[FOR WHOM THE FIRE BURNS ~ PHILDEL]
Finally, after dressing up, Oriana sat on her bed. She didn’t want to move, as she had no idea what would be lurking around in her room. Oriana waited until someone knocked on her door.
"Breakfast is ready, Princess Oriana," the maid announced.
Oriana left her room and walked down to the dining room. Her eyes moved around the palace, and she was conscious of herself. Oriana felt like someone might sneak up from behind and stab her in the back. For all the years of her life, she was really scared, not because of the physical pain but because she was really alone.
When she entered the dining room, her family was already present. Oriana bowed first to her father.
"Father, I’m back,"
King Curtis nodded with a low grumble but didn’t say anything to his daughter. To the maid, he said, "Start serving the food."
"Father, you’re lucky you saw Oriana now that she has washed up. If not, you wouldn’t have been able to eat," Sophie shook her head, placing her napkin in front of her.
Saline raised her face to look at her two daughters, but she didn’t say anything either.
Oriana pushed out a chair and sat down. She was not in the mood to say anything to her sister, at least not when she just came back and met someone who could fake even their smile perfectly. The dining door opened, and Bessie walked inside with other maids carrying a tray of food.
"Thank you so much, Bessie. I’m so famished," Sophie said. "You should serve Oriana more portions; I’m sure she must have been starved while living outside the palace."
Bessie bowed, moving towards Oriana. The maid started dishing out the food, looking at Oriana in the eyes with a wild smile that was only seen by the princess.
Oriana held her chair tightly; she wouldn’t deny that she felt her legs trembling. She looked down at the food. Oriana couldn’t get herself to eat what Bessie had served; she just stared at the maid who was still smiling at her.
"Why are you not eating, Oriana?" It was Saline who asked her daughter, noticing that she wasn’t touching her food.
Bessie quickly bowed deeply. "I’m sorry, Your Majesty. I forgot that the princess hasn’t been in the palace for so long, and she usually enjoys her cookies first. Forgive my inattention, Princess Oriana. I should have been more thorough."
Oriana, at this point, was beyond scared. She could feel her throat drying up, but it wasn’t because she was thirsty. She was terrified.
"And that’s why you’re the head maid. Bessie is such a hidden gem, a natural in everything," Sophie smiled, using the fork to pick the sauced cabbage.
Oriana tried to gulp, but she couldn’t. She felt like something was blocking her throat, and her stomach churned at the moment. She didn’t want to be here; it didn’t feel like home anymore. Everyone looked unfamiliar to her.
The rest of the royal family continued with their breakfast without caring if the younger princess touched her food or not. Done with eating, King Curtis used the napkin on the table to dab the corner of his mouth.
"Oriana, I guess you have finally learned your lessons after staying away from your family for some time," Curtis said, looking at his daughter.
Oriana nodded, but she still wasn’t able to say anything. She could feel this slight discomfort in her stomach.
"Good, because we wouldn’t want you to ruin anything else, especially when you’ll be getting married soon, by the next two moons,"
Oriana raised her face. Marriage? Was this what it was all about? They brought her back because they wanted her to get married. If it was someone Sophie couldn’t marry, then... it was being dumped on her... more sickness in the stomach, this time it moved up to her throat, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin.
The princess couldn’t control it anymore. She held her hand over her mouth.
"...Preparation for the wedding," the king was still talking when Oriana quickly dashed out of the dining room. She ran as far as her feet could carry her. She couldn’t go back to her room; the place still felt foreign. So she ran outside the palace until she got to a safer place, then she threw up.
When Oriana raised her face, her skin was now looking pale. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and made her way to the fountain nearby. Oriana put her face close to the water so it could touch her skin directly. She didn’t know what was making her sick, Bessie, her family, or just everything. The princess moved away from the water, wiping the water from her face with her dress. When she was done, she rubbed her temples tiredly.
"Princess Oriana?" Madame Rosalie called from behind, and when the princess turned, she smiled. "Thanks, gracious, I wasn’t sure it was you at first."
Oriana was surprised to see the woman. "Madame Rosalie, what brings you here?"
Madame Rosalie took out a small pouch from her bag. "After you left, I remembered that taking the ivyspur has its effects and it can go on for days. But chewing on this would help you feel better," the woman took out a small black substance from her pouch.
Oriana nodded; that would explain why she was feeling this way. She quickly took hold of what the woman was giving her and chewed it slowly.
"Here, rose water to wash off your mouth." Madame Rosalie handed her a small bottle which Oriana took. She was almost drinking it when she stared at the woman suspiciously.
"H-how did you know?" She had told the woman earlier it was for her friend.
The woman chuckled. "Do you really want to know that now?" She asked.
Oriana looked around the palace; she didn’t want anyone to hear this. She drank from the small bottle and gave it back to the woman. "Thank you, but how did you come in here?"
"Some of the guards come to my inn for services. I told them I’ll be fast," Rosalie replied, tying the pouch properly, she gave it to the girl. "Hold on to it, if the irritation persists, and let me know if you need anything. My inn is always open for you."
Oriana smiled. "Thank you so much. I don’t know if I’ll be coming around soon. I just heard from my parents that I’ll be getting married," she sighed.
This had Madame Rosalie raise her brows. This would mean trouble for the princess. If she was touched by another man, getting married to someone else would be an issue.
"H-how?"
"Oriana! Mother asks that you should return back inside right now!" An angry Sophie shouted before going back inside.
Rosalie hid her face with a veil, so the other princess wouldn’t see her. Oriana sighed. "I should head back inside. Anyway, thank you so much for this. I’ll be sure to repay the favor."
"No need to; it’s an honor to help already," Rosalie said with a small smile, as she watched the princess walk back inside the palace. The woman dropped her hand on both sides.
The rumor she heard from one of her girls who had visited the town near Morado was that the princess was with Adric in an inn alone. And after that, she quickly left. That would mean the princess and Adric had met. Was she getting married on her own will? Or an arranged marriage? Rosalie thought. Either way, The princess was in trouble if her husband should find out that she was already taken.
"The one involved should take responsibility," the woman muttered to herself, looking at the palace one more time before she left.
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