Duchess Lynette Valentine stares down at the papers brandishing the royal seal with open confusion. She glances up at the prince sitting before her then back down at the papers, then back up again.
“I do not understand,” She states the obvious.
Prince Kolton's smile widens. He was always polite, but today, his eyes were particularly distant.
“What is causing you confusion, Lady Lynette?” He asks evenly.
“These words. Why do they speak of a matter that has long been settled? And these restrictions. Surely, there has been some kind of mistake.” The duchess asks with a strained voice. She shuffles through the papers, her eyebrows creasing heavily as her eyes scan over them. She shakes her head and drops the papers to the tea table as if they had personally offended her. She also faintly wondered why Prince Kolton had seen to this matter personally instead of the crown prince or a servant of the royal family.
“Your highness, I had thought that we had come to an understanding,” Lynette says as calmly as she could, “That day, almost two weeks ago, was a very unfortunate accident, however, that is all it had been. I had explained everything to you and his highness so clearly, as did my daughter. Madam Montgomery had acted hatefully on her own while I had been away and soon fell after overextending herself.”
“That is what you had said,” Prince Kolton says with a closed-eyed smile, “But that does not excuse the fact that it had happened at all. And after some further investigation, it has come to our attention that the madam you had assigned to be Lady Livia’s instructor had been rather infamous and had been hired in the past by the Valentine household.”
The duchess teacup stills a few centimeters from her red-painted mouth. Only her eyes move to stare at the third prince in shock, “There had been an investigation...?” She asks, her voice faint.
Prince Kolton folds his hands over his knees and leans forward, smile still firmly in place.
“Indeed. Tell me, Lady Lynette, why had Madam Montgomery been dismissed from the Valentine household in the past? And why, after having been dismissed, as she called forth on again? It’s all rather strange, don’t you think? The picture you and your daughter had painted...I could not help but sense something was off. Especially after you had to be prompted, repeatedly, to explain yourself before you did so. And the way you had reacted...”
Prince Kolton leans back into his seat and shrugs, “I asked father to look into the matter further and he agreed. It seems my suspicions were not unfounded. Even weeks after Madam Montgomery's unfortunate death there are certain rumors floating about. Ones that speak of recurring abuse of a mother to her daughters by the servants directly under her.” The last part was said slowly from an unsmiling mouth on a face that was as frosty as the southern and northern poles.
Lynette's teacup clatters shakily on the table and she retreats her trembling hands to her lap as she swallows hard. She opens her mouth then closes it, before straightening her back with a forced smile.
“Your highness, please,” She starts, “You must not take the word of folks who only wish to blacken my name at this time. Of course, they will only speak ill of me and turn a simple accident into something dastardlier than it actually was. I have and never would abuse my daughters. I love them both, equally. I would never sink to such a low level.” She insists with a forlorn expression.
“Then why rehire Madam Montgomery after Duke Valentine had her dismissed?” Prince Kolton asks frankly.
Lynette blinks once and curls her fingers into her dress, “It had been many years since. I had thought by now, the madam would have changed in her ways, and help Livia as she had in the past.”
“One month ago, Madam Montgomery had been dismissed from a baron household This fact had not given you pause?” It was obvious that the prince was not impressed with her answers and seemed indifferent to the way her emotions warped on her face.
Lynette looks away, “I apologize. I had not thought to look into Madam Montgomery further before allowing her back in the household. It is a grave mistake I will have to live with.”
Prince Kolton does not reply. He stares at her with flat eyes, before they flicker down to the papers on the tea table.
“It is a mistake that cannot go ignored,” He states after a while, “Lady Livia is a crown princess candidate and her safety has been compromised in her own household under the watch of her mother. Duke Valentine had made it clear when he had been called on. He never heard word that Madam Montgomery had returned until after she had died, which means the fault lies solely with you, Lady Lynette. After some discussion, we had thought it would be wise to have Lady Livia return to White Castle under the direct protection of the royal family.”
Lynette's thin compressed lips loosen enough for her to protest this, “Please! You cannot do this! How could you ask my daughter to share the same roof as the two men who are responsible for all the misfortune that has befallen her in the past year? She will never feel safe! Please, your highness, I will not make such a mistake again. Please, give me a chance to prove myself!”
Prince Kolton smiles without amusements, “You protest Lady Livia living with my brothers’ but have no problem with her being engaged to the crown prince. Do you think the two are unrelated?”
Lynette has nothing to say to her hypocrisy being pointed out so blatantly. The words dying right on her tongue.
Prince Kolton tsks, and looks away, “In the end, the king had decided it would be best if Lady Livia remained under the thumb of the Valentine household for her own sake. His Highness did not wish to bring her any further discomfort.”
The duchess shoulders slump and she looks relieved, “Yes, his highness is wise.”
Prince Kolton's eyes cut back to her, “But to guarantee no such occurrence like the one before would ever happen, his highness has decided to assign servants he has personally chosen to Lady Livia. As well, a small group of royal guards assigned to Lady Livia will join the Valentine household,” Kolton gestures to the papers on the tea table.
“Everything you need to know is as documented.”
Lynette was already shaking her head in denial, “This is ridiculous and completely unnecessary,” She blurts out with a look of affront, “The Valentines are in no need of such help. We already have a large unit of servants and an army filled with guards and soldiers.” It was insulting the king would infringe in this way.
Plus, Lynette had no desire to have royal servants in her territory. Especially not now, when the halls were still buzzing with servants who seem all to happy to flap their lips to whoever was willing to listen. She needed time to weed them out and replace them with more qualified personnel. To think that word had managed to leak outside of the household. Lynette did not know who blabbed, but when she found them...
“I am only telling you as a formality since Duke Valentine had been suddenly called away to the border. Everything has already been decided,” Kolton nods to the papers, “Lord Luvien has already signed off on them.”
Lynette snatches up the papers and goes through them frantically. Prince Kolton was right. Her husband's signature could be seen in black ink. He had done all of this without telling her a word of it. Her hands crumble the edges of the paper as she glares at them.
Damn you, Luvien. She hisses in her mind. Lynette knew her husband would retaliate in some way, but to think he would allow his own household to be infringed upon by the royal family with his consent while also dropping the blame firmly around her neck alone.
Lynette had been foolish to think that she would be able to keep everything under wraps with her words alone. If only she had not let her guard down. If only she had kept her face in actions in better check. But how could she have expected that the two princes would show up so soon after Madam Montgomery had died? How could she have known that Livia would make an appearance, clearly wounded under her mother’s care, to the princes? By all right, they could take her back to the White Castle as a crown princess candidate, leaving Lynette firmly out of the loop.
Maybe she should just count her blessing? Even her husband wasn’t foolish enough to have Livia on her own without their influence. Yes, it wasn’t all bad. Lynette could still turn things and set them back in their rightful direction.
So, she smiles blandly, “It seems there is nothing I can do but obey what my king and husband wishes,” she says, suddenly peaceful. She glances down at the papers.
“Are these to be the three assigned to my daughter?” Her brows furrow, “This cannot be right. Beth Aveline Zouche? Hadn’t this woman been exiled? Zouche...” Lynette gasps, “She is the one who murdered her husband! Why is she here!? This must be some kind of mistake!”
Kolton understands her bafflement well, but the king had been unmovable on this decision.
“Before she had been exiled, Miss Beth had been one of the best midwives Wisteria could have offered,” Kolton repeats what his father had told him.
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Lynette wasn’t impressed, “I’m aware of her past, but what use is that now? She is a murderer!”
“Livia had requested for her personally.”
Lynette was no less confused, “How could she have known of her? That makes no sense.” And how did her daughter put in the request? Had there been interactions between Livia and the royal family she had been unaware of?
“The two had met in the past. When Livia had been exiled. They had traveled to the town of Zinnia together. Lady Livia had spoken of it when she had been questioned. Miss Beth had helped her when she had escaped, looked after her. Lady Livia had spoken highly of her.”
“But she is exiled...” Lynette protest weakly, looking down at the paper with a curl of her lip.
“The king has decided to make an exception, just this once. Miss Beth sentenced had been changed to one of servitude,” Prince Kolton explains calmly.
Lynette looks down at the papers again and decides to let it go...for now.
“Amaya Khari? I have never heard of this maid. Why is she being assigned to my daughter? We have plenty of maids here. And this other person. Sen Cade. He was the one who helped escort my Livia. Honestly, this young man has some nerve. Just how difficult is it to bring a young woman back home to charge such an outlandish price!”
“Miss Amaya Khari comes highly recommended from many other families, while Sen Cade is an S rank adventurer who has personally protected Lady Livia in the past. And in the same case of Miss Beth, the two have been personally recommended by Lady Livia,” Prince Kolton says.
Before Lynette can say anything further, he continues, “The three of them will arrive tomorrow morning and will instantly begin their duties. As the document states, no others in this household can attend to Lady Livia besides them for the unseeable future.”
Prince Kolton then smiles, “And as the document also states Lady Lynette, you are to keep your distance from Lady Livia. The only exception is if Duke Valentine is present. Your parental rights for one Livia Katrina Valentine have been severely restricted, duchess. All and any rights you had over your adopted daughter; Miss Liliana Elizabeth Valentine have been removed permanently.”
Lynette's mouth flaps open.
“What!?” She hisses. Her eyes had glanced over the word restriction, but it had not given her pause. She has seen such documents before. This wasn’t the first time Lord Luvien, her husband, had wrangled her parental rights from her, but every time she managed to gain them back. But a second glance at the papers confirms what Prince Kolton has said. This was not a temporary order, but a permanent one.
“It was just one mistake,” She whispers then looks up, “Please, your highness, isn’t this unfair? I heard nothing of any of this until now! I should have at least been given the opportunity to explain myself!”
Prince Kolton's eyebrow ticks up, more than a little annoyed, “You already have.”
“Why am I being blamed for all of this? It makes no sense. Yes, my dear daughter had been hurt under my watch, but it was not I that did the actually hurting! I was just as surprised as everyone else! Why am I being punished so severely!?” It was like the whining of a child that didn’t get their way, her voice was. But Lynette couldn’t hear it. All she saw was the world turning upside down without notice.
She could not comprehend why things were turning out the way that they were.
Prince Kolton can only stare at her, uncomprehending.
Was she serious? He thinks to himself, a bit numb.
“She is my daughter! I’m the one who raised her, not her father! How can my husband expect to care for her when he is always away? She will be on her own for the majority of the time, and in the state that she is in? No, this will not do. I cannot allow this. I must speak with his highness immediately, surely the king will understand. A daughter needs her mother,” Lynette was saying, mostly to herself in a low voice, but Prince Kolton could hear her clearly.
“You are a horrible mother.”
Lynette stills. She looks up slowly, her eyes wide.
“What did you just say?” She whispers, her voice colored in shock and disbelief.
But Prince Kolton is already getting to his feet, and he stares down at her with a cold and angry gaze that seems foreign on his normally friendly and open face.
“Your pregnant daughter was beaten and abused by the madam you hired and not once have I seen you display even an ounce of remorse or guilt for what happened to Lady Livia,” Prince Kolton states vehemently.
I’m sure I squeezed out a few tears when I told the crown prince and the third prince what happened with Livia, Is Lynette's first baffled thought.
Did I not look properly sorry? Surely, I seemed quite sad, right? Had that not been enough? Should I cry now? No, it’s too late. Maybe I should say I was so aghast about my parental rights being taken away...Lynette's mind was racing, trying to think how to recover.
Not once did the direness of the situation ever register. The duchess had been so consumed by the fact that her daughter wasn’t who she thought she was and doing damage control that she never paused to think beyond it. Why would she? The baby was still clearly alive, weeks later and the healer that she had summoned had made it so that not a single welt or bruise stayed long enough for her to give her daughter a proper look over.
To Lynette, it was all water under the bridge.
Her expression must have mirrored what she had thought because suddenly, Prince Kolton looked furious.
The duchess quickly tries to fix it, “It has been a stressful week,” she says weakly.
“’It has been a stressful day’” Prince Kolton mocks back, recalling what she had said when confronted with why she was trying to brush Livia aside.
He shakes his head and turns away with clenched fists. It was best that he left now. Before he did or say something he could not take back.
He stops by the door, and it is opened by a royal guard. He turns back to the duchess to see her staring at her hands, her expression blank.
He sneers, “The guards I brought will stay here. They will make sure that you do as your king and husband bid you.”
Prince Kolton then leaves.
----------------------------------------
Livia ends her spying spell and looks up to the sunless sky in the garden while her tea sits untouched and cold before her. It seems it could rain any second now. She should head inside.
She looks over at the royal guards who had taken up station around her silently only an hour before, then back to Liliana who was making her third flower crown. Livia plays with the one already on her head, a small smile on her face when she sees movement from the corner of her eye.
She turns her head and makes eye contact with Prince Kolton. Livia does not get up from her relaxed posture to greet him, but when he stands before her, she does incline her head.
“Your highness,” She greets.
“Lady Livia,” Prince Kolton says, returning the greeting and gestures to the empty chair, “May I join you?”
“Go ahead,” Livia allows. The third prince takes a seat and glances around, taking stock of the guards. He seems to approve of them and the fact that no other servants can be seen.
“I see the head butler and the head maid has been given word of the new order of this household.”
“That they have,” Livia agrees.
Prince Kolton nods and looks away with a troubled expression.
Livia does not ask what is wrong. She lets the silence fall between them, content to keep her mouth close.
A fly, red in color with pretty glass-like wings, settles on the rim of her teacup. She watches as it treks down and takes a sip of the cold liquid before it cleans its face and flies off.
“I’m sorry.”
Livia blinks and turns to Prince Kolton, a bit surprised, “About what, exactly?” She asks.
“About what I said at the trial.”
It takes her a moment to recall. Once she does, she lets out an inelegant snort.
“Ah, I see,” She says and smiles wanly, “I was not pitiful before, but I am now? Is that it?”
“You have been through a lot,” he tells her solemnly. As if this statement is somehow truer now than it was before. As if she was not fully aware given the fact she lived through it all.
Livia scowls, “I grow tired of hearing those words.”
Pity, guilt, and anger on her behalf. These emotions danced happily on Prince Kolton’s face.
If she was another girl, one more prone to romance, Livia would be moved by the change in emotion. If she was another girl, one who was more superficial, she would try to win Prince Kolton over to her side and away from Amelia.
But she was just herself and all she can see is another Sen. Livia already had one. She did not need another one. That doesn’t mean she had to be an ungrateful brat though. So, she would remain civil but distant. If anything, this should be the end of all interactions between her and Prince Kolton. Or at least, she hoped it to be.
“It does not make them any less true,” Prince Kolton replies back.
“I know,” Livia says, “But being pitied by you isn’t exactly something to be happy about. Even so, I am grateful for all that you have done. You went out of your way when you did not have to. For that, I give you, my thanks.”
“If I did not do it, no one would have,” Prince Kolton states with a heavy brow.
I would have, Livia thinks but says, “You never know, maybe, somehow, it would have all worked out,” And shrugs.
Prince Kolton stares at her, then looks away, frowning, “What kind of answer is that?” He mutters.
Silence tries to settle like a leaf gently drifting to a forest floor.
“There is something about you...” Prince Kolton suddenly says, and Livia looks up sharply.
Don’t. The word hisses in her mind.
“You aren’t like I remembered you to be,” he says, and his gaze falls back towards her.
Livia does not like his expression. He stares at her like she was a puzzle he could not figure out.
“We did not know each other in the past. What memory is there to call on?” She asks blandly, “And even if there was one, it would be foolish to think that I would be just as I was before I had been exiled. The change was inevitable.”
Prince Kolton's stare lingers on her a moment longer before it drops and he sighs, “Right. Of course,” He mutters.
Livia scowls down at her tea, “Was there something you wanted, your highness?” She prompts.
“No, I just...I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” he tells her, not looking her way.
“I am,” She confirms flatly.
Prince Kolton nods, and gets up, “Alright. I will take my leave then.”
Livia looks at him then. When their eyes meet, she does not look away, but the scowl is still firmly on her face.
“Goodbye your highness, I hope the rest of your day is enjoyable,” she tells him formally.
“Yeah, you too,” Prince Kolton mutters and leaves, but not without glancing back at her.
Livia ignores him and takes apart a cookie on her plate as she contemplates the last two weeks.
For the first time in weeks, she had not been suffocated by the many maids surrounding her and restricted to her room. This was the first time in days that she and Liliana had been able to interact. Livia had put up with the isolation and her privacy being invaded, knowing that it would all end soon, but it had been a great test in her patience. Finally, everything was said and done, and today marked the first day of peace she hadn’t realized she had been desperate for until now.
And Prince Kolton.
What a surprise he had been.
He had taken the initiative before Livia could make her own move. She had been skeptical when he requested to meet her in private in the middle of the night, but it seems her small gamble paid off. After, all Livia had to do was sit back and see the final act play out.
After everything she had been through, the exile, the trafficking, the harem, the journey back to Wisteria, the hunting, the trial, her re-engagement, the blood curse, and everything in between, Livia is finally granted a moment where all she had to worry about was just existing at the moment.
She knew it would not last.
Livia knew, that in less than three months, she would have to give birth, become a mother, and somehow learn how to raise a small defenseless baby whose father was the 14th Emperor of the Eastern Empire in a world where unicorns and dragons existed, but for now, at this moment, she did not have a care in the world.
So, she lets go of the minor irritation Kolton's presence had brought and smiles when Liliana skips over with a matching flower bracelet to go with the crown on her head.
Tomorrow, Sen, Beth, and Amaya will join her, and maybe, just maybe, she will be granted a few moments of peace.