Earlier Alexia had ordered Vanessa's handmaid to bring her medicine to clean Vanessa's bruises. The maid had returned with a vessel containing the medicine and quickly kept it on the table. Immediately, Alexia had taken the medicine and ordered the maid to leave.
"This is going to hurt. So unfortunate that we don't have our healing powers anymore. You would have started healing by now." Alexia said, dabbing the cotton into the medicine and bringing it forward to apply on the bruises.
"Then that means, Mother, you must be careful with applying the medicine on my face." Vanessa's lips pulled into a thin line.
"Allow me, Vanessa. We have to treat it before it gets infected. That girl Gabriella is something else, just look at the damage she had done to your face. This will swell if we don't treat it properly." Alexia asserted before slowly, bringing it forward to Vanessa's face again.
The moment the cotton touched the spot, a scream erupted from the pit of Vanessa's stomach caused by the electrifying hotness of the medicine. "ARHHHH!"
"What is wrong, Vanessa?" Alexia shockingly removed her hand.
"Mother, it's burning. My face is burning! The medicine Mother, it's burning my face!" Vanessa's hand flapped in the air, fanning her face as she felt the blazing on her facial skin.
"What is wrong with you, Vanessa? Stop acting like a child." Alexia reprimanded.
"Mother, the... The medicine. It's not safe. Ta–take it away from me." She winced, fanning her face with her palms. It was then Alexia took a second look at the medicine and what it had done to her daughter's face. The bruise now was becoming redder.
"Get the physician for the princess!" Alexia had screamed at the guard who was standing and watching.
A few minutes later, the door pushed open, the guard leading the physician in, his bag tightly clung to his right hand.
He bowed and greeted the Queen before hurrying to Vanessa's side. Quickly, he brought out the medicines. Vanessa still shivered as she thought of how her face would be damaged. The pain writhing her face. "I will make her pay daily for this!" She suddenly shouted, making everyone in the room quiver, including the physician whose hand shook, the medicine almost falling out of his hand.
"My princess, you must control your anger so I can properly apply the medicine." The physician pleaded, barely recovering from the fear that came with Vanessa's anger.
"My dear, you have to control yourself. It will be worse if you prevent the medicine man from curing your wound properly." Alexia tried to calm her down.
"Bring the handmaid now." Again, Alexia ordered the second guard.
A few minutes later, the guard arrived with the maid and she ordered her to get on her knees.
Trembling, the maid looked shockingly at the mistress and the princess. Looking at the princess, her face was compounded with rage as her face shone red.
"What is this you have done?" Alexia questioned, her fist now balling. "Who ordered you to do this? Speak now!"
"Your... Your Highness, I'm so sorry about this. Please forgive me. I didn't know that the vessel I took was the wrong one."
"How will I know you are telling the truth? You better tell me the truth now. Did Gabriella order you to do this?"
"No! No, your Highness. Gabriella had not ordered me to do anything. What happened is my mistake and no one should be blamed. Please forgive me, Your Highness."
"Say the truth!"
"I am telling you the truth, your Highness." The maid trembled, tears now wailing in her eyes.
"Then you should have properly checked before taking it." Alexia bent, and grabbed her jaw, squeezing it roughly, she brought her head up so she she look at her face, but the maid was afraid to look at her face. She kept her eyes down, listening to the warning. "If I find out that what you are telling me is not the truth, I will personally deal with you. Now get out of my sight." Alexia ordered between gritted teeth as she watched the maid hurry out of the room.
Immediately the maid was completely gone, the mistress turned to the guard and ordered, "Make sure that she sees no food for the whole day. That will be her punishment." The guard nodded and went out of the room.
Alexia returned to Vanessa's side, taking her hands, the doctor had finished with the treatment and said to the mistress. "Don't worry, your Highness, I have properly taken care of it."
"Are you sure it will have no other bad effect on my face?"
"That I will assure you, my Princess. But you should also take proper care of yourself. Do not worry, the wrong medicine you used is not a substance that will bring harm to your face. The medicine will only have the effect of mostly making the bruise look red, but I have also taken care of that too." Taking his bag, he said,
"I will take my leave, your Highness. If anything happens to the Princess again, your humble servant is always here." He bowed and left.
"Mother, this is not over yet." Vanessa stood up instantly. "I will not let Gabriella go away with what she did to my face. Mother, she thinks she can get away with everything she does!" She paced the room angrily. "I can't let her hide the priest and go free!"
"Gabriella is wise, isn't she? Don't worry, we will play along for now. We still have some time to find the priest before the masquerade ball. For now, you will let the king know the truth. If the King asked you about the blessings again, tell him that the priest had fallen sick and was unable to attend to you. When you have said that, leave the rest to me. The night tonight will be spent with me and the King."
"I trust you, Mother," Vanessa said, her lips parting in a cruel smile. She stood in front of the mirror, looking at her reflection and the bruises that had patches of medicine, she thought inwardly. 'There is something that is yet to be finished, Gabriella. As long as you live in the face of the earth, I will never let you have peace of mind. What you did to my face is not over yet.'