ROYAL BLUE SCANDAL – A DEBUTANTE BALL OVERSHADOWED!
The much-anticipated Masquerade Party, meant to celebrate the debut of Landgrave Meindl's daughter, Katja, took an unforeseen turn. A lady in a resplendent royal blue silk gown found herself entangled in a heated confrontation with Duke Fabian, Reichwein's most eligible bachelor, leaving the young debutante's special night entirely overshadowed.
Instead, the city's elite found themselves captivated by the unfolding drama, their curiosity piqued by the enigmatic lady in royal blue, who was seen throwing a tantrum in the midst of the festivities.
Witnesses attest that the confrontation between the lady and Duke Fabian was intense, with emotions running high during the glamorous affair. The reason behind the heated exchange remains shrouded in mystery.
The scandalous incident became the focal point of discussions in high society. The identity of the lady in royal blue silk, her connection to Crown Prince Henrie, and the cause of her outburst continue to captivate the imaginations of those present.
In the aftermath of the event, the truth remained elusive, leaving Grossfeld's high society eagerly awaiting the next chapter of this tantalizing royal blue scandal.
***
On the night of the incident, Henrie witnessed firsthand what had transpired. He saw a lady dressed similarly to Runa screaming at Duke Fabian at the top of her lungs.
At first, he thought it was Runa, but he had doubts about her resorting to such a loud and public confrontation. The lady stormed out immediately after the incident.
Having come to the party with Runa, Henrie searched for her for hours. When he finally found her, the hall was already empty, and she was wearing an entirely different outfit than when she first arrived.
He was certain that there was a misunderstanding that needed to be resolved before the concerning rumors spread any further. Runa had already faced backlash for her parents' treachery accusation in the past, and Henrie knew she must have been traumatized by the rumors.
With his heart on fire, Henrie hopped onto his horse and galloped away to the office of The Tattler's Tales. The writer of that misleading article would need to hear Henrie's piece of mind, which was not pretty.
Unlike the Royal Gazette, The Tattler's Tales was a local newspaper containing cheap gossip and unverified rumors. The newspaper was very popular among middle-class people, but some of the upper-class enjoyed it quietly too.
Henrie's arrival surprised everyone in The Tattler's Tales office. They all kneeled and greeted him while Henrie paid them no heed. "Tell me who's responsible for this lie!"
He lifted the newspaper in the air, showing the headline for everyone to see. The employees of The Tattler's Tales quivered with Henrie's boiling rage. Someone took the initiative to lead Henrie to a small space, where a man was smoking in front of a typewriter.
"Didn't I tell you not to bother me while I'm working?" the man complained.
"Sir, His Highness the Crown Prince demands to see you," his employee announced before leaving the room without waiting for an answer from the man.
The cigarette stuck between his teeth fell to the floor. He rose abruptly, sending the chair backward.
"Your Highness!" He looked up, but Henrie's fierce gaze intimidated him, and he immediately lowered his head again. "It is an honor to have you in this lowly establishment, Your Highness."
"Are you the owner of this publishing company?" Henrie's voice was stern.
"Yes, Your Highness. I am Mauritz, the owner of The Tattler's Tales. How may I help you?" His eyes darted to the left and right in panic.
Henrie knew that this man knew what he was talking about. Otherwise, he wouldn't cower like that. "The Tattler's Tales is famous for its nonsense and misleading stories, which have destroyed countless innocent nobles. Are you trying to harm my fiancee this time? Do you not fear what I might do to you and this tiny company?"
"Your Highness, I admit that it is my mistake for mentioning your name in the article. However, I have never pointed a finger at your fiancee. Did you see a name on the newspaper?" Mauritz gradually lifted his hunched shoulders, appearing bolder as he spoke.
He continued with more confidence in his tone, "The Tattler's Tales does not publish lies, Your Highness. We relay what's already been spoken around. We gather hearsays and examine how they might impact society. In a way, we're helping people open their eyes to any possibility."
Henrie gritted his teeth, annoyed at this man justifying his misuse of information to taint people's reputations.
"It is a lie if it is not the truth," Henrie argued, trying to be patient because a crown prince who wreaked havoc in a publishing company would be another good headline for The Tattler's Tales.
"But we don't know if it's the truth or not. It is not our responsibility to fact-check every story, Your Highness," Mauritz said.
"Is this the path that you choose for yourself and this sorry company of yours? Are you sure you won't regret stepping into a battle you can't win?" Henrie threatened.
Mauritz feigned ignorance. "Your Highness, once again, I fail to comprehend what you mean."
"I understand. You will have all the time in the world to reflect on your crooked morals when you're in jail. Or not. Maybe it will satisfy me more if I have you hanged," Henrie said.
Mauritz snorted, completely forgetting his place, thinking that the crown prince couldn't touch him just because of some rumors and harmless articles.
"Come on, Your Highness. You know that people like it that way. They don't want facts. They don't even care for the truth. They just want to see other people's lives fall down the drain while they maintain theirs."
"No, I care for the truth. And I will make sure that you pay for your lies." Henrie threw the newspaper on the floor and departed from the office, galloping back to the royal palace.
To properly untangle this issue, Henrie summoned both Duke Fabian and Runa to the Maroth Hall Pavilion.
***
Once the three had gathered in the pavilion, Henrie placed the newspaper on the table, and the headline immediately caught their attention.
"Goodness!" Runa muttered, understandably in shock.
"That is wrong," Duke Fabian looked quite shaken.
"I assumed as much. Lady Runa was wearing a different dress when we returned to the palace. But I would need a proper explanation about the incident of that night to be able to think of the next course of action," Henrie said.
Duke Fabian leaned against the back of the chair and let out a long sigh. "After your arrival, I danced with Lady Runa. Afterward, I engaged in conversations with several other people. Then, this lady, dressed exactly like Lady Runa, approached me and pretended to be her."
"What do you mean, pretended to be her?" Henrie inquired.
"She masked her voice and spoke as if she was Lady Runa. However, I knew it wasn't her," Duke Fabian said.
Henrie disliked the duke's conviction that the mysterious lady was not Runa. Why did he speak as if he was already familiar with her? "And why were you so sure?"
Duke Fabian exchanged glances with Lady Runa, a sight he dreaded to see. Even if they had secret relationships behind him, they should have acted less obvious in front of him, her fake fiance.
"Her hair. Even though she tried to hide it with a hat and veil, I could still see her blond hair," he explained.
"Do you have any idea who that woman was?" Henrie inquired further.
Duke Fabian hesitated for a while before saying, "A name did come to mind, but I dare not make an accusation against someone who might be innocent. I also couldn't be entirely certain that the person was who I thought it was."
Henrie wondered who the suspect was that made the duke hesitate. Then, Runa spoke softly. "Actually, Your Highness, I know who that lady was."