13 Chapter 13: Hidden Plots

The moment her and her family came down from the carriage, they were ushered into the hall by two male servants standing by the door.

It was a big hall that had been beautifully decorated with the family symbols of the noble families whose daughters had come of age and were about to enter high society.

All kinds of foods and pastries were packed on a buffet table at the left hand corner of the room but hardly anyone was seen close to it since the banquet had not begun and everyone was waiting for the arrival of the queen herself.

Sahana's stepmother, the Duchess Harina, was the first person to walk off to talk to some women, she was familiar with the moment all the members of the house of Velin entered the hall.

Not long after, Panita also did the same, the moment she spotted her best friend, amidst her clique of friends, who were also debuting on the same day as Sahana.

Since Panita was one year younger than Sahana, hers was bound to be in the following year and she didn't feel a single need to support her.

Not wanting to be left alone, Sahana looked towards Jaiya, her brother who was standing beside her, hoping that he would keep her company only for her to watch her father, the duke of Gillmaner, suddenly grab his hand before speaking to her.

" You need to mingle and talk with other girls Sahana. Jaiya will just get in your way so he's coming with me," said her father before leaving to find political friends to talk to while pulling his son along.

They left but not before hearing Jaiya, her brother mutter a few words underneath his breath.

"This is going to be a long and boring day,"

And even though it hadn't been more than ten minutes since they all arrived at the banquet, the more Sahana looked at the strange and familiar faces around her, the more she couldn't help but agree with what her brother had said.

From the memories of the dead Sahana she was aware that most of the ladies at the banquet from nobles families for some reason didn't like her and she had a feeling that her stepsister, Panita was most likely behind it.

Standing alone all by herself at a corner of the hall, Sahana couldn't help but consider visiting the buffet table but she knew she had to hold back the urge to eat since there must be a good reason why no one was even going near the place.

Still, her stomach rumbled in hunger but she stood with her shoulders high and her back straight trying her best to ignore and get used to the corset that was tightly wrapped around her waist.

"How do they do it," she wondered as she looked at the different ladies whose waists looked even smaller than hers, laughing and giggling freely without a hint of pain on their faces.

Sahana was busy talking within herself when she heard trumpets being blown at the entrance to the hall.

Immediately the whispers all around the hall stopped when the queen entered the hall followed by a lot of servants, maids, and aides.

A mask was placed on her face but even with a full gold mask on, still Sahana had the feeling that she would be stunning and extraordinarily beautiful.

She was dressed in a glazed silver gown with dozens of precious stones fixed on it and just from looking at her, Sahana could tell that the kind of power she wielded wasn't small.

She knew what being in a position of power felt like and even from the way she walked, Sahana was enamored by her.

Even though she bowed her head slightly alongside every noble in the hall, she couldn't wait to get a closer look at her.

The queen sat on a higher platform with stairs leading up to it, and the moment she sat down, every one lifted up their heads including Sahana.

Standing at the left side of the queen were a lot of maids and male servants and a blond-haired girl named Jasmin was among them.

She stood at the left side of the queen, not daring to look at her directly.

Jasmin looked down trying to concentrate on the job she had been mightily paid to do.

Her hands shook in fright at the thought of what she had to do. Her head was pounding and her stomach turned as she tried her best to not show how nervous she felt.

"I have to do this, I have to do this," she muttered continuously in her mind.

" If I don't then my father and little sisters are going to be in danger. It doesn't matter if I get caught. They are all daughters from noble houses," she thought scanning all the ladies below her, gathered at the foot of the stairs before zeroing her sight on a girl wearing a red gown standing all by herself almost at the centre of the hall.