"Greetings to you, your majesty," Elena greeted her.
The princess approached the group where Shandri is and had a conversation with the other noblewomen. Despite her bad rumors before she became the queen, she gathered influence in society after becoming one. Especially, when she shows her capability as the queen of their country.
"Greetings to you, princess." The ladies greeted her while Shandri only stare at her.
"I brought you a drink, your majesty."
Elena walks to her to give her the other glass of wine in her hand. When she is already near enough to hand over the glass, she trips down. The wine is poured into Shandri's dress. Elena grabs onto Shandri to support herself.
She dug her nails into her shoulders. Shandri is surprised by the pain she felt on her shoulders that she instantly pushes her away. Elena fell to the floor and looks at her with teary eyes.
The ladies gasp in surprise and immediately assist the queen.
"Your majesty, are you okay?"
"Oh my..."
"What happened?" Nathan approaches them together with King Theodricus.
"Are you okay, my daughter?" helping her to stand up.
When Elena stood up again. "Your majesty, I didn't mean it. I apologize for my clumsiness."
King Theodricus looks at Shandri with hostility. "What is the meaning of this, queen?"
"It is not her majesty’s fault, father. I’m the one who got tripped and accidentally poured the wine on her dress. I grabbed her shoulder to support myself but she pushed me away."
Shandri couldn’t help but smirk. (She said it wasn’t my fault but she stated in her last statement that I pushed her. Ha! As if you are saying that you accidentally trip and I’m being inconsiderate to push you away. I don’t know if I’ll be amazed by her cleverness or I’ll be annoyed. )
"I really couldn't understand this kind of situation. The guilty one is the one who is excited to state what happened while the victim would say last. Why is that?" Shandri uttered with curiosity. "Was it so that the situation will be in their favor?"
"Are you saying that my daughter intentionally tripped herself and poured the wine on you?"
“Did I say that?” Shandri calmly retorted.
"Do you see me as a fool, queen!" King Theodricus rage.
"Please let us calm down and listen to what happened," Nathan calming King Theodricus. Then she looked at the ladies beside the queen. "Ladies please tell us what happened?"
"The princess approached us and wanted to give a drink to her majesty."
"Yes but she tripped and poured the wine on her majesty's dress."
"Princess Elena grabbed on her shoulder to support herself from falling but her majesty..." she hesitantly glanced at the queen.
"Her majesty what!" King Theodricus asked in a high tone.
The lady was startled by the king's voice and blurted out. "She pushed the princess away..."
"See? You pushed her!" the King said in anger. "Haa~ I don't want to believe the rumors I heard after arriving here but I guess it is true. The queen is harassing my daughter. Do you think I would willingly discuss a peace treaty with you after what have you done?"
Shandri looked at the princess who is now secretly smirking and smiling. She sighed and crossed her arms on her chest then hold on to each of her shoulders.
(What? Do you think you’re the only one who can act pitiful?)
"Ughh!" she groaned and acted as if her knees lose strength. "It hurts... hic! It hurts..." Shandri cried gently.
Suzette and Amira dashed in towards the crowds.
"Your majesty, are you alright?" the two of them said in chorus.
Nathan approached her and knelt on the floor on one knee beside the queen.
"My Queen, are you okay?"
Shandri looked at Nathan with teary eyes. "Nathan, it hurts...hic!" she sobbed.
Nathan's heart suddenly wavered seeing Shandri looking so vulnerable.
"W-where it hurts?"
"My shoulder..." she sniffed.
"Looked at the queen's shoulder," Nathan ordered Suzette and Amira who were behind the queen.
Amira and Suzette slowly bring down the queen's dress on her shoulder. They were surprised to see marks and a bit of bleeding.
"Your majesty this is... fingernails mark," Suzette said.
"It seems it burrowed deeply that it made her majesty in pain," Amira seconded.
"Maybe that's the reason why the queen pushed the princess because of the pain."
"Right... that wound might be hurt when someone put pressure on it."
(Ah~ I can always count on my girls anytime.)
"I know you wanted to be the queen, princess. That you love my husband but hurting me... isn't this too much?" Shandri said pitifully. "I didn't say anything even the people say I am the one harassing you. I didn't say because I know the truth, just like now, you intentionally manipulated things so that it would look like I am the one harassing you," sniffing.
"So the rumors being the queen harassing the princess is false?"
"How could the princess covet someone's husband?"
"Isn't she so audacious dreaming of replacing the queen?"
The nobles started to whisper and gossip with each other. Elena grits when Shandri turns the situation in her favor. King Theodricus could not say anything and just fisted his hand tightly.
"B-but I am not the one who hurt you, your majesty," Elena said with teary eyes.
Shandri smirked secretly. "Huh?" she acted innocently. "I didn't say anything that you did it, princess. I just said that my shoulders hurt. I don't understand but when I am taking my bath and dressing my maids didn't say anything that I had marks on my hand under my back nor I didn't feel any pain."
"Yes. Her majesty is telling the truth. When we dressed her, she didn't any had marks on her back," Suzette agreed.
"Huh! Of course, you will say that so that you can bully my daughter!" King Theodricus said with irritation.
"Then if no one believes me I will leave. There's no point staying in a place where the queen is suspected in her kingdom. When the reality is crystal clear who got hurt from wounds."
Shandri stood up and glanced behind her. "Let's go."
"Yes, your majesty!" Suzette and Amira answered.
Shandri left the banquet hall.
(I guess it is enough. It only needs a little bit of a push. Oh, well the princess will help in setting up my final act. Next time, I will surely get what I want.)
Nathan was still looking at her back walking away.
(Why do I have a bad feeling about this?) Nathan sighed.
"King Defholt what would you do about this?" King Theodricus glared at him.
"We will talk about this tomorrow. I will listen to your concerns referring to what happened today."
"Very well. My daughter and I will have some rest."
*****
Shandri stayed in her room for the next whole week. When the meeting ended and had been finalized after a week, a banquet is held for celebrating the allegiance of the two countries and announce it.
Shandri attended the banquet and is alone with the vast noble's guests. Elena approached her with an arrogant smile.
"Your majesty, why are you alone?"
"Because I don't want to talk with the likes of you," Shandri smiles sweetly.
Elena holds back her anger. "I see but unfortunately we should learn how to get along starting tonight."
Shandri glances at her with disinterest.
"Don't you want to know why your majesty?" she phrases irritatedly seeing Shandri giving her disinterest.
"Why would I bother asking when I don't have to get along with a lady of the night."
"L-Lady of the night?" she flustered.
"Like a masseuse calling out a man to sleep with her in the night."
"You bitch!" Elena raised her hand about to slap her.
However, Shandri caught her hand and pulled her closer.
"You wanted to act like a victim, right? Then I will help you."
Shandri twists her arm to her back and kicked both of her knees to make her kneel on the floor. Elena in surprise kneels on the floor on both knees. Shandri pushed that made her instantly put her hand on the floor to support herself.
"My, my, my..." Shandri walks around and stops in front of her. She grabs her chin and raises her face. "You should bark now, lady of the night...," she said mockingly with a playful tone and a disgusted gaze.
A FEW HOURS BEFORE THE BANQUET
Nicia and other servants were busy preparing Shandri for the banquet with the help of a few servants that was assigned in the empress's palace.
"Guys, I am thankful to you all," Shandri said unexpectedly while dipping her body in the bathtub. Her servants surrounded her, there were washing her hair and others were massaging her body after washing it.
The servants and as well as Nicia felt touched and smiled.
"We are happy to serve you, your majesty," Nicia said.
"Yes, Nicia is right, your majesty," a maid agreed and the others followed to an agreement.
After her bath, Suzette and Amira were waiting in her room. The two were already dressed in their gown and looked beautiful in their dresses.
"Why are you so early? There are a few hours left before the banquet," Shandri said with a smile seeing them.
"We are still your ladies in waiting, your majesty. We should at least supervise your preparation for today!" Suzette said with determination.
"I also wanted to dress you up, your majesty!" Amira said with sparkling eyes.
Shandri chuckled and sighed. "Fine, do whatever you want."
While Suzette, Amira, and Nicia were the ones choosing Shandri's to wear, the other servants helped her to put on make-up and do her hair.
"Suzette and Amira..." she called out looking through the mirror.
"Yes?" the two of them looked at her reflection in the mirror.
"Thank you, everything..." she smiled gently.
The two felt warmed and smiled.
"Of course!" they said in chorus.
"But it is strange..." Amira said.
"Strange?"
"Yes. Why do you suddenly thank us? I mean we always serve you though...," Suzette wondered.
"Right? It felt strange. As if she was saying this because she will never see us again," Nicia whined.
Shandri fell into silence after that while Suzette and others were still buzzing behind her deciding what she would wear.
"It's done, your majesty!" Amira said with excitement.
"Ah~ our queen is the goddess," Suzette said in awe.
"I agree! She is glowing even though she only stood there!" Nicia seconded.
"Hahaha! Thank you, guys..." Shandri laughed softly but then her smiles faded away and turned around to face them.
"Can I have these with these three alone?" Shandri said with a worried face.
"Of course, your majesty. Then excuse us...," a maidservant said and they left.
"What is it, your majesty?" Suzette asked.
(After possessing this body, its heart throbbed for some reason. I could feel her heart being rage and in pain. I might be acting all this time, fussing about the male and female leads. However, I could not deny the fact that in the middle of my acting everything, I said and felt would feel so real. Was it because of this body? It remembered what the original owner felt.)
Shandri clenched her hand on her sides.
(I will help you move on, Shandri. As the one who possessed your body, I would be happy together living accordingly to my wishes. I will save us from execution and free us from this unfair faith. Also, we gained friends this time... I know you are happy for us, for me…) she grinned.
"I will divorce his majesty," she announced firmly.
"What?" the three of them exclaimed.
"Your majesty please reconsider this!" Amira suggested.
"I know that you are hurt and angry, your majesty. Please don't decide on this matter impulsively," Suzette seconded.
"Are you sure about this, your majesty?" Nicia said worriedly.
"Yes. I on already decided this a long time ago. His majesty and I do not have an attachment toward each other. We are solely staying on each other side because we had to and that is the right thing to do for the moment."
"Your majesty, despite that the princess trying to put you in a bad place. His majesty didn't believe it," Suzette said.
(He didn’t believe it but he did doubt me many times.)
"His majesty truly cares about you, your majesty!" Amira seconded.
(I guess this is why a few actors and actresses suddenly became a couple after working together because they got carried away by their surroundings.)