"The matriarch?" Soleia stared back and crossed her arms in amusement.
This woman was definitely bluffing, unless Duke Orion had secretly wed a woman behind her back. But she realized their hair were similar shades of red, and there was a stubborn tilt to this woman's jaw that she recalled seeing in her new husband's features.
"Are you Orion Elsher's… mother?" Soleia guessed. That would explain her haughty behavior and why she claimed to be the matriarch of this estate.
However, the woman drew back, as though offended by her words. Her pale face purpled almost immediately with anger. "Are you calling me old? You little swine, don't you know who I am?"
"If I did, I wouldn't have asked," Soleia pointed out in what she thought was a reasonable manner. However, her response merely angered the other party further.
"Oh, so now the new maids are daring to talk back to me now, is it? I must tell my cousin about this― this place is going to the dogs!"
So this woman was Orion's cousin. Soleia's lip curled in distaste.
"Miss Lucinda!" A harried male voice echoed from inside the house, interrupting her tirade. "Mrs. Elsher is calling for you again!"
"What does that woman want now?" Lucinda complained. "She always wants something or another. And how many times do I need to tell you to call me Lady Lucinda!"
An old man emerged from behind her, but his face paled immediately when he caught sight of Soleia. He frantically tugged Lucinda away, uncaring of her squawks. "Jerome, how dare you lay your hands against me!"
"Princess Soleia!" Jerome immediately bowed low. "Please forgive us for the lack of decorum!"
"Princess?" Lucinda repeated dumbly in disbelief.
Was this the woman her cousin was forced to marry before he rode off to war? She stared carefully at Soleia, before shaking her head frantically. No, this couldn't be her. Lucinda prided herself on being a good judge of character. How could she have mistaken a princess for a milkmaid?
"Jerome, you need to get your eyes checked. This can't be Princess Soleia. Look, she's completely alone. What kind of princess would dare come all this way unescorted? She's just a fraud trying to lie her way into this house!"
"Lucinda, don't be impolite! Hurry up and bow your head! This is your new duchess!" Jerome scolded. "In fact, get everyone downstairs at once!"
"Everyone?" Soleia asked hesitantly. "How many people are currently living here?"
"If we're only accounting for Duke Elsher's family members, twelve people," Jerome replied politely.
Soleia staggered back in surprise. Her husband had allowed for so many relatives to move into his estate, yet he kept his dukedom in such a poor condition?
Did he hate his relatives, or did he simply not care enough to manage matters?
Jerome quickly grabbed a long rope and tugged. A low chime rang throughout the estate, echoing through the halls. In no time at all, Soleia found herself surrounded by unfriendly glares that bordered on disdainfulness.
"Jerome, is there a need to summon everyone?" Another woman complained. "A new servant doesn't need this much fuss."
"Well, this one's a lot prettier than the last one that went away," a man's lazy voice drawled out. Soleia felt goosebumps creeping up her spine as that man leered at her. "With such a face, I'm free to discuss payment. But of course, she'll need to provide some extra services."
The men laughed, easily understanding what he was getting at.
"Kindly hold your tongue, Young Killian," Jerome scolded. "You are speaking to Princess Soleia of Vramid, the current duchess of Drakenmire."
"Yeah, and I'm the fucking King of Vramid!" Jeers filled the air as they agreed with his statement.
"If you don't believe me, look at this!" Soleia said.
She had enough, and she pulled out two scrolls for Jerome to read out. The first was affixed with the royal family's seal, proving that Duke Orion Elsher had indeed wedded her. The second was proof of her identity as Vramid's princess.
Suddenly, there was a stunned, horrified silence as they realized they were in the presence of royalty. However, before Soleia could even enjoy this brief moment of silence, Lucinda stood up and complained.
"So, are you going to do anything for us? You're not planning for all of us to serve you while you sit around and look pretty, are you?"
"That's right!"
"We can't feed you for nothing!"
"Shush, all of you," the most elderly of them all cleared her throat. Soleia focused her gaze; this must be Orion's mother. The hair at her temples was beginning to go gray, yet there was a shrewd look in her eyes that set Soleia on edge.
"Princess Soleia is it? Forgive us for not recognizing you. I am Orion's mother, Elisa. After all, my son has never spoken of you to me."
The room burst into ugly titters while Soleia tried to smile. "Yes. Our marriage was done in haste."
"While that may be the case, I believe every member of the Elsher family must contribute in some form or another. Since you are a member of the royal family, you must be wealthy. Kindly hand your dowry over to support this family."
"I…" Soleia paused at the shamelessness of such a request.
"You are unwilling?" Elisa arched an eyebrow.
Everyone else began to complain.
"I knew it! She's just a haughty bitch that doesn't want to share!"
"If she's not sharing her wealth, then she can scram!"
"It's not that…" Soleia said hesitantly. Their words have brought up something she had forgotten. "I… don't have any dowry to give you."
Her father had given her nothing, as he packed her off to this godforsaken place.
"That's nonsense! You're lying!" Lucinda exclaimed, and the others agreed with her. "What kind of princess has no dowry?"
"This is a grave insult to my son," Elisa noted with grim disapproval. "Does your father think so little of my Orion that he assumes that he'll be desperate enough to wed any woman with a fair enough face without offering anything else in return?"
"Dowager Duchess Elisa, this isn't just anyone. This is Princess Soleia," Jerome said weakly, trying to remind the old woman. Royalty was bound by different rules.
Elisa scoffed. "So? If she was royalty, she ought to have the dowry to match her status. Even the poorest commoner families prepare dowry for their daughters when they get married. Is she truly a princess, or an illegitimate bastard daughter of the king?"
"I am not!" Soleia exclaimed, nearly shaking with rage at her insinuation.
"Are you sure?" Lucinda chimed in. "I've never seen a royal family member appear without heavy escort. Horses, knights, fancy carriages… you name it. You appeared alone today. If you're royalty, the king must not think anything of you."