Chapter 22 - THE PLAN

"Your Highnesses, please stop!" Priscilla rushed over to the floor in an attempt to separate the two princesses.

"Please, stop already that's enough." Priscilla cried, pulling the princesses away from each other. "Think of what will happen if the King finds out about this. And... And the party is still ongoing downstairs. What will people think when they find out the princesses fight like this? Please stop now before anyone notices you are fighting." Priscilla cried one last time.

"This is not over yet, I will make you pay for this!" Vanessa yelled stepping away and pointing dangerously at Gabriella.

"Just stay away from me while I can still control myself. If you continue this way, I don't know what I might do to you, Vanessa." Gabriella said to her, regretting within herself why she allowed herself to be controlled by her anger. But Vanessa getting on her nerves was too much to bear. 

"And what do you think you can do to me? Kill me? Yes, say it! You want to kill me? Yes! Go ahead! Do whatever you want to do to me!" Vanessa shouted making another move towards Gabriella but Priscilla was able to hold her back, with force this time, as if fighting for Gabriella.

"Let go of me you low life!" Vanessa shouted at Priscilla, wriggling herself out of Priscilla's hold as if she disgusted her.

"I warn you, Vanessa, don't you dare call anyone under me low life. I will not warn you again!" Gabriella yelled back, this time Priscilla rushed over to Gabriella, pleading with her to make no move towards Vanessa again.

"If you think you can rule with this attitude of yours, then I must tell you you will go nowhere because people will despise you. And don't even think of finding a husband for yourself because no one can endure your rotten attitude."

"I should be the one telling you that! You are the one who has a rotten attitude here, not me!" Gabriella growled.

They glared at each other, both of them with eyes burning with fury. 

"Get out of my room right now! Get out!" Shouted Gabriella. 

Giving Gabriella one last glare, Vanessa left the room, banging the door behind her.

"My princess, are you alright?" Asked Priscilla as she hurried over to her taking her hand and both sat down on the bed. 

"She is getting on my nerves. How can I avoid her when she keeps bugging me? I can't help it Priscilla but we will always end up fighting and it's not proper at all." Gabriella said frustratedly.

"That is why I've been telling you to try as much as possible to control your anger. If possible ignore if you can. If people hear that the princesses fight among themselves, it will raise a big issue in the kingdom. So please my princess, anything you can, please do it to avoid her." She looked at her, her face greatly dishevelled. 

"Goodness, look at you. Your hair is messed up now. And your face, you have a wound on your face too." Priscilla looked sadly at Gabriella. 

"Just get me ice and medicine."

"Right away, my princess." Priscilla hurriedly.

~~~

In Vanessa's room, she burst the door open and unexpectedly almost jammed her mother who was already waiting for her.

"Where have you been when the party is still on?" Alexia paused, surprised to see her in that state. "What happened to you? Why is your face messed up like this?"

"I had a fight with Gabriella, mother," Vanessa said, turning away from her.

Alexia faced her daughter with a hardened look on her face.

"Mother don't give me that look." Vanessa turned to face the window.

"You are very stupid Vanessa! How many times have I told you that no matter what, you shouldn't ever start a fight with her?" 

"It's not my fault that I have to lose it, Mother! She called you a slut! Tell me would you stand it if it was you?"

Hearing this, Alexia swallowed hard, anger began to get the best of her. She wanted to do more than fight with Gabriella and Catalina now but, she had to control herself until after the masquerade ball when everything would settle down.

Only then will she get back at them, and make them beg on their feet.

"Don't worry my child." Alexia approached Vanessa.

"Just soon enough everything will go as planned."

"Mother, Gabriella said she would leave at the altar. Do you think that Gabriella would easily accept defeat? First of all, the priest is missing after she visits him. You know I can't let Father know about it, because he will surely send people to find him. I'm afraid that the king would ask unnecessary questions that will expose us."

"Yes, I'm fully aware of that. That's why we should be careful of every move we make and don't engage in a petty fight with Gabriella."

"Are you going to let her leave the palace after the Masquerade ball, Mother?"

"Yes, why not?"

"But I'm sure that Gabriella must be cooking something behind us. Gabriella can't just decide to live alone in the alter without having a solid reason for it. That's why we should attack her now we still have the chance to. Don't you think we shouldn't wait until after the masquerade ball?"

"No, Vanessa. Use your senses." Alexia whispered.

"The king will be having a meeting with the Alphas in two weeks for the masquerade ball, that is the perfect time to kill Gabriella." Vanessa persuaded.

"No, Vanessa, no. But don't worry, I have set a trap I'm sure she will fall in before then."

 "And what about father? If we are not able to take Gabriella down, getting the King at our fingertips would be a hard thing to do."

"We can't just kill your father now because of the situation, we have to wait. It will take a lot of time to execute our plans. Nothing should be done in a rush. Slow and steady win the race, my child. So we have to be careful with everything we do." Said Alexia, not knowing that someone was eva-dropping on them.

Just when the maid was about to step out immediately, she met Jared, Vanessa's guard blocking her way.

"What are you doing here, Priscilla?"

Priscilla's heart fell.