Forgotten Wife

The villain and the victim.

Summer passed, giving way to a refreshing autumn. Abril continued to escape during the nights, finding it fun to walk through the gardens at night, especially because when winter came, she wouldn't be able to do it again. Her clothes were light and she didn't have a coat. When winter arrived, she would have to stay in her room, sheltering herself from the cold, wishing for spring to come again.

Abril had always hated winter, she always suffered from the cold during those months. She wished it would be different this time, but she doubted it. The maids ignored her, and when she complained, she only received worse treatment. The maids would stop bringing her food, and on those days, Abril would eat the fruit she had hidden until they decided to return.

These had happened the times Abril had complained about the suffocating heat in her room, and again when she protested about not being brought her food. After that, she stopped complaining about it for the sake of her stomach, and even when she needed something, she never asked for anything. She managed with what she had in her room.

Autumn passed in the blink of an eye. When winter came, Abril had to stop her nightly walks. But once in a while, tired of being confined, she went out to the garden for a moment and then returned.

One night, while taking a walk in the garden, Alessandro saw her again. He hid behind some bushes and immediately wondered why he had done that. He didn't approach her, neither did he let her see him. He stood watching her from the shadows. Seeing that she was barefoot and not wearing a coat, but instead wrapped in a blanket, he thought the princess was weird and then left.

This winter wasn't as bad for Abril as it had been in the Kingdom of Laios. Although she didn't have suitable winter clothes, her room was comfortable and pleasant. She also had enough blankets to not feel cold.

When winter ended and spring began again, Abril felt happy because she could go on her nighttime walks again.

Abril was singing a song as she looked through the window of her balcony at the beautiful garden full of flowers, when one of the maids entered and said to her.

"Princess, it's a nice day today, why don't you take a walk in the garden?"

"Can I do that?" She asked.

"Of course, Your majesty has given permission."

Excited, Abril left her room and headed to the garden. She had been so excited that she forgot to put on her shoes. She only had one pair, and they were uncomfortable because they were too small, so she never wore them.

As she walked through the garden, she felt the cool and soft grass under her feet. For the first time, she walked in the sunlight, enjoying the beautiful flowers that shone brightly.

Suddenly, she heard a female voice speak to her. It was a beautiful woman with brown hair, wearing a beautiful red dress that stood out among the white flowers in the garden. She was a very beautiful woman, Abril thought as she looked at her. She approached and asked Abril,

"Are you Princess Abril Venobich, from the kingdom of Laios?"

Abril nodded in response. The woman laughed mockingly and said,

"I can't believe my engagement to Alessandro was broken by someone as insignificant as you."

"Who are you?" April asked.

"I am Victoria Vampel, I have been his majesty's fiancée since we were young."

"We were supposed to have been married a year ago, but because of you, that didn't happen."

"I'm sorry." Abril said, not paying much attention to what the beautiful woman was saying.

Victoria became upset at her indifference. She pushed her, causing Abril to fall into the roses behind her. Thorns pierced her arms and back, while others pierced her bare feet as she struggled to get free.

Victoria looked at her with a satisfied smile on her face. She was enjoying her pain. Abril asked for help from the maid who had been accompanying her on her walk, but she didn't lift a finger to help.

"I don't want to get hurt."

"It was your mistake to fall into the roses, get out on your own." The maid replied not feeling bothered.

At that moment, Abril realized what was going on. It had been planned in advance, the maid was conspiring with Victoria, and she had foolishly fallen into their trap.

Suddenly, Victoria threw herself to the ground and screamed in pain. Abril thought she had gone crazy, she had not even screamed like that when she fell into the roses.

Alessandro, who was passing by, rushed to help the screaming lady. When he saw Victoria, he ran to her side and asked her what was wrong. She lied, saying that the princess had thrown her to the ground and that she accidentally fell into the roses.

Up until that moment, Alessandro hadn't noticed that Abril was entangled in the thorns, but when he realized, he helped her out and asked her, "What happened here?"

Before Abril could say a word, Victoria and the maid made up a story in which Abril became the villain and Victoria the victim. It was two against one, and Alessandro didn't even let her speak before judging her.

"You're just like your family, cruel and heartless."

"You feel so entitled in the palace that you think you can trample on others."

"Disappear from my sight right now."

Abril laughed ironically. She had never been treated well in that palace. Trample on others, she laughed at that term because it was the maid and that woman, like a poisonous snake, who trampled on her and hurt her.

But he wouldn't believe her, no matter what she said, he would think she was guilty. Abril got up, the thorns in her feet dug in even deeper and made her bleed. She walked away as fast as she could and returned to her room. On arrival, she removed as many thorns as she could with the help of a needle, but there were others that she couldn't reach, and she didn't know how she would remove them.

Alessandro took Victoria to the palace. After giving her a cup of tea to calm her down, he sent her back home.

Alessandro called the butler and said, "Jaffar, send a doctor to see the princess."

"Right away, Your majesty," he replied.

The butler carried out the king's orders without asking any questions.