The Rightful Queen

Chapter 14 – Accusation

Her last words spoke volumes to him.

Have you never made a mistake in your life? We all act foolish when pushed into a corner by our circumstances.

Well, he made plenty of mistakes. He was as foolish as one could get. Why did he let others run his life? Why did he let others convince him to do what they want? He should’ve been wiser in discerning their selfish desires.

He turned to the man.

“If you do this again, it won’t just be the prison for you. It would be your head on the gallows, do you understand?”

“Yes, sir. I understand. Forgive me. Mercy, please. I won’t do it again.” The man continued to beg.

“Use these well. Feed your children. Do something that might earn you money if you can’t get a job.”

He followed after the woman.

“Wait!” He shouted.

How could she be so far away already? She even managed to buy fruits by the time he caught up with her. Well, no. He actually didn’t catch up with her. She has already left by the time he stopped to catch his breath.

“Do you need anything, sir?” The boy inquired of him.

“That lady… do you know who she is?”

The boy blinked at him. “Well, I do not know her name but she often buys my fruits.”

“She comes here often?”

“Not really. She comes and goes.”

“If she often buys from you, why don’t you know her name?”

“I’ve asked, but she didn’t want to say. Besides, her name isn’t what’s important.”

Well, he’s got a point. As long as she’s buying from him…

Samuel sighed. There were movements behind him and he glared seeing his servants. Useless servants.

“Do you know when she’ll come again?”

The boy shook his head.

What should he do now? Back then, he merely thought he needed to discern who she is by finding the ribbon. He knew now that even though the ribbon was seen with Cristina, she wasn’t the one. Did the boy make a mistake? Did he give it to the wrong person? How did Cristina end up possessing it?

He stared at the boy. Should he still give the ribbon through him? This time, he didn’t rush. He must think this through.

“You don’t confuse her with another customer, do you?”

The boy digested his question. “No, sir. I clearly recognize her.”

The prince gestured for a servant to approach.

“Do you have coins?” He already gave his away.

He presented the coins and the ribbon to the boy.

“Could you do something for me? When that lady comes again, can you give this ribbon to her? Tell her it’s a token from me. I’m grateful that she helped me catch the thief from earlier. Thank you for informing me earlier as well.”

The boy’s eyes widened at seeing so many coins at once.

“How many coins would you give me?”

“These are yours. But don’t forget to give this ribbon to that lady, alright?”

He closed the purse and handed it to him. Carefully, he put the ribbon into his other hand.

“I might come back next week. Just going to check if you’ve given it to her, okay?”

“Sure. She comes at least three times a week, but there’s no regular day.”

Aright. That’s more information than last time. It’s possible that he did in fact gave it to the right person.

“Thank you.”

On his way back to the palace, he was thinking what to do if he finds the ribbon on Cristina again. She’s not the one. Then, she must’ve taken it from somewhere. He doesn’t want to think that his rightful queen would sell it or give it to someone else.

He sighed. Maybe he should’ve told the boy to tell her to keep it as a token and to not give it away. Well, he can’t go back now.

Cristina. He should focus on how to get the truth from her. What could he do?

Laura had been contemplating a lot since her return to this time period. She doesn’t want to live the way she did after being moved to the palace as a resident.

After she was done with her duties on that first day, she returned to her room feeling sick to her stomach. She felt dizzy and ended up having a fever. Her brain couldn’t process the event of going back in time. It’s not logical. It doesn’t make sense. She had a terrible headache as well.

The following day, she remained in bed and asked for rest. She’s really not feeling well. The head housekeeper checked her complexion and pursed her lips before reluctantly agreeing. Thankfully, they sent her food and some herbal medicine.

She had that whole day to plan the new life ahead of her.

There are a few things she’s sure of. First, she doesn’t want to live in the palace. It was restricting. The politics and power play is something she cannot win against.

For the celebration that will be held in the coming days, she should hide well. She couldn’t let the prince see her. She doesn’t want to be one of his consorts. To her, he’s an existence that’s separate from her. She would probably live well on her own. A few times, she considered leaving his uncle’s mansion. She feels connected more to the people in the market. She’s sure some of them would take her in if she asks. She’s a hard worker. She can take on any housekeeping jobs. Her favorite is washing the dishes. Don’t ask why.

If only she’s brave enough.

Even if the kingdom falls within two years, at least she won’t be in the castle when it happens. She doesn’t want to die the way she did before.

But what happened to the residents? Were they taken as captives? Were they turned into slaves? Were they made to labor for the enemies?

Even if she’s not clear on these things, the possibility of a better ending appeals to her.

It’s decided, then. She would do her best to hide during the celebration. The gardens. She could pretend to be lost in the gardens. She would hide in the deepest part of it. She won’t come out until it’s time to leave.

On the first night of the celebrations, Prince Samuel came with a ready mind. His steps are purposeful. There are a few things he needed to accomplish tonight. Disregarding what he’s originally meant to do, he set his mind on finding his rightful queen. Other than that, everything else is secondary. If he finds her tonight, then he would surely choose her as his queen.

Upon entering, his presence was announced and the crowd gathered. He frowned as he looked around. Isn’t it around this time that he would see Lady Laura? She’s the first woman that caught his eyes that night. But it would seem she’s nowhere to be seen. He finds it odd. So far, everything is according to the past, except this little bit. Why?

The ladies have gathered and paid their respects to him as he strode forward the center of the venue. When the celebrations officially began, he still hasn’t seen Laura. He’s supposed to dance with her. Without her, a change of plans is necessary. Should he approach Lady Cristina? See if she has the ribbon and ask about it.

He already came up with a good plan, one guaranteed to make her confess the truth.

So as not to make himself too obvious, he walked around and chatted with the ladies. He didn’t invite any of them to dance.

As he moved around, he finally came face to face with her.

“Greetings, my lord. My name is Lady Cristina, of Thistle.” She curtsied and two other ladies with her. They also introduced themselves and greeted him.

His eyes were on the ribbon on her head. It’s definitely the same ribbon.

“A lovely evening, isn’t it?”

“Yes, my lord. It surely is.”

“May I invite you to a dance?” He directed this to Cristina who looked bashful in that moment. She probably couldn’t believe it that she’s the first woman he asked to dance.

“An honor, my lord.” She took the hand he extended and they moved to the dance floor.

They didn’t speak for a while. Cristina was flustered and caught off guard. What should she say? Before she could gather her thoughts, the prince spoke.

“That’s a lovely ribbon on your head.”

She blinked and stared at him. He’s talking about female accessories?

“Well, yes. It goes well with my dress, your highness.” Does he find it pretty? Does he find her pretty?

“I happen to have one that looks the same. It’s a royal property, used by my mother.” Yeah, he made this up, but he needed a good foundation for his case.

“I see. Then, what a coincidence, my lord.” She remained smiling.

As they continued the dance, Samuel kept staring at her. Why did he accept her as his queen in that other life? From the beginning, he didn’t like her. She’s not his type. She’s pretty in her own way, but not one he’s fond of.

“Yes. Actually, it has been stolen recently.”

Cristina blinked her eyes at him and he finally saw a hint of understanding in her expression. She’s not that naïve not to think what he’s getting at.

“My lord, I’m sure this ribbon is a different item. There’s no way it could be a royal item. And I definitely didn’t steal it.” She kept her voice low, not wanting others to hear what they’re talking about. There are many others dancing on the floor.

“Really? Then, can we check? On the inner side of it, our house emblem is engraved on a metal.” The prince’s expression was blank.

She couldn’t tell what he’s thinking or if he’s serious. But he must be.

Here, Cristina’s face became pale. She’s not sure of this item’s origin. Seeing it has the same colors as her dress, she took it from her cousin’s room. She won’t use it anyway. Did Laura steal it? Where did she get it? That woman just created trouble for her.