"Princess?"
"W-what?" Confused, Oriana saw herself inside the car, they were still on the road, the documents she had assigned to be checked were still in her hands.
"What are you reviewing Princess? It's been making you frown for a while, I would rather think that you're the one stressing in the social media instead." Aren't they at the banquet already? Why are they back in the car?
Although confused, she still replied back "It's a report that the auditor has submitted for the last quarter." she thought it was just a deja vu.
"What of it?"
"Do I need to repeat myself?" She asked, "Celine is never one to be told twice, but she is also confused, "You haven't told me any order yet princess." Oriana kept her mouth closed and thought first, only to repeat the same instruction as she remembered.
"I got it all covered in princess." Marceline answered as she closed her tablet.
Looking intently on her action, she asked the Princess back.
"Is there something in my face?"
"No, nothing, it's just that when we arrive at the King's palace, remember to hold your temper."
As her expectation didn't fail her, the reply is as exactly as it was.
" Of course I will, only when Concubine Selene does not do anything beyond her boundaries."
The scenery, the same repeated actions, it was like she had dreamt of what would happen today.
"Prince Alexandros Montclair Vaisilis, will be awarded a sum of million dollars worth of gold, a villa in the southern province of Hohenberg in the name of the royal family will be transferred to your name, a medal as proof of recognition of your hard work. The rest of the army will also be compensated for their hard work and will be honored in the history of the kingdom."
"Thank you, your Majesty."
"Princess, are you bored?" Niketas asked, he was accompanying Oriana just like what is it in her dream.
"No I am not, it just seems like everything is a dream." She hinted, both Niketas and Marceline looked confused at each other.
"The princess must have been lovestruck with the second prince's return?" The only conclusion they thought of, since it is normal for the husband and wife, they were surprised that the princess is also normal at some point.
"Look at the second prince, his eyes are determined and proud." As the princess pointed out, her aides looked in the direction of her gaze.
"Is the princess jealous of the woman beside the second prince?" Niketas whispered.
"Knowing his younger sibling's ambition, why did King Alaric set a bait to Xandro?" Still engrossed at the scene before her, she analyzes the current situation,
"Alaric knew that behind those looks is an expectation which he has seen through his character growing up together."
"Is there anything else that you would like to ask aside from the reward compensated to you and your men?" His face is smiling but who knows what is hidden within these curved lips. Oriana remained quiet, observing and anticipating the second prince's actions following the bait the King had set.
As if she was watching a show before her, she then turned to her side.
"Listen to the second prince, he will narrate his heroic act." With a proud look on her face, the two who are confused at the sudden change with the princess' action. True to her words, the second prince started to mumble what she had predicted.
Both thought the Princess knew that there was something wrong, seeing another woman standing beside her husband, she must have been feeling jealous.
"I just hope that it is not what I am thinking of." Niketas, followed by Marceline with the exact lines, "This scene is very predictable, how dare they do this to our princess."
"Yes, indeed what I saw is not a dream but a foresight of what is about to happen." Oriana contemplates and assesses the current situation, she wanted to test a few more to prove her conclusion.
"How could the second prince ask his majesty to grant a lady from who knows where she came from to stay in the capital and even demand to be given a job?" One of the officials under the King's council commented.
Lest, the king spoke, "You are a married man asking to grant a future to this unknown lady?" He directly questioned the second prince, his eyes without emotions. Oriana carefully observed more and watched the second prince. Alongside with him, the woman who is named as Helena Aveline, kneel beside the second prince and asked for her chance to speak her piece, the king signalled his approval and with cold gazing eyes anticipated the next words that this woman who made the second prince knelt to the king just to plead for her wellbeing.
"Since when did Xandro have planned this?" She now fully understands that this was all planned from the time they return, or even before the end of war.
The two already betrayed her.
Meanwhile King Alaric has his mouth closed, not sure if he is paying attention to what she is saying or he is bored to the long rumble of the lady. Not until the second prince interrupted her.
"I see that she has earned your trust." the King replied, by this moment Oriana already intervened and spoke her piece, but this time she remained silent letting the King decide on the matter instead.
"The lady's intention to serve is admirable, however, Prince Alexandro, as a royal you must know that the palace has set rules about the royal knights, the mere fact you are pleading to give her a special appointment for her to stay in the capital is a clear violation of the protocols."
The King explained the same thoughts that Oriana explained with the second prince. Only that his reaction is not defiant of the King.
"I only wanted to tell him what is good for his status as a prince yet he refuted back to me." Oriana whispered.
"Your Majesty, Elen has stayed beside me in the battlefield, through the thick and thin, the lady has given endless support." While listening, Oriana finally realized that her husband already forgot the vow on their marriage. Thus, a bitter smile slipped to her lips, remembering that she has a royal lineage, her blood is to serve the country and its people. Love is just a luxury that any royal could enjoy, just like her brother who is broken by his love for a commoner yet he has no choice but to marry for allegiance.
"Oriana Stelle La Sangue, your blood is royalty, you are the country." It was the parting words that her brother bid to her as she left the empire. Her gaze returns to the pitiful husband that is also a puppet of his royal lineage, "He must have really fallen in love. Why do all of the Alexs' I know have such a cruel fate when it comes to love?"
King Alaric is angry, no, who knows what kind of emotion he is feeling, but his face remained composed and his tone authoritative, showing a real trait of a royal dutiful to his country.
"Prince Alexandro, if you were to take the lady to be your concubine, you must at least get the approval of the council and the royal family of La Sangue."
"Brot - -!" He wanted to protest but to have it escalated to this matter, he cannot dare to call out to his brother, right now the one in front of him is the King, his best interest would be for the country and not for him as his brother.
"Xandro, I am alright, I will be with you. Even though I didn't ask for you to promise me a better life in the capital, I will still be here to support you." He looked at the fair hands that gave him warmth, the eyes of the woman who is determined and strong. He knew that the matter of divorcing the princess will be hard, yet he only plans to slowly seek an opportunity to tell Oriana once he returns to the palace, since this has happened he decided to pursue this matter better than a later time.
"Elen, you may not be given the title of my wife, but as a concubine are you sure?"
"Yes, I am content as long as I am with you." the same smile that melted his heart and warmed it during the cold battle.
"Then , your majesty, I would like to plead and make her my concubine."
"I reject it!" The voice echoes and silences the banquet hall, as she gracefully walks down to the center her composure of elegance catches every eye.
"I will accept no concubine, let's divorce."