The ladies were escorted from the hall to their designated quarters within the Palace, where they would reside during their stay.
“Emily, overseeing the arrangements, stood before the assembly with an unyielding demeanor, asserting her authority as the queen’s personal attendant.
With the register in hand, she opened it to announce the ladies’ names, assigning them to their rooms and distributing keys.
Impatient, she gestured to a junior servant to take over the task.
The process unfolded without incident, much to Emily’s relief.
As Camilla received her keys, Emily’s gaze betrayed a fleeting animosity, swiftly veiled but not lost on Camilla, who observed it with amusement.
Upon confirming the ladies were comfortably settled in their respective rooms, Emily and her entourage departed to report to the queen.
Camilla secured her door after going in,successfully shutting out the pretentious entourage surrounding her before as she let out a sigh of relief.
Surveying her temporary quarters, she noted the space that would be hers for the next few months.
Weary, she trudged to the bed and collapsed onto it.
“Ah, what a morning,” she breathed, exhaling deeply once more.
Meanwhile, Prince Thane departed the Palace grounds with his body guards, eager to escape the frustration that Princess Jasminda’s persistent presence had stirred.
She trailed closely behind him, her voice ringing out in breathless urgency.
“Prince Thane!
Prince Thane!”
Onlookers witnessed the scene with a mix of pity and amusement, some secretly relishing the spoiled princess’s desperate pleas for attention.
It was well-known that Jasminda harbored feelings for the prince, who seemed increasingly vexed by her every gesture.
“I suggest you expedite this, Prince Thane,” Asher whispered from the side, while casting a sympathetic glance at the princess trailing behind.
Axel said nothing to his foolish twin brother as he just trailed his Prince from behind.
Prince Thane’s irritation boiled over, and he halted abruptly, spinning around to face Jasminda.
Axel, caught off guard, stumbled forward, colliding with Prince Thane’s chest.
The princess, similarly unprepared, knocked her head against Axel’s back.
Camilla observed the absurd scene from her balcony, savoring the view while indulging in the snacks she had surreptitiously packed.
“I see you’re thoroughly entertained, Asher,” Prince Thane remarked, his tone laced with annoyance, as he redirected his frustration toward his subordinate.
Asher’s reprimand was swiftly followed by another barb: “And you, Axel, are you intent on shadowing me all day?”
Axel’s face flushed as he hastily stepped aside, emitting a nervous chuckle.
“Can’t you walk properly, id—” Jasminda began, but caught herself, her words trailing off.
“I don’t recall granting you permission to rebuke my attendants, Princess.”
Jasminda’s apology was swift.
“I’m sorry, Thane—”
“Prince Thane,” he corrected, his tone unyielding.
“What?” Jasminda asked, perplexed.
“It is Prince Thane, always,” he emphasized.
“We are not familiar enough for informality.”
“We’re not familiar enough to dispense with formalities,” Prince Thane said.
“But I’ll be your wife soon,” Jasminda countered naively.
“There’s no need for honorifics.”
Prince Thane’s expression turned glacial.
“It’s premature to assume our union.
The selection’s outcome is far from certain, and I’ve made no declarations of affection.
From now on, keep your distance.
I dislike repetition, and my warnings are not to be taken lightly.
Your persistence may prove…
hazardous.”
“Consider today my final deference to your family,” Prince Thane warned, his voice low and menacing as he closed the distance between them.
“I won’t be accountable for your safety should you continue to overstep.”
Jasminda’s legs buckled as she beheld the deadly glint in Prince Thane’s eyes, her mind reeling from the sudden escalation.
Abruptly, Prince Thane pivoted toward Camilla’s quarters, sensing an intense gaze upon him.
Though he couldn’t confirm if it was indeed Camilla spying, he noted the fleeting presence of an observer.
Camilla swiftly withdrew from view, avoiding detection.
Camilla wasn’t prepared to face Prince Thane again, not after their tense encounter in the hallway.
Asher and Axel escorted their prince to the awaiting vehicle, which swiftly departed.
A junior maid, witness to Prince Thane’s unsettling treatment of Princess Jasminda, assisted the shaken princess to her quarters before hurrying to report the incident to the queen.
“What did he do?” the queen’s voice thundered, her tone commanding attention.
“How could he be so heartless and cruel, reducing my daughter to begging for his attention?” Queen Astrid wondered aloud, her voice laced with dismay as she strode toward the princess’s quarters.
The guards stationed at the door saluted and swung open the door, allowing her to enter.
“Remain outside,” she instructed her attendants, who bowed to acknowledge her command.
“Oh, dear child, who did this to you?” she asked, her tone tender despite her knowledge of the perpetrator.
Princess Jasminda, awaiting her parents’ arrival, burst into heart-wrenching sobs,her shoulders trembling.
“Mother!” she exclaimed, turning to face Queen Astrid.
“I don’t think he’ll ever love me,” Jasminda lamented, her voice cracking with despair.
Queen Astrid enveloped her daughter in a soothing embrace.
“Shh, dear one, don’t waste your precious tears on him.
He’s not worthy.”
Gently patting Jasminda’s back, the queen continued, “Trust me, it’s for the best.
You wouldn’t want to endure the darkness that lurks within his kingdom, should you marry him.”
Jasminda’s sobs intensified, her body shaking with convulsive gasps.
“But I want him, Mother,” she pleaded, her voice fragmented by hiccups.
“I want him for myself.”
Releasing herself from the embrace, Jasminda grasped Queen Astrid’s hands, her eyes beseeching.
“You know, Mother, when Father arranged that meeting this morning, I thought I could impress him,” Jasminda explained, her words punctuated by hiccups.
“He agreed to meet me because of Father’s influence…
I thought I had a chance.”
Her voice trembled as she asked, “Do you know what he said when he sat down?”
“Tell me, dear, what did he say?” Queen Astrid asked, bracing herself for the worst while looking at Jasminda’s tear-strained face.
“He called me cheap, Mother,” Jasminda replied, her voice laced with shame.
“I offered to undress and show him I could be a good wife, if only he would consider me.”
Queen Astrid’s expression faltered, her heart aching at her daughter’s naivety.
“Jasminda, why would you offer yourself to a man you’re not married to?” Queen Astrid asked, her tone stern despite her inner turmoil.
“I taught you better than to compromise your virtue.”
Jasminda’s eyes welled up with tears.
“Oh, Mother, did I truly do something wrong by offering myself?
I thought I was showing my devotion.”
“I already see him as my husband, for moon goddess sake!” Jasminda exclaimed, dabbing her eyes fiercely.
“What can I do now, Mother?
I’ll do anything to make him mine, no one else’s.”
Desperation edged her voice as she implored, “Give me an idea, any idea, Mother.
This hurt is suffocating me.
I’m losing my sanity.”
Queen Astrid’s expression softened, her heart torn between concern and alarm.