I was far too tired to reflect on the far too suspicious behavior of the duke towards me. I just know that this man never showed affection to Mylène ... at least had never exteriorized it if he had even enjoyed her. Just the sight of her horrified him so why had he been so delicate to me? It was information that would require a lot of thinking but later on, I was exhausted.
I fell asleep quickly that day I found myself in a new body finally ending.
The next morning, I woke up to a commotion in front of the mansion scowling at the noise...I can't stand being disturbed in the morning especially when I know that I don't have to get up early to go to work. .. I live a dream life. Why should I be bothered by noises like these?
I got up from my bed and I have never slept so well. I would have liked to continue on this same path but I have to believe that these assholes would not give me the opportunity.
I was still brooding curses on my face, groggy with sleep and the need to get carried away by it again when Fancy stormed into my room with a crashing noise that added to my migraine more pain.
I gave her a glare that shriveled on her, but what she came to get her mistress for was more than important.
" Good... good morning my lady. I hope you slept well."
" I could have if it had been a quiet place here ... what is all the fuss?"
Fancy smiled, not caring what she was going to do. She pulled her mistress carrying her out of bed and out of the room in one motion.
I followed Fancy running through the corridors to find myself in the hall of the house, my father, my stepmother, my brothers and Gabrielle being already there.
In front of them, there were five knights that I could imagine from the crown, seeing the clothes that Karl and Edward often wore apart from the red scarf which indicated that they were knights not apprentices like my brothers.
" What's going on gentlemen, how can I help you?"
The knight with the overworked head, the one mandated as the head of mission came and bowed to the duke before making a sign behind him. Two men advanced pushing a mannequin covered with a thick fabric adorned with bright decorations.
" Here is a gift that my master asked me to give to the lady of the domain of Hosten."
Out of the corner of his eye, the duke could see Gabrielle and her mother jubilant and when he looked up the stairs, he saw Mylène staring at the gift with a bored, almost disgusted look so he understood...
" Well, who is your master?"
" The second prince, His Highness, Aaron Shubert Von Garten."
At that moment Gabrielle froze...she had only seen the prince from afar and above all, she didn't want to be involved with him even if it was an honor and even a great opportunity...but Frederik's sister was in love with him and she thought she heard that the prince and she had a rather special relationship... So why would he give her a present?
" My daughter, I didn't know that you knew the second prince...it's incredible."
" Yes, Mother… I had seen him once when I went to visit Marion De Solsten. I had seen him from afar but I didn't know that he had been... seduced by me."
Fancy who heard everything rolled her eyes. It was obvious to her that these gifts were for her mistress but this idiot was too full of herself to understand it.
" My sister... the second prince would have fallen under your charms? It doesn't surprise me, you're so cute."
Gabrielle blushed at Karl's compliment but their father's voice cut them off from their reverie.
" So you came to give this gift to my daughter..."
" Yes your grace...but that's not all...the second prince wanted the young lady to be his partner for Lady Marion De Solsten's birthday."
Gabrielle's heart writhed, she was in love with Frederik but the second prince was a great match, she didn't know what to think.....
" I see ... It's up to her to decide whether or not to accept it, so I'll let you discuss it directly with her."
Gabrielle jumped, wanting to take her father back, she was not yet ready to make such a decision...
" Mylène, I think it's you we're waiting for."
Gabrielle froze at her father's words and looked behind her as Mylène watched them with bored eyes.
" But father...they said the Lady of the Hosten home..."
" And you think they were referring to you?"
" But..."
" Knight, for whom is this invitation intended?"
" Ah yes, excuse me..."
He took a note from the cabinets of the royal family and gave it to the duke, who began to read.
" Lady Mylène Von Hosten, it is with undisguised joy and honor that I very humbly ask you to be my partner for Lady Marion De Solsten's birthday party... I had a dress which I believe will suit you perfectly, enhancing if possible your great beauty... I can't wait to see you this evening... Your Aaron."
Everyone was staring at Mylène, especially the knights when they heard the last sentence of the letter...their prince had gone mad.
I twisted my face seeing everyone's eyes on me but my dad's face was what bothered me the most...the man looked amused and that annoyed me.
I looked back at my brothers and I laughed, the two were as if taken aback, but what fixed my mood was the horrified and humiliated face of Gabrielle who had lowered her eyes to her clenched fists.
I went down to join the group and took the note from my dad asking for a pen from Fancy...I wrote a single note causing my dad to almost giggle beside me.
I folded the note and handed it back to the knight before turning my back on my already missing bed.
" My lady...and for the dress..."
" Bring it back...it's not my style."
At that moment the duke had flushed cheeks and a bright smile on his face surprising the whole mansion...she was the girl he always wished to have.
" But my lady..."
" You heard my daughter, please go back."
After that, the duke returned to his office in his cheerful mood as I returned followed by Fancy in my room hoping to sleep again.
Karl, Edward, Gabrielle and her mother had stayed with the knights and a few servants wondering what had just happened....it was not Gabrielle but Mylène whom the second prince had crushed on...and again the girl acted arrogantly...
" Ah, what are we going to do? The second prince will not be happy..."
" It's not our fault either, so here we go."
They came back but two hours later I had to get up again, the anger in my eyes... What was it again?
" Lady Mylène Von Hosten, you responded so coldly to my request so I came in person to ask you to come with me to Lady Marion De Solsten's birthday...so please don't reject me and allow me to be your partner at this party."
" I wrote a clear "no" on the paper and now I want to go and rest..."
" But why?"
" I salute the second prince Aaron Shubert Von Garten."
" Your grace the Duke of Hosten, hello, I came to ask your daughter to be my date this evening."
" I understand but as you can see she doesn't want to go anymore, I don't think Mylène has received an invitation."
" It's true and it would not be welcome and especially impolite on my part if I showed up at a party to which I was not invited."
Aaron saw the game that was being played between father and daughter and wondered if it was not the father who prevented his daughter from attending public events...as he said the day before to Frederik De Solsten if he had such a beautiful daughter, maybe he too would hide her from others.
" I understand but I can fix it. I don't think Marion would be offended if I came with you…"
" But my education forbids such behavior... so if you will excuse me, your Highness...
The prince remained calm for a moment before smiling…she was just his type and when he finds interest in something, he takes it, willingly or by force.