish out of water.

Sophie shook her head. "No! Please, Galen is not happy about it. What about the palace? I can stay with you."

"Me?" Oriana turned to look at Adric. "I don’t know about that..." Her voice trailed off. If it was just her, she would let Sophie stay with them, but she needed Adric’s approval.

Adric sighed. "We can spare a room for them in the palace, but what about their wedding? That’s the reason we brought them here."

"Wedding? I will never hold a disgraceful wedding. Other kingdoms would mock me. I will get the marriage chest packed and given to them before they leave," Curtis replied. Deep down, he was glad Sophie wasn’t going to stay in the palace with him.

Adric clapped. "That’s all. We should be on our way back to Avon." He pushed himself up from the chair, stretching his hand to help Oriana.

"Thank you for coming," Curtis stood up and bowed.

Sophie excitedly turned to Galen. "Let me pack all my things. We are going to live together forever." She dragged him out of the room.

"I’ll get the marriage chest," Curtis stood up and left, leaving behind Saline, Oriana, and Adric.

Oriana turned to Adric. "I’ll join you soon," she gave him a small smile.

"I’ll be outside if you need me," Adric said, touching the side of Oriana’s face gently.

Now left alone with her mother, Oriana clenched her fists gently on both sides. Looking at her mother, she didn’t know what to feel as the woman now looked too pitiful.

"Is he still hitting you?" Oriana asked.

Saline raised her face. "You mean your father? No. I’m doing just fine. I was surprised to see you last night, so I didn’t know what to say. How are you?"

Oriana inhaled deeply. "Fine, breathing every day knowing I’m not the reason for anyone’s pain."

Saline squeezed her hands tightly when she heard this. The days the woman had tagged Oriana as a stain, dent, and shame in her life that lived to cause her pain all came back to her. She recalled it all.

"Oriana, it’s not what you think..."

"Why?" Oriana cut her short. "Why was I being punished for what you did? You were the one who had an affair, I did nothing wrong. So why?"

Saline got down on her knees. "It’s not what you think. I wanted to protect you too. But I was scared, I was scared that your father would hate me. Oriana, it was difficult for me too," she stretched her hand forward.

"More than it was for me? I lived in this palace feeling like I was strange. If not for grandmother, I already believed I shouldn’t have been born. Still, the same Mother Queen, who had no relation with me, cherished me more than my own mother. There was a time I needed you the most, mother-a time long ago-but you never took my hand." Oriana looked down at her mother’s stretched hand.

"This time, I hope you save yourself first. I’ll be leaving now." Oriana exited the room without looking back, while Saline bent her head down, sobbing sorrowfully.

Adric turned when he saw Oriana stepping out of the room. He didn’t need to say anything, as he could read her face. He pulled her into a hug.

"You did well, My Queen." Adric patted her hair gently. "Now let’s go home."

Before afternoon, the carriages from Avon were on their way back with Sophie and Galen going back with them.

Oriana had her head resting on the carriage window. After meeting with her family, she felt down and sad. She wanted to know who her father was, but she was also scared of asking her mother.

Adric watched Oriana closely. Since they left the palace, she had yet to say a word. He hit the carriage window,

"We are going to stop here."

Oriana raised her face. "We are still in Orion," she muttered, looking outside the window.

Adric nodded. "We are. Maybe we can buy some things since we are close to the village market."

"We can?" Oriana’s eyes lit up. She looked outside and then back at Adric. "I would love to get things for Walter and Kai. Thank you!"

The carriages came to a halt, and everyone stepped down, ready to take a stroll inside the market.

Madame Rosalie came forward. "I will return to Avon later. Since I’m here, I should go and check Demi-monde. I need to know what my girls are doing."

"Sure, we will be waiting for you, Madame Rosalie," Oriana gave the woman a small nod, turning to Freya, "Let’s get the melting ice we bought the last time!"

Freya nodded excitedly as they ran inside the market, looking for where to buy the treat.

Rowan and Adric walked slowly behind them, while Sophie and Galen continued their journey back to Avon.

While inside the market, Oriana picked the gifts she would be giving to Walter and Kai. When she touched a woolen jacket, she raised it up.

"I should get this for Adric. I heard the war camp is usually cold," she muttered, paying the owner of the store.

Freya tapped her fingers, looking at the jacket, then she turned to look at Rowan. "He already has a heart burning with evil, it should keep him warm," the girl muttered. When she turned to follow Oriana, she bumped into someone.

"Ah!" Freya gasped, but she didn’t fall because the young man who had pushed her held her firmly by the waist.

"Oi, lady, watch it," he winked, giving Freya a small smile before walking away.

Oriana turned around to see that Freya wasn’t following her. She turned back to call her only to see Freya standing, looking dazed.

"Freya!" Oriana snapped her fingers. "What happened?"

Freya gulped. "I- I think I just saw the most beautiful man on earth."