"No, he did not force me, your majesty. I cam with him willingly." Cinderella said, putting a sincere smile on her face. The queen stared deeply at her, seeing if she could catch any fluctuations of emotion.
"Is that so? Alright then, I'll believe you my child. But, what relationship do the both of you have then?"
Cinderella slowly bent her head, silently biting her lips at the question of the queen.
"She's my woman mother, is that enough questions for today already? You're making her uncomfortable." Prince Stanley came to her rescue.
"What?" The princess shouted in disbelief. "You must be joking eldest brother. When… How?"
"It's not a joke. She's my woman and your future sister-in-law, so learn to start respecting her." Prince Stanley said to his sister.
The queen was still in shock at the explosive news she just heard, she continued to stare at Cinderella. Even Cinderella herself was in shock to how prince Stanley easily said the words of out his mouth without even thinking for a bit.
Now she has no more chance to escape even if she wanted to. The queen regained herself and turned to Stanley, "If what you said is the truth, then we must hold a banquet immediately to introduce her to the king and his cabinets."
"Not yet mother. We need to give her time to adjust to the palace first. We'll discuss about the banquet later." Prince Stanley said.
The queen nodded in agreement, " You're right. We'll need to give her time." The queen turned to Cinderella and walked up to her, gently placing her hands on her cheeks, "Child, don't be afraid. The palace might be a dangerous place according to the rumours outside, I promise to protect you and make sure you're very comfortable, feeling more at home. And if that brat over there ever gets you angry, just report him to me and I'll take of him."
Stanley folded his hands and smugly snorted, lifting his chin, he turned his face to the other side. Cinderella gently smiled at his behaviour, still in disbelief if this was the same man that forcefully dragged her to the palace. "Yes your majesty."
The queen frowned at the courtesy and way of recognition Cinderella had towards her. "Don't you think you should stop calling me your majesty already? Call me mother, dear child."
Mother! Cinderella could not remember the last time she called someone that. Her mother was the only one that ever genuinely took care of her, until she died when Cinderella was only two years old. Leaving her to stay with her stepmother who only knows how to create different tasks for her.
Cinderella knew the queen had her best interest at heart, a sense of warmth quickly flooded her heart. Maybe, she will finally have another chance at familial love. "Yes mother."
The frown on the queen face immediately eased up. She nodded lightly at Cinderella, gently tapping her shoulders. "I'll leave you two now." The queen turned around, dragging her daughter by her hand, the both of them left the couplel to attend to themselves.
As they left, Cinderella turned her head to Stanley, and she saw him staring intently at her with fiery eyes. She stared down to herself, only to see that she was still in a bathrobe. Her face became extremely red with blushes, and she used her both hand to cover her top parts. "You pervert! Don't you have any dignity as a crown prince?" Cinderella said to herself, not expecting him to hear her words.
Prince Stanleys face immediately turned cold at her words. He slowly walked up to her, touched her chin, whole gently stroking it. "It seems you've forgotten something already? I'm your husband, not an outsider." He said to her and pinched her chin, making her gasp in pain.
Seeing the red spot that was appearing on her white and flawless skin, he released his hands from her chin. Cinderella touched the sour spot he pinched, feeling pain. Tears almost dropped from her eyes, but she had to keep strong and not continue to show her weak side to him.
Prince Stanley immediately regretted hurting her, but there was nothing he could do about it. He turned around and walked out of the room, leaving her to tend to herself.
Was this going to be her life from now on? Cinderella wondered to herself.
_ _
King Richard reached his room and walked in. He saw his wife sitting on her desk, seriously writing some notes on her booklet. He walked up to her side, "Elizabeth, what are you writing?"
Queen Elizabeth was startled at his entrance. "Oh my heart, you scared me there Richard. When did you come in?"
"I walked in earlier, you didn't notice because you were busy with whatever you were writing. What are you even writing?"
Queen Elizabeth rolled at her eyes at her husbands non chalant character. "It's not just whatever I'm doing my dear husband, I'm preparing a banquet."
King Richard was not expecting to hear that word. "What banquet are you preparing with such seriousness?"
"It's a banquet for your son."
"My son! Which of the son?" King Richard questioned with confusion written all over his face.
"The crown prince of course."
King Richard was surprised at the news, "The crown prince? But why?"
Queen Elizabeth dropped the pen with frustration, turned to her husband with firece eyes.
King Richard was not expecting such reaction from his wife, subconsciously, raised his hands in a surender manner, and stepped back a little, seeing his wife angry eyes.
"Your son, the crown prince, brought home a lady and said she was his woman and he intends to marry her."
The explosive news gave king Richard a huge shock.
"I'm arranging a banquet to formally introduce her to you and your entire cabinets." Queen Elizabeth said to him
"Do you who she is, or where she's from?" He asked after a silent thought.
"I don't know, but if he loves her and want to marry her, so be it."
King Richards face become complicated, "We can't allow them to marry, Eliz
abeth."
"What?" Queen Elizabeth immediately snapped at her husbands words.