“Camilla Florentine, I rescind our engagement!”

“But why?!”

“What do you mean why? Everyone knows you’ve become a ruthless woman, viciously bullying other students!”

“I never!”

“You did!”

“What proof do you have?”

“Bethany Alfort is my proof!” An immaculately dressed Albert raised his hand and an equally beautifully dressed Bethany took it. Albert put his arm over her shoulder protectively, “Destroying her school bag, ripping apart her textbooks, defacing her desk—”

“You don’t have proof I did those things!”

“Tacks in her shoes, needles in her gym clothes—”

“Even if I did them, you can’t break our engagement just for that!”

“Last week you pushed her down the stairs and nearly killed her!”

“Who says!”

Albert looked around at the packed ballroom, “Witnesses of Camilla Florentine bullying Miss Bethany as I described, speak up!”

In the crowd, three students and a teacher stepped forward.

The adorable student said, “I saw her scribbling all over Miss Bethany’s desk! Cutting up her stuff!” Then eyed Camilla angrily, “You vicious woman!”

The muscular student added gruffly, “I saw her put tacks in Miss Bethany’s shoes!”

The tall, towering student with glasses said gravely, “I saw her put the needle sewed gym clothes back in her locker.”

“And I,” The teacher looked heartbroken, “Saw her push Miss Bethany down the stairs.”

Camilla heard the witnesses, all of which had stellar reputations— one even being a popular teacher, and suddenly collapsed on the ground, face pale with fear.

“I— I— I—” She grabbed her hair and shouted madly, “She was flirting with my fiance! She’s a filthy hussy stealing people’s men! Why can’t I hate her?!”

“Camilla what you did was attempted murder!”

Eyes bloodshot, she pointed at Bethany and screeched, “SHE DESERVES TO DIE!”

Everyone gasped in shock.

Because they were focused on Camilla’s fast fall into insanity they didn’t notice Albert tremble slightly and his lips twitch. Bethany pressed her face onto his chest, shaking as if afraid, while she whispered in repressed humor, “She should have joined the drama club with acting that good.”

Albert lowered his head, gently smoothing her hair as if to comfort her and whispered in reply, “Stop that, I’m already dying from trying not to laugh.”

He looked back up and forced his face into a severe expression, “Murderous tendencies, a small petty heart and a mind filled with vicious schemes... If you become the example that good ladies should follow, will there be any good ladies left in our country?! Camilla Florentine, you’ve proven you’re unfit to be queen of this great nation. I say again, I strip you from your position as my fiance!”

“No, no, no, Crown Prince, Albert, please—!” Camilla practically crawled forward and grabbed his pants, face ugly from crying. “I’ve studied and worked so hard to be queen! If you take this away from me, what will I have left?!”

Albert ignored her and looked towards the crowd, “Who witnesses this engagement annulment?”

The four witnesses from earlier walked over to the Crown Prince and knelt. They were: Daren Wallsby, son of the wealthiest merchant in the country, Carter Tillbond, knight-in-training, Edgar Bellz, son of Duke Bellz and lastly, Zack Porter, philosophy and natural studies teacher.

Together they called out, “We witnessed the annulment!”

“Very good, when someone comes later to ask, you must honestly recount what you’ve seen and heard today.” Albert gave them a knowing look. “Don’t leave anything out, do you understand?”

“Yes, your highness!”

The crowds, which were unofficial witnesses, began whispering amongst themselves.

“Now, as to her attempted murder of a fellow student. I think expelling her from school and exiling her is a small punish—”

“Wait!” Bethany cried out.

She looked down on the still sobbing Camilla at Albert’s feet with sympathy. She knelt down and took Camilla’s hands into her own.

Though she was looking at Camilla, Bethany spoke to Albert, “Please don’t expel or exile her.”

Albert frowned, “But my love…”

“Albert, even though she did all that to me, she is still a lady. How will she survive if she can’t even graduate? Please have mercy.” Bethany looked at Albert with shining doelike eyes. “Albert, darling, please?”

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Even though she was acting, Bethany’s stare was like cupid’s arrow and almost brought him to his knees. His heart cried out: She called me darling! If she were any more beautiful, I think I might die! Arg, when will this nonsense be over so I can take her into my arms and—

“Oy you two, stop flirting.” They both heard a furious whisper from the supposedly insane and distraught Camilla, sobbing on the ground.

Albert snapped out of his stupor and glared down at Camilla.

“Even though you don’t deserve it, for my love’s sake, I will do as she asks.”

Camilla suddenly sat up and viciously slapped Bethany, who was hit so hard she flew sideways.

“I DON’T NEED THIS HUSSY’S SYMPATHY!” She screeched madly and began attacking Bethany in a frenzy.

“Bethany!” Albert cried out, immediately going to his lady love and trying to separate the two. He turned to the crowd and demanded, “Is everyone stupid? Help me separate them!”

Mr Porter, the teacher, and the sturdy knight-in-training Carter Tillbond rushed forward to pull Camilla away. She was dragged out of the ballroom, ranting and raving about how she wished Bethany would die, and then die again.

It was only after the ball doors had closed and they’d come to an empty hallway that Camilla stopped her ranting. She went silent and slumped between the two men, exhausted.

Mr Porter wrapped her arm around his shoulders and brought her to a small room used by the school facility they’d chosen in advance. After she sat down and the door was closed, Carter spoke up excitedly.

“Miss Camilla, that was amazing! You should join the opera!”

“Uuuuugh. My throat hurts….” Came Camilla’s response and coughed, her throat raw from the screeching.

“Here, drink this water.” Mr Porter handed her a simple cup, rubbing her back sympathetically. “I still think you should have worked this out with your parents.”

“If I could have changed Duke Florentine’s mind,” Camilla croaked, “I would have done it years ago Mr Porter.”

Mr Porter sighed, his expression worried. They’d argued about this point several times already but it was because she was right that he’d gone along with the plan. As an equalist, he despised forced marriages.

Carter was all questions at this point and, being the forthright kind of person, immediately started asking.

“Did you really slap Miss Bethany?”

“Of course I didn’t slap her.”

“Then how did you..?”

“It’s all about angles.” Camilla cleared her throat and took another big swig of water. “I didn’t get close to her face, you know. It just looked like it to everyone else.”

“Did you think that up?”

“I did.”

“Amazing! I didn’t know that could be done… you should teach me sometime...”

“How about you focus on your actual studies instead?” Mr Porter scolded the young man and looked at Camilla in exasperation, “Why is it weird things like this that you’re good at and never anything that matters?”

“Heh, it’s not just me that’s good at it. Bethany really perfected the I’m-getting-slapped reaction.” Camilla nodded seriously, “No matter how good I made the slapping motion, how the person pretending to take the hit reacts is a big part of making it believable. And, Mr Porter, who says it doesn’t matter? It came in useful today.”

There was a knock on the door and they all went silent. Carter went over and opened the door to see who it was and immediately sighed in relief. Daren Wallsby, the merchant’s son, came in carrying a plate of finger foods, obviously taken from the ballroom.

He was a cutie-patootie, short like a girl, and had an adorable baby face. Every girl in school loved him but at the same time none would date him. They all viewed him like a little brother.

He gave Camilla a charming smile, raised the platter, and bowed like a fancy waiter.

“I come bearing food!”

“Ah, thank you, I’m starving.” Camilla didn’t stand on ceremony and immediately took the plate and began devouring the food. She’d eaten a small lunch and no dinner because of nerves. “How’s everything out there?”

Daren raised two thumbs, “We got the conversation flowing in the right direction. Everyone feels that you were right to be angry at the Crown Prince for cheating but that how you handled your anger really wasn’t befitting a queen. That you get to stay in school is showing just the right kind of mercy, making the Prince’s dubious behavior a little more tolerable. Since the Crown Prince denounced you and you acted crazy at the end, people will likely keep their distance too. As far as everyone is concerned the engagement is officially annulled.” He raised an eyebrow. “You won’t have many friends starting tomorrow.”

“If they can’t tell I was putting on a show today, they weren’t my real friends.”

“I guess that’s true…” Daren turned to Carter. “Prince Albert said you should head back to the ball…”

“Tsk!”

“Don’t be like that! If you’re gone people will think it’s weird.”

“But Mr Porter is staying… lucky dog…”

“Of course HE’S staying. No one would expect him to come back right after Miss Camilla’s fantastic performance.”

“...but I don’t like dancing…”

“Ugh, if it bothers you that much, just find a wallflower and keep her entertained.”

“...but girls and I are never on the same page…”

“You talk to Miss Bethany just fine!”

“She’s different! She’s an angel!”

“If you don’t go back to that ball, I’ll tell Prince Albert you’re making eyes at his girl!”

Carter’s large frame shook slightly, “I’m not! I meant that neutrally, brotherly, not in any other way!”

“Yeah but he won’t know that~” Daren grinned wickedly.

Carter started to sweat. Daren could talk circles around him, there’s no way he could win in a fight of words.

The big teenager decided retreat was the better part of valor and hot footed it out of the room. But not before throwing out a rather whiny, “You’re a villain, did you know that?!”

Camilla watched them in amusement. With bread and cheese in her mouth, she commented, “Huh, I don’t understand why you guys are afraid of Albert.”

Daren rolled his eyes, “That’s because there’s only three people Albert is afraid of: his father, his swordmaster, and you! Around you three he acts meek but the rest of us? Hah! That guy’s definitely born to be king. Even I can’t talk him out of something once he’s decided.”

Camilla looked shocked, “How is it his mother isn’t on that list? She’s way scarier than I am!”

“She’s fourth place.”

“Doesn’t that mean I took the Queen’s place as number three?!”

“Is that really the thing to be stuck on?!” He sighed at her seeming carelessness. “Really, why don’t you ever worry about the right things.”

“The right things you say? And what would the right things be in this case?”

“Oh, I don’t know, the fact that your reputation is in shambles, the only friends you’ve got have to pretend to hate you, and you’ll basically never get married now.”

“Aw, you’re worried!”

“If I don’t worry, who will?!”

“I’m always worrying,” Mr Porter interjected.

Daren gave him a huge eye roll.

“You're a teacher, it’s your job to worry about students. If you don’t, what are our parents paying you for?”

“Don’t make it sound like all I care about is the money.”

“Then what do you care for? Because you like us?!”

“...well, I certainly don’t like you, you mouthy pipsqueak.”

Daren sneered, “If you think insulting my height is going to get me angry, have I got news for you.”

“Oh yeah?” Mr Porter glanced at Camilla and grinned viciously, “How about the fact that I know who you’ve got a crush on—”

“YA BASTARD FIGHT ME!” Daren leapt forward in alarm, as if he was really going to start a fist fight with a teacher.

Camilla picked up her plate of snacks and water in alarm and moved out of the way. Watching the tiny teenager have a go at the tall teacher was immensely entertaining. All Mr Porter had to do was stretch out a hand and push Daren away, while Daren flailed his arms about. She chuckled as she watched and then wondered…

Who did Daren have a crush on?