“Someone, help the First Princess!” yelled the Grand Duke but Genevieve evaded all who came to help as she hobbled to her target.
“Father!” Genevieve called in a weak tone as she quickly hobbled to her father in glee.
“You have finally come to see me,” Genevieve said, her smile stretching so wide it nearly split her face in two.
“Did she say finally?” the crowd whispered.
“You unfortunate fool.” Genevieve thought as she smiled brightly at the King.
“Played by the High Priest, played by your second wife and played by your second daughter, you didn’t even know when you were suddenly put to death.” Genevieve thought as her smile grew cold.
“Did the King never visit the first princess after the first Queen’s death?” A count mumured.
“Even if you regretted on your death bed so what?” Genevieve thought as her gaze hardened.
“How could the King be so heartless?” A merchant’s wife said in despair.
“Is that enough to erase everything you did to Princess Evelyn?.” Genevieve thought before quickly facing the crowd.
“My father isn’t wrong.” Genevieve said in a trembling voice as she tried to shield her father and the crowd grew furious.
“My father must have been busy with the court.
Surely, he would have come to see me if he had the time,” Genevieve said through her tears.” Genevieve said with tears as she stood before her father with her hands opened wide to shield him.
“Look at how she protects him.” The nobles said as they pointed at the King.
“Even when she is wearing rags that even servants don’t put on, the little princess is still trying to protect the King!.” the nobles yelled in outrage.
“The first princess is frail and has a terrible illness.” The Grand Duke said and the crowd quietened down immediately.
“There he is.” Genevieve thought as she stared at a tall man with pale skin, hair as black as a starless night and eyes as yellow as the canary diamond.
“Everytime I sent gifts they were returned and everytime I tried to visit I was met with that excuse over and over.” The Grand Duke said as he clenched his jaw.
“What is the meaning of this King Vale?” Grand Duke, Elviris Mcquire, Princess Evelyn’s uncle, asked calmly as his eyes blazed with barely contained rage.
The only family left standing that can question the royal family publicly is House Mcquire, the Queen’s family.
In the book “The Disgrace of the Royal family” Almira was the target of beasts and demons for centuries until four houses; House Philmore, House Rain, House Devasaque and House Mcquire partnered up with the royal family to defend it.
These four houses swore their loyalty to the King, only to be killed off slowly by previous Kings when their power became too great.
Like the other three houses, House Mcquire was targeted persistently but House Mcquire continued to evade death until Princess Evelyn was used against House Mcquire like a borrowed knife.
“But why would you want to visit me?” Genevieve asked shyly as she looked at the Grand Duke in discomfort and the Grand Duke looked at the King in disbelief.
“Good Heavens, the first princess didn’t even know that she had an uncle?” nobles whispered and the Grand Duke bit his tongue until he tasted blood.
Not wanting to scare Princess Evelyn, the Grand Duke lowered himself to Princess Evelyn’s height, put a calm smile on his face and said “I am your uncle from your mother’s side.
I am Grand Duke Elviris Mcquire and I am your mom’s older brother” “Uncle?” Genevieve asked innocently as she smiled as wide as she could and the Grand Duke smiled at her tenderly before standing up to glare at the King.
“You-” The Grand Duke said in anger but the clacking of heels broke into the conversation.
“Grand Duke Mcquire, there must be some sort of misunderstanding.” The Queen said as she stepped forward with a pleasant smile.
“The First Princess was terribly frail, and her illness left her far too vulnerable to the noise and pressures of the castle.
His Majesty built this castle to give her the peace and seclusion she needed to recover,” the Queen explained gently, her expression one of deep concern.
Lowering her gaze, the Queen sighed sorrowfully and said “She is the King’s firstborn daughter.
Do you truly believe His Majesty could ever bring himself to mistreat his own child?” the Queen asked, her voice laced with wounded disbelief and the angry crowd calmed down in an instant.
“Here lies a greater actress than me.” Genevieve thought as her gaze shifted to the Queen.
“If the First Princess is being treated so well, then why is her palace still burning?” the Grand Duke questioned coldly and like a switch that had been turned on, the crowd’s rage returned as they looked to the still burning castle.
“This fire has been burning for ten minutes, and not even a quarter of it has been put out!
Are the hands of the Royal Palace truly so incompetent that they cannot contain a fire in a castle this small?!” the Grand Duke roared, his voice shaking with fury and the guests began to express their displeasure.
“We will surely get to the bottom of this!” The Queen declared as she tried to deescalate the situation.
“It is obvious that someone planned to use my daughter’s birthday celebration to harm the first princess!” The Queen declared dramatically.
“Sir Fegurson!” The King called, backing his new wife.
“Find out the cause of this fire!” The King demanded and Sir Fegurson nodded before leaving quickly.
“Princess Evelyn, Princess Evelyn.” The Queen said as she fell to her knees to hug Princess Evelyn.
“I am so sorry that my daughter’s birthday celebration was used to harm you.” The Queen said sorrowfully.
“We have never had the chance to meet because of your poor health,” the Queen said gently, her eyes resting on Princess Evelyn with practiced tenderness.
“But you are the King’s daughter, and that makes you my daughter as well.
From this day forward, I hope you will think of me as a mother, someone who you can trust and who you can turn to at any moments notice.” The Queen said as she reached out her hands to comfort Princess Evelyn.
“A mother?” Genevieve said with tears in her eyes as she played her part all too well.
“That’s all I have ever wanted.” Genevieve said as she hugged the Queen whose expression morphed into one of disgust.