[Music Recommendation: Arcade ~ Duncan Laurence]
Somewhere in Oriana’s heart, she was glad that Louis had told her about the secret behind her birth earlier. If she had heard it for the first time during the coronation, she would have been so flustered and wouldn’t have been able to handle the situation as she just did.
That day Louis gave her the book, he also told her something else. And the words he said replayed in her mind:
"There’s one more thing you need to know. Actually, the Mother Queen asked that you never be told the truth about your birth. She wanted you to have a normal childhood, as it wasn’t your fault that your mother had shared a bed with a commoner. Though he was punished and killed, the Mother Queen asked that King Curtis keep you as his own. And nobody was allowed to say anything about it."
Now in the present time, it was still hard for Oriana to process everything. But somehow, it gave her the closure she needed as to why her father never treated her like his own. Another question that churned in Oriana’s mind was why her grandmother left something so important to someone like her, a child born out of infidelity who has no relationship with her family.
Everything that was happening made Oriana grateful to the woman she loved dearly, who was not just her grandmother but also her savior.
Adric watched Oriana closely. He was surprised by her reaction. From what he had gathered, she had no idea that she wasn’t biologically the daughter of King Curtis, and he had decided to keep it a secret as there was no reason to expose it. From what he had gathered, the girl hadn’t had a moment of happiness while growing up, so why add to her pains?
He was surprised to see Oriana act strong despite the news. She still handled it like it was nothing new. Adric’s eyes moved from Oriana’s confident face down to her trembling hand, where she was holding him very tightly.
In front of others, she tried to act strong, but she was just a weak girl that wanted to be protected just like any other girl. Adric took a step forward, reaching for Oriana’s face. He gently moved her chin up to face him.
"You can rise now," he muttered, then turned to the crowd. "You all heard my Queen. She controls an army and also has me protecting her. I shall not have anyone speak less of her; the punishment shall be death. It is my first decree as your King."
At the mention of the decree, everyone except Fidelis got down on their knees.
"We accept your royal decree, Your Royal Majesty."
Oriana, without knowing, tightened her grip on Adric’s hand. She had been scared that people would push her away for being a commoner’s child, but it was solved so easily. And when Adric stepped forward to back her up, she felt goosebumps rise on her skin and found herself falling for him ten times over.
Everyone finally stood up after receiving the decree. Adelaide bent down, using her hand to smooth the crumples of her gown. With her face looking down, nobody noticed the profound anger she was trying so much to hide. She felt her blood boiling as she watched everyone bow to Oriana.
"Adelaide, are you okay?" Jasmine, who had been watching her sister’s moves all this while, knowing that they had plans of killing the new Queen, asked.
Adelaide finally raised her face. "Should I not be?" When she said this, her eyes settled on Caspar. "Remember, brother-in-law, how busy you’ll be serving tonight."
Caspar nodded. "Yes, yes. The store will be very busy." He rubbed his neck nervously.
Walter, who was sitting beside Kai, nudged his brother gently.
"Look, Uncle Adric and Auntie love each other. It means there will be a little princess soon," Walter whispered, covering his face to hide his blush.
Kai’s eyes moved from his uncle and settled on his younger brother. "We shouldn’t call him Uncle anymore, or Auntie. They are now King and Queen."
"But he’s my uncle! And she’s my auntie!" Walter argued, raising his face. He didn’t like that he had to call them anything else.
Jasmine glared at her children. "Shh!" She hushed them, holding her finger to her lips.
Fidelis took a step forward, going to stand beside the new King and Queen. He couldn’t stop smiling. Oriana had not just proved herself capable enough to protect her position but also submissive to Adric. The girl was really the perfect one for his son, the man nodded.
"We shall now enjoy the rest of the coronation. Also, it marks the end of my birthday. What better timing, yes?" Fidelis clapped. "Remember, have fun and eat to your fill."
The crowd started dispersing, going to eat and enjoy the rest of the event.
"Your Majesty, I’m the minister of ports and trade," one of the ministers came to meet Adric. "I was thinking about our ships..."
Adric turned to Oriana. "You should have fun too. I should meet with the ministers." He finally let go of Oriana’s hand.
"What happened to the ships?" Adric continued following the minister as he left.
Oriana bit her lip. She really wanted him to still hold her. Now her hand felt cold and empty. Holding Adric’s jacket closer, Oriana sniffed his scent and smiled.
"Are you that happy to be Queen, Your Majesty?" Freya bowed, holding out her dress.
Madame Rosalie clapped her hands happily. "I’m guessing it’s because her King is such a handsome man. You both looked like a perfect painting from a book. And when he defended you, ahhh, I was so weak in my knees."
Oriana covered her face, giggling. She remembered something and turned to Louis, who was also standing there. "Have you written the letter to the general?"
"I just did, right before the coronation," Louis replied. "The army will be here tomorrow morning before the first dawn, I’ll leave now to make preparations for their food. Also, congratulations, Your Majesty." He bowed deeply.
Oriana helped the man up. "Stop, I wouldn’t have been here without you. Thank you, Louis, I really mean it."
As they were talking, Sophie walked slowly toward Oriana. She was shocked to hear them talk about Oriana’s bloodline. It wasn’t supposed to be out in the open. And it was just she who was Oriana’s family; she didn’t want Oriana to think she had given away her secret.
"Con-" Sophie cleared her throat. "Congratulations, Sister," her voice cracked at the end.
Oriana moved away from Freya and the others. "Sophie," she muttered.
Sophie pressed her lips. "It wasn’t me, about that-" she paused.
"I know, I mean, I didn’t even know you knew, so..." Oriana replied. "I hope you enjoy tonight." Saying this, she turned and walked back to her friends.
Sophie bit her lip gently, looking at Oriana from afar. She knew that their relationship was not that strong. With a small sigh, she turned to leave when Bessie walked up in front of her.
"Do you not want to bond with your sister?" Bessie asked with a friendly smile.
Sophie exhaled softly. "I guess she’s okay without me." 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
"No!" Bessie exclaimed. "You shouldn’t let others get closer to her. She’s your sister. If you have a strong connection with the Queen, you’re almost the Queen yourself."
Sophie raised her finger to her mouth and chewed gently. It didn’t sound like a bad idea either. "What then do you suggest I do?"
"A drink. Share a drink with her and congratulate her specially. Bond with your sister. Here," Bessie raised the tray that had two cups filled with drink.
Sophie continued to chew her nails gently. Looking at Bessie, she said, "This better work, bonding with the Queen for immunity." She nodded and picked up the two drinks, walking towards Oriana.
"Your Majesty?" Sophie called. "Let’s have a toast. What do you say? To your endless reign as Queen," When she noticed the hesitation in Oriana’s eyes, she sipped from both cups.
"It’s safe, see."
Oriana chuckled and took the cup. "I didn’t say it wasn’t. Who said I want an endless reign, I’d grow old too. Don’t you think? Also I’m just surprised you want to drink with me." Without saying anything else, Oriana raised the cup to her mouth and finished the entire contents.
From where Bessie was standing, she grinned and walked towards Adelaide. The maid whispered, "She took the bait."
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