Kana walked towards us, dragged the thrashing and screaming Feia. Kana released her neck and grabbed her hair before throwing her towards Palin. "Your Highness! You must deal with this woman. She threw me into the pond twice and I nearly drowning." She grabbed Palin's arm.
I sat back down and lapped my feet. "Nearly drowned? The pond isn't a fast-flowing river which make it easier for you, so how did you nearly drown?" Palin asked her and she paled.
"Inform the Palace, I'll be returning tonight." Bira nodded. "Your Highness, your lunch will be brought here." Lai informed me. "I don't-..." She cut me off. "You can't refuse. You haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday and that was the most solid thing you ate on the journey here. All you've done otherwise is drink wine."
I sigh. "Fine, if I continue to refuse you three will complain to a certain someone and I'll be in more trouble." I mumble to myself. A woman rushed into the courtyard yelling Feia's name.
The stammering Feia saw the woman and immediately became angry. "Who's that?" I asked. "Calia, Feia's older sister." Kana replied. "Is it because this bitch told you something?" Feia rushed towards her sister before Palin could answer and slapped Calia hard across the face.
"Why can't you let me be happy for once?!" Feia screamed at her. I glance at Palin who was looking between the sisters with a cold gaze. Calia didn't reply but raised her hand and slapped Feia back, twice as hard. "I'm not hiding this anymore. Tell the Crown Prince the truth or I will."
Calia stepped forward. "If you say it yourself, then you'll have a better chance of not being disposed of your rumored Crown Princess position." Feia touched her cheek in shock. "You dared to hit me and now you're threatening me? Have you lost your mind? When we get back, I'll have father punish you severely."
Calia turned to Palin and dropped to her knees. "Your Highness! Forgive me for lying to you but the person that saved you was me and not my sister. My father trapped me in the house and threatened my mother's life if I admitted it."
Two tables and chairs were brought out and set up behind me. "Palin. Let's have lunch." Palin turned to me as I stood up. "Yes, older sister."
We sat across from each other and the food was served. "What do you think of these two sisters?" I asked him as I picked up a piece of grilled beef. "One is greedy and arrogant. The other is too willing and soft spoken." I sip my wine and chuckle.
"You heard that, Calia? The Crown Prince thinks that you are too willing and soft spoken." Calia looked up at me. "Why don't you tell him what you've been doing these past few years?" That soft look in her eyes changed for a split second to panic.
"Other people wouldn't know but I do. Even though I've been away, that doesn't mean I don't know." Calia nodded. "I've been secretly gathering my own people and buying assassins to kill my entire family. My father and his elders, despite my cooperation killed my mother three months after the Crown Prince confirmed his relationship with my sister." I look at Palin and he paused once he heard her words.
"I was in the woods, meeting one of my people and on the way back, I ran into Feia. She was talking to two men she hired. They were the people that pretended to assassinate the Crown Prince. It was so she could rush in, pretend to save him and call herself his savior." At this Palin was no longer eating, just listening.
"Clearly the plan wasn't to scare the horse and cause the Crown Prince to fall into the water but that's what happened. The guards were chasing off the bandits and didn't realize what happened until they heard the noise of him falling into the water. I jumped in and saved the Crown Prince since Feia can't swim." She paused.
"When I managed to get the Crown Prince onto the shore and breathing again, I was hit on the head with a rock and thrown back into the river. My people found me in the washed up on a riverbank. I was unconscious for a few days so after I recovered and headed back, the news of the second daughter of the Kirle family had saved the Crown Prince was already spread around."
"When I had doubts and came to you, I asked you multiple times, and you said no. Now you want to tell me it was the truth?" Palin asked Calia. "I also asked you if you loved Feia and you said yes. Why should I tell you? At most I was going to kill her before you sent the betrothal gifts in the next few days." She responded.
"My answer would've changed if you told me, then you wouldn't have to suffer." Calia scoffed at Palin's words. "Crown Prince, I never wanted your love from pity or gratitude. Those emotions aren't worth anything in the world outside of the bubble you have."
"My mother and I were tortured, poisoned, beat, whipped, scalded, anything of that sort. Life in that house has been nothing but excruciating. My mother was the last hope and straw I was hanging onto. I never expected anything from you, but I saved you because if it was someone else, I would've done the same." I nod.
"Well said. My brother knew that the person that saved him wasn't your sister." I glanced at Feia who Kana had tied up and knocked out after she got slapped back.
"Yet he still went along with it. However, you two really aren't suitable for each other." Calia bowed. "I agree but before that happens, I wish to take revenge with my own hands."
"You don't need to return home. The person that killed your mother is right behind you." Calia turned to look at Feia who was waking up. "What do you mean, Princess?" Calia asked, confused.
"Your wicked little sister stole the poison from her father's room and used it to kill your mother. To cover for her, your stepmother told you it was your father and his elders. You've already been poisoning your stepmother, so she'll die soon. All that's left is her." I point to Feia.
Palin cleared his throat. "Older sister." I look at him. "If you kill them both, who will marry me in the next few months?" I picked up my cup and throw it at his head. "You still want to get married? If you don't surpass my expectations for you in the next three months, don't even think of getting married. I'll cut off your lower half and make you work as a servant!"
He winced. "I was just asking casually." I scoff. "The betrothal gifts haven't even been sent out, and no official plans have been made yet. If you don't surpass my expectations, your position will be no longer."