(.... What?)
Fin and Rose both stared at Katherine dumbfounded.
Was she serious? It was an obvious bluff, right?
"Sister, did you hit your head?" Rose asked doubtfully. There was no way the Katherine she knew would ever suggest calling off the engagement.
Katherine might have been meek, shy, weak and even lacked confidence, but she was stubborn. Especially when it came to the engagement.
"You should know better than me, sister. After all, you were there when I fell" Katherine responded. And something about her tone sent shivers down Rose' spine.
Wait, she was scared, no way. She thought to herself, 'But she does seem a bit different.'
"What are you scheming, if you think you can get my attention by doing this then you're sorely mistaken." Fin berates Katherine for trying to win his attention by trying to do all the dramatic actions.
Katherine stared at him in disbelief 'Where does he get his confidence from, I mean he's pretty much average. Does he think everyone wants him because he's the crown prince?'
"I'm really not scheming anything, falling off my balcony forced me to realize that if I was going to get married, I'd rather marry a Baron's son who loves me than a crown prince who doesn't." She said in the nicest way she could. The last thing she needed was to be charged for disrespecting a royal.
"At least something good came out of you jumping off the balcony." Fin agreed with her.
But his comment greatly angered Ker "The nerve of this guy. Let me kill him for he shall deserve thousand deaths."
"Relax Ker. We're no longer Alpha Queen." She whispered softly just enough for her to hear.
"Did you say something just now?" Fin asked with a frown.
"I asked when we should meet the King?" She tried to divert the topic 'Not having a mind-link in this world is turning out to be a bitch.' she couldn't help but inwardly complain to herself.
"We'll go as soon as you get better." Fin smirks and waves his hand.
Katherine unhurriedly sat up "I feel fine now. Can we go today? I feel the sooner we get this done with the better it will be for the both of us."
"Okay, if you're sure you can manage." Said Fin "I'll go discuss this with your father."
Turning around, Fin leaves the room.
Rose watched their entire conversation with disbelief. She couldn't believe that Katherine was serious and on top of that, Katherine didn't seem like her meek, shy self. She had a commanding aura about her. Did Rose just imagine it?
"You don't by chance think I forgot that you pushed me off the balcony, do you." Katherine said as soon as she was sure the prince was far.
Rose stared at her provocatively, "Of course not, I just know that no one would believe you even if you said anything."
"Hm... And what makes you think I'd want people to know about that. I mean if anything happened to you, I'd be the first suspect." Katherine said in a threatening voice.
"Is that a threat?" Rose asked, trying to sound unphased but it was clear that scared her.
Katherine smiles sweetly, "Do you feel threatened?" She asked in a low voice and something about it sounded menacing.
"Hmph." Rose hmphed then quickly walked out. 'Was that really Katherine' she asked herself albeit the lack of answer.
As soon as Rose left, a young girl around the age of sixteen walked in with a tray of food. Katherine recognized her from Katherine's (the original owner of the body) memories as Lily. The only maid who was nice to Katherine.
"Mlady how are you feeling?" Lilly asked as she put the tray on Katherine's bedside table.
"I'm fine, Lilly. Thank you." Katherine said as she got the food and started eating. She was starving, so she ate everything on her plate.
Lilly stared at her with a happy expression, Katherine had a terrible appetite, so seeing her finish everything made Lilly happy. Katherine caught her staring, it was the first time she had a maid stare at her that way. When she was Ciara, no one dared to stare at her. If they did, they always have a fearful look in their eyes. To her, Lilly staring at her with such a happy expression was a luxury she would have never dreamed of as Alpha Queen.
"Shall I prepare your bath?" Lilly asked as soon as Katherine finished eating.
"Yes, please do." Katherine replied with a gentle nod. Lilly opened another door in the room that led to the bathroom to prepare her bath. Katherine stood up to look around.
The room was large, it had a beautifully designed hardwood floor with a golden upholstered bed. It was well lit with what Katherine recognized as magic stones, the walls had sconces and were of bright yellow color that held the stones, while the ceiling was intricately curved with a chandelier. Aside from the bedside tables having crystal lamps on both sides of the bed, there was also other furniture in the bedroom such as, a white vanity table with a mirror, a coffee table with nice looking accent chairs, a white daybed, a bookshelf and a study table. She noted that even though Katherine wasn't treated like the marquis' eldest daughter, she had a decent room.
After scrutinizing the bedroom, she went and sat on the vanity table to take a good look at her new appearance. She had silver hair like the moon, deep set almond eyes having the color of the starry midnight sky, nose thin with a high bridge, slightly pouty heart shaped lips and a very pale skin.
"Mlady, the bath is ready." Lilly reports as she leads Katherine to the walk-in closet. The closet was just before the bathroom. When you walk through the door that leads to the bathroom, the first room is the closet then the door that leads to the bathroom.
The closet was filled with worn-out elegant dresses and a few new ones, a shoe rack filled with worn-out shoes and a few new ones, a full body mirror and another vanity table.
Lilly helped Katherine change out of the night gown she had on, then lead her to the bathroom.
The bathroom had a marble bathroom vanity, antique gold fittings, a two-part high-level toilet, a marble freestanding bath and a side table having bath oils of different scents.
After Lilly helped Katherine bathe, she helped her into an elegant baby blue half shoulder gown. It was one of the new dresses she had. Then did her makeup, giving her a natural look and style her hair in a neat loose twist.
"You look beautiful as always, Mlady." Lilly couldn't help but praise the young lady for her beauty.
After she had finished dressing up, she went to her father's study. She found they had already finalized their discussion and it was no surprise to her that her father was more than happy with the new arrangement. It was no secret that the marquis favored his youngest daughter and wanted the title of crown princess to go to her.
"There's no time to have a separate carriage prepared for you, so you'll ride with me." Prince Fin said. His expression looked like he was trying to tell her not to think she's special just because he said she could ride with him.
"What's with that expression, did he think we would be leaping with joy at the chance to ride with him." Ker couldn't help but laugh. Did this man really think he was all that, simply because he was the crown prince?
Katherine couldn't be bothered by any of that, she just walked past him and went out.
Her actions surprised her father. He expected his eldest child to be in tears or at least holding back tears but, she seemed rather unbothered. Maybe even too unbothered.
Was she faking it?
*****
The crown Prince' carriage was packed at the front entrance of the Marquis' mansion. It stood as a testament of the kingdom's wealth and sophistication.
The carriage was a marvel of intricate design, crafted from the finest ebony wood that glistens with deep, lustrous sheen, its wheels adorned with delicate, hand-carved golden motifs that catch the sunlight in a dazzling display.
Emblazoned on each side of the carriage were the royal family crest and coat of arms, meticulously painted in vibrant hues of crimson and gold. These symbols of power and lineage serve as a constant reminder of the crown prince's noble heritage.
"Did he seriously have to come in such a flashy carriage? I mean we get it that he's rich and all." Ker rolled her eyes. "Ker do you have some beef with the prince or something? Because there is clearly nothing wrong with his carriage." Katherine asked, noticing that her wolf had been making a lot of comments on the prince. "I just don't like him."
As soon as the prince was seated in his carriage, Katherine helped herself in and the carriage set off to the palace.
.....
The ride to the royal palace was a three-hour ride. An hour through a cobblestone street and two hours through a bumpy road through a forest before the palace that's mostly used as a hunting ground by the royal family.
Throughout the entire ride no one bothered to speak to the other but, it was a comfortable silence. Each with their own thoughts.
*****
When they arrived at the palace, they were immediately welcomed by the palace Knights that stood guard at the entrance.
"Welcome back your highness." They said as they helped both the crown prince and Katherine alight from the carriage.
The royal palace stands tall and imposing, its magnificent facade made of intricately carved marble, adorned with ornate sculptures that depict mythical creatures and legendary heroes and powerful magicians. The entrance to the palace was guarded by towering statues of colossal dragons, their eyes seemingly watching over the grandeur that lies within.
Upon entering, Katherine was greeted by a breathtaking atrium, adorned with walls of polished ivory and marble floors that gleam in the sunlight. A grand chandelier hangs from the ceiling, casting a soft, golden glow and reflecting in the myriad of decorative mirrors that line the walls.
Lavish tapestries, embroidered in shimmering threads of gold and silver, hang from the walls, depicting scenes of the kingdom's history and the triumphs of the royal family. Delicate frescoes, painted by the most revered artists in the land, adorn the ceilings, showcasing panoramic landscapes and celestial scenes that transport visitors to another realm.
........
"What's the meaning of this, why do you suddenly want to marry the second daughter!" The King, King Edward Kingsley fumed. He was furious at his second son. When he first heard that the crown prince had come with Lady Katherine, he was elated. He had thought that they had come to tell him that they had set a day for the wedding so, he granted them an audience with him immediately.
Yes, you read right, second son. Fin Montclair Kingsley was King Edward and Queen Christina's son. He had a sick elder half brother, Prince Liam Everhart Kingsley. Liam was the son of the King and his beloved concubine Lady Valarie Everhart, a Duke's daughter from a neighboring Kingdom. Making him the second in line because the first inline automatically goes to the Queen's son.
The King was furious with Fin's decision to marry Rose because even though Rose was born a legitimate child, she was conceived as an illegitimate child. Of course, the story told to all was that she was a premature baby, only a selected few nobles knew the truth. Katherine was obviously the better choice. On top of that, the King liked Katherine because her mother was friends with his late wife Lady Valarie.
"It's okay your Majesty. I understand that the prince has feelings for my sister, and I do not wish to stand in their way." Katherine didn't object to anything. It slightly shocked the King to hear her speak up, because he had always known her as a shy girl. Nevertheless, it made him happy to see such development, causing him to beam with excitement.
"Sigh" he sighed as he massaged his bridge, regretfully continuing "What a kind and mature young lady. It's a shame my idiot son couldn't see your value, it would have been nice to have such a thoughtful girl as my daughter in law."
Then an idea popped up in his head, 'wait, I can still have her as my daughter-in-law.' "Kendrick, quickly prepare a new edict. Lady Katherine is to marry my first son Prince Liam."
He excitedly ordered his aid.
"WHAT?!" Fin and Katherine bellowed in unison.