~ Amaris POV ~
Time was passing by and the day of the wedding was getting closer, but after the vampire Prince left the Palace, Sophia health started to deteriorate for some reason.
All she does was cough all day and night and even the imperial Palace physician was not able to find out the reason behind her worsening health.
The Queen tried to blame everything on me and my so-called uncle just blindly believed in his wife’s words.
She is a vicious woman who won’t even take a step back from hurting her daughter if she will find any benefit in it.
I was now standing in Sophia’s room and she was silently lying on the bed. I don’t think that she will be able to marry that mad dog in her current state.
I was trying to look after Sophia when suddenly a maid entered Sophia’s room without even knocking.
“Hey, the Queen is calling for you.
Come fast otherwise, you all well aware of her anger, right?”, the new maid asserted to me in a cocky tone whilst she clicked her tongue in annoyance after glancing at me.
She sure sounds quite confident that not getting scolded to talk with me in this manner.
Well, this is not the first time when someone disrespected me.
I don’t think that this is a good time to take care of her.
I have to first go and visit that cranky old woman before she starts to beat another maid in place of me.
I am certain that she must be again planning something to keep me in check
That woman is sure getting more insane day by day.
I don’t know the reason why she called me in her chamber, but I am sure that it’s not good news for me.
I then looked towards the maid who came to call for me with a forced smile on my face.
“I am coming with you so, can you please lead the way?
We all know that waiting for someone is not one of her majesty’s greatest virtue, right?”, I asserted to her in a calm voice whilst my eyes were fixed on Sophia.
The maid only chuckled at me and her snobbish attitude is now getting under my skin.
“Do you think that you can order me now just because you are some sort of princess?
Don’t forget that your position is the same as mine in this Palace or should I say that my position is better than yours?
At least, I am one of the favourite maids of her majesty’s unlike you.
Pathetic loser.
I don’t know why is her majesty letting you live?
Now, let’s get going before she personally comes here to visit you”, the maid said to me arrogantly while she was glaring at me.
Does she think that I will let all of this slide just like that?
She dares to mock me with that arrogant look on her face.
I didn’t say anything to her at that time, but I am not someone who forgets things easily.
After covering Sophia’s body with the blanket, I turned around to leave with that arrogant maid.
While we were walking towards the Queen chamber’s, the maid only blabbered about how I am only a disgrace on the Thera Kingdom.
“Tsk, the Queen was right. You are shameful just like your birth mother.
She also ran away from her wedding which was arranged by the King.
We faced so much humiliation because of that greedy and selfish mother of yours who only thought about herself.
Someone like you should not be even born”, the annoying maid retorted whilst she laughed at me.
Now, she has started to irritate me to the core.
“How dare you insult my mother?
Did you forget that she was the Princess of this kingdom?
Remember one thing clearly.
You should choose your words wisely as one wrong word from your mouth is enough to kill you.
Who knows what will happen when your Queen won’t be there to look after you.
So, think before you speak.
Do you get it or not?”, I whispered to her in a low and cold voice whilst the maid only shivered in fear.
Why do I always need to show them that they are no match for me?
I am getting quite bored now.
I need to finish everything as soon as possible if I want my peace back.
“You... you will regret warning me... I will tell every maid that you are not what you look like.
You just wait.
I will make your life a living hell in this Palace after Princess Sophia’s marriage with that damn Prince.
I am sure that even the Queen won’t say anything back to me if I will teach you a nice lesson instead, she will praise for my hard work”, the maid said to me in a stuttered tone while she was still looking me into my eyes with a feared expression on her face.
Teach me a lesson, she says.
What a naive woman she is to think that she is strong enough to stand against me.
“What’s your name?”, I asked whilst we were standing outside the Queen’s chamber.
The maid only raised her eyebrows at me after hearing my words.
“Why?
Do you want to complain about me?
Well, whatever the case is, but let me tell you that no one is going to believe your words.
As for my name, it’s Julia.
Let’s see what will the Queen do with you when she will find out how you behaved with me today”, the maid responded with a haughty look on her face.
After saying those words, she announced our arrival before entering my so-called aunt’s chamber.
The moment I entered her room, the Queen threw the flower vase in my direction with full force.
The vase hit my head and the place where I got hit suddenly started bleeding.
I only clenched my fists tightly to suppress my anger.
“Why do I have to bear your face every day?
Why can’t you just die?
After you entered the Palace everything started to work against me.
You are just a jinx for this kingdom and the people.
It’s a good thing that my daughter is bedridden otherwise, I had to sacrifice her.
Everyone get out.
I want to talk with this filthy thing alone.
I only want Mary to stay here”, the Queen exclaimed in a dead tone whilst she smirked at me.
I only touched my head with a smile on my face.
Does she think that this is enough to break me?
Well, she has to work harder if she wants to see the scared expression on my face.
This much blood means nothing to me.
The more she will torture me, the closer she will get to dig her own grave.
Mary is one of her closest aides who takes the Queen's words quite seriously.
Why did she suddenly wants o see me?
What’s cooking inside her head this time?
“What do you want from me, your majesty?
I don’t think that you called me here to chit-chat with you, right?
Let’s just not waste each others precious time”, I told her and the moment I finished my sentence she started to strangle me with a furious expression on her face.
This old hag has finally lost it.
First, she called me here than the one to hit me with the flower vase was also her and now that I have asked for the reason that she ordered my presence in her chamber, she suddenly started to strangle me out of nowhere.
What kind of nonsense she has prepared for me this time?
“Your majesty, we need her this time.
You can’t kill her for now.
Wait for King Stephan.
He is on his way to your chamber to tell this insignificant thing what we want her to do.
I am certain that you will be able to soon get rid of this girl and that too without dirtying your hands”, Mary asserted in a low voice whilst she was trying her best to calm the Queen’s anger.
Why is she trying to help me out and what does she mean by that the Queen will be able to get rid of me without dirtying her hand?
What the heck is going on here?
The Queen after hearing her words pushed me on the floor whilst my neck was stinging for some reason.
Did she scratch my neck with her fingernails?
She seriously loves to harm me in any manner that she can, but she sometimes forgets that things like this can’t do anything to me.
Even her little strength won’t be enough to suffocate me in any manner.
She is only wasting her energy and nothing else.
I was still sitting on the floor whilst the floor was now covered with my blood.
The wound must be quite serious.
While I was thinking about their reasons to call me here suddenly the king entered the chamber of the Queen without making any announcement.
“You are here.
Did you tell her what we want her to do?”, the king asked the queen whilst he was looking in my direction.
The Queen only shook her head and then king Stephan only sighed whilst he sat on the chair beside my dear aunt.
Mary was standing beside the Queen and now everyone was glancing at me.
What exactly do they want from me?
“Amaris, as you are well aware of Sophia’s condition we want you to marry the Vampire Prince to save this kingdom.
You can’t deny this and neither you have any option to back out from this marriage.
Your mother once abandoned her duty when she ran away from her wedding which I fixed for her for the benefit of this kingdom.
I won’t let you repeat the same mistake as hers.
You have to marry that mad dog in place of Sophia.
He is not even aware of Sophia’s name let alone her face.
Even if he will kill you it will be a privilege for you to die for your kingdom.
I think being dead is good than being her bride, right?
It will be nice if the Vampire Prince will kill you on the day of your wedding.
You can do this for us, right?
I have raised you like my own daughter, Amaris.
Can’t you sacrifice your happiness for me?
I am not asking for too much, am I?
If I didn’t help you at that time then you would have been sold to someone
Can’t you do this one thing to save your uncle’s neck?”, my so-called uncle, king Stephan said to me in a cold voice whilst he was looking at me with a dead look in his eyes.
Not asking for too much?
He is practically asking me to give my life away to save his neck.
I knew that they don’t see me as their family member and neither I am interested in considering them as my uncle and aunt.
They are telling me to deceive that mad dog.
If that Vampire Prince got to know about this betrayal then he will for sure give me a painful death.
They can’t force me to marry that guy without my permission.
“Oh, if by chance you will not agree with this proposal of mine then I won’t have any option left, but to send Sophia in bedridden condition.
Do you think that I won’t be able to see through your and Sophia’s act?
I know that she cares for you and you are also the same.
You are well aware of the fact that I am a cold-hearted mother, right?
If you are still thinking of rebelling then I will simply send Sophia", the Queen told me in a calm voice whilst she grabbed the King’s arm with a smile on her face.
This woman never fails to amaze me.
Why are they hell-bent on getting me married to that Prince?
There must be something more to this.
“You want me to say yes no matter what, right?
Well, first tell me why only me?
I mean, many girls will die for this opportunity then why are you forcing me to accept this proposal?
Is there something that you are not telling me?
I am sure this is not as simple as this is looking. Come on, you have to spill the beans if you want me to say, ‘I do’ in the marriage”, I responded to them and they both only clenched their fists with an irritated expression on their faces.
They are looking quite furious after listening to my words.
I don’t think that I will need some blade or sword to finish them off.
One day they will die to their anger only.
“Mary, take this filthy thing out of my chamber and even if you have to starve her do that, but I want her to say yes for this marriage without any questions asked.
Do you understand?”, the Queen told Mary with a serious look on her face whilst she was glaring at me with eyes filled with rage.
Mary only bowed her head and after that, she grabbed me by my hand, but before she could drag me out of the room, I heard a maid scream.
She then entered the chamber without asking the Queen’s permission.
“Her highness, I found your new maid, Julia’s body in the Palace garden.
Apart from her face, her whole body was burnt down.
Someone must have killed her first and after that, to hide her identity that person tried to burn her down”, the maid said in one single breath while she was still huffing.
She must have run to report the incident.
“How dare you enter my chamber without asking me permission?
What do you want me to do?
I have more serious matters to attend to than finding the culprit who killed one of the maids.
She must be stupid to think that she is special to me.
Now, as for your punishment, I will personally whip you off later.
For now, get the heck out of here and don’t you dare to waste my time on such useless things again.
You don’t have to report things like this to me in the future, alright?”, the Queen yelled in a loud voice while she got up from her chair.
This woman can never be a good woman or a good Queen.
The maid immediately apologised to her and after that, she dashed out of the room without even looking back.
This woman won’t let this thing slid away just like this.
Mary then started to drag me out of the room while the king and the Queen only smiled at one another.
She bowed her head for the last time before leaving the room with me.
After getting out of the room Mary let go of my hand immediately whilst she looked at me with a concerned look on her face.
“I am sorry, princess.
I didn’t mean to grab your wrist so tightly.
Oh, no your head is bleeding a lot.
We need to clean the wound as soon as possible.
Let me help you out”, Mary asserted in a low voice while she was trying to stop the blood with her handkerchief.
I silently observed her and she immediately shut her mouth.
“Let’s head to my room first and then we will discuss everything, alright?”, I whispered to her and she only nodded her head with a smile on her face.
There are still many things that no one knows about me and Mary is one of my secrets.
She was one of the people who helped my mother in eloping that damn marriage that my uncle fixed for her.
“Princess, do you want me to help you in escaping?
They won’t doubt me even if I helped you out.
They say you are the impure princess, but for me, you are my only master.
I am just bearing that idiotic woman for your sake.
I will do everything in my power to protect you”, Mary responded in a hushed voice while we were standing outside my room.
They didn’t even provide me with a basic room.
“I can’t believe that those people dared to give you such a room.
I mean it’s worse than the rooms which are allotted to the maids.
Why didn’t you protested? If I may be bold to ask you then what are you scheming this time, princess?”, Mary exclaimed with a dead look in her eyes while she was examining my room.
There is a reason that I didn’t protest even after getting such a room and that’s because this is the only room that has a secret room.
The only person who knew about this was only my mother and thanks to her diary even I an aware of it.
I then kept my index finger on my lips and after that, I glanced towards Mary with a serious look on my face, “Shush! Lower your voice, Mary.
What if someone will get to know that you are one of my people?
As for helping me out, that’s something which you should not worry about because the one who desperately wants this marriage is not my dear uncle and aunt, but me.
There is a reason why I asked you to tell my aunt to add those medicines to Sophia’s soup.
I wanted to save her, but what I was not aware of is the effect of those medicines on Sophia.
Did that Queen add more than the required medicine in Sophia’s soup?
Were you not present at her side when she was preparing the soup, huh?”
Mary only looked down and then she told me that the Queen didn’t let her stay by her side when she mixed the medicine in the soup.
I didn’t want to harm Sophia in any manner, but even then she is in this condition because of me.
Only if I have some other way to stop her marriage with that Vampire Prince then I would have done that earlier.
I can’t allow her to get married to that guy because he is someone who is going to be my pawn in this game.
I was standing near the window and from there I saw the moon which was looking quite beautiful.
“Oh, did you take care of that corpse?
I mean, did you take care of that Julia’s body? She was one annoying one”, I asked her in a calm voice whilst my eyes were still fixated on the moon.
Mary only nodded and this brought a smile to my face.
‘I can’t wait to meet you, Mateo Von Valentino or should I say my future husband?’, I mumbled to myself in a low voice whilst I started to tap on the window’s glass.
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Author's Note
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