Chapter 13

"You see, your excellency." Sorine leaned in closer, whispering almost, "You may be a princess but please, you must keep in mind that here, only I am allowed to intrude into the Crown Prince's premises whenever and however. Please watch yourself. Even a Princess like yourself disturbing his meal hours is to be frowned upon. After all, you aren't yet his Queen, and wonders upon wonders, will you even be?"

If you could see a person set on fire with their anger, it was exactly what Kaya looked like. Her eyes widened and her nostrils flared, her limbs itched to lash out in uncontrollable fits. How dare she. How dare this wench!

"And you dare think you are his Queen?"

"I am no queen. Only a mere maid, your excellency. A queen is given the right to be above you. But do you think my love needs to be defined by status? Such titles are regardless. Even if I was a whore as you think, I would still stand above. I have the heart to the heir to this kingdom and I will forever be above you at that—"

PHACK!

Her face fell sideways and Sorine immediately meets eyes with Eric, his lips parting with shock and his hand twitching to reach out. Her left cheek burnt with the impact of a sharp slap. Too stunned to react, Sorine kept her eyes on him. But Eric looked away, shaking his head in disappointment and it hurt her in more ways than Kaya's slap ever did. Is this what it is? He wants her to be stepped all over his new woman? Why would he shake his head?

"Eric." Kaya called in a restrained voice, "I told you, keep your wench in place or I shall take the appropriate measures to get her out of the way."

"Kaya, don't do this. Don't fall for it, she is merely doing this to get on your nerves. Let it go."

"I am the princess of the Ochre Kingdom! No wench is allowed to speak to me in this way! The King shall hear about all this! She will not escape without consequences. And you! You stood there, and watched me get spit all over by this— this whore of yours!"

Her heels clacked against the marbled floor as she started marching towards the door.

"Kaya, Kaya." Eric ran after, tugging her wrist and stopping her in place.

"I am not getting betrothed to you! You stool and silently watched as your mistress humiliated me! Me, your wife to be and a royal! I shouldn't even be marrying a man like you! You are meant to be thrown into the throes of poverty! You do not deserve to inherit a kingdom. Forget the alliance, we are declaring war on Newar. Your people will suffer for this—"

"She didn't mean any of this! She is uneducated and doesn't know better! I will put her in place after this but you have to calm down first. She is only a foolish woman, nothing to lose our marriage over. Listen, listen to me. She doesn't know any better. She is only running her mouth. I'll make sure she shuts up."

"Eric…" Sorine whispered in shock.

"Shhhh! Quiet, Sorine. That is enough! This is a complicated matter we are dealing with here! I thought you'd understand! This is a political alliance, beyond you! Beyond us! Look now, you are getting even the common folk in trouble!"

"The commo—"

"That's enough! Enough! Understand?!"

"What?" Kaya snidely interrupted, "You think a few barely harsh words will compensate for the disgrace she threw up on me? That is hardly enough."

"What is that you want? You have to understand, this is all because I didn't teach her well enough. I didn't know better. Of course, she is only a maid, how would she even know our level of political understanding? We are Royals, we have to have our emotions in check as well, right love?"

"I have my emotions in check, Eric. You watch what you speak as well, mingling too much with the commonfolk has gotten you to talk in such crude manner."

"Don't... don't run off, okay? I will be immensely heartbroken if you were to cut ties with me. This is not just about the inter-kingdom alliance but our alliance as well, Kaya."

Sorine watched as Eric talked, watching each word leave his mouth with increasing hatred. How dare he….

She drew in a shaky breath and another shaky one out. No, he is not the Eric she knew. He has entirely transformed. The Eric she knew didn't care about such things. Education. Knowledge. But he was right as well. She didn't have any political knowledge and nor did she want any of her actions to cause any harm to the people of the kingdom. She didn't know that the Royals played in such a dirty way, dragging in innocent people into matters of their dignity.

Oh, what a dirty move.

Royals are such unfair people.

And she couldn't set Eric apart from a royal and the man she loved right at the moment.

"Sorine, you must apologize." Eric turned to her, reaching a hand out but his hand seem ridden with dirt, lies, and betrayal now. The image of his hands sliding along Kaya's body and Sorine cursed her own ability with fervent disgust. She didn't wish to see him with another woman but she has gone and set a stubborn foot into the heart of the quicksand.

"Eric…"

"An apology would not be enough." Kaya's shrill voice came up before she could say anything.

Eric turned back to her, smiling placidly.

"Anything. She would do."

"Really?"

"Really."

A dangerous smile played along her lips and she cleared her throat.

"Ingrid! Ingrid, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Bring it in."

"Very well, Your Highness."

"What is it, my princess?" Eric pleasantly asked, painfully not expecting anything horrible. And surely it is nothing horrible. After all, an apology should suffice.

Soft, padded steps can be heard as Ingrid came into the room and presented a long, thin material in front of where Eric and Kaya. Eric stood unmoved and shock painted his face while the woman beside him smiled with satisfaction, she almost resembled a mischievous entity with that long, and closed stretch of a smile.

"This is…" Eric mumbled in shock, trying his best to laugh it off. This must surely be a joke, "This is a leather whip."

"Yes." Kaya looked up to him through her lashes, a diabolical sheen in her eyes, "you know what to do with it, my love."

"Me?"

"Yes, whip her."