Lothar had narrated to Alora about Catherine's efforts to hurt Eugenie after the latter was crowned as a crown princess. Thus Alora didn't really have a good opinion of Catherine. However, after this incident, she realized how harmful Catherine was.
Alora encouraged the maid in a calm voice, "No hurry, take your time."
However, her words sounded like a threat to the maid. The maid kept her head lowered when she reported everything she knew.
"Your Royal Highness, I was instructed to bring Lady Caroline to Princess Alora. Princess Alora was sitting in the garden after her training. Lady Caroline neither introduced herself nor respected Princess Alora. She started…"
As the maid briefed everything, Alora relaxed but her parents were infuriated, rising from their seats.
The royal tutors are indeed respected in the palace. However, they had no right to hurt any royal. How could such a lady have the guts to behave crudely? Obviously, she was being supported or she was encouraged to do so.
Zander and Eugenie knew Catherine would trouble Alora, but never in their dream did they think Alora would have to face such a day.
They looked at Alora nervously. They had explained to her over the years how she might be treated in the palace, how she has to be careful of people. But they never expected or told her she would be physically maltreated. After all, she wasn't just anybody but a princess.
Nevertheless, the eyes they met didn't show a hint of emotions. That made them even edgier. The humiliations, people's behavior towards her, and being alone in the palace were going to affect Alora and they weren't in the position to give back the same life they had in the past years.
When the maid completed reporting, she repeated to kowtow, asking for mercy. "I have learned from my mistake, show mercy on the poor servant." She yammered while the hall was completely mute.
The royals other than the ones close to Catherine had faced their fair share of troubles in the palace due to Catherine's autocracy. Especially in the absence of Eugenie, Catherine was ruling over every royal member while pretending to be the good and responsible daughter in front of the king and queen.
Even they didn't expect Catherine to go to this extent with a princess. It was true they weren't ready to accept Alora as a royal but a girl under crown princess being maltreated wasn't a simple thing.
In Crisal, the kings and princes had harem who had to live together excluding the queen. How much hatred they might have for each other, nobody ever dared to physically hurt another person, other than hurling malicious words.
Thus Agost was bewildered that the princess of Anka didn't just endure the awful treatment, she had to prove her innocence against a lady who wasn't even royal.
The worst thing he found was, that the overprotective father and the loving mother weren't comforting their daughter but standing at the thrones and following their duties.
Are duties more important than their daughter?
Or was their attention and love towards their daughter fake?
Clenching his teeth, Agost looked at his aide who quickly understood the cue and stepped forward. Cyrus was in no better state. He was in shock, unable to accept what he witnessed in the palace.
Cyrus bowed to Eugenie and Zander and apologized for interfering, "Pardon me for interrupting, Your Royal Highnesses. We feel obliged to address the issue as we were at the place where Princess Alora was mistreated." He directly mentioned Alora was the victim of the situation.
Eugenie breathed out as she uncurled her finger. She waved her hand, granting him to put forward his words.
Cyrus straightened his back and glanced at the ladies at the side. "I vouch for the maid's words. My Prince and I were lost on the way to the banquet when we witnessed Lady Caroline ordering her maids to hold Princess Alora and tried to cause harm to her."
Edward Blewett, who had deduced his wife's hand in everything, shot her a deadly glare. He was planning to form an alliance with the Crisal, then find the chance to visit Crisal and encourage them to help him to take over the throne.
However, over-smart Alora first proved who those offenders were working for. As Agost had witnessed such a heinous act in the palace, why would he bother to have any kind of relationship with the Blewetts?
He never bothered to stop his wife but this time, he was furious when she burned the beneficial bridge with her impulse and hatred. He might not get a better chance to get the throne.
Cyrus took a breath to compose himself but a question kept popping into his mind. Weren't women in the Anka highly respected? He expected to see ladies getting along like oil and vinegar.
He ended his report with, "We are very certain, Princess Alora hurt no one. However, my Prince couldn't see a lady being abused in the court." And they weren't apologetic for it.
Zander and Eugenie looked at Agost whose displeasure was evident on his face. Well, Anka couldn't be like Crisal where the king slays just anybody who offends him.
Some people's attention shifted to the door when they heard hurried footsteps. The Commander of Royal guards who was responsible for the training and appointment of the royal guards in the palace came on the immediate summon of Arihan.
Seeing Eugenie and Zander, he approached ahead and bowed to ninety degrees, "Greeting to Your Royal Highness, Crown princess, Crown Prince."
Alora stepped forward this time. Zander waved at her indicating her to speak what she wanted. "Commander Warren."
Commander Warren had heard a lot of words about Alora which mostly continued about her hair and eyes if not her unparalleled beauty.
Facing her at a short distance, even with unkempt hair, bruises on her arms, and dirt on her face, she still looked exceptionally alluring. Her red hair was like a cherry on top if he didn't think of a witch.
He quickly nodded his head in greeting, "Greetings to Your Highness, Princess Alora."
Alora paused, sensing respect rather than fear or disgust. Anyway, she came straight to the point as she was taking banquet time, "Commander Warren, could you please refresh us about the duties of a royal guard?"
Commander Warren glanced at the kneeling guards and turned to the crown. He briefed it in response to Alora, "To answer Princess Alora's question, The Royal guards are equal to a military of the nation. They are responsible to protect the royal members in the palace."
Alora felt bad to question the person who was loyal to the throne. But it was his duty and he had to be aware of the situation, "May I know if those three ladies are royals?"
Commander Warren looked at Lady Caroline and her maids. He responded without knowing what Alora was trying to do, "They aren't, Your Highness."
Alora nodded, "Am I considered Royal in this palace?"
Everyone understood what her question meant. Eugenie felt her heart squeeze at the question while Zander realized how insecure Alora was in the palace.
Commander Warren was taken aback by the question. If he asked the question himself, he doesn't accept Alora as a princess. He doubts if she was the real Princess Alora who was cheerfully playing in the palace.
However, more than what he thinks or feels, he has to follow the royal decree. So he responded, "Your Highness, you are a royal princess who is first in the line of succession."
Alora didn't care about the decorative words. As soon as she got the response she wanted, she pointed at the six guards who were on their knees, "Why didn't they put any effort to stop these ladies from attacking me?" Her question was simple.
Commander Warren's eyes widened in shock. He had appointed only selected guards to the crown Princess and queen's quarters.
He went ahead and grabbed the hair of a guard. Pulling his head up, he realized where he had appointed them. Next to the Queen's quarters, closer to the garden that connects the river.
He didn't bother confirming if what Alora said was right. He went on his knees and apologized, "I apologize to Princess Alora and the throne for failing in my duties. Please punish me for my inefficiency."
Eugenie commanded the man, "Rise."
When the man stood up, he kept his gaze down and Eugenie questioned, glancing at Zander, "I need to know the status of reinforcement in the Royal guards tomorrow."
Zander nodded, he was working on it and it would take a long time to complete.
Eugenie continued, "As for these, they are unfit to serve us in the palace. Their titles and the benefits from the palace will be taken away. Stone them on their way out of the capital."
Alora flinched hearing how heartless her mother sounded. But she was also aware it was important to have the authority. Or else, these kinds of incidents would repeat.
Soon the guards and Commander Warren left the banquet hall.
Eugenie turned to Catherine. It was Catherine's turn.