SECRET OF THE AMULET

CHAPTER 8

With her gaze fixed on the beautiful gown with a keyhole neckline, Lucienne said nothing. The unbroken flow of the delicate buttoned-up cloth that covered her tummy was disrupted by a large ribbon tied rather loosely around her waist. She was drawn to the design on the top dress, which went all the way to the floor, and even though the style didn't suit her, she felt obligated to wear it.

She was, on the other hand, not always respectful to her parents. After all, they had disregarded her request to visit the estate of her fiancé. Lucienne destroyed the lovely red garment using her favourite knife, and she was pleased with the outcome after only a few minutes of work!

The evening gown that had been imposed upon her had been destroyed. Lucienne's long, brown hair was knotted in a sloppy ponytail. When she looked in the mirror, she was taken aback by the metamorphosis. She wore a broad smile in front of the mirror, convinced that her parents would die if they saw her in this outfit. When one of the servants arrived to get her for supper, the woman shouted in terror when she saw what she was dressed in for the occasion.

“Are you shocked, Meredith?” She questioned in a fun manner, and Meredith was rendered speechless for a little time!

"Can you tell me what you've done to your dress?" Meredith inquired while attempting to sweep up the pieces of the once lovely garment and scowled at Lucienne for being nasty and a spoilt child. Lucienne frowned back.

Lucienne responded casually, "I don't like it." She didn't feel guilty about spoiling a beautiful garment.

Lucienne, the girl who had the sweetest heart while she was growing up but who had transformed into something nasty and brutal in the eyes of her parents, was reprimanded by Meredith for her behaviour. “You should be glad to be doted on by your parents, Your Highness,” she said.

“Doted? Aye, my mother doted on me, but what about the King? Every day, he made me feel like I lacked in every aspect! He made me feel insecure towards her dead daughter!”

When Meredith shook her head, she was trying to get Lucienne to realise that her parents spoke a different language of love and that she should be proud to have such diligent parents. "Let me straighten your hair," she urged, but Lucienne remained defiant, and she was at a loss as to what to do with her anymore. "I'm afraid I'm going to lose my job," she said.

“Pardon?” Lucienne requested the woman to repeat what she had just said, and the woman obliged.

“I'm afraid I'll lose my job if you show up in the dining room dressed like that,” she warned.

“Can you tell me why you would lose your job?” It was the notion of not seeing her nanny again that made Lucienne feel uneasy, and she glanced at the lady who had been at her side since she was a child.

“Your father warned me that if I couldn't persuade you to dine with his guests, I might lose it,” Meredith responded.

Lucienne swallowed the knot in her throat as she looked at her nanny with a puzzled expression. Even though she felt sorry for the woman, she knew she couldn't let her plan go awry. Lucienne chewed the inside of her lower lip as she contemplated her options.

An hour later, Lucienne descended the grand staircase, adorned with marble steps and a wrought-iron railing. She was a sight to behold in her royal blue gown, and the crowd who had gathered to greet her gasped for air at the same time.

She wore a cotton gown with long sleeves and a large ruffle over the shoulders and collar throughout the evening. The skirt was long and could perhaps be worn with a hoop, and the sleeves had a full top with horizontal pleating and a small ruffle at the end of each sleeve.

Eleanor has always been a step ahead of the curve when it comes to trendy gowns. Perhaps it was due to her frequent trip to different nations to conduct political engagements with her father. She had anticipated seeing only a few people, but the big hall was completely crowded!

As soon as she stepped off the last step and onto the ground level, Eleanor ran up to her daughter and kissed her cheek. "We've been looking forward to seeing you!"

"Can you tell me who these folks are, Mommy?" Lucienne questioned because she was feeling overwhelmed by the many people who had shown up for a modest dinner party.

"Do you see that gentleman over there?" As she pointed to a grey-haired gentleman in a fitted suit carrying a champagne glass, Eleanor went over to him as soon as he became aware of their presence.

Lucienne knew the man as one of the wealthiest men in the Kingdom, and it wasn't a secret that her parents desired his assets, and it appeared that their plot was in full swing when Lord George Blackwood arrived. She greeted the young lord, who happened to be her fiancé’s older brother.

“Your Highness,” George greeted the most beautiful woman in the Kingdom.

When the man saw Lucienne up close and personal, he gasped, and Lucienne feigned a grin when she took his hand in hers for a shake. “Your Grace,” she answered, and she instantly exhaled as he kissed her hand, and even though it was a customary courtesy in the Kingdom, Lucienne didn't appreciate it in the least.

“My brother is indeed lucky to have you as his fiancée, Your Highness,” he announced.

Lucienne just smiled because she wasn’t pleased with the mention of her fiance, who never even bothered to visit her after their engagement. “May I ask why he’s not with you?”

“He’s on an official trip, Your Highness,” George replied.

“I see. Well, it’s a shame that he’s not here, don’t you think?” She started a conversation deep inside, and she wished that someone would save her from Lord Blackwood. “May I be excused for a moment? I think I saw a friend who just arrived,” she reasoned out, and although it was rude to leave him, she wouldn’t give a damn about it.

As she strolled towards the door, in the pretext of meeting someone she knew, a guy approached her and said, "If you're dissatisfied with the wedding, you should elope." Lucienne instantly whirled around to see who was speaking to her, but no one was there to greet her. His distinctive scent, on the other hand, stayed on her nose, and she spent the whole evening attempting to track him down...without success!

Was he some ghost or something?

Later that night, when everyone returned to their residence, the King summoned Lucienne’s presence, and Queen Eleanor was worried. Throughout dinner, she has witnessed how her daughter behaved.

“Did you feel compelled to be nasty at dinner?” The king shouted at her spoiled daughter for being rude to his guests.

Lucienne was shocked as the sound of her father's voice resounded throughout the whole palace. Arthur Montgomery became even more upset when she answered in a high-pitched voice in response. “I can’t marry George Blackwood,” she said, but a strong smack from her father nearly shattered her jaw in two places.

“Don't make a fool of yourself, Lucienne!” He yelled at Lucienne once more, and then Eleanor joined in and smacked their daughter in the face since she was so defiant!

“George is a better choice, so we should cancel your first engagement immediately! Whether you like it or not, you are going to marry George Blackwood instead of his brother!” As Eleanor insisted, Lucienne received another smack across the face when she refused to budge from her position.