Chapter 4
"Come back here!!"
Leonard yelled, while the three females were preparing to depart from the palace. Their footsteps were measured, only Katherine looked back. Staring at Leonard but he was only focused on Margaret to come back and fix this mess. Glaring at her back without discrimination.
"I will…"
Leonard almost smiled, until she finished her sentence.
"When you explain this to the current rulers?" In other words, his parents. That got the prince to finally stay quiet. His position was threatened and when his parents were informed by the guards…
His fingers ran through his soft hair harshly, leaving it unruly and unkept compared to his former stance. He slouched; hands tightly gripped before looking towards the guards and tried to issue a command to them.
"As the crown prince, I order you not to speak of this to my parents. That is a direct order."
They clearly paid no mind to it, only stepping away from their spots in the hallway to continue their rounds. He asked them to commit treason for him.
'How unthinkable.' A figure in the crowd thought, while he remained hidden from the shadows through the curtains by the window side. His communicator on, recording everything directly to be transmitted to the Emperor and Empress. The black hood he wore hid everything about his face or features. He remained still.
"I am the crown Prince!! I will not be demoted due to asking for what I want."
'This is embarrassing to watch. How is Lady Asterlyn finding this funny?' Elizabeth thought, giving her mistress a judgmental look while this went on. Margaret remained bashful, smiling with no shame.
Or maybe she had none to begin with.
Her hazel eyes darted from her to Katherine and Leonard with a simple thought.
'One is shameless, the other is naive and the last one is entitled.'
No need to clarify who was who, when you watched all three of them closely. The redhead relaxed, stretching her limbs. Her heels had been replaced with simple flat shoes, twirling around in freedom.
"My lady, you should have more restraint." Her face was blank and her tone dry as ever, picking up Maragret's discarded heels. It was typical for her to act in such a manner after she left a public event.
"I am aware you don't like this, but you have to follow the social rules to keep your family and the rest of us alive." Receiving a knowing nod from her, even if that was what the black-haired woman wanted in the first place. As Lady Asterlyn entered the carriage first, then Elizabeth and Katherine, according to social status and importance.
Being a guest didn't earn special treatment, especially when the guest broke an alliance regardless of the offended not caring for it to begin with.
Katherine hadn't spoken during the carriage ride to the Asterlyn Dukedom with Margaret and Elizabeth. The latter appreciated her silence, as she was still wrong even if she got hurt by Leonard too. No sympathy in her eyes for the commoner getting hurt by her actions, her arms remained folded and resting on her dress, as the carriage moved smoothly and away from the palace. Ending the night for all of them.
Margaret had relaxed on her seat while Elizabeth kept using gestures to make her sit upright but all attempts were ignored. The estate had expanded over the years, since she was hardly seven years old. Her blue eyes glossed over the sight. The smooth roads covered in smoothened and purified coal for easy travel. A perk that many didn't have outside of her estate.
The houses were sturdy and smooth, having no rust or cracks in them despite it never being retouched. The reasons for such are simple, while Katherine stuck to watching everything with curiosity, the view helped her in getting her mind off from Leonard and the way he hurt her. Looking confused by the endless palm frond trees that were seen after the gates of the estate had been opened for the carriage.
The estate flourished in agricultural means and therefore used the ways of the first inhabitants on the land to dwell on it. The walls of each building down to storage were made by hardened clay mixed with dye from plants. Yet the reason for its strong holds were due to the refined iron from the mines.
Considering the constant use of blue, pink and lighter colors to deflect heat on houses that were dwelled in. They came down from the carriage. Margaret showed no restraint and ran inside her home, the bushes of fruits separating the roads from her. Matching the blue walls of the mansion.
"My lady. You invited a guest."
Margaret stopped when hearing her cough and composed herself with a smile, directed at Katherine. The latter stood beside Elizabeth; her mouth opened with widened eyes from watching the redhead act like that.
'Is that how she is like?' She thought to herself. Beginning to wonder if either her or Leonard had been open with her on how they acted.
"Elizabeth will show you around. But for now, it's best to retire and rest our minds before a conversation between either of us takes place."
She smiled, bowing before taking her leave by entering her home and retiring for the night, attended by her maids for a shower and being led to her room.
The hallways of the mansion were massive, making Katherine's eyes spin when looking at the maps and labels for each room revealed to her on the board at the middle of the hall. She tilted her head in curiosity, before looking at Elizabeth with confusion in her eyes, when she noticed there was no name that showed her where Margaret's chambers resided.
"It is a hidden secret to keep her safe if an invasion occurs. She would be targeted first."
She explained in a neutral tone, expecting it from her. The brunette had chosen she didn't understand nobility had targets painted on their back from assuming their said responsibilities, as the commoners would be seen as attainable and useful to keep alive. She led Katherine to the last room of the first hallway for guests. Before the brunette could utter a word of thanks, she was interrupted.
"Whatever illusion you have that being a noble is easy. Needs to end today."
Elizabeth replied, being direct as ever, shutting the door behind her and leaving for her room.