Philippe tore off her gown and was about to force himself on her when a knock rapped on the door.
"Get lost! I am busy," Philippe shouted, his voice a mixture of annoyance and rage.
Tinkerbell was relieved that somebody had interrupted him and she squirmed under Philippe's body to free herself, but Philippe pressed himself on her almost crushing her windpipe. Her wings fluttered weakly in desperation.
"Noted, my lord," came a voice from the other side of the door. It was Goldfish. Goldfish turned to leave, seemingly unfazed by Philippe's command.
"No! Please!" Tinkerbell's thoughts screamed, but her voice was silenced under Philippe's oppressive presence. She looked at him with horror as he smiled darkly at her.
"Now, back to you Tinkerbell," he said, his voice dripping with menace.
But Goldfish had not entirely gone. He turned back towards the door, his voice steady and respectful, yet insistent. "Young master, your father wants to see you at the table at once."
Philippe's face contorted with frustration. "I thought you left. Just tell him I am busy!"
Goldfish's voice remained calm, as though he had dealt with Philippe's temper many times before. "Your father said if you are not there this instance, he will come here by himself."
Philippe's expression shifted from frustration to concern, a flicker of fear flashing in his eyes. "By a hermit's ears! I hope it is something more important than what I am doing now."
"I believe it is an urgent matter, my lord. If not, why would your father bother you?" Goldfish's tone carried a subtle hint of urgency that Philippe could not ignore.
Philippe looked back at Tinkerbell, his dark smile returning. "Fear not, we shall continue this pleasure another time. Now, get out."
With a strength she didn't know she possessed, Tinkerbell quickly stood from the bed, her small frame trembling. She picked up her torn dress and flew to the door, her wings beating rapidly. The young fairy looked disheveled, her hair in disarray, and her eyes wide with the remnants of terror.
Goldfish stared stoic at the scene, his eyes betraying nothing of his thoughts. If the girl knows what is good for her, she would close her mouth. Talking against the Fairybugs will earn her nothing but disgrace, in the worst case, death, he mused.
Philippe glanced at Goldfish, irritation flashing across his face. "What the effing are you standing there for, you moron? Come and help me dress, will you?"
"As you wish, young master," Goldfish replied, his tone neutral. He moved forward, his movements practiced and efficient as he assisted Philippe into his attire.
Philippe strolled leisurely to the dinner table, where his parents, High Lord and High Lady Fairybug, awaited with his sister Charlotte. Charlotte's deep blue hair and pink eyes looked like their mother's, while Philippe's appearance took after their father.
Charlotte looked at her elder brother with disgust, her distaste evident. "If you wish to take a maid, at least gag her mouth," she snapped.
Philippe smirked, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "That would be boring. I won't be able to tell if she likes it or not."
Charlotte rolled her eyes in disgust, her expression hardening as she turned away from him.
Philippe's attention shifted to his father. "Father, Goldfish told me you wanted to speak to me."
Lord Fairybug nodded, his expression serious. "Vra, I did. I was speaking to the king when he brought up something that made me glad. He wants you to marry the princess."
Philippe recoiled, his face contorting with distaste. "No way I am going to marry that half-blood princess," he sneered.
Lord Fairybug's expression darkened, his voice cold. "Half-blood or not, she is going to be the queen someday."
Philippe scoffed, crossing his arms. "I thought you were planning a rebellion."
Lord Fairybug's eyes gleamed with a calculating light. "Why plan a rebellion when an opportunity has landed in our laps? If you marry the princess, you are automatically the king, and our bloodline becomes royalty. I don't care if she is half troll or half human; she wears the crown. Look at the bigger portrait, son."
Philippe's mind whirled, his father's words sinking in. He had always envisioned taking power by force, reveling in the chaos and glory of a rebellion. But this... this was a different kind of power, he could see the merit in his father's plan, yet the thought of marrying the half-blood princess filled him with disgust.
"Think about it," Lord Fairybug continued, his tone softer now, almost coaxing. "Marrying her not only secures your position but also strengthens our influence. You will have the power to shape the kingdom as you see fit."
Philippe's eyes narrowed, the gears in his mind turning. "And what of the rebellion? Will we just abandon it?"
Lord Fairybug smiled, a cold and cunning smile. "Not abandon, my son. Postpone. We will wait until the time is right, until we have consolidated our power from within. Then, if necessary, we strike."
Philippe's scowl deepened. "What about Lady Horse Blood? She will be devastated by the news. You know how she was looking forward to our marriage."
Charlotte huffed, rolling her eyes. "Now you care about Lady Horse Blood? You go about shaming her by sleeping with anything that has a hole between their thighs."
"That is a lie," Philippe retorted, his tone mocking. "Have I slept with you?"
"Don't be ridiculous," High Lady Fairybug interjected, her voice sharp. "Incest is greatly frowned upon in the Perest Kingdom."
Philippe crossed his arms, defiant. "I can't marry the half-blood. I will be ridiculed by my friends, and people will talk behind my back."
Charlotte smirked. "She is also ugly. If you see her, you are going to be nauseous for a long time. She is very fat, with a large chest that looks like a milk animal. How can a lady be fat like that?"
Philippe's eyes darkened. He had been banned from going to the palace, and the last time the princess graced one of Charlotte's endless parties, he had been away in Lin's province. A big chest and a full figure were very rare for a female fairy, but then again, she wasn't a normal fairy.
If what Charlotte said was true, he would make fun of her and bully her until she got tired and begged her father to stop this ridiculous engagement. He didn't want to marry a half-blood who was also fat, period.
Lord Fairybug's gaze turned icy. "You will do as you are told, Philippe. This is not about your personal preferences; this is about the future of our family."
Philippe clenched his fists, struggling to contain his anger. "You expect me to just accept this? To marry someone I despise?"
"You will learn to tolerate it," Lord Fairybug replied coldly. "And you will see the benefits in time."
Philippe glared at his father, but he knew better than to argue further. He was not in a position to defy the head of the family openly. Instead, he resolved to make the princess's life miserable until she begged to be released from the engagement.
"Fine," Philippe muttered through gritted teeth. "I will do it. But don't expect me to be happy about it."
"Your feelings are irrelevant," Lord Fairybug said dismissively. "What matters is that you fulfill your duty."
Philippe remained on his seat even though he was seething with resentment, he was going to make the princess life hell.