[Music Recommendation: Western Nights ~ Ethel Cain]
Oriana sat in her room, tapping her feet nervously on the ground. She had walked to her door countless times, waiting for Walter and Kai to return. She was scared that the news about her pregnancy would soon reach the ears of Adelaide and Gwen, or worse, just Nicholas.
Walter and Kai were just children, and she knew that, but they were her only hope. If only she could leave the palace for just a few minutes, everything would be fine.
When the door to her room creaked open, Oriana rose from her chair, hoping it would be Kai and Walter with good news. But her heart sank when she saw the familiar face of Gwen, accompanied by three maids, entering her room.
’They found out!’ Oriana screamed in her head, squeezing her hands tightly until they almost turned white. Her throat dried up as she slowly took two steps back. All she could think about was how to survive with her child.
Gwen walked in, looking around the room as if something fascinated her, before finally settling her gaze on Oriana. The woman smiled and said,
"Now who needs discipline more; a queen who longs for her husband, or one who is being intimate with another man?"
Oriana gulped, remembering those words clearly. They were the same words she had said to Gwen that had caused her to be exiled. If only she had been more careful with her words in the past. Though she had been provoked, she should have thought it through before speaking. But on a brighter side, it also shows that Gwen didn’t know yet that she was pregnant.
"Why?" Gwen continued, touching the table slowly. "Do you not remember your own words, or should I continue?"
Oriana cleared her throat. "I remember... but if we’re talking about the past, then what about you? You left me in an unknown place to suffer in the name of discipline."
Gwen sneered, mindlessly pushing a cup off the table, causing it to crash into pieces. "It seems we have quite the past. Maybe we can settle it all now."
A small shuffling noise came from the bathroom; the physician Oriana had locked inside was awake.
Gwen’s eyes sharply moved towards the bathroom, her head tilting curiously to the side.
Oriana cleared her throat, intentionally pushing another cup off the table to cause a distraction. Raising her voice slightly, she said, "Yes! Let’s settle it now!"
Gwen frowned, not appreciating the raised voice. "It seems you’re yet to understand your situation. There is no Adric or Fidelis to save you... you are all..."
The noise from the bathroom interrupted Gwen again. This time she was determined to find out what it was, making slow steps towards the bathroom.
Oriana bit her lip nervously. If the woman hadn’t yet discovered her pregnancy, she definitely would once she saw the physician. She knew she had to do something. Tapping into her shenanigans, Oriana rushed at Gwen, grabbing her dress to stop her from taking any further steps.
"Let me go!" Gwen tried to kick her away, but the girl didn’t budge.
Oriana closed her eyes. She knew what she was about to do was dangerous, but it was better than doing nothing. So she started hitting Gwen.
"You! Where is my husband? Where is he?"
Angry, Gwen turned, her back now facing the bathroom. She grabbed Oriana’s neck tightly.
"I see you need more than just being locked up to know that you’re nothing but a piece I can easily break." Raising her hand, she gave Oriana a harsh slap.
Oriana closed her eyes as the slap landed on her face. She was used to these pains, and it was better than Gwen finding out that she was carrying Adric’s child.
"You dare lay your filthy hands on me?" Gwen shouted, delivering another slap to Oriana’s face.
The maids who had entered the room with Gwen turned their faces away, saying nothing.
At the same time, Adelaide and Bessie entered the room to see Gwen hitting Oriana.
"Mother?"
Oriana almost cursed out loud when she saw Adelaide. She had hoped it would just be Gwen, who was easier to handle. Now there were two of them. She sighed.
"Adelaide, it seems locking her up is not enough. She thinks she can talk to me any way she likes."
Seeing that she was outnumbered, Oriana got on her knees, clasping her hands together as she begged.
"I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to offend the Queen of the court... I only long to see my husband." Her words laced with sarcasm that flew over Gwen’s head.
Gwen and Adelaide were both shocked by Oriana’s actions.
"She’s lying," Gwen pointed at her. "She clearly wanted to hit me earlier. This girl is a liar!" Raising her leg, Gwen kicked Oriana.
Instinctively, Oriana should have fallen with her hands out to reduce the impact, but instead, she used them to cover her stomach, causing her whole body to hit the cold floor.
"Mother," Adelaide stopped her mother, "she’s not someone you should bother yourself with... she’s nothing but a child born of an infidel mother. A dirty blood!" the princess spat.
Gwen nodded in agreement, now fuming with anger. "She just knows how to provoke me! Ah!" She let out am exasperated sigh.
Adelaide smiled, looking at the princess who once thought she would be in power forever, now on the floor.
"Bessie... teach her never to talk down on my mother."
Bessie raised her face, a small smile now gracing her lips as she walked towards Oriana and sat on her heels, dragging her harshly from the floor.
Oriana sighed when she saw her former maid. She still didn’t understand the reason behind the girl’s sudden hatred for her.
"You should never talk down on Queen Gwen," Bessie started, pushing Oriana with her fingers.
Oriana raised her hand, stopping the girl from touching her as it disgusted her. "Bessie... you’re nothing, and you will continue to be used because you’re nothing..." Her words aimed at provoking the girl.
Out of anger, Bessie raised her hand to slap Oriana again, but Fidelis entered the room.
"What is going on here?"
"Father!" Adelaide muttered. Behind the man was Jasmine, who was helping him walk, and Sophie.
Gwen scowled when she saw her husband. "What is he doing here?"
Fidelis’s eyes moved away from Oriana, settling on Gwen. "I want to see all of you, right now." Though the man had yet to recover, he knew he needed to do something to help, especially after Oriana’s sister had come to him with a plan.
"Now!" he ordered, turning to leave the room.
Adelaide turned to her mother. "Let’s hear what he has to say." Together, they all left the room.
Sophie acted as if she was leaving with them, but she stopped in her tracks after everyone had left. She quickly ran to Oriana.
"Are you okay? Oh... your face... what did they do to you?"
Oriana smiled wearily, trying to stand up. She walked tiredly to the couch. She was grateful to Fidelis; he came just in time, and because of that, the physician wasn’t discovered. But it wouldn’t be long before that happened.
"I know..." Sophie started. "I know you need to leave the palace... Freya, the girl, she told me, and I’m here to help."
Oriana raised her face. She had only thought it was by luck Sophie had entered the room. It turned out she already knew about her plan to leave. Though it embarrassed Oriana for Sophie to see her in such a state, she needed any help she could get.
"And how do you intend to help?" Oriana asked, touching the side of her face that had turned red and swollen.
Sophie touched her chest. "I will be you... Tomorrow I will get ready to switch with you, and in the night you will meet with Freya..." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢
"Will it really work?" Oriana muttered, her voice barely audible. It was a dangerous plan that might endanger Sophie’s life, as well as everyone involved, if it didn’t work. The man in the bathroom moved again, reminding Oriana that time was something she didn’t have.
"We have to make it work," Oriana nodded. It was escape or suffer. She knew she had to choose escape.
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