{Music Recommendation: Wicked Game ~ Ursine Vulpine and Annaca}
Oriana sat quietly in the bathtub, her eyes distant as the maids washed her hair and body. She seemed utterly lost, as if she wasn’t even in the room with them.
Once they finished, the maids helped her stand up, and without a word of complaint, Oriana allowed them to drape a towel over her. As one of the maids dried Oriana’s body, she noticed a line on her stomach and paused.
"T-that..." the maid stuttered, looking up. But when she saw the dullness in Oriana’s eyes, she quickly closed her mouth and continued with her task in silence.
Oriana was led to her room and seated in front of the vanity. More maids entered, some trimming her nails, others styling her hair and powdering her face. The room remained eerily quiet, the only sounds being the rustle of the maids’ gowns.
"Time to fit her dress," one of the maids announced. Oriana was helped to stand and was dressed in a flimsy golden gown, easy to remove. Her hair was bundled up, leaving her neck bare.
After the preparations were complete, food and wine were brought into the room, which had been arranged to resemble a couple’s wedding night chamber. The candlelight was dim and warm, illuminating the pristine white bed covers reserved for husband and wife. The maids exited quietly, leaving Oriana alone.
Suddenly, Adelaide barged into the room, shoving one of the maids aside. Bessie and Gwen hurried in behind her.
"Adelaide, stop! We don’t want to anger Nicholas," Gwen urged, trying to grab her daughter’s hand, but Adelaide shook her off, her eyes blazing with fury.
"Where is she? You!" Adelaide pointed at Oriana, swallowing hard as she struggled to contain her rage. "Adric wasn’t enough, was he? I should have known how conceited and sly you were the moment you entered this place. Ha! Making that pitiful face? I know you’re going to enjoy it-all of it."
Oriana slowly lifted her tired eyes, looking at the princess standing before her. With no strength left to argue, she sighed and looked away.
"You’re ignoring me? I’ll make sure Nicholas sees you for what you are, a two-faced witch! How you get into the minds of these men, I don’t know." Adelaide continued, her gaze fixed on Oriana.
Adelaide’s anger stemmed from many sources. Though she harbored a deep hatred for Nicholas, it was easier to blame Oriana, who had been a thorn in her side since the day she entered the palace.
"I—" Adelaide exhaled sharply. "It wasn’t enough for you to take my position. You looked down on me, turned my family against me, and now...you’re taking Nicholas too."
Gwen, standing by the door, nodded. "Didn’t I say it? This girl is something else. I don’t know what they see in her."
Oriana closed her eyes, feeling the bitter taste of bile rise in her throat. She scrunched her face, trying to calm down, but Adelaide misinterpreted it.
"You think I’m some stupid fool, don’t you?" Adelaide scanned the room, searching for something to use as a weapon.
Oriana noticed this and initially considered ignoring the princess’s rant. After all, it was preferable to Nicholas seeing her dressed so lightly. But then a thought crossed her mind; it was risky, but worth trying. She decided to provoke Adelaide, hoping the princess would hit her out of anger, causing her to pass out. Maybe then Nicholas would leave her alone, just for one night.
"Mother! She’s mocking me!" Adelaide screamed, tugging at her hair in frustration.
Oriana scoffed, her dry lips parting as she spoke. "Only if you were worth looking down on," she mused, turning her head away.
Silence fell over the room. Adelaide, who had been shouting moments earlier, turned to look at Oriana, then at her mother.
"Did she just say something?" Adelaide asked her mother.
Oriana chuckled, leaning back on the sofa. "Are you too afraid to ask me yourself?" She shook her head slightly before continuing. "You know, Princess Adelaide, I used to think you were wise because of the way you spoke. But I’m disappointed to find that your mother passed everything, including her brain, to you."
Adelaide’s eyes widened. "What?"
Gwen clutched her chest. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded, frowning.
"Exactly what it sounds like. If it offends you, then one of you must think the other is stupid. No?" Oriana continued, noticing how her words were working. The two women were growing increasingly provoked.
In a fit of anger, Adelaide grabbed a jug of water and poured it over Oriana.
"Ha!" Oriana gasped, shocked as the water soaked her flimsy dress, causing it to cling to her skin revealing her body. She tried to cover herself with her hands.
Adelaide threw down the jug. "I’m not hitting you right now because Nicholas might-"
"Teh!" Oriana sneered. "You’re afraid of Nicholas too? I thought you were always the mastermind. When did the roles change? Don’t tell me he made you scream under him until you lost your authority. Last I remember, you were in control, or was that a lie?"
Adelaide shrieked. "I’m still in control! Nicholas answers only to me! I don’t need his orders to do anything."
"I beg to differ. But maybe I’m seeing things differently," Oriana said, her eyes flicking to the table where Adelaide stood. There was clearly an inkstone there, and all the princess needed to do was throw it at her.
At this point, Oriana wasn’t concerned about the impact. As long as she passed out before Nicholas entered the room, that was all that mattered.
"I made Nicholas king! I deceived everyone, killed Caspar. I even almost killed my own father! You don’t know what I’m capable of," Adelaide spat, her hand brushing against the inkstone in her rage.
The corner of Oriana’s lips curled into a twisted smile as she saw the princess touch the inkstone. Just one more push was needed.
"Then prove it! Prove that you’re not just a pawn in Nicholas’s game of seizing the throne. Because all I see is a foolish princess who betrayed her family."
Adelaide raised the inkstone, and Oriana’s smile broadened. She braced herself for the impact as the princess aimed to strike her.
"Adelaide!"
Oriana’s blood ran cold at the sound of Nicholas’s voice. She swallowed nervously, silently praying that Adelaide would finish what she started.
"Leave! Right now!" Nicholas thundered, glaring at the two women.
Oriana bit her lip, realizing that once she was alone with Nicholas, escaping would be nearly impossible.
"Why? Are you going to leave like his little clown? Let him order you around?" Oriana played her last card.
Adelaide’s grip on the stone tightened, her knuckles turning pale. But she finally dropped it back on the table, stepping closer to Oriana.
"I know what you’re doing...you don’t want Nicholas to touch you," Adelaide chuckled darkly. "Well, I can’t help you with that. Live with the guilt of sleeping with another man while your man was away. In the end, I always get the last laugh."
Oriana’s breath quickened with anger. In a sudden move, she grabbed Adelaide’s hair and yanked it with force.
"Ahh!" Adelaide screamed, struggling to free herself, but Oriana’s grip was strong.
Gwen and Bessie rushed forward to help, but Oriana didn’t let go until she had pulled out a handful of Adelaide’s hair, including her hairpin. Adelaide cried out in pain, as Oriana began to laugh. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮
"Who’s laughing now?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery.
In a fit of rage, Adelaide tried to attack Oriana again, but she was dragged out of the room by Gwen and Bessie.
Now alone with Oriana, Nicholas turned to her. "I see you were trying to provoke Adelaide. Was it so you could avoid spending the night with me?" he asked, walking casually into the room.
Oriana clutched the hairpin tightly, knowing she wasn’t strong enough to attack Nicholas directly. She needed him to get closer to strike a vital spot.
"Let’s begin," Nicholas grinned, removing his shirt.
Oriana’s eyes widened in panic. She had been counting on them eating and drinking first, which would give her time.
"B-but you haven’t eaten?" she stammered.
Nicholas nodded. "Your sister... Any more delay in her treatment, and I’m not sure she’ll survive the night."
At the mention of Sophie, Oriana stood up, taking slow steps toward the bed, her hands covering her chest as she tried to conceal the hairpin.
Nicholas licked his lips as he eyed her small dress, which now clung to her body, revealing every curve. He followed her closely.
"You see, I’ve always imagined having you in my arms. I didn’t know it would happen so soon. Don’t be afraid, I’ll make it a night to remember for you."
His voice, like nails on a chalkboard, made Oriana’s skin crawl. She didn’t wait for him to get any closer; with a sudden burst of speed, she turned and stabbed him in the eye with the hairpin.
"Ahhh!" Nicholas screamed, clutching his eye with his hands. "You stupid fool!"
Oriana tried to escape, but Nicholas was too fast. He grabbed her by the neck and shoved her to the bed.
"I see Adric failed to teach you a lesson. Well, I’m going to make sure this one is unforgettable!" Nicholas sneered, clutching his bleeding eye with one hand while yanking down his trousers with the other.
Oriana screamed, desperately trying to rise from the bed, but Nicholas held her legs firmly in place.
"Let me go! Please! Adric!!" Oriana cried out, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face, mixing with Nicholas’s blood on her skin.
"Adric is dead! There is no Adric!" Nicholas hissed, leaning closer. But before he could reach her, someone grabbed him forcefully and flung him across the room, sending him crashing into the table.
Nicholas scrambled to his feet, still clutching his injured eye. "Who the hell-A-Adric..." he stammered, backing away as Adric stepped forward, his eyes darkened with barely contained rage. His low deadly voice cut through the tension in the room,
"You’re a dead man..."
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