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CHAPTER 4
"My decision is final. Take it or..."
"Princess. Princess." A soft voice gently calls out to her.
BLINKS!
**FLASHBACK ENDS**
"Princess."
Era turned to her side and saw Rina, with her head bent to the side. Then she turned her had to face forward and noticed all eyes were glued on her.
As though that wasn't enough, she felt one out of all stares burn deep into her, causing her to look in that direction.
Their gazes met again. This time he wasn't smiling but had his face twist into a frown. Something she was already wondering if he could do.
At that moment, she did not know why but a small smirk formed on her face.
Although for a split second, she was sure he saw it since his frown further deepened. She could bet it was the first time someone was doing that to him as the look of surprise lingered on in his beautiful eyes.
'Yes!' A triumphant smile formed in her mind first before she fixed herself, with head raised her and chest out.
'Era, ignore him and walk. Breath Era.' She managed to find her inner voice again and motivated herself to complete what she had started.
And just like that, the wedding proceeded quickly. Time seemed to have been fast for Era until the moment when she heard the words…
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. I present to you, King Vidor of Etheria and his Queen, Era of Etheria."
"LONG LIVE THE KING! LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!"
The crowd echoed their praise but with each sound only brought forth a thudding ache in the heart of the one who was left to bear the weight of what was to come.
***
Seated in one of the rooms of the palace was a man ripe in age with a glass of wine in his hand and his legs crossed against each other.
To his right was a young lady clad in dark orange, long-sleeved flowing gown. She to had a glass of wine in her hands but unlike him who had his back resting against the chair, she didn't.
Her eyes dimmed a fraction as she stared at nothing in particular button a closer look one could see her staring deeply into or through the glass at nothing still.
"Hmm," she scoffed but did not utter a word.
"The nerve," the elderly man finally voiced out his worry. His eyes dimmed as well but his held a more bitter intensity in them than hers did.
"The nerve! What did he take me or you or my family for?"
"How could he just marry her!" The young lady hollered in anger. "Father you have been there giving your support since day one and fighting for him but yet he ignores me and goes to pick a girl he only just met as his bride!"
That was it. She voicing out the deed was all it took to tear the head of the elderly man apart.
He stood up in anger and threw his wine glass against a wall.
SWOOSH!
THUD! THUD!
She turned her head swiftly towards the direction of the broken wine glass to see the destruction made before peeling her eyes off it slowly to look at her father.
"Aaarrggghhhhh!! Vidor!" The elderly man roared in anger. "Urghh!"
"Father!"
COOOOH COOOHHH!
Flinging her own drink to the floor, the lady rushed to her father's side to hold and support him.
"Help!" She called out for help while using her hands to pat him on the back. "Help!"
"Do not worry Diona. I can handle this. If I cannot handle this, the king would think me weak and take my position from me."
"But father, your health." Her face quickly turned into a grimace at the sight of how sickly her father looked. Everything just turned out sour so soon.
"Do not be like that, dear. You know I am strong but that King just needs to see it for himself. Anyways, that is not the bone of contention right now, Diona. What is more pressing is what that King did to you."
"Father, we can talk about that some other time. For now, I need you to rest. Come, father."
"No. We need to up our game. He should not think that just cause we allowed him to marry that girl out of the blue that everything is going to be alright. We can always ensure she stays out of the palace for good."
"I would ensure I get back what is rightfully mine, father. You do not need to worry much. I did not spend all these years under your tutelage to be useless and no know what to do."
"Well, I for one do not think that my daughter is useless. I know she would be an easy meal for you. She looks weak and timid. Imagine how bewildered she was when he cast his cold gaze at her."
Just listening to her father's words, Diona could not help recalling the incident that day.
It wasn't like she did not see it. No, in fact, all those present in the palace that day saw it. They saw the look he gave her and how a glimmer of hope shone in his cold demeaning eyes.
Unknown to her, she was already clutching unto her father's trousers way too tight than necessary.
She was beginning to get angry actually. When she saw him look at Era, her heart froze and stopped beating. Never once had the king spent so long a time looking at a lady before.
Every other lady kind of or somehow disgusted him and it was why it was all men that filled his court. All except one…Diona.
She was her father's right-hand woman and the only lady he permitted to be in his court because of her wits, smartness and intelligence.
"Diona," her father called calmly but she did not hear him and clutched even tighter.
"Diona!"