In the webnovel that Euphemia was reading, Queen Celestinia was beloved by the people of Aderlan. She had a smile that warmed people's hearts and she was very friendly with the Saintess. The Queen was happy with the engagement of her son and the Saintess in the story.
What about now? She wasn't engaged to the Queen's son and she also insulted him publicly.
Euphemia couldn't help but be nervous. She looked at the dresses displayed in front of her.
"Lady Euphemia, would you like to wear this white dress? It is customary for the Saintess to wear a white dress," a maid suggested and showed her a pristine white dress with white lace and white pearls.
It would be the last thing she would want to wear. The Saintess in the story was forced to wear white as custom dictated. She didn't want to do the same. She wanted to avoid anything that the Saintess in the story did.
Euphemia shook her head. "No, not that."
"Perhaps a blue one again? It's not as beautiful as the dress you were wearing from your world, but this one would look majestic on you, Lady Euphemia," Helen said.
The dress was a vivid color of blue with several ruffles, ribbons, and buttons. It had a matching blue cap, blue gloves, and blue shoes. It did look beautiful. Perhaps she would wear it on a different day.
Then she saw it. It was behind all the other dresses. A black one. Euphemia took it, not minding the widened eyes of her maids.
"I want this," Euphemia said.
"A Saintess never wears black! You should just wear the white one!" The maid who was holding the white dress exclaimed.
Euphemia frowned. "Are you disagreeing with me?"
"Yes! You're Aderlan's Saintess! You should do what you are told. In fact, you should have been engaged to His Highness. You've been very disobedient," the maid said.
The other maids were silent. Perhaps they were watching how Euphemia would react. If she would allow this disrespectful maid to stay, the other maids might become disrespectful too.
"You're dismissed," Euphemia said with a steely voice and a cold pointed stare.
The maid looked startled. "Pardon me, Lady Euphemia. Here, let me help you with that black dress."
"No, you are dismissed. You are no longer working for the Duke. If you stay any longer, I will not allow even a letter of recommendation to be given to you. Do you understand?" Euphemia said.
The maid looked horrified. She bowed quickly and hastened out of the room.
The maids helped her dress in silence. Euphemia didn't ease their fears. She needed for them to respect her. She would not be molded on what a Saintess should be.
Euphemia looked at herself in the mirror. She smiled a bit. She was sure that Lucien would wear black again. They would be a matching couple.
The black dress was made of satin. It had a high collar that covered the sides of her neck but open at the center. It showed a hint of her cleavage but not too much. The neckline had black fur sewn on the edges. The fur was touching her skin and Euphemia liked how soft it was. It reminded her of Lucien's black fur cape. The sleeves were in cape style with delicate silver flowers and leaves. A velvet black belt hugged her small waist and under it, the skirt was long and flowing.
She looked regal.
Euphemia went out of the mansion. Lucien was waiting for her in front of the carriage.
Lucien looked surprised at her appearance but he smiled. "You look stunning, Lady Euphemia."
Euphemia smiled back. "Thank you, Lucien."
Lucien helped her in the carriage and he went in himself afterwards. It was time to go to the Imperial Palace.
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Euphemia walked in the throne room by herself. Lucien was not allowed to go in with her.
The throne room was decorated in red and gold. Euphemia walked at the red carpet at the center of the room. At the end of the room was an elevated crimson throne. Anyone who would sit on it would look at the subjects from above the steps.
Euphemia stood below those steps. She was told to wait for the Queen to arrive.
She was starting to feel nervous again. She didn't even know the proper way to curtsy.
A trumpet suddenly sounded.
Knights clad in silver armor arrived. They came from an inconspicuous doorway at the side of the room. They positioned themselves uniformly at both sides of the throne room.
Then she arrived. She ascended the steps gracefully as if she was ascending to the Heavens.
Queen Celestinia was goddess incarnate. Her beauty was breathtaking. She had long golden hair like honey. Her purple dress was decorated with gold flower embroideries that sparkled like sunlight.
Euphemia's instinct told her to bow down so she did. She peaked at the soldiers at her right side. They gave no indication if she was doing it wrong. Was she supposed to kneel instead?
She peaked in front. The queen had sat down already. Her long skirts were like purple and golden liquid on the throne steps.
"Praise be, Light to the Empire's Sun," Euphemia said. It was something Lucien had taught her while they were in the carriage. The Empire's Sun was the King and the Queen was the Light.
"The Light shines upon you," the Queen replied as customary. "Let me look at you."
Euphemia stopped bowing and stood straight. She made eye contact with the Queen. The Queen's icy blue eyes seemed to be assessing her.
"You wore black," she stated.
"Yes, Your Highness," Euphemia replied.
"Why?" The Queen asked, her gaze as cold as ice.
Where was the Queen's warmth mentioned in the webnovel? This Queen was the total opposite of what Euphemia had read.
"I just wanted to match my fiancé, Your Highness," Euphemia said. She could feel the Queen's cold gaze.
"You do know that the Duke wears black because he has been mourning for years? His family had burned down to ashes and he has been wearing black ever since," The Queen said while watching her reaction.
"No, Your Highness. I just wanted to match him," Euphemia said. It was partly true. She knew about the fire but she didn't know that the reason he wore black was because of that.
"Were you not given a white dress?" The Queen asked.
"Yes, but it's not my style to wear a dress in all white, Your Highness," Euphemia said.
The Queen was silent for a while.
"I heard that you've rejected my son," The Queen said. "Why is that?"
"I . . . am just a commoner from my world. I am undeserving of your son. There are other ladies who will suit him better, Your Highness," Euphemia said. She knew that the Queen was going to ask her that.
"You can still reconsider his proposal. If you do change your mind, the Imperial Family will still welcome you," the Queen said without warmth.
"I will keep that in mind but I have already been formally engaged to the Duke, Your Highness," Euphemia said.
"Engagements can still be broken especially when one of the two suddenly dies," the Queen said. "One cannot be engaged to the dead."
Euphemia chewed on her lip. She hoped that Lucien wouldn't be in danger because of her.
"Have you already tried healing, Saintess?"
"Not yet, Your Highness."
The Queen gestured one of the knights to come forward. The knight walked forward and stopped beside Euphemia.
"Let the Saintess practice on you," the Queen said, her expression impassive.
"Yes, Your Highness!" The knight knelt on the ground and pulled his sword from its sheath.
Euphemia's eyes widened. She tried to stop him but he was too fast.
The knight stabbed himself with his sword. Blood gushed out from his stomach.
"No!" Euphemia exclaimed and knelt beside the knight.
The knight looked like he was in extreme pain but he made no sound. He pulled out his sword and collapsed on the ground. More blood gushed out.
"Be quick, Saintess. He'll die at this rate," the Queen said in a bored tone.
Euphemia didn't know what to do. Her mind was racing. Her heart beat was pounding.
"Anyway, I still have a lots of knights for you to practice on," the Queen said.
Euphemia closed her eyes. How did the Saintess heal in the webnovel? There were no incantations. The Saintess would just heal outright.
Euphemia touched the knight's gaping wound with both of her hands. She could feel the sticky blood flowing from the wound.
She concentrated hard. The webnovel mentioned that the Saintess' healing magic looked light a burst of golden light.
She imagined in her head the sun. The hot sunlight on her skin. The bright blinding sunlight.
Banish the pain with might!
Bless thee with healing light!
The words suddenly filled her mind and warmth radiated from her fingetips. Euphemia opened her eyes. A bright golden light burst out of her hands.
The light slowly dimmed and faded to nothing. The knight's wound was no more. The knight looked shocked. He was already prepared for death.
Euphemia smiled but a sudden exhaustion came over her.
Then the pain came.
Pain suddenly burst inside her stomach, the same place where the knight had stabbed himself.
Euphemia couldn't scream. She was too shocked to make a sound. It was as if she had been stabbed the very same way. Her mind was in shock. She collapsed on the ground.
"If you dare be impudent again to the Imperial Family, I will send you to war where you shall heal all the wounded soldiers," the Queen said calmly.
Euphemia remembered something. The strange title of the webnovel. It was called Taming the Saintess.
She couldn't see anything anymore. There was only darkness. She was losing consciousness.
It was better than the feeling of dying.