A week ago, an unexpected guest came to visit.
"Your highness. You have a visitor."
My eyebrow twitched in response as I glanced at her only to see her squirming nervously. I put down the books I have been reading. 'A visitor? It can't be Brother Jacob. He normally came in without even knocking, which Lady Lando described as uncivilised people. We laughed it off. Emperor Aleq? Or the Crown prince? There are only limited guests that came to visit me in the palace. "Do I know this guest?"
"Yes, your highness. She is the daughter of the Count Talon, Lady Maia."
"I see." My eyes burrow further. I don't really want to see her. I sigh deeply. Suddenly my headache return at the thought of that brat. "Let her into the greenhouse. It was such a good morning to have tea. I'll have my tea over there. Please bring in a refreshment momentarily."
I am not strong enough to face the other woman. Not now. I need some support to back me up. It took me another thirty minutes to get myself ready. Another twenty minutes of slow pace walked towards the greenhouse.
"What a pleasant surprise to have you visiting me here, lady Maia."
"Greeting to the crown princess." The other woman bowed slightly as I passed to my seat. It was a warm morning in the greenhouse, although the outside weather was windy and chilly. Spring has nearly ended. I glanced at her attire. She wore a beautiful and rather expensive gown for a mere count's daughter. She took her seat.
The atmosphere was at peace but not now when nobody begins the first conversation. No more than five minutes later, the tea set was brought in and the smell of the newly brewed tea spread through the greenhouse. The silence continues as we observe the maid prepare our tea. As soon as the tea was served, she gestured for her tea to be served first. The maid ignored her and served the first cup to me. I stared at her with narrowed eyes. She looked frustrated and pouted away until another tea was served to her. She started stirring it without even glancing my way. I frowned deeply at her silence. Did she come just for the tea?
"How was the tea?" I waited patiently as she 'elegantly' sipped the tea and slowly placed the cup down. If she came to apologize for the mess she made with Ara, she should act one.
"It was delicious. Thank you." she finally lifted her eyes and smiled. Then she gets back to continue stirring her tea. I was fascinated with her action that my own tea grows cold and my patient is growing thin as I urgently want to snatch that innocent little teaspoon away. I placed the teacup back down, annoyingly. The nearby maid was aware of it and quietly replaced my cold tea with a nod. I was waiting for her to apologize, but she didn't seem like coming for it.
"I am made aware this might not be a simple visit. What brings you here?"
"Well, you are very observant, your highness." Finally, she looked up eye to eye. This is it. I smiled inwardly. "I am merely paying you a visit." She looked around the greenhouse and glared at my lady in waiting.
Lady Lando bowed with respect, looking worriedly. The other lady smirked at that and pretended to look to the other side until her footsteps echoed through the corridor, no more to be heard.
"Looks like we're alone." She is already up to her feet and roaming around the greenhouse in awe. "Is this the old tree?" She seemed so much into the tree as she was circling the tree looking up.
'Old?' Ara's mood turned sour. 'Ancient, you dimwit.'
"I'm a bit surprised that you come to visit me while the crown prince is away." I continue observing her behaviour, ignoring Ara. She was not the same lady I saw with Ephraim in the little market in town six months ago. No more the shy, timid and innocent woman. Right now, I only see the ambition, greed in her eyes and vicious woman looking around the greenhouse as if she was already imagining herself being the new owner of the palace with this place.
"You're not wrong at that." a giggle escaped through her lips, more like a creepy giggle.
"State your reason, or the tea time is now over."
The other woman clicked her tongue in annoyance. "I don't care, either way. This is mine after the crown prince ends your marriage. Soon." She leaves the greenhouse in long, creepy laughter—what a troublemaker. I felt suffocated.
"CRASH!" The table over flip with what's all of it crashing down to the hard floor.
The last thing I heard was someone shouting at me before I fell to the ground. "Your highness! Are you alright?"
#####
"What the hell is going on here?" Ephraim's raised voice behind me roused me to the present time. Lady Lando was slapped across her face hard that made her wobble to the side. The nearby maid steady her up as she holds her sting face with a glare to the doer.
I held my breath cautiously. It was not what's troubling me. But rather, the small box switched hands between the women. I stared at the other woman, confused. Lady Mari. Why is she with Lady Maia? And why the box with Lady Maia? I thought it was well hidden with Ara.
'Ara?' A realisation came to me. I haven't heard anything or nagging words from Ara ever since the last encounter with Lady Maia. I began to panic. 'Ara?!'
"You came at the right time, your grace." Lady Maia rushed to the crown prince's side with her cutest nagging. "That lady was rude to me, and I helped to teach her a lesson." Ephraim watched her every move suspiciously.
"What's that on your hand, Lady Maia?" Ephraim turned his way to her and my way as I rushed to the back of the huge tree.
"Oh, this? I found it on the ground, and I picked it up. I think it was just rubbish." she hesitantly explained before hiding it away.
"That rubbish you took was originally mine. And you obviously know it was not rubbish." I came back to confront her. I glare at Lady Mari. The wedding gift from High Priest Romou was no way to be found. Among all the previous items scattered to the ground, the box was not there. They obviously knew what to look for. And the exact location at that. There were only a few people who knew the location and how to open it without any force. But the marking was evident of the forceful entry, and this time they were caught red-handed. "Hand it over!"
"Why should I? It couldn't possibly belong to you, your grace." She stubbornly denies it and hides further behind the crown prince. Lady Mari quietly rejoins her.
"How do you explain the reason you slapped my attendant without my consent?"
"I told you so. She was rude to me," Lady Maia's tentative explaining only making things worse. "I picked it up, and so this is mine." Lady Lando wants to retort at her lies, but I shook my head to her.
"Well, if that thing is yours, may I know what is the content of the box on your hand?"
"Maybe she was right. Lady Maia misplaced her item sometimes." Ephraim acting defending his little lover annoys me. I chuckled at his naive's comment. I had enough of him for a day. My focus is still with the box in her hands. He was about to argue but decided to watch on the sideline instead.
"Come on, Lady Maia. We're all waiting." I insisted. "Tell us what is inside that box that belongs to you."
"I will tell you! Although it was none of your problems to know what was inside it, didn't it?"
"Men! Retrieve it from Lady Maia's hand for me. Since she found it inside my greenhouse, I believe it was mine."
"No!"
"Lady Coriane, I trust you to be more objective in this and let Lady Maia tell us it contains to us." Ephraim defended his little lover in front of me once again. I gave a signal to the guards to halt in their post.
I faced the lady upfront with a glare. This is what I was waiting for. Everyone should know her lies. With Ephraim's personality to uphold justice, she won't get away from it. Her incoherent eyes movement as she nervously took out the box for us to see. It was obviously the same box High Priest Romou gave me. "Let's hear your explanation," I smirked inwardly. "If what you say is correct, I will apologize and let you go. But, if you were wrong, I want you to apologize to Lady Lando. You will admit your mistake messing around my place and return my box to me. Also, promise not to show your face to me ever." Her lovely face starts to flushes, and beads of tears threaten to fall any time.
"Isn't it rather bizarre to let her do all that?" Ephraim questioned me while trying to coax the woman.
"Don't you think it's fair enough, Lady Maia?"
"I have nothing to hide. Unless you leave the palace yourself as you should have done!" She shouted out from behind. Still hiding away. All the people present that moment were surprised at her remark. Lady Lando sucked in her breath, immediately covering her mouth. What a rude woman. But this time, I was ready with her attack. Three days of resolve makes me stronger than ever.
"Stop talking rubbish! Start explaining, or I will get you punished for trespassing. "
"Alright," She rudely stomps her feet forwards. "It was my grandma's old locket."
"That's not enough explanation. Details. We want to hear more about this claim."
"I never saw it before, but I only know it was a locket." She stole a glance at Lady Mari, and she nodded nervously. "What are your excuses, your grace?"
"That box you're holding is mine given by the High Priest Romou as a wedding gift."
"You're telling lies!" She exclaimed nervously.
"How dare you accuse her highness like that?" Lady Lando criticizes the other woman. This time, I did not stop her. I watched my opponent's every move and action, even to care what's right or wrong.
"Inside the box contained a locket."
"I told you so. It was my grandma's precious locket."
"Let's listen to Lady Coriane's excuse."
"Care to tell us your side of the story, Lady Maia? Something you might remember and want to add regarding the shape, the colour of the locket maybe?" I was annoyed with her interrupting me. But she didn't reply and looked away. "The locket is in a teardrop shape with a clear colour."
I waited for another minute for her interruption, but she won't embarrass herself as I thought.
"You should be the judge of my story, Ephraim." For the first time, I pressed my luck on the sentiment to call out his name, which I had promised myself not to call him that.
Lady Maia smirked. "I see how this is going." She grew complacent about her situation and walked up to me, so closed only for me to hear it. " This is not the end of it, and I'll make sure of it." She knew she had the trump card with her. How she should play it out makes me wonder.
"The box, Lady Maia." He held out his hand to retrieve the box from Lady Maia.
She reluctantly returned the box, and I silently let out a relieved sigh. I saw her silhouette trying to leave.
"Are you trying to leave without apologies to Lady Lando?"
"There you are, Lady Maia. I was looking for you everywhere." another person entered the greenhouse. I recognised her as her nanny, Baroness Li An. "We should get going now, Lord Talon is leaving the palace soon, and he's looking for you too."