While Harold was planning a matching couple's outfit for himself and his princess, the said princess was in Luciana's chamber, looking at her sleeping figure.
Luciana looked terrible. The sight broke Alicia's heart into a million pieces.
Luciana looked like a corpse and a lot smaller than she usually looked as she lay on the bed. She had a bandage around her neck and another wrapping from her shoulder down and also covering her entire left arm, but Alicia could not see the rest since she was covered with a quilt.
"She is going to be okay, isn't she?" Luciana asked the physician who had just finished performing acupuncture on her.
The young man bowed his head as he answered sadly, "I apologize, my Princess, but I do not know for certain—"
"What do you mean by saying you do not know for certain?" Luciana's mother cut in, crying.
"Didn't they say the palace had the best physicians? How can she remain like this even after days have passed? She has not even opened her eyes at all!" She cried even louder.
"We are doing the best we can, My lady. She was... deeply hurt—"
"I cannot lose my only daughter. I will not let that happen." The older woman cried louder as she fell back on her seat.
"If there is anything that needs to be done to have her fully recovered, do not hesitate to let us know," Alicia said to the physician, who bowed before leaving the room.
Alicia looked at Luciana's parents. One was crying while the other was looking at his daughter with regret. But she could still feel their animosity toward her. They didn't want her here. And they didn't even try to hide the looks on their faces when she stepped in.
"I'm sorry that this had to happen. I promise I'll do all I can to help Luciana—"
"What can you do for my daughter now that she is like this?" Luciana's mother interrupted Alicia, her eyes brimming with tears.
"My daughter was always a good and obedient girl. She always respected everyone. She respected her parents, her husband, and her husband's family."
"But because of you—"
"I will not have you blame me!" Alicia said firmly, cutting the woman off.
That startled the crying woman and her husband, who looked at Alicia.
"If you are going to blame me because I was the one who made her leave the palace, I will accept it. Even though Luciana is an adult and made that decision for herself. But I will not have you blame me for anything else. If you need someone to blame, then it should be the one who made her this way!"
"You!" Luciana's father pointed at her as he tried to speak, but he was even too speechless to say a word.
"If Luciana had been obedient and stayed back, none of this would have happened! She would have still been fine now!"
Alicia looked at them in disbelief and shook her head.
"The little time we spent outside the palace, I'd never seen Luciana more happy and free compared to when we were here. You married her off at a young age. You treated her like a possession instead of your beloved daughter, and when she needed you the most, you looked down on her and cared more about your reputation and stupid titles than your precious daughter. Aren't you disgusted at yourselves?" She asked the two, whose eyes widened.
"But you dare blame me?" She asked them.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" The older man screeched in anger.
"HOW DARE ME? HOW DARE ME?" Alicia asked in anger as she looked at Luciana's father, making sure to maintain eye contact as she said, "You should be ashamed of yourself. Luciana was too precious to have been treated the way you both did to her." She almost choked on her words as her eyes went back to Luciana. She suddenly felt bad for getting angry and raising her voice here.
Alicia ignored the two elders and went to stand beside Luciana's bed. She gently touched Luciana's cold and pale face, looking at her with a pained look.
"Be well, my dear," Alicia wished earnestly before she turned around and walked out of the room without sparing Luciana's parents any glance.
She left in a very bad mood and just walked around absentmindedly before she found herself in the passageway leading to the king's chamber. A place she had never been before. She wasn't even sure how she got here.
She was to turn and take the steps back down, but she paused and looked at the passageway.
She hesitated for a moment before she decided to go ahead and meet the king.
*******
A loud slap echoed in the chamber, almost shaking up the room.
As expected, it had been done by the queen, and the one on the receiving end was none other than Damian, who kept his head down. The imprint of the queen's palm could clearly be seen on his face.
"What... were you thinking?" The queen asked in a shaky voice as she fidgeted.
Her chamber was at least clean now since maids were brought in to get her prepared for the meeting and also clean her room. But from the look of things, it wouldn't be long before more things were broken and the place turned into a mess again.
"How could you suggest that to the court?"
"WHY!?" She yelled at the top of her lungs.
"I sincerely apologize if I did something wrong, my queen. But I thought it was the best way to dig into the issue and prove you were innocent." Damian offered.
"I didn't ask you for that! I didn't ask you for that!" She suddenly gasped for air and used her hand to cover her mouth as she paced around. Her eyes were opening and closing while one hand was running through her hair.
"Is... something wrong, my queen. Is there something I do not know of?" Damian asked softly as he looked at her.
The queen seemed to be lost in her thoughts and just continued to pace around.
"Are you... involved, by any chance?" He asked her, but she suddenly stopped pacing around and looked at him.
"Where is Sir Damon? What is he up to? Where is he?"
"He has been attending a series of meetings."
"Find him! He needs to see me. But first, let him know the king needs to be treated for his ailment. He has to announce and let the court know the nature of the king's illness. He can get the details from the royal physician. They should make sure that the king gets treated. If the king is well, all will be well." She rambled and resumed pacing around.
"Yes, my queen."
She suddenly stopped again and looked at him.
"King Cedric. What about King Cedric? Any word?"
"I'm sorry, my queen. But I have no word yet. My access within the palace has been limited. But I'm sure we can get the details from Sir Damon." He assured her.
She sniffled and placed her hands in her temples, massaging them gently when she felt the spark of a migraine.
"Are you okay, my queen?" He asked with concern.
"My brother. Lord Evan. I need to meet him." She said in a desperate tone.
"But my queen—"
"I need to meet him! Tell him it's urgent. Tell him it's a family issue. If he doesn't accept, let him know that I swear by our late father's name that I am going to reveal to the noblemen of the royal court that his daughter is having a dirty affair with a mere guard."
She nodded, the threat making more sense to her.
"Yes, let him know that. If he wants his household to be the subject of mockery and never have his daughter get married, he should ignore me."
"I... will let him know, my queen," Damian said with a deep bow.
"Do that."
As soon as Damian left the room, the queen fell to the floor and broke into a sob. She had never felt so scared in her life. Never felt so vulnerable.
Whoever was out to get her was doing a good job.
She grew up as a beautiful woman whom everyone adored. But now, that once beautiful woman that made people envy King Eli for marrying her more than the fact that he was king had now been reduced to a crazy wench.
What did she ever do to deserve this?
"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" She screamed in tears, blaming the king.
Why did he have to make her turn into this? Into this pathetic crazy lady?
She burst into tears as she gripped her dress, ignoring the snorts and spits falling from the orifices on her face.
If only Eli had been good to her and treated her like a queen. Her life would have been better a million times over. This was all his fault!
Her cries grew louder, not minding if anyone was hearing her outside.
Some things she had seen in the past still haunted her to this day.
Even after decades had passed. Even after that home wrecking wench was dead.
She could never forget how her dear husband had smiled at her when he never smiled at her.
She could not forget how he had called that wretched thing's name when they had been in bed together!
She could not forget how happy he had been when he was told he had an Alpha son.
She could not forget how he had shamelessly been mourning that wretched Omega slave after she passed.
She could not forget.
If only that woman hadn't shown up.
None of this would have happened.
Everything she had done wouldn't have happened.
And this person who was out to ruin her wouldn't have existed either.
It was all his fault.
Not hers.
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