5

“This... this cannot be true.” Teats dropped down from the feeble looking girl’s eyes as she saw her ex fiancé, holding a blonde girl cosily in his arms and almost locking his lips with hers. “He... he is not like that. He definitely misguided by his friend Troy.” Eva crumbled the paper in her hand as more and more tears dropped down from her eyes. “I am sure he is the one who brainwashed my love. I know Rick is too innocent.” 

She sat down on the bed, throwing away the gown handed over to her for the coronation ceremony. “I give up. I give it all up. I don’t want to be a part of this royal world. Let her have the power and crown. I shall run away from here, as far as possible.” She wiped away her tears, as she could a stabbing pain in her stomach. The sight of Rick snuggling with another girl had yet again broken her heart into million parts. 

“KNOCK KNOCK” 

Eva turned to look at the door as more tear drops travelled down her cheeks. “Come in Mrs. Freda.” 

Soon the door opened and an elderly lady of about 70 years, entered the room dressed in a shining white royal staff uniform. “Good morning princess.” She bowed a little as per the norms of the palace, and looked at Eva’s crying face. Her heart felt a sharp stabbing pain, looking at the crying girl, the fallen gown and the tiny attic room where she was kept like a slave. 

“Good morning Mrs. Freda.” The girl did not look up at the elderly lady, as if trying to hide her tears. Freda was the one and only support which Eva had now. After Eva’s birth mother died, Freda had always looked after Eva’s needs and she was also well aware of all the politics going around in the royal palace. 

“Oh don’t be like that my dear.” Freda looked at the crumbled newspaper, reading the headlines on the page 3 section. She then spotted the picture of Troy standing next to Rick and frowned a bit thinking hard. “Is that Troy? Mrs. Herald’s grandson standing alongside master Rick?” She picked up the newspaper reading the full article. 

“Yes. He is the one who is spoiling my Rick. He is a typical brat and does not even care to mourn even after his father’s death.” Eva frowned thinking about Troy with much hatred and abhor. 

“But my dear. Do you know, his company currently holds seventy one percent of shares of the company once owned by your father and is now under your step- mother. And now that his father has passed away, your step mother wants to buy all the shares from Troy so that she can become to sole owner of the company.” Freda looked at Eva with thoughtful eyes.

“I don’t care Mrs. Freda. I don’t have anything left. Step mother will be the queen in another one hour, while Troy will handover the company to her. He the richest man on this planet, he will happily handover father’s company to for a good amount of money.” Eva wiped away her tears, burrying her head inside the pillow. 

Freda took a deep breath and sat down on the bed besides the crying girl, patting her back. “Now is not the time to cry my girl. Your parents were so strong and have handled everything so bravely. You cannot let everything slip out of your hands. You have to pull up your sleeves and start fighting.” Freda picked up the gown looking at it in much hatred. “She gave you the worst looking dress, from her own collection. How can you let her do that?” 

“But what else can I do? She has the throne, she has the company which dad established with such hard work. Rick broke up with me and all my family is dead.” Eva busted into tears again, howling loudly. 

“Oh dear.” Freda sat down besides the girl patting her rough golden hair. “You have to be a little practical in life my dear, like your parents were. Else, it is just a matter of few hours and all is over. I have heard Troy and Rick are coming to attend the coronation ceremony along with there families. And.... with your permission, I have a perfect plan for you.” 

Eva finally turned her head and looked at Freda in much thought. “You mean there is still some hope?” 

“Of course. There is always some hope. Mrs. Herald is a dear friend of mine and was also very close to your late grandmother. She is mighty distressed after her only son’s death and also due to Troy’s Casanova image.  She is looking for a suitable match for him, so... so I was thinking that maybe you can marry Troy.” 

“What!??” Eva straightened her back in much shock, looking at Freda as if she had spoken the most unbelievable thing ever.