Alicia entered the royal dining hall and was surprised to see nine queens already seated at the table.
She stood frozen until an elderly-looking queen with large, piercing eyes snapped at her.
"What are you doing there? And why are you here?"
Everyone turned their attention to Alicia.
She quickly bowed her head.
"I'm Alicia... the one King Leonard married today."
Queen Nora looked her up and down with disdain.
"Have your seat," she said coldly.
Alicia reluctantly sat down, and a maid served her breakfast.
As they ate, Queen Nora kept shouting at the servants over every little mistake, making Alicia increasingly nervous. Her hands trembled, and before she realized it, she accidentally knocked over a beautifully crafted royal cup.
Crash!
The cup shattered into pieces.
Everyone at the table gasped.
"Oh my goodness! The royal cup!" Queen Joanna exclaimed.
"You! How dare you?!" Queen Nora yelled, rising to her feet.
She began scolding Alicia mercilessly, but another queen, who had a calm and gentle appearance, spoke up.
"Queen Nora, please calm down. It was an accident. She would never have done it intentionally," Queen Moana pleaded.
"No, Queen Moana!" Nora snapped. "She must be taught a lesson. I'm sure this lowlife has never seen such an expensive cup before."
Alicia lowered her head in shame.
"I'm deeply sorry. You're right... I've never seen a cup like this in my entire life. I apologize for upsetting everyone. Please excuse me."
With tears threatening to fall, she stood and hurried out of the dining hall.
Outside, her maids rushed toward her with worried expressions, bombarding her with questions. Unable to answer, Alicia simply walked away as quickly as she could, while the maids followed behind, wondering what had happened.
Lost in her thoughts, Alicia accidentally collided with someone.
She looked up in horror.
It was the king.
"Y-Your Majesty..." she whispered.
Before anyone could react, her vision blurred, and she collapsed.
When Alicia opened her eyes, she found King Leonard standing beside her bed.
"Your Majesty, I..."
He cut her off.
"What was that? Why were you running through the hallway? Does this palace look like a playground to you?"
"I... I'm sorry," Alicia replied weakly.
"Sorry won't fix anything," he said coldly. "Work on yourself. This is a palace, and you're a queen now. Get rid of that lowlife behavior."
Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room.
The door shut behind him.
Alicia buried her face in her pillow and burst into tears.
Later That Day – Queen Nora's Chamber
Queen Nora stood before a large mirror while speaking with her twenty-year-old son, Jaime.
"Jaime, I'm tired of everyone in this palace," she said bitterly. "Sometimes I feel like killing them all... especially Queen Moana."
"Mother, calm down," Jaime replied. "We only have to endure a little longer. Once I'm named Crown Prince, we'll think about taking control of this palace."
Queen Nora let out a deep sigh as she stared at her reflection.
"And what makes you so sure they'll choose you as the Crown Prince?"
Queen Nora let out a frustrated sigh.
"You're not even King Leonard's biological son," she hissed.
Jaime smirked.
"Mother, at least you're married to him now. As you've always told me, my father was King Leonard's elder brother. That means he should have been king. But now he's dead, and King Leonard still has no children."
Nora clenched her fists.
"Something about Alicia makes me uneasy. Queen Moana doesn't worry me... but that girl does."
Jaime rose from his seat and walked toward his mother.
"I like the name Alicia," he said with a sly smile. "She sounds like my type. I can't wait to meet her."
Nora shot him an irritated look.
"I have no time for your foolishness."
She opened a drawer and took out a pistol.
"I'll eliminate anyone who stands in the way of avenging my husband's death. Leonard will pay... and so will anyone who dares protect him."
Just then, the door burst open.
"My Queen!" a maid named Ella said as she hurried in and bowed. "His Majesty requests your presence."
Nora glared at her.
"How dare you enter my chamber without knocking?"
"I'm so sorry, Your Majesty!" Ella said, trembling.
Nora slowly raised the pistol toward her.
"You've become too bold."
Ella fell to her knees.
"Please forgive me, my Queen!"
Jaime stepped forward.
"Mother, leave her to me. I'll make sure she's punished."
Nora lowered the pistol.
"Very well. Handle her. She may have heard everything we said."
With that, Nora walked out of the room.
Ella looked up at Jaime with tears streaming down her face.
"My Prince, I swear I didn't hear anything. Please... spare me."
Jaime stared at her coldly.
"Take her to the dungeon. She'll remain there until I decide what to do with her."
The palace guards seized Ella and dragged her away as her cries echoed through the corridor.
The Throne Room
Queen Nora entered the throne room and bowed.
"Your Majesty, you sent for me?"
"Yes," King Leonard replied. "It's about Alicia."
Nora looked at him.
"What about her?"
"What do you think of her?" the king asked.
"She's young and beautiful, but we know nothing about her. She could be a snake hiding in the grass."
King Leonard nodded thoughtfully.
"I want you to keep a close eye on her. I don't trust someone from such a humble background."
Before Nora could respond, another voice interrupted.
"No one should be judged by where they came from."
They turned to see Queen Moana entering the room.
King Leonard's stern expression softened immediately.
Nora noticed the change and clenched her jaw.
"I'll take my leave now, Your Majesty."
She bowed and left.
As soon as she was gone, the king turned to Moana.
"How are you feeling today? Have you taken your medicine?"
Moana, who suffered from asthma, smiled warmly.
"You worry too much, Your Majesty. I'm feeling much better."
After a brief silence, she smiled again.
"I like her."
King Leonard frowned slightly.
"Who?"
"Queen Alicia. I have a good feeling about her. Don't you think she's beautiful?"
The king chuckled softly.
"The only woman who has ever captured my heart... and always will... is you."
Moana blushed.
That Evening – Queen Joanna's Chamber
Two maids carefully styled Queen Joanna's hair while another fastened elegant bangles around her wrists.
Suddenly, Queen Kyaren entered.
"Are you preparing for a celebration?" Kyaren asked.
Joanna smiled confidently.
"No. King Leonard is in the palace. I'm certain he'll join us for dinner tonight."
Kyaren rolled her eyes.
"Joanna, you should know by now that His Majesty hardly takes his eyes off Queen Moana. She became his wife long before he ascended the throne. The rest of us were simply brought into the palace afterward."
Joanna laughed.
"That may have been true before."
Kyaren raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm certain tonight will be different. King Leonard won't be able to take his eyes off me."
Kyaren stared at her in disbelief.
"Are you asking me to leave?"
"Yes. We can continue this conversation another time. I still have to finish getting ready."
Kyaren sighed and walked out.
As the door closed, Joanna smiled at her reflection.
"Tonight... King Leonard will notice only me."
Stay Tuned for chapter 3