Finally, Queen Selena fell silent after her outburst, her chest heaving with the force of rage. And the room becomes deathly silent only the sound of the heavy breathing of Queen Selena and a sigh can be heard from Princess Aurelia. Princess Aurelia could only stand there while lowering her head, which allowed her to hide her true expression, and she could only wait for what her mother had to say next.
But instead of saying more words, the Queen simply turned away from Aurelia, dismissing her with a wave of her hand as if she were nothing more than a nuisance. Princess Aurelia felt at that time she was really treated like an unwanted burden and guessed she was right because, in the next moment, her mother proved it.
"Leave from my sight, I cannot bear to look at you any longer." Queen Selena commanded coldly to Princess Aurelia, there was clear disdain in her voice for her.
And Aurelia didn't need to be told twice, she bowed towards her mother which didn't get any response at all, but she didn't care and just walked away from there. Her heart was already heavy with the painful words that her mother said to her without any sympathy or warmth that a mother carries toward their child.
As Princess Aurelia reached the door, her heart dropped to her stomach when she heard the cold, steely voice of Queen Selena sliced once more.
"Wait," the Queen commanded once again. With that same tone of hers which had lost none of its sharpness, Aurelia could feel that there was something else now—something more calculating and sinister. And her gut feeling was telling her that whatever will be the next word of Queen Selena could never be in her favor.
Aurelia was frozen in her place, her hand was just inches away from the door handle. She didn't dare to turn around, didn't dare to face her mother again, but she knew that she had no choice. Slowly, she turned to look at the Queen, her heart pounding even louder in her chest.
Queen Selena's gaze was fixed on her, and there was a gleam in her eyes that sent a shiver down Aurelia's spine. The Queen rose from her throne and took a step toward her. her expression was unreadable and it made only more miserable for Aurelia.
"There is another reason, why I summoned you here," Selena began with her icy voice and continued, "We have received word of an upcoming diplomatic visit from the neighboring kingdom. And I have found out from my resource that their Crown Prince will be among the delegation."
Aurelia felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as Queen Selena continued. She had already known of this visit, as it was on the talk of everyone present in the palace. But the way her mother was looking at her now, she knew this was about more than just diplomacy.
"You are going to engage him," Queen Selena said her eyes narrowing at Princess Aurelia. "Make him see you as a suitable bride. Lure him into your trap, Aurelia. Do something beneficial for your mother—just this once."
The words were cold and calculating, devoid of any motherly affection. They were a command, not a request. Aurelia's heart broke at the realization that her mother was willing to use her as a pawn, to sell her daughter in exchange for more power.
She stared at Queen Selena, her throat tight with unshed tears. The pain of her mother's earlier words was nothing compared to this—the knowledge that she was nothing more than a tool, a means to an end in her mother's quest for power.
For a moment, she wanted to scream, to rail against the injustice of it all. She wanted to shout that she was more than just a bargaining chip, more than just a pawn in her mother's schemes. But the look in the Queen's eyes silenced her and reminded her of the futility of such protests.
Aurelia knew that if she defied her mother now, there would be consequences—severe consequences. And so, she swallowed her pride, pushed down the anger and the heartbreak, and forced herself to nod.
"Yes, Mother," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She could feel the tears welling up, but she blinked them back, determined not to let them fall in front of the Queen. "I will do as you ask."
Queen Selena's lips curled into a faint, satisfied smile, but there was no warmth in it. "Good," she said coldly. "Remember, Aurelia, this is your chance to prove your worth. Do not fail me."
With that, the Queen turned away, dismissing her daughter once more. Aurelia stood there for a moment, her heart heavy with despair. She wanted to cry, to let out the pain and frustration that was building up inside her, but she couldn't—she wouldn't.
Instead, she turned and left the chamber, her steps heavy as she walked away. As the door closed behind her, the weight of her mother's words pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket.
Aurelia knew what was expected of her, knew the role she was supposed to play. But inside, she felt empty, hollowed out by the realization that her own mother was willing to use her as a pawn in a game of power.
She had always known that life in the palace was a game of strategy, of manipulation and deceit. But she had never imagined that she would be forced to play such a role, to be used in such a cold and calculating way by her very own mother.
As she walked through the grand halls of the palace, Aurelia kept her head held high, her expression neutral. She had learned long ago that showing weakness was dangerous, that any sign of vulnerability could be exploited.
But inside, she was falling apart. The thought of what her mother was asking her to do—to trap the Crown Prince in a web of lies and deceit—was repulsive to her. She wanted nothing to do with it, wanted to run away from the palace, from the expectations that weighed so heavily on her.
But she couldn't. She was the daughter of Queen Selena, and that meant she had no choice. Her mother's command was law, and disobedience was not an option.