Royal Entanglement

Diana

Lady Sophia took in a deep breath as she finally got out of the palace's main gate. She turned to the large stone castle in front of her, a small, spiteful smile spreading her lips slightly to the side.

"Lady Sophia."

She turned to the newcomer, a tall muscular built man with long, unkempt hair. He did look a little above average through the dirt he did not bother cleaning, and she turned away from him again, her eyes squinted.

"Paul."

"My lady. I followed you here from the hunting grounds. I presume you got to speak with the prince?"

She sighed. "He requested for time."

"How long?" he asked, a little impatiently, but she cast him a look and he immediately pulled back, his head lowering.

"A fortnight," she answered simply, biting down on her lips.

"My lady Diana's grave would be cold by then."

Lady Sophia's fists clenched, her eyes taking on a darker hue of anger. "He will not be happy, Paul. I will not let him move on from Diana and be happy with his lover, not while I live."

Paul nodded. "I know, Lady Sophia. But mother and father are worried about you. Do you really intend to wed here without their consent?"

She shrugged and turned away from the palace, finding the beauty of it extremely sickening to the stomach.

"Yes. They know where I am and they know, thanks to you that I am well. I will wed and stay here till the longing and yearning suffocates him like it did my sister. She shall not be the only one to die of a broken heart."

Paul nodded, following her closely. "I will guide you."

Lady Sophia did not reply as she continued to walk stiffly, her back straight, her hands balled into fists beside her.

Lady Sophia watched the large mirror as she struggled to pull off the corset. Diana would have told her she did not even need one, but she still wore it. It was what women of nobility wore, so not a single fault was found with the amount of morsels they ate during each meal.

"Sophia?"

She looked up at the mirror and Diana was standing there, her usual bright smile on her face, her dark brown hair falling in the same graceful curls. She was a special allure on her own, the kind of lady a lot of suitors fell for. Whether they belonged to nobility or not.

"Diana," Lady Sophia breathed, turning away from the mirror.

Diana slowly approached, her smile unfaltering. "You do not need a corset, Sophia. Your waist is already so small."

Lady Sophia smiled, but tears spilled out of her eyes, betraying the conflict of emotions within the confines of her heart. She knew it was all an illusion. Something she saw because of how terribly she missed Diana. She knew that if someone else was to walk into the room, they would see only her.

Because Diana was dead. And she died in the most miserable way, for the most wretched reason.

Lady Sophia swallowed and took a step further to Diana, but it was, in one moment gone like a whiff of smoke, leaving only dark clouds to hang around the room.

Every day was as devastating as the first day she was told the unfortunate news, and it remained one of those memories she knew she would not forget. No matter how much time will pass.

She closed her eyes, seeing the memory show itself to her in the darker orbs of her closed eyes, and a little of the emotions she had felt on that day came rushing back to her, escaping under her long lashes in form of tears.

"Mama! Mama!" Lady Sophia was breathless as she ran to the large house, immediately going to the largest chamber where she knew her parents would be.

They were always there during this time of the day, with the sun high up, enjoying each other's company over a spread of exotic fruits.

But today was different. Even with Lady Sophia herself. On normal days, she would stop to song with the little canaries that perched the top of the lily bushes just before the large chamber, chase the butterfly around till she heard her name being called again, and would loosen her hair to feel the slow caress of the breeze between the strands.

But today, her run had chased the canaries away, and her hair was in the tight braid her mother always advised her to keep because it made her look better.

She was breathless by the time she got to the large chamber, and she stopped, her lips partly open, sweat drenching her hairline.

Their stables boy, Paul was squatted on the floor, his forehead touching the ground, his body shaking as he sobbed.

Her father's eyes were closed as he held their mother close to him, his hand slightly tapping on her shivering back.

"What is happening?" Lady Sophia asked, but she knew the answer.

It has been yelled out to her at the flower field she normally went to, and that petal she had been holding had fallen to the ground.

"Sophia..." her mother, Rachel said, before lowering her head again, her voice breaking down in coherence to nothing more than shortened howls.

"Has sister...has Diana really left us?"

It was strange for her to say it out loud, like she was accepting it. It felt like gall on her tongue, and she brought the back of her palms to wipe her forehead.

"Is it really true? Has Diana really left us?"

Edward, her father raised his head, his youthful face now looking older than he really was, and he slowly nodded.

"Yes, Sophia. Diana died of a disease."