Seth after finishing a small portion of his work, couldn't help himself and went to check on his wife if she woke up. The twins left for their swordsmanship classes after they woke up and didn't want to disturb their mother as well so they all silently tucked her in and left to their respective works.
"Your Highness." Anna greeted as soon as she saw him walking towards his bedroom.
"Is she awake?" He asked, unaware of the anticipation in his voice. Anna smiled at him gently before replying, "I just came here, Your Highness. Why don't you check yourself?"
So Seth didn't waste a second before slowly entering the bedroom without making any noise. The bed was empty but there was a white silhouette curled up on the floor in front of the mirror. Seth immediately walked to her in worry.
"Why were you-" He swallowed his words as soon as he caught sight of the look on her face. She was trembling so bad and he could feel her erratic heart from his hand on her back.
"Wife-"
"Don't call me that." She said between her clenched teeth. Her throat tightened, her collar bones became prominent like she was being starved for a while.
"Call-" He got cut off again.
"Don't go. Stay." She was saying. Repeating the words over and over as her fists turned white as they clung to his suit.
"I… I…w…" She was struggling to say. Seth calmed his own heart as he sat down and gathered her into his arms holding her close.
"You will go home. I will make sure of it." Seth said and she flinched. It pained him to say that but it hurt worse to see her like this.
"I… had a… dream." Seth waited for her to finish each word as she gasped for air between each letter. Somehow, he felt a little relieved that it was because of a dream.
"Mn." He replied.
"A little boy…" She trailed off, unable to finish her words.
"It's just a dream. So don't think too much about it." He reassured and gently brushed her hair that stuck to her face because of sweating.
"Did you know, Jasper was angry at me because I spilled ink on a document this morning. Look." He lifted his hand to show the faint ink marks on his hand.
"He was always like that. Nagging at me for the smallest of things. One would think he is an old person past his prime inside his young skin." He gently rocked back and forth as he spoke of inconsequential things. After some time, her erratic heart calmed down and her trembling subsided as she tiredly blinked before falling asleep again in his arms.
Seth sighed in relief as he carried her back to bed. He sat there for a long time afraid that she would be scared to find him gone when she woke up.
"Anna." He called the head maid. The elderly woman didn't know what was happening with the Princess but she saw how Seth gently calmed her down from such an anxious state.
"Call for Jasper and Cain and bring me my stationery." He ordered and soon he was writing an emergency letter to the Holy Empire. Mentioning all the benefits he was willing to offer just for an entry into the Island.
Jasper was shocked to read the letter but a part of himself believed that the Holy Empire would never accept this. He just didn't understand why the Prince was willing to go that far for this strange woman. He too realised that she was not Grace Finley but a possession was an impossible phenomenon because it goes against the laws of the world and would never be allowed under the Holy Empire's watch. Unless… He couldn't help but look at Seth Peregrine, the man with blood that stands on the opposite side of the Great Sage and his children.
Priest Cain however wasn't convinced about all this because he was the one who treated the Princess after her accident. He didn't see any signs of the demonic. His master was a creature who was accepted by the sage since he was allowed on the sacred grounds despites his bloodline. So Priest Cain just couldn't understand or accept this situation in any way. But he could admit one thing, the Grand Princess would never be unkind for no reason. The princess that he treated, would never at least. He knew that much with some odd certainty.
"Go." Seth ordered and they both bowed before leaving the room.
After a few more hours of watching her sleep, he ordered Anna to watch over her carefully as he headed out.
Unbeknownst to the sleeping Princess, that day Seth left the palace and stayed out for three whole days as he finished clearing several mid to low class dungeons around Eonon, shocking the adventurers who came to attend the festival in the capital.
The Grand Princess also left everyone except the unwelcome guests in the royal palace in a state of anxiety as she slept for three whole days.
A day after waking up, she was sitting in the garden for a tea with the Verdant Princess.
"You've changed a lot in just a few months, Lady Grace." Viviana said in a mocking tone.
"I did. And it is 'Your Highness' for you." Came the unexpected reply.
"How dare you talk back to the princess?" Nana was hot on heels. She didn't forget the insult she suffered twice after coming here.
"And how dare you talk back to me." The Grand Princess glared. It was different. Both Viviana and her head maid shivered under that gaze. But to their relief the Grand Princess sighed tiredly and looked away as if she couldn't be bothered with them.
"My father wishes to speak with you." Viviana said after a while.
"What for?"
"About the matter that he entrusted to you." Viviana said, trying to remind her how she was still under her father's hands.
"I forgot it so I believe it's better he forgot it too." A lazy reply was heard. "I will speak with him when I see him the next time." The Grand Princess added.
"You just recovered from a carriage accident, Your Highness." The address was correct but it was mocking. It was worse than treating her informally but the Grand Princess wasn't bothered by it. But what caught her interest was the rest of Viviana's words.
"Oh? Are you worried?" The Grand Princess raised a brow in interest. Like she was having fun expecting things from Viviana, which made the Verdant Princess frown.
"Worried? Nonsense. I was just warning you to be aware of such dangers in the future." It was a threat, a subtle one at that.
"I wonder." The Grand Princess pondered before looking at Viviana with a smile. "If it's just going to be another carriage accident then it's nothing much I believe."
"I can send things much more fun than that your way." Viviana practically admitted her hand but that was something the Grand Princess already expected. But what was unexpected was that she gave the Verdant Princess too much credit.
"I see." The Grand Princess stood up and slowly took a butter knife from the plate of snacks on the table.
"What are you doing?!" Nana was the first to shout. But the Grand Princess just put the knife in Viviana's hand and held it to her own neck.
"Somebody! Come here!" Nana's shrieks didn't reach the two princess' ears. Viviana was terrified by the look on the Grand Princess' eyes. It was madness. She stumbled to get up but her legs gave away. The Grand Princess' grip over her hand tightened as she madly pushed the butter knife towards her throat.
"S..Stop it." Viviana could barely make a word. She struggled to free her hand from that vice-like grip to no avail.
"Why? You've been wanting to do this for so long. Here I am giving you a golden chance. Just one move and you will be rid of me. Go ahead." The Grand Princess urged and the movement drew blood on her neck.
Seeing that Viviana couldn't contain herself anymore and shrieked in horror.
"Your Highness!" Nana's words brought back Viviana's senses.
"Save me… S…Seth… please." Viviana reached out in a small pitiful voice. But the Grand Prince's eyes were only on the Grand Princess and as soon as he caught sight of the blood he took an immediate step towards her before coming to an abrupt halt.
"Look at you." The Grand Princess lifted Viviana's chin to meet her eyes.
"Scared and trembling at the sight of a mere drop of blood. Say Princess, what will you be if I take away all the love and adoration you receive just for being born into this world? What are you without your royal status? Would you dare set your eye upon something that's not to be coveted? Would you dare think of committing unheard atrocities without getting your hands soiled? Absolutely pathetic. If you can't stand on your own against me then you shouldn't dare to think that." The Grand Princess let her go and stood straight.
"And it is 'Your Highness' for you." She added with a glare and turned around to leave. Not the Grand Prince or his people who came with him. Jasper Fox and the two commanders Maxence and Duchess Devin were standing equally stunned.
"Keep that Head Maid of yours in line lest you expect me to do something myself." With that, she left and Seth not being able to do anything left the place without a word as well.
He was informed with great urgency as he was leaving for the training grounds so he had no choice but to make a detour as it seemed the Grand Princess was up to something again. This time it involved Verdant's beloved princess so he couldn't just ignore it given the two kingdoms were already at each other's throats.
Normally he would have checked on her immediately after following her. He still wished to do that, it took him everything he had in him to walk away like that. But what right does he have after he said that to her?
After seeing her break down like that, He took such a decision.
"Let's put some distance between us." He said to her the evening before. "I'm not asking you to do the same with the twins. I wish you would continue to care for them just as you are until the moment of your return. I will take care of them after that and I'm sure they will be understanding when the time comes but I believe we should maintain proper distance." He explained.
"Alright." Came the calm reply that startled him. He turned to look at her only to see her apathetic expression. It hurt. He didn't realise until now that he was expecting for her to retort and tell him to not run away again. He would say that he couldn't keep hoping when he knew that she would walk away from him so he wanted to be the one to do that first. And then she would be angry but in the end she would give in. He was naive to half expect such a thing to happen.
He was dreaming.
"I will take care this doesn't reach the twins. I will give you my word. I ask you to take care not to show it in your face as well, Your Highness. At least not in front of the kids. Then, I bid you a good evening." With that, she turned away and left. He was too late to stop her.
"What was going on, Your Highness?" Jasper asked, looking at the direction the Grand Princess left.
"Are you still fighting, Your Highness?" Maxence questioned.
"It was nothing and not your concern, Now give me the reports." Seth said coldly and his subordinates straightened immediately. He was back to his old self, aloof and chill-inducing. They forgot what it was like for the past few months because he mellowed out a lot. Only now did they realise that the Grand Princess was the root of all these changes.