Rhiannon walked out of her chambers with her nanny and maid trailing after her. She stopped in her tracks on seeing the king's personal messenger approach them. She glared at the young man who had stopped in his tracks and then stood shocked and transfixed at the princess's outfit. She looked like a demon, a very pretty one. He couldn't help but be mesmerized. Rhiannon's annoyed look knocked him back to reality, and he coughed in embarrassment.
"What do you want?" Rhiannon asked, her voice laced with mockery. "Another message from my dear uncle?"
The messenger's guilty expression deepened, and he stammered out his message. "The king awaits you, Princess Rhiannon. He doesn't want to be kept waiting any longer."
Rhiannon's eyes narrowed, and she spat out a venomous word. "Traitor." She then turned on her heel and walked towards the throne room, her nanny and maid trailing behind her. The messenger watched her go, feeling a deep sense of shame and regret for his actions.
***
As Rhiannon approached the entrance of the throne room, two guards stood at attention, their weapons at their sides. Upon seeing the princess, they opened the large door for her, revealing the magnificent interior of the throne room.
The room was lit by tall, flickering torches that cast dancing shadows across the marble floors. The walls were adorned with tapestries, each depicting a great battle or a noble event. In the center of the room sat the throne, its backrest carved with intricate designs and its cushions covered in crimson velvet. However, the space where her late father's portrait used to hang was now occupied by the portrait of her evil younger brother.
Rhiannon felt a surge of conflicting emotions as she gazed upon her late father's portrait.
On the one hand, she felt a deep sense of anger and betrayal toward her evil uncle who had seized the throne through deceit and treachery.
On the other hand, she felt a sense of longing and nostalgia for her father, who had always been a just and fair ruler.
As she entered the room, the chatter amongst the councilors, lords, barons and other noblemen and women came to an abrupt halt. All eyes turned to her, but she didn't feel any wave of discomfort overcome her instead she felt the urge to rebel more.
She could feel the burning gaze of the evil king, his evil wife, and his evil daughter upon her, their eyes fixated on her dark attire. Rhiannon knew that her attire was regarded as an insult to the king, but she refused to bow down to his tyranny.
Her maid and nanny bowed their heads and stepped aside, taking up positions in the corner of the room. Rhiannon stood tall and proud, her eyes fixed on her uncle's portrait.
She knew that she had to be strong and resolute if she hoped to reclaim her father's throne and restore justice to the kingdom.
The entire court almost erupted into murmurs as they scrutinized Rhiannon's dark attire. The princess, however, appeared unbothered by the attention she was receiving and began to make her way toward the throne where her uncle sat, his displeased expression evident on his face. Rhiannon's cousin, Ariadne, and her mother, Lilith, also shot daggers at her as she walked by, but Rhiannon just smiled mischievously at Ariadne before turning away.
Ariadne gritted her teeth, remembering the humiliation and pain Rhiannon had caused her the previous day. She vowed to deal with her, and as she was lost in her thoughts of various ways to deal with Rhiannon, Rhiannon stopped at the center of the room and curtsied, bowing as though she was the most humble and loyal in the kingdom. Everyone blinked at her actions, not sure if they had just witnessed a bow or a curtsy, while the king's eyes twitched.
As the court tried to make sense of Rhiannon's behavior, a man beside the king thundered, "You are late as always, Princess Rhiannon, or should I say Lady Rhiannon as you are a no longer princess of the kingdom!"
The man continued to bark. "Can't you look at your younger cousin, who is always punctual? you should be an exemplary figure even though you are not in power!". The word was delivered to promote Ariadne and the entire court stared at Rhiannon to the special advisor and then to Ariadne who pretentiously brought down her face as though she was hurt by the hurtful words used on her cousin.
Rhiannon had no hurtful expression on her but continued to give a saccharine smile.
"I can't believe you would say something so hurtful to my sweet cousin". Ariadne stepped forward. "Rhiannon may not always be punctual, but she makes up for it with her charm and grace. Perhaps we could learn a thing or two from her, special advisor," Ariadne said as she lifted her head with a faux pained expression, placing a hand over her heart.
Her words were indicating that Rhiannon always covered up her slacking self with her beauty and she could offer nothing but that.
"What a wonderful princess!". A noblewoman whispered to another.
"I wish I had a daughter like Ariadne, so benevolent, and a sister figure". Another chirped in.
"Yes, yes. I agree".
Murmurs erupted into the room and Ariadne had a smug smile on her face as she turned to look at Rhiannon.
"Is that so?...". Rhiannon began which turned the room quiet again as all attention was drawn to her. She turned to Ariadne. " Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that being on time was a requirement for being a lady in waiting for my dear uncle. I'll be sure to consult with you in the future for all my etiquette needs, dear sister."
Ariadne's smile slowly faltered and she raised her brow in confusion, not understanding Rhiannon's words.
Rhiannon turned to look at the advisor.
"And as for you special advisor, I'm so impressed," Rhiannon said, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she exaggerated a clap. "I always knew you had a way with words, but that was truly a masterpiece. Did you come up with that all on your own? If yes, then perhaps I should start consulting with you for scheduling advice, when I become queen!". Her eyes flashed with an unknown emotion which gave a disturbing feeling to her relatives.
The court burst into a wave of suppressed chuckles and snickers, but Rhiannon simply held the advisor's gaze with a smirk, clearly enjoying the moment.
Her words were understood that the advisor had only climbed up to this position not because he was capable but because the king had used underhanded means to put him there and no one took into meaning, the words Rhiannon had used lastly.
As the man continued to glare at her, Rhiannon's thoughts drifted toward a memory from her childhood. She had once seen a mouse scurrying across the floor of the palace, and the way this man was looking at her reminded her of that mouse. She had always found mice to be amusing creatures, scurrying about and getting into mischief. Rhiannon couldn't help but wonder if this man was just like the mouse, scurrying about behind the scenes and causing trouble, but the man was not a mouse but a predator and she was no prey to feast on.
The man was short, with a stout build and a full beard that seemed to be hiding a sneer on his lips. His eyes were small and beady, and his face was twisted in a permanent scowl, giving him a sinister appearance.
As Rhiannon delivers her sarcastic retort, the man's expression changed from one of arrogance to one of anger and resentment. His beady eyes narrowed into slits and his face contorted into a scowl. The full beard on his face seems to bristle in anger, and his fists clenched tightly at his sides. He looked as though he is ready to lunge forward and strike at Rhiannon, but he restrains himself, knowing that any outburst could lead to severe consequences.
The man cleared his throat to speak again when the king with an ugly expression and had not spoken since Rhiannon entered into the room, raised his hand for the advisor to stop on his words. His eyes which were fixed on Rhiannon quickly shifted to the door, where footsteps were approaching. Everyone turned to look at the large door of the room which creaked open, revealing a younger boy who was a messenger. He panted as he offered a bow and then he spoke, "Your majesty, forgive my intrusion, but urgent news has arrived. The devil king has arrived at the gates of our kingdom with his men".
Everyone's heart hitched in fear as the room turned eerily quiet.