Calmed a bit
The next day Elizabeth woke up too early in the morning even though she didn't get much a sleep thinking of the scene they both witnessed with the king at the garden.
Yup elfetheria's scandal. That's all want she wanted to defame her.
After witnessing what was unveiled before her eyes, her heart skipped a beat and became very emotional but she didn't feel victorious even though that was what she was looking for.
She hated her if she remembers correctly, she hated her and even dared to compare herself with princess Eleftheria and with very much disappointment she wasn't like her.
Intelligent, beautiful and seemed to be obvious strong and much educative on the contrary.
She carried along a path of confidence, striking a capable princess aura while the yellow color of her hair shone brightly tremendously changed in tone of shades whenever stroken with the accommodating light. That miserably add to her irresistible beauty.
Elizabeth was envious and thought for once eleftheria might be that competitor she can't compete with, but her hope exceeds her despair and wanted to compete with her even thinking of ruining her chances of becoming the next queen.
She thought she wanted king Luther all of him by herself, she couldn't allow to share him with another woman.
But what was that inside of her stopping her from opening her mouth and shared a little of her discovery to the desperate earful fellows reside within and out of the castle?!
But she can't, she thought maybe that wasn't... that wasn't right ?!
Whatever !!. She will think of it more all day before she came to conclusion on what to do with princess Elfetheria.
After going back to her chamber last night and had a little quarrel with her maid, she felt her exhaustion and decided to sleep neglecting her dinner food once again.
Then in the morning, she felt her stomach flattered with the intensive hunger and she hurried downstairs to the dining hall where all the king's guests gathered to have meal and some sort of conversation.
Some sort of.....
On the way to the dining hall, Elizabeth recalled the moment with the king yesterday night, she was all blushing when she walked behind him and even faked a cough to get his attention.
She enjoyed the moment with him although they didn't quite catch up so she was looking for a chance to meet up so they can talk or walk side by side at the garden again, staring at his back and have some sort of conversation that leads to.....uh whatever this is becoming cringe!!
What she only wanted was to see him after having her breakfast.
After approaching the dining hall, she saw princess Elfetheria, sitting across one among many long rectangular table in the room. Her blue eyes directing below on the food plate which she didn't touch it yet, they had a hint of sorrow when they trailed up to see Elizabeth approaching.
What's sup with her ?!!
"Good morning" She greeted when she took her seat across the table facing Eleftheria on the other side.
"Good morning" replying to her greeting Eleftheria smiled but her smile seemed restrained, her eyes trailed on the untouched food on the table, feeling guilty she scooped up a mouthful spoon in her hand and was contemplating on whether to put it down or shove it into her mouth.
What was done was the latter but chewing seemed to be a problem for her.
Elizabeth screened her with her woeful aura this morning now she observed her clearly she noticed her eyes were puffed actually from crying a lot and her outfit didn't look presentable at all. Much add to her remorseful face which she strongly tried to hide it to everyone present at the hall but her agony was easily detected.
Elizabeth solely asked her. "How do you fare this morning?"
Eleftheria stiffened and looked a bit surprised
"I'm fine thank you" she looked up to meet her face, her eyes had a glitter of appreciation before she asked.
"And you ?!"
Stunned, Elizabeth was shocked, that came with the surprise too as she was looking for the right words to explain her situation this morning.
"Uhm... I'm okay" she smiled nervously looking a bit away before landing her gaze at the food on the table.
"This looks delicious!!" she commented enthusiastically to lighten up the awkward mood that was rising up on the table while trying her best to handle the silverware in her hands.
She looked nervous. She was shocked at the moment, she didn't expect that from her.
And all the bad things she was thinking on having on her, the feeling was not mutual.
After a short moment of silence, both their eyes lingered on the table and faked to enjoy their food more than letting the conversation flows.
This is getting bad !!!
But after a moment of time their attention was fastly captured by their approaching hard to bite competitor that together they iconically shared their last moment on the table before.
They both expected her to approach them but surprisingly she walked past them faking as she didn't see them while they all made it clear that her eyes landed on them once before averted her attention to the other girls clinging on her side, hardly trying their best to get that attention they ought to be given. Those girls did their best to throw endless lines of sentences just to earn that favor of being acquainted with the princess of the nation.
Now the reality stroke both of them as Sylvester was the princess and had a better chance of becoming queen more than them who were typically strangers to the kingdom.
Wait....what ?!. Strangers ?? Maybe Eleftheria but not Elizabeth, she was a refined daughter of lord Richard, the wealthy and honorary Duke of Rivermore from Morrovan state, the province located just beneath the castle city, it's widely situated below the mountain where the castle is uphold above it's outstretched streams of settlements and river terrains.
Despite being a noble lady from Rivermore, the land with many trading business premises and which acts as interconnected city where it accept and access goods from other provinces nearby, and directly transfer them to the castle. Elizabeth couldn't match her dignitary with the princess. The princess is still above all.
She ended up sending glances to the table where Sylvester was sitting and left with no way she could compare herself with the princesses.
Although she was noble but the word princess is different from a word "a daughter of..."
But why was she feeling unmotivated again ?!. The competition was placed for all noble ladies across the kingdom, some had to travel to come over to the competition despite of the long distance from the castle and how infamous their regions are but they still did fight for the queen position.
Who was she not to fight. She had to.
But when the rush of confidence overcome her, the ringing sound of laughter from princess company dawned her as she realized that they were spitefully sending glances towards her way and seems like there was some sort of gossiping going on.
Not only those spiteful glares were sent towards her but also to princess Eleftheria who had sat calmly on her chair and seemed not to care or even hear their reverberating laughter.
One lady near princess leaned to say something into her ear and laughed all together when they sensed Elizabeth was watching them.
"She even ought to seduce the king, how shameful of her" the other lady with most seen cheekbones protruding her face utter the words loudly enough for everyone to hear even some who were not involved in the gossip, their curiosity was captured.
She knew they were talking about her and not in a good way precisely.
They are defaming her.
So that is all the princess has got before the queen is announced later in the evening.
Is she going to be the queen, isn't she?!.
Maybe she has got the news way before them. But what she was doing was different from what she has done before.
Trying to befriend them was all the show she was putting and excluding them was her plan from the first place, isn't it ?!!
But what would she get from that ?. It doesn't seem to lead anywhere.
She tried to ignore them and afraid to start the commotion but their laughter increased and she felt numerous pangs of humiliation as many eyes were all over her now and to princess Eleftheria who seemed not to care at all.
She seemed to finish her food on the plate but she was reluctant to step out from the hall maybe she was also afraid to face the gang of the annoying princess seated a bit far away behind her.
Her patience reached the limit and she felt the urge to burst out from her chair.
Her face was contorted and furry was only reflecting her eyes. she wasn't stupid enough to stay here and tolerate what was going on without doing anything.
She had to confront them.
Beating one of them could teach all of them a lesson on not to play with her again.
Without further thinking, she rose from her seat but midway she was forced to sit down by two strong hands both she felt from her shoulders.
She turned up to see who stopped her from and she was not surprised it was her maid who was doing her best to restrain her.
Stella knew her lady was crazy and if she started the commotion inside the hall, it is going to be an ado to the series of embarrassment scenes of lady Richard since she arrived at the castle, but that wasn't her only concern. She was concerned about her wellbeing and reputation. If she holds it back, she will be respected.
Problems are not solved with chaos, they are solved with logical understanding and techniques.
"What are you doing, Stella. Put your hands off me" Elizabeth didn't even recognize her own voice, it changed. It looked scary when she struggled from her maid's grasp on her shoulders.
"They are provoking you, my lady. Don't you see" her eyes flared from her lady's face, aiming to princess Sylvester.
"You have to calm down. Endure this and will pass. This is a trap and they're trying to get the best out of you" her words came out with a tone of encouragement rather than as warning. Even Eleftheria felt a bit of relief from her words.
Her eyes shared the same understanding when they looked up to meet Stella who was towering up, above behind her lady who also calmed down a bit from the effect Stella's words had on her.