Nadine was at a complete loss for words. She blinked repeatedly as she stared into Corina's watery eyes, trying to find the right response, but she came up blank. The silence between them made Corina feel even worse, like she was going to break down into tears all over again.
"I'm... so sorry, Princess Corina." Nadine held onto her. She couldn't even imagine how Corina was feeling in the moment.
Corina broke out of Nadine's arms, and ran off toward the front of the shop, wanting to escape. She felt as if everyone was going to suddenly hate her. She hoped Jeffery hadn't hears about it.
Jeffery looked up, and noticed Corina's tear-filled gaze. "Princess, what's wrong?!" He quickly rose to his feet, running over to Corina. The princess felt as if everything had stopped in time. Her heart felt heavy and the room around her started to spin. Her ears began to ring, and her knees started to buckle as her vision blurred.
Her arms began to tremble, her whole body shaking. Jeffery quickly reached out, trying to catch the princess, but her knees hit the wooden floor. The impact caused the whole room to vibrate, then everything went dark.
Matilda sighed heavily as she shook her head. "This is terrible. Poor kid."
Nadine frowned. She didn't know what to say, but she couldn't stand to see the princess like that. She took a deep breath before she approached Corina. "Please," Nadine whispered to Matilda. "Do not speak to the princess in that tone again."
"Why? I'm old - just saying it how it is," Matilda responded with a glare.
"I understand. It's a lot to take in for Corina, though. You have to realize that."
"I know," Matilda groaned as she took a step back. "But, she is not the first one that has walked into my shop with a story of woe. It happens all the time. Maybe parents shouldn't return to make their kid into something their not."
Nadine was furious with the older woman, but she knew Matilda was right. She nodded. "You have a point."
"What is exactly is going on?" Jeffery frowned as he looked at the women.
"It's not my place to tell," Nadine shrugged.
Nadine felt the need to shield Corina. She felt a protective instinct kick in. She was in shock, but she could tell the princess was worse off than she was. It was obvious the girl had no idea. "She is a good kid."
Nadine would never reveal the secret to anyone.
Nadine walked toward Corina and carefully placed her arm around her back. "Princess Corina, let's get you out of here."
Corina was not able to respond. She remained still as Nadine held onto her, and carried the princess out of the tailor shop, with the knight's assistance.
They needed to talk.
Matilda shook her head in disgust as the trio left. She never liked nobles. She only tolerated Nadine, because of her business and reputation. "If the duke's money weren't so good, I'd of kicked them out for their shenanigans."
Corina slowly regained consciousness. Her head was resting in the soft pillow, her blue eyes were red and watery as she opened them to the unfamiliar surroundings.
She sat up and noticed she was back in her bedroom, back on her bed, with Nadine at her side. "I-I don't want to get married," she breathed out in a panicked tone, her eyes filled with tears once again. "I can't do this."
Nadine quickly rushed over, kneeling at the side of the bed, resting her arms across Corina's lap as she looked at her with a gentle expression. "I understand, princess. Everything's going to be alright."
The woman tried her best to sound soothing, but the princess was in such a state of distress she barely heard her.
"Please don't cry," Nadine continued, holding onto Corina's hands and squeezing gently.
"Duke Alexander is going to hate me when he finds out I'm a boy." Corina buried her face into the pillow, sobbing hysterically. She didn't even notice how loud her wails were, how much they were starting to make Nadine worry. "I want to be a good bride," she managed to breathe out before the tears began to stream down her cheeks once again.
"You are a good bride, princess." Nadine smiled gently as she stroked Corina's hand. She hated seeing Corina like this. Her heart ached for the princess, but she couldn't understand her plight.
Corina's tears continued to flow down her face. She knew what was coming, and she could barely stand the thought of it. He was going to break the engagement. Alexander was such a kind, handsome man who deserved to have a beautiful woman by his side - not a fraud.
Nadine let out a soft sigh, before wrapping her arms around the princess' shaking form and holding her close to her body. "Please try not to get upset."
She felt helpless as she sat there holding onto Corina, trying her best to comfort the woman who was crying uncontrollably in front of her. "Everything is going to be okay."
Corina shook her head in response to the words.
"It doesn't matter who you are on the outside," Nadine whispered. "Corina is Corina. It doesn't matter if you're a beautiful princess or a dashing prince. If the Duke is a good, wise man, he will realize what you have to offer."
"What do I have to offer?" Corina sniffed as she turned to look at the woman holding onto her. "He's going to be disgusted when he learns I'm actually a boy. He's going to feel lied to. He's going to blame me for everything and be disgusted he kissed a man."
Nadine placed her index finger against the princess' lips and smiled warmly at her. "Don't be silly. Why would he be disgusted to kiss you? It's just a kiss, and you didn't know about your true body. It's not as if you deceived him into the arrangement. That's just ridiculous. You weren't fault."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Tell him." Nadine said bluntly. "If the marriage is a true match, then he will not be upset with the truth. He will be your partner. If he's a true match for you, then you'll know. You'll know how to treat him, and he you."
"He has the same body as me," she frowned. "He won't love me."
Nadine took the silence to mean the princess did not want to answer that. She shrugged her shoulders and held tightly to Corina. "Everything is going to be fine," she reassured her. "Just calm down and we'll think of what to do. I can't have my princess crying all over the place like this. It's not good for the skin. It gives you wrinkles."
The woman pulled away from the hug and placed her hand on the princess' cheek, stroking it with her thumb. "Corina, do you feel as if you're a woman?"
Corina's brows knitted together as she stared down at her body, feeling Nadine's soft hands gently rubbing her face. "Yes, but—"
"Then it's simple, "Nadine shrugged. "You are a woman. That's how you feel."
"It's not simple," Corina sighed.
"Sure it is!" Nadine smiled as she nodded her head. "If you say you're a woman, then that is who you are."
Corina couldn't argue with her logic. The woman was very intelligent. Perhaps she was a woman if she believed she was? She didn't know anything different and didn't want to be a man - she was attracted to men and felt right whenever she was in the Duke's arms. She loved wearing dresses and having long hair.
Nadine leaned forward and kissed the princess on the cheek before smiling warmly at her. "Don't be sad. There's no need to be sad, okay?"
"What if he doesn't want to marry me now?" Corina felt a new set of tears form in her eyes, her bottom lip trembled, and her body shuddered as she stared at Nadine, silently pleading with the woman to reassure her that everything would be fine. "W-What will happen then?"
Nadine smiled as she pulled Corina close to her. "The duke will not cast you aside so easily, princess."
She hugged her tightly and closed her eyes. The woman breathed in deeply and held tightly to Corina's small body. "Don't worry about him," Nadine reassured her. "He loves you so much. I can tell."
"How can you tell?" Corina whispered against Nadine's neck. "Have you spoken to him about me?"
"Well..." Nadine thought carefully about her response. "He talks about you when he sees me. You're all that's on his mind."
Corina nodded. She tried to take her words at face value, but she had trouble believing the Duke would continue to have positive feelings about her after he learned the truth.
"Don't worry," Nadine reassured her. "I'm sure he'll love you even more. After all, you're beautiful on the inside and outside, aren't you?"
"T-Thank you, Nadine," Corina smiled weakly. "Would you please keep this a secret?"
Nadine nodded. She kissed the princess' head, and patted her hair. "I promise, but please consider speaking with the duke before your wedding night."
"O-Okay," Corina nodded in agreement. She knew Nadine was right, but she was too afraid to do it.
The thought of speaking to Duke Alexander about her body, about who she really was, and the possibility of being rejected, filled her with a fear she had never known before.