"Princess!" Tillie came into her chamber panting.
Florence woke up with a start looking at the person who barged into her room. "What's wrong Tillie? Why are you yelling so early in the morning?"
"The Queen summoned me and asked me several questions. I lied to her saying you're sick from the flu, but she's onto something! She's demanding you to show yourself to the throne room!" Tillie started trembling. She was in her maid quarters and went to get breakfast for the Princess when the Queen's attendant called her over. The Queen asked questions like what was the Princess's sickness? Did the doctor gave her medicines? As if she cared about the Princess. Tillie had no choice but to lie about it with cold sweat dripping from her back.
Florence's drowsiness washed away as it was replaced with alertness. "Help me get change and get that big shawl!"
Changing out of her pajamas, Florence wore her dress with a loosen corset because of her belly. She used a big shawl to hide her stomach, draping over the front of her figure making a disguise.
"Let's go," Florence said with a hardened face.
The two made their way to the throne room, passing the gigantic golden double doors. In the center of the room sat the King of Blume Kingdom, his expression wasn't good.
Next to the King sat Queen Sarah, who's expression was the opposite of the King's. How shameless, she didn't even conceal her excitement for the show coming up. The Prince was present too, but he looked bored and uninterested.
Bowing to the King, Florence said, "Blessings to the Blume Kingdom. Have you call for me?"
"What was your sickness these past few months?" The King asked immediately.
Clenching onto her shawl, Florence replied, "it seems to be allergies that won't go away. I didn't want to implicate the royal family so I shut myself inside of my room."
"If it was allergies, then why did your maid tell me it was the flu?" The Queen pointed out the loop hole.
Florence cursed under her breath, "that was the other months, Your Majesty. I had the flu first, then I caught allergies."
"Now tell me why you need blood cherries? A maid saw your maid sneaked into the kitchen to get some."
Florence flinched, but quickly regained her footing and calmness. "I love their taste, why do you ask Your Majesty?"
Looking at the girl with narrowed eyes, the Queen then demanded, "take off your shawl."
Tillie quickly came over, "Your Majesty her Highness is still sick with allergies and can't afford to get cold. She needs the shawl."
"Nonsense! Open up your shawl to reveal your disgraceful belly!" The Queen stated loudly for the people in the room to gasp in astonishment.
Seeing the Princess unwilling, she ordered the knights to strip her of the shawl. Unable to fight against the strong knights, her shawl was removed. Showing the pregnant belly of the Princess.
"Oh my word! She is pregnant!" One Minister gasped.
"Isn't she single? How could she commit adultery at such a young age!" Another yelled.
"What a shameful slut!" Another said fearlessly knowing he will still have his head after today, even though he cursed at a royal family member.
"How dare you shame the royal family like this!" The King bellowed in anger, his face became red with veins popping out on his forehead.
"Calm down, being angry is not good for your health" the Queen came over to smooth her husband for an act.
Florence didn't flinch at his bellow, instead she was calm. She felt if they banish her from the palace now, she wouldn't mind. It's part of her and Tillie's plan to leave anyways, might as well as leave today since it's getting out of control.
She never wanted to live in such a toxic environment, surrounded by scheming and fake people. If she could give her child a positive place to live outside the place, so be it.
"You lowly maid! How dare you lie so bluntly to my face!" The Queen then yelled. "Execute this wrench!"
Her shrieking caught Florence off guard, "Wait! Don't kill her! Just banish her along with me!"
"You will be banished disgraceful girl!" The King yelled out. "But lying to the royal family will get that lowly maid killed. Guards!"
The knights grabbed Tillie out of Florence's grasps, "No! Don't touch her!"
Seeing the outcome of this event, Tillie could only accept instead of relenting so they won't touch Florence in their spite of anger.
"I'll watch over your family from above. It's been fun with you Florence," Tillie smiled sadly before a Knight slashed her head off with a silver sword. Blood gushed everywhere and blended into red carpet as the body thumped onto the floor lifelessly.
Florence started to hyperventilate looking at her best friend's head rolling on the floor to her feet . She let her emotions take over as tears dripped down uncontrollably from her eyes. Never in her years of living did she felt so crushed and vulnerable. Even Prince Quin was starting to feel bad watching the despaired look on his half-sister's face.
Queen Sarah shuddered from enjoyment looking at the girl's anguished face.
The King then commanded, "kick this wrenched girl out of the palace! From now on your will no longer be my daughter! You are striped of your title of Princess! Don't ever let me see your face! This is the kindest thing I'll ever do for you! So be thankful I'm so benevolent letting you go alive!"
Every word that came from his mouth was blocked from her mind. Florence couldn't focus, she couldn't think properly as she felt the knights dragging her out.
Ah, it is raining. Florence felt the coldness from each drop of the rain falling down. Could the sky be sad for her? Even sadder than her own biological father? How funny the clouds have more sympathy than a person.
Being dragged through the back garden, the knights dropped her off at the back gate then left to return to their post in the palace.
Florence started to walk for God knows how long and God knows where. She just walked in the rain depressed and blaming herself for her best friend's death... her only and last family.
Florence suddenly stopped her tracks and looked down at her belly.
There was still one good thing left... it was the child she tried desperately hard to keep. She started to cry with overwhelming emotions from her heart.
"At least I have you," she whispered before the last of her strength left her body and she fell onto the ground. Her vision became blurry then painting pitch black.
———————-
"Harold! That lady just fainted!" An elderly woman yelled.
The elderly couple quickly came over to the side of the road and covered the body lying on the ground with an umbrella.
"Darling! She's pregnant!" The lady gasped seeing the belly of the lady.
"Hurry! She's soaked, we need to get her back to the clinic" Harold quickly carry the lady while his wife covered her with an umbrella.
Hastily carrying the lady, the couple reached their family's clinic through the back door. Putting the lady onto bed, the elderly woman cleaned the stranger and gave her new clothes. Then put a warm blanket over the lady, the elderly woman proceeds to check her pulse.
"She's fine. Thank god we saw her, or else she might have died on the street" the elderly woman shook her head looking at the beautiful blonde lady with gorgeous facial features.
"Leave her here to rest, come on we still have customers left downstairs" Harold urged. The couple went back to work with their family, leaving the ex-Princess wander around in her dreams.