I'm not sure if I did the right thing. Was it too early to show them the new me? I have perceived the moment I came here, that I'll be gathering enemies.
Whoever wants to put me down, I'm going to deal with them head-on. The naïve Lucinda before is already gone and right now, I am the improved version.
But what concerns me is, what if I will be in danger after projecting this side of me? Whatever. I just can't hide this forever, right? I'm no longer the kitten they can bully any time, anywhere. I am Lucinda: the tigress, the queen.
Since the incident today, I have sensed that Eleanor has been suspicious of me. She's pretty sure I am not the old Lucinda.
So, there's a possibility that Eleanor will become more vicious and will try hard to get rid of me. If that's the case, then I need some extra help. It would be unwise if I try to become friends with the other concubines, knowing the fact that I am considered as their nemesis in love and affection.
And it is not new to me. They have hated me from the get-go. Maybe I should look for other noble ladies to use. I have remembered that I was not able to attend any social gathering since those concubines came to the palace.
That little confidence Lucinda had has perished along with her self-esteem and her dignity ever since Timothy chose to abandon her just for those jealous bitches. Her silence, her patient nature, her kindness has caused the poor soul so much -- bullied, destroyed, and trampled on by them.
Yes, you can say the previous owner of the body— Lucinda 'was' a typical goody-two-shoes before; a living angel on earth. But now, I would no longer let anybody destroy me…not anymore.
I had taken a look into the invitations that the noble ladies had sent me. If only I can find some good noble ladies and befriend them. This way, I will be able to use them to attain my goals.
Many noble ladies want to get acquainted with me in order to gain favor. I have been invited countless times, receiving many invitations from other socialites for tea parties, social gatherings, picnics, and many other invitations. However, those concubines just went on my behalf every time and I could not even budge.
Honestly, it's a bother. I'm not good at acting all friendly. Besides, their conversations are rather irritating. That's why I don't mind either since I will take benefits as well. But perhaps, I could take the invitation of Duke's wife, Lady Kathryn.
The invitation was beautifully handwritten by Lady Katherine herself. She had mentioned about Alex and even wanted him to bring along. It's not unusual to bring the children into the tea party but most noble women would prefer to keep them with their nannies. Why of course, nobody wants to have kids near them when gossiping aout other people, right?
And that would be possible only if the nanny was also good. However, in Alex's case, he got nearly killed by his nanny.
Anyway, I don't care about other people anymore. I better have to keep Alex safe all the time since many are vying to make him dead. Why would she mention Alex? What's her motive? Even if she has, I have to find it out.
" Anna, do you know anything about Lady Kathryn?"
" Well, she is the duke's wife and her family background is good. Her father was the count in their region. Her husband is quite older than her. That's all I know your highness."
" Strange. Why would she ask me to bring Alex to the tea party?" I wondered.
" Maybe she wants prince Alex to be friends with her daughter."
" Her daughter?"
" Yes, lady Kathryn has a four-year-old daughter. I think she wants to build their bonding from a young age. There are possibilities that prince Alex may marry her daughter in the future."
" That's a good plan."
" Your highness, I don't know much about lady Kathryn but it's normal for the mother to seek a good partner for their child's marriage. Lady Kathryn has been trying to pursue you for a long time maybe you should give it a try and see. You are smart enough to recognize her true motives. She can become a useful alliance for you in the future."
" Hmm. First I have to meet this lady Kathryn."
I have no idea how she is, which is why I was a little bit anxious thinking about my performance. I hope she won't turn up to be another Eleanor.
Shortly after replying to her invitation letter, I left for her residence. I went to their house along with my little Alex and they had welcomed me warmly.
" Welcome your highness. It's such an honor to have you here with me." Lady Kathryn was indeed a beautiful woman with soft wavy brown hair and fair skin. Her eyes were shone like bright golden sun. Those eyes were gleaming with purity. She looked like a saint, an angel. I was mesmerized by her appearance.
" I'm also honored to receive your invitation. Thank you for having me here."
" Welcome prince Alex."
" Thank you for inviting me," Alex replied with a smile. Aww, my baby is so adorable. Lady Kathryn smiled softly and she escorted us inside the palace. We walked into the garden where a little girl was waiting for us.
" Your highness, this is my daughter Rosalinda." Little Rosalinda bowed her head to greet us. She was so small and cute! I want to cuddle her in my arms. Oh my! She's even cuter than my Alex.
" Dear, why don't you take prince Alex and show him around the garden." Lady Kathryn told her daughter Rosalinda, who resembles her mother a lot. She looks like an exact copy of her. Sadly my little Alex takes after his asshole father. Although when he will become an adult he will look very handsome just like his father. My only wish is that he won't follow his father's footsteps.
We sat in the garden which was beautifully decorated with various flower trees. The flowers bloomed all over the garden, spreading sweet aroma all over their estate.
" Lady Kathryn, I can't help but admire your beautiful garden. The flowers are like the little jewels."
" I'm flattered, your highness. It's a hobby of mine to gather different varieties of flowers and plant them in my garden. I'll give you a tour of the garden personally afterwards."
" Thank you very much."
" To tell you the truth, I'm very happy that you finally decided to visit me. I had written you letters before. Sadly, I never received any reply from you. Although I knew very well about your circumstances."
" My circumstances?"
" There's nothing to be shocked or hide. The Noble ladies are aware of the fact that you were being ignored by the king. Most of them have made friends with those concubines."
"Yet you didn't stop sending me letters. May I know the reason why?" That was rather bold of me to ask her such a question.
" Before they came, you used to attend social events. It's been a long time. Maybe that's why you don't remember me, but I have chatted with you in those events. My first impression of you was very mesmerizing. In fact, we even agreed to have our kids married to each other." She chuckled softly, as her eyes were reminiscing the past. My mind began to search for those memories where Lucinda met Kathryn.
Their meetings flashed upon my eyes. What Kathryn said is all true. Lucinda thought of her as her friend. Even though they didn't have enough opportunities to spend time together.
On the other hand, Kathryn knew about Lucinda's situation. The naive Lucinda, she isolated herself from the world. She was too scared to ask for help or a little bit of sympathy.
The court life is filled with tragedy, scheming, and manipulation from other people with bad intentions. You either hunt your enemies or become their victims. That's the basic rule of survival in the royal palace.
My mouth shaped into a meek smile as I started to speak. " Please don't get me wrong. I have indeed lost some memories after a certain incident. Although after hearing your words I remembered everything. I'm so thankful that you never cut me off. My situation went from bad to worse. I couldn't even see my son without the permission of His Majesty. The ground under my feet was gone. My mind was trapped in a dark room."
" Your highness, I had no idea you went through such hell. I did have an ominous feeling when you didn't reply to me." Kathryn looked dishearten. Perhaps she was winded up with her troubles.
" It's fine lady Kathryn. I have no grudges against you. Right now I'm focusing on getting my position back."
" You seem more confident than before."
" Yes. You can say I have been reborn." Her eyes widen up. She may have already noticed the changes in my behavior. After all, I'm not the Lucinda she knew.
" I didn't quite get you."
" Lady Kathryn, I know what you think of me as your friend. That's why I'll be honest with you. All these years, I suffered alone. I should have asked you for help rather than locking myself up in a cage."
" Your highness, what happened?" The horror was visible on her face.
"A few days ago, I almost died rather killed. The concubines tried to kill my innocent child just for that filthy throne. I had no other options left. If I don't fight back now they will never receive the punishment they deserve. Even if there's a god, I'm still gonna make them pay back for their misdeeds. For that, I need a loyal friend beside me who would help me. Kathryn, will you help me out?"
" Of course I will your highness-"
" You can call me Lucinda when we are alone. I feel more comfortable with that." Both of us smiled at each other and took a sip from the aromatic tea.
" I will help you. I promise." Those words weren't lies at all.
~ to be continued