Chapter Fourteen - Tea party
2155 Words
Venus couldn’t sleep a wink that night. She couldn't stop thinking about what would happen at that tea party.
She was invited to nothing back then. Venus could just remember Louis always going home late just to have a steamy night with her.
Back then, she was dedicated to bearing his child, so every opportunity he asks her, she politely obliges.
Venus just loved that man so much back then that she wanted to give everything to him. She rubbed her face using her hands before sighing.
“Milady, your bath is ready,” Hanna appeared before her, so she looked at her before nodding as she followed her into the bath.
“Hanna, I’m going to a tea party today, it’s at noon,” Venus casually informed her while she was scrubbing her hands.
“I’m coming with you then, milady,” Hanna just smiled, “Whose tea party is this?” She curiously asked.
“It’s…Marie Alicia’s tea party,” Venus informed her, so she stopped for a moment before nodding.
“Shall I prepare you the most elegant gown we could find in your wardrobe?” Hanna suggested, which almost made her laugh.
She didn’t know that Hanna could sometimes be like that, “Why would you want me to wear something like that, Hanna?”
“No reason, in particular, milady, I just want to let everybody know how different you are from them, especially her,” She mumbled.
Hanna stopped before blushing beet red, “I-I’m sorry, I must’ve stepped too much, I know she’s your best friend, milady,”
Venus shook her head, “No, you don’t have to be sorry about that, and I don’t look at her that way anymore,”
“You finally noticed, milady?” Hanna curiously asked, so she wondered for a moment while squinting her eyes.
“Noticed what, Hanna? I don’t understand what you are trying to say,” Venus told her, making her sigh.
“I-I just noticed that she was acting oddly around you, milady, ever since you got closer to Prince Louis,” Hanna informed her.
“Maybe I was just overreacting, but I just say what I notice milady, I often watch you hang around with other nobles and royalties,” She added.
Venus didn’t know this back then. She thought that Hanna was just scared to tell her about her opinion because Marie was her best friend.
“Thank you so much for looking after me a lot, Hanna,” Venus was about to tear up, “I really appreciate it,”
The two of them continued speaking with one another until she decided to step out of the bath to get changed into elegant clothing.
It didn’t take her that long to slip into her cream-colored gown with golden sequins before Hanna started doing her face.
“You look lovely, Your Highness,” Hanna proudly said, so she looked at the mirror and almost gasped after seeing that she looked lovely compared to all her looks from the other days.
“I look like I’m glowing,” Venus happily said, “Did you do this on purpose again?” She looked at her lady-in-waiting.
“I’m innocent, milady,” Hanna just gave her a bright smile before shaking her head as she giggled.
“Let me just write a letter to inform my husband where I’m going, please send it to him while I eat some breakfast,” Venus informed her.
“As you wish, milady,” Hanna bowed her head. She just waited for her princess to finish writing that letter before they stepped out of the room.
Venus went to the dining hall alone and saw that Prince Arthur was already there, waiting for her to arrive.
“A pleasant morning to you, milady,” Arthur approached her when he felt her presence before kissing the back of her hands.
“Good morning to you as well, Your Highness,” She curtsied before raising her gaze, “I’m leaving to go to a tea party today,”
“I see, I hope you’ll have fun, whose tea party is that?” Arthur curiously asked. He thought that no wonder she was dressed extra adorable today.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her, she was just beautiful, and he couldn’t bring himself to come closer because he might do things he might regret.
The two of them sat down before the maids served them some breakfast, “It’s Marie Alicia Pheon’s tea party,” She smiled.
“From the Daisy kingdom?” Arthur curiously asked, so she slowly nodded her head before sighing.
“I don’t want to go, but I have to because I want to see what’s going to happen there,” She admitted.
“Hm, I’m sure you’ll have fun because you can handle yourself alone, milady, plus I’m sure Hanna would be there for you,” Arthur reassured her.
“Thank you, Prince Arthur, that put me at ease,” Venus happily smiled as they enjoyed their meal together.
It didn’t take them that long to finish eating some breakfast until they bid one another goodbye, “I’ll be going out to, milady, to check if the ingredients and servants have arrived,”
“Oh, talk to me if everything’s well after I get back,” Venus requested, so he just nodded before smiling.
“I’ll see you later, my princess,” Arthur then approached her before kissing the back of her hands.
She couldn’t understand why her heart skipped a beat after he said those words. Venus just watched Arthur leave before she clutched her chest.
“That prince is going to be the death of me,” She closed her eyes while trying to calm herself down.
Venus shook her head as she mentally prepared herself to withstand the agony of witnessing her killer behaving pleasantly to her at the tea gathering.
She clenched her fists, patiently waiting for Hanna for their carriage to take them there at the Daisy kingdom.
“We’re finally here, milady,” Hanna informed her as she heard the galloping of the horses come to a halt.
“It’s been a while since I visited this place,” Venus mumbled after she got down on the carriage. She remembers visiting this once back when she was still 10 years old together with Louis.
“Venus, you came!” Venus didn't know what to do after hearing that dreaded tone. It was sweet yet fake.
She cautiously glanced in front and could feel her palms sweating after seeing her face again. The face of her best friend who betrayed her, stole her husband, and the one who killed her.
Venus could feel that she was about to lose control when Hanna gently pushed her from behind, that small gesture alone pulled her back to her senses.
“I-It’s been a while since I visited this place, thank you for inviting me here, Marie,” Venus replied to her.
“Oh it’s no problem at all, come, you’re the only one waiting to arrive,” She beamed, which she found annoying.
Venus could feel that she was just trying so hard just to be nice to her. She hated it and wanted to say something about it but she couldn't.
Marie roamed around the palace and thought that a lot of things had changed. It didn’t take them that long to arrive at the royal garden where she saw numerous princesses and duchess gathered over there.
“Everyone, Princess Venus has arrived!” Marie happily informed them, so they looked at her and immediately ran just to greet her.
“The princess that we all have been wanting to speak to!” Josette, a duchess in their land, squealed in excitement.
“The only woman who was lucky enough to marry the man she loves!” The others commented happily.
“Now, now everyone, let’s officially start our tea party first to get into juicy details,” Marie winked at them, so they all just cheered.
Venus just smiled because these ladies were supportive of her in winning Louis’ heart. She was wondering why Marie still wanted to be with them despite the fact that she loved Louis as well.
The tea party started when the royal maids started serving elegant pastries and tea, everyone was just sitting in a circle, greeting one another about how everyone had been.
Venus then stopped when she realized something. This tea party probably happened back then, but she wasn’t invited.
Marie must’ve said something here because she was not used to going to numerous parties before and she was with her husband that whole time.
She wanted to figure out what that was, maybe it was part of the reason why Marie was bold enough to betray her.
“So how was wedding life, Venus?” Marie started after putting down her tea, so she thought it was going to be hard to answer that question.
Venus doesn’t care about her husband right now, aside from conducting her plans to escape her death and marriage.
“Well, I don’t know how to put it into words, it’s been a blast,” She lied, making everyone squeal in excitement.
“I really envy you for having your dreams come true! I hope I can marry someone I love someday,” Josette pouted.
“I’m sure you’ll find someone, just take your time, okay?” Venus smiled at her before looking around to see if Hanna was there.
Hanna was just trying to mingle with another lady-in-waiting, so she thought that she was having fun at her own pace.
“So how was the prince in bed?” Victoria asked while cupping her mouth because the ladies exclaimed at her questions, “W-What? I’m just curious, okay?”
“You don’t have to answer that if you’re uncomfortable, Princess Venus,” Josette almost rolled her eyes while drinking her tea.
“It’s alright,” Venus beamed while biting her lower lip because some of them looked like they were still expecting some answers.
“It was…hot and amazing, I’m pretty sure words can’t explain how it felt,” Venus bitterly shared with them, so they all blushed and exclaimed because they were too embarrassed to hear it.
When she first experienced it with him in the past, that was really what she felt, so she thought she was not purposely lying.
“Ah, I don’t why I’m getting excited myself, I’m bound to marry soon as well,” Victoria cupped her cheeks with her gloved hands.
“Congratulations on your engagement in advance,” Josette fooled around, so everyone just chuckled while shaking their heads.
She didn’t know that these princesses were not as bad as she thought they were, “Oh, by the way, Princess Venus, I heard that you’re getting close with the fallen prince of Lilac,”
All of them looked at Marie, who was just casually drinking her coffee, “I’m just wondering because you two seemed to close at the duke’s birthday party,” She added.
Venus immediately noticed her solemn aura like she was trying to get something from her, “Oh right, I saw that as well! They look like a perfect match!” Josette exclaimed happily.
“O-Oh, I was supposed to keep that in my mind and to myself,” She cupped her mouth, “Waa, I hope I didn’t offend you, Princess Venus, we know how much you love Prince Louis,”
Venus immediately shook her head before smiling at them, “You don’t have to worry about that, Prince Arthur and I are just business partners,”
She then started narrating to them how the two of them got close, excluding some parts where she always argues with Louis.
“Oh so that is why you’re always together, you’re incredible, princess, it’s hard to cope with business deals,” Josette admitted, making everyone agree.
“I’m sure everyone could take their time to learn that someday,” Venus encouraged them, so they started talking about business.
She thought everything between her, Louis, and Arthur was already down when Marie raised her voice again.
“Prince Louis must probably be worried now that you’re often spending time with him,” Marie sounded a little upset, so she thought that there was really something up.
She knew that this tea party had a hidden agenda on Marie’s part, “He’s my husband, so I know that he trusts me as I do,”
Venus watched Marie’s actions before smiling at her, “How did you know all of that, Princess Marie? Are you also that close to my husband?”
She emphasized the word husband while smiling, making Marie stop before looking at her intently.
‘Two can play one game, Marie,’ She thought while secretly clenching her fists.
To be continued…
- Writer
