Margaret stared for several minutes at the book Charlotte had stolen from her household. She expected her friend to have some grand ideas, but Charlotte hadn't written anything since she finished writing the title.
"If you would please forgive my overflowing curiosity. Am I right to assume that you felt furious, thus acting rashly by storming off here and begging for help without a concrete plan at all?" Margaret asked sarcastically.
Charlotte rolled her eyes, then her gaze moved along somewhere aside of Margaret's eyes, "I do have a plan, a good one to be exact. I just didn't know how to explain it in words."
"Which can be explained in a simpler term that there is no plan."
"Oh Margaret, please don't mock me...," Charlotte paused for a while before adding, "too much."
Margaret treated herself to a cookie, then said, "Alright I promise I won't if you start writing or explaining your plan to me."
With the quill still clenched on her right hand, Charlotte opened her mouth, but no words came out. She closed her mouth again. The cycle kept repeating four times that Margaret wanted to smack her friend if only she wasn't taught the proper decorum for nobles.
"Charlotte, my friend...," unlike her sarcastic remark before, Margaret spoke with a very gentle voice and a soft smile, although her eyes became sharper.
"I want revenge," Charlotte said with an incredibly fast speed. Looking at her friend's deadly glare, Charlotte sensed that she needed to say something immediately.
"My dear Charlotte, you are my precious friend," Margaret still keeping her soft smiling face, "please do not turn into a parrot. If you did, you know that I would be very sad. You wouldn't want to make me sad, right?"
The tension on Charlotte's head increased as the curl of Margaret's lips rose. She had to say something! Anything, fast!
"I loathe the royal for abusing their power and neglecting the people. I want to..." Charlotte paused trying for find a proper term, "strip them off the power they used to torture my life."
The gentle looks on Margaret's face changed into a wretched one. Instead of a parrot, her friends managed to be a not-so-funny clown. She didn't disagree with her statement, but the time and place didn't seem to be right.
"And how would you do that?" Margaret said with a sweet smile plastered on her lips.
"I had begged you not to mock me," Charlotte's lips curled into a pout.
"Are you seriously thinking of treason?" Margaret lowered her voice at the last word.
Charlotte picked up the quill and drew three things. On the top of the paper was a crown, drawn like how a four-year-old would. Below were two circles, numbered "1" and "2".
Pointing at the crown, "This is my first enemy. What would be the best revenge at this man who loved power so much? Never having his descendants touch the crown ever again."
"Therefore?" Margaret asked.
"Of course, I will seduce the princes and make them fight. The winner should take this," Charlotte pointed at the crown, "when he thought he had everything on his palm, I would betray him, make him lose power using fabricated proof. Then, the people's trust in Pazgallene would go downhill. The Pazgallene will never rule again. The crown will belong to another family that deserve it."
"What a ridiculous plan!"
"Really? I think it's an extremely well-thought plan," Charlotte pouted.
"How would you be able to seduce a prince?! Both of them too!" Margaret almost screamed.
"Although I used the word seduce, it's not in my interest to be their lover. As long as I could be close enough to earn their trust and influence them, it doesn't matter to be their lover, friend, business associate, or partners in crime."
"You have gone crazy?!" Margaret stood up in anger. Afraid to alarm the servant outside to look at the balcony, she sat down again. She finished her tea and even poured another.
Rather than heart-broken by Margaret's harsh comment, Charlotte grinned from ear to ear.
"The crazier it is, the more beautiful this plan is. How thrilling, isn't it?" Charlotte couldn't stop herself from grinning.
"You are crazy," Margaret face looked solemn. She had relinquished every endeavor to bring her friend back to her senses.
"Thank you."
"It's not a compliment!"
Charlotte laughed at Margaret's frustrated countenance.
"What is the first step of your plan? How do you think a baron's daughter could meet the princes? You might be at a ball, but that doesn't guarantee a meeting nor the success of this plan," Margaret asked a valid question.
"I am not just a baron's daughter. I have connections with the royals from my uncle. Besides, I understand that it wasn't anything official, but at one point in my life Princess Eleanor was practically my governess."
"Yes, of course, and then?"
"I would be able to meet your jerk ex-fiancé at Princess Eleanor's grave, piqued his interest, and arrange another meeting," Charlotte ended her story with another grin. Her plan wasn't exactly unfavorable as she usually saw Prince Logan almost every year at Princess Eleanor's death anniversary.
"How could you pique his interest? As much as it is hard to admit, I must agree that you are one of the most beautiful bachelorettes in the capital. However, that doesn't make every man head over heels for you," Margaret shook her head in a disagreeable favor.
"That's why I need your help!" Charlotte screamed, stood up, and danced around on the balcony.
Margaret showed a look asking for further explanation.
"I need you to teach me how to court a man! You are my best bet in this plan."
"Do you think I'm an expert in this field?!" A pair of questioning eyes was thrown at Charlotte. It had only been less than an hour since Charlotte's visit, but Margaret already had a severe headache. Charlotte's words were getting more and more ridiculous as the seconds went by.
"I believe in you."
In another context, Charlotte's words might sound beautiful. Nevertheless, at this time, it just sounded like phony lip-service for Margaret.
Margaret let out a big sight before answering, "I might be able to offer some advice to help, but I wouldn't guarantee your success. Remember, same rule as always."
"Of course, I will never drag you down if anything goes wrong," Charlotte nodded, then sat down again to eat another cookie.
A minute or two went by in silence. Both young ladies were sitting admiring the beautiful garden. Although both were having a very contrasting thought. One was delighted and excited for an adventure, while the other was depressed and afraid for the aftermath of this adventure.
"What should I do now?" asked Charlotte after a several minutes went by.
"Forgive me, but I do not understand your question," Margaret who had already calmed herself down answered in a solemn tone according to the proper etiquette.
"You just agreed to teach me how to court a man."
"You want me to give you advices, like, right now?" Margaret's eyes were enlarged as she couldn't hide her shocked expression unlike the calm face a minute before.
"I do not see why not now. We don't exactly have much time before the day come," Charlotte was revering to the death anniversary of Princess Eleanor.
Margaret swallowed her saliva before giving her friend the last question, "Are you sure you really want this?"