[Music Recommendation: With my heart ~ Ahn Eun-Jin]
"I have called her, I don’t know why I have been sent when there are maids at our disposal, and I saw her speaking to a woman outside," Sophie said, slumping into her seat after she had gone to call Oriana.
Saline tapped her fingers on the table. "You should be on her good side because she’s doing this in place of you,"
Sophie scoffed. "When you put it that way, it makes it seem like she’s actually something. She is supposed to do it because that’s what she’s born for, to be my shadow."
"Sophie!" Saline barked, trying to silence her daughter, but the crown princess wasn’t ready to stop.
"I’ve been pretending about it for so long, I think it’s time to let her know her place. She’s a stain on the royal family, and this marriage is the best way to wipe it off. I mean, look-"
Oriana walked into the dining room, and the conversation ended abruptly. She noticed the sudden silence but bowed.
"What was that earlier? Why did you leave when your father was still talking?" Saline asked, looking at Oriana suspiciously.
The princess cleared her throat. "I’m sorry about that. I felt a little stressed after the long carriage ride, so when I saw the food, I felt sick,"
"And this woman Sophie saw you talking with?"
Oriana gripped her hand tightly on her gown. "She had lost her way; I was only trying to give her directions,"
"Sit," Saline motioned for her daughter to sit down.
Oriana looked at the head of the table; her father had already left. Maybe he was mad at her for leaving in the middle of a conversation. She sat in her initial position, her eyes looking at the table and its design.
"You heard your father, right? We have decided to fulfill a marriage pact with the Kingdom," Saline paused to see if Oriana was listening, then she continued. "Years ago, Orion had a great drought; our food storage dried up, and there was no water. So your father made a promise to the Valonia kingdom, an alliance through marriage."
Sophie nodded, and she quickly added, "It will be a way for you to help the kingdom, after all the troubles you have caused."
Oriana stared at her sister for a moment. "Is this alliance not always done with the crown princess?"
Saline and Sophie turned to look at each other, then the Queen cleared her throat. "Yes, that is why you’ll be acting as the Crown Princess since you and Sophie look very much alike,"
"Oriana, it’s a way for you to help the kingdom for once in your life. You should feel privileged that you’ll be answering the Crown princess even," Sophie chimed, turning her head to the side with pride.
Oriana scoffed. So this was it? The reason why she was asked to return. They needed a sacrificial lamb, and it was just her. "Why can’t you help the Kingdom, Sophie? Why are you giving me this rare opportunity?"
Sophie was caught off guard with the question. She cleared her throat. "I have someone in my heart already, you know. And also who knows when the Crown Prince of Avon would come back for me; I’m sure he was mesmerized by my beauty,"
Oriana chuckled. "I’m sorry, but I don’t have any intentions of helping the kingdom. You all know how much trouble I have caused; it’ll be better if I’m sent back on exile," Oriana was already touched; she couldn’t afford to go ahead with the marriage pact. If the man she was getting married to found out, she might actually be stoned to death.
"Oriana, that is not up for any debate. You are doing this, and that’s final. Can you just help me out without ruining my life more than you have already done?" Saline hit her hand on the table, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, which was not noticed by either of her daughters because she turned her face away.
Oriana pressed her lips. "I also do not want to ruin your life, mother, but I don’t want to get married to someone I know nothing about. Please, don’t do this to me," she begged earnestly. Not with a rebellious voice, but with a calmness she was beginning to find since yesterday.
"And here I thought that you’ll get back to your senses after the punishment," Sophie scowled.
The door to the dining opened, and a maid walked inside, bowing down she informed, "His Majesty says that it’s time to greet the guest,"
"Oriana, Please act along first. Don’t ruin things and we can talk through it later," Saline said with a calm voice, holding up her gown she left the dining room.
Sophie cleared her throat, looking at her sister from head to toe. She smiled, without saying anything she left.
Oriana closed her eyes, she really wanted to retort and be her rebellious self. But for some reason she still felt tired like she needed to sleep for a long time, she took another piece of the black substance from the pouch. Before following her family behind,
She made her steps towards the big room, where family were already exchanging pleasantries with their guests. As soon as Oriana bowed everyone became quiet, she looked at the guests, but there was no sign of a crown prince or so she thought.
"This is our crown princess," Curtis pointed, "My first daughter, Crown Princess Oriana," he introduced to the guests.
Oriana inhaled, at least she was allowed to keep her name. "Greetings," she bowed.
The guests murmured amongst themselves, before the eldest man in their midst said, "She looks very young and beautiful, we will accept her." He smiled, touching his beards in a way that creeped Oriana out.
"Great, remember that the debt will now be cleared after the marriage," Curtis said standing on his feet and stretching his hand forward to the man for a handshake.
The man grinned, "Of course, even though I will really love to take her with me now but it’s fine, groom her and after the marriage I’ll burn the book of debt,"
Oriana blinked, why was it the man who wanted to take her. Was it for her son? Her heart was now beating fast.
As they guests were about to leave, the man turned one more time to look at Oriana then he gave her a creepy smile before leaving.
"Mother, Father... Please tell me I’m getting married to that man’s son," Oriana asked, even if she was going to about to be sold off, let it be someone she could deal with.
Saline looked away, her hand gripping her dress tightly. She couldn’t afford to look at her daughter’s eyes.
Oriana shook her head, "No... please no...I can’t...this is not right...Mother! Father?"
"Oriana this is not time for that, shut up and listen to me-" Curtis barked with anger, he didn’t have the time to listen to her but his wife glared at him.
"Curtis! We talked about this," Saline said looking at her husband.
And for the first time Oriana saw her father relax, "I’m sorry for raising my voice at you, my dear daughter" Curtis said with a low voice.
Oriana who had never heard her father speak this way to her, was surprised.
"Look, if we don’t pay back this debt. A war might start and you know how shorthanded we are with soldiers. This is the only way you can be of help to the kingdom," Curtis suggested like it was a good idea.
Oriana’s lips trembled, "But why me? Why can’t Sophie do it?" She pointed out.
"What? You don’t expect me to marry that old dying-"
"Sophie, shut up! Please," Saline closed her eyes as if trying to be calm.
"What if... what if they find out I’m not the real crown princess? I’ll be in danger; my life would be at risk," Oriana was scared for sure, but not about the marriage. It was her family who were willing to abandon her even at the risk of losing her life.
Saline was now the one who spoke, with a motherly tone which Oriana had never heard before. "Look, Oriana, we had it already planned out. If they should find out that you’re not the Crown Princess, you go with this story, that your sister eloped with another man, and you were asked to go in place of her. And when she comes back, you’ll return, but now the trick is if he had already touched you he wouldn’t have any choice but to continue with the marriage, as your sister has already been touched by another. See? It’s all planned out; nobody would hurt you,"
Saline stood up and went to hold Oriana’s hand. Oriana looked at her mother, then she took her hand away. Startled because it had never happened before and also because she ashamed of her callous-covered hands, she looked at the people in the room.
Family... that was what they were supposed to be. Maybe this was for the best; if the man should find out that she wasn’t pure, he would kill her to finally end her sorrow.
"I’ll do it," Oriana nodded, with a deep sigh.
Saline clapped. "Great! You have two weeks to the wedding. You’ll be prepared all through it. Don’t worry; I’ll make sure nothing happens to you,"
Oriana chuckled. "Thank you," she said before turning to leave the room.
"That was fast; I guess the banishment had its perks," Sophie chirped to receive a stern glare from her mother.
"Make sure she doesn’t try to escape; I don’t trust that girl," Curtis remarked with a sneer.
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