Chapter Five

I’ve spent a week in this palace, and I still can’t get used to their way of waking me up.

“Is the drum supposed to be an alarm or something?” I ask, getting up from bed irritated.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but these are the Queen’s orders,” Martha says, bowing her head apologetically.

For the first time, I felt the need to sit on that throne. I can’t wait to take her crown and place and finally put her where she belongs. Too bad there’s still a long way to go.

“Where is the king?” I wonder out loud.

“Forgive me, my lady,” Martha begins, and I know she wants to scold me again, but in the most polite way possible. “But it is forbidden to speak of the king. Please don’t ask any more questions regarding the king in the future.”

What an exaggerated response. I sometimes wonder if people here even touch grass; they act like it’s the Middle Ages.

“Okay,” I nod in response and head towards the bathroom when Martha blocks my path.

“Today there will be a small gathering to celebrate the return of Princess Belen.” She informs, “It is obligatory that you attend, my lady.”

I sigh as if I don’t have enough on my plate already.

Classes were torture as always, but luckily the day passed quickly, and it was soon time to face the royal family. Honestly, I don’t know what to expect. I wish Mom was here to guide me, but I wasn’t allowed to talk to her.

The queen considered her a bad influence, and I was forbidden from speaking to anyone in my family until my bad behavior was corrected.

I know I shouldn’t, but I craved power.

A whole lot of it.

Martha led me to where the meeting was taking place. When she reached the entrance, she stopped. “May the Lord be with you, my lady.”

Despite the burning fear I felt, I entered the room.

I could see three people sitting at a table.

One I recognized as Belen and the other Jade, just like Reuben; they were all media favorites.

I assumed the last person was Demetrius, the first prince. There’s not much of him out there; I once heard that the man kept to himself because of rumors. You see according to the rules, Demetrius is the rightful heir, but unfortunately for him, Reuben is the late king’s favorite, which is why he was declared crown prince from an early age.

“You must be Naomi,” Belen said as I approached the table.

“Sit.” She instructed me coldly, and I sat down in the empty chair next to Jade, who in turn looked at me like I was a pile of garbage.

“Let’s face it,” Jade said, “It’s awkward sharing a table with a half-born.”

“You know what’s creepier?” Demetrius chimed in, “This half-born will be queen, won’t she?”

Jade sighed, “I hear Mother is the one pushing for this to happen.”

“Well, the queen must be out of her damn mind if she wants this thing to succeed her,” Belen said.

I remained glued to my seat and listened to them talk about me as if I wasn’t there. I was being made fun of in front of my face, but the only thing I could do was smile.

“I see you’re having fun trying out your future queen,” Reuben said as he entered the room wearing a black suit.

“Aren’t you afraid that she will hold a grudge against you and make you pay once she takes the throne?”

Jade scoffed, “I can bet my entire fortune she’d never make it to that seat.”

“I would say that too,” Belen agreed.

“I mean, look at her sitting there like a country girl.”

When I heard those words, I immediately sat up, but that caused even more damage as the two princesses burst into laughter.

Reuben sat across from me and didn’t bother to protect me from his sisters’ clutches. “I heard you’re dating an I*******m model this time,” Demetrius told Ruben.

“It’s a shame, Ava Stones was truly a beauty. What happened? Didn’t like her head game?

“Have some decency, Demetrius,” Belen warned rather sarcastically, “Can’t you see his wife to be sitting here.”

“All the more reason for him to answer.” He said slyly, “She must know what she’s getting into, although I think she already has a faint idea.”

“Let this man breathe,” Jade said in Ruben’s defense. “Don’t all kings have concubines?”

I felt a sharp pain in my heart, I had to be a virgin to marry while he was allowed to have many concubines.

“Let us know, brother, how many concubines do you plan to have in the future?” Belen looked at Ruben and the others appeared curious, eager to hear his answer. When Reuben didn’t answer, Belen continued: “Thirty?” Fifty?”

“Come on, Bel, isn’t that a bit too much?” Jade teased.

“I’m afraid not.” Demetrius said, “For a man like Ru, who flips through various women like a magazine cover, I’m afraid that even a hundred concubines are not enough.”

It occurred to me that everything they did was intentional; their words and actions were intended to ridicule me.

I got tired of listening to their crappy words and got up.

“I’m not feeling well, I’d like to be excused.”

“Why?” Jade pouted. “The party hasn’t even started yet.”

“Let the girl go, Jade.” Belen said with a mischievous smile, “Tomorrow is a new day where we can always take off from where we stopped.”

I bowed respectfully to the four of them and turned around, but a sharp pain in my feet made me stop.

“I am very sorry.” Jade gasped in shock, and I couldn’t tell if she meant it or not.

My white dress was stained with orange juice, and my foot was bleeding from being pierced by the shards of the shattered glass cup.

Tonight tested my limits.

I blinked away the tears that threatened to fall and turned, limping out of the room when a strong hand grabbed my waist and lifted me off the ground.

“What are you…” I

wanted to protest, but I stopped when Reuben’s finger grazed my lips. “Shh!”

“You are safe with me.”