Tea Party

The day of the tea party came quickly. So far, there had been no signs of retaliation from Princess Valerie in regards to the Mavis incident but Dione knew better than to expect for the matter to be glossed over. If there was one thing that Valerie hated the most, it was her things being touched without permission.

Valerie's extended silence and the unexpected invitation yesterday led Dione to believe that this tea party was just another way to humiliate her. Of course, she had no intentions of backing down now that she had a new weapon at her disposal.

The last time she and the Duke had spoken, he granted her full reign of using his name and influence to crush her opponents. Wouldn't her husband-to-be find himself utterly useless if she did not use him to her advantage?

"Halt! Men are not permitted to enter. Please go back."

Before Princess Dione could step through the threshold of Valerie's private garden, Caleb was halted. She frowned slightly as she had planned to make use of Caleb's presence inside.

"I'm a bit uncomfortable without my guard. Is there anything against him standing watch with you?"

"This…" the servant hesitated for a moment. "There is not. As long as he does not intend to follow you inside, he is free to stand watch with me."

"Alright then, Sir Caleb, you will stay here. Listen for my voice when I call in case I require anything and make sure to pay attention."

A quick bow, "Yes, Your Highness."

"You make it seem as if you are walking into a lion's den, dear sister," Princess Valerie's amused voice flowed into her ears. Dione turned around and came face-to-face with her older sister.

Today, Valerie looked as beautiful as always. Her vibrant red hair was pulled back into a low-hanging bun, placing all the attention on her large emerald necklace which complimented her eyes. Her dress today was a soft green color, reminiscent of the picturesque grass of the palace garden. While she was more than just stunning even in such simple tea party attire, her beauty could not overshadow the viciousness swirling in her eyes.

If looks could kill, Dione had no idea how many times she would have died by now.

Dione just smiled softly in return, "You jest, sister. The Duke cherishes me so much that he requested I bring Sir Caleb everywhere I go as a means of protecting me while he is away. It's quite thoughtful, isn't it?"

The implications of her words were obvious. The very man who never cared about you protects me like this so well, shouldn't your face hurt?

Despite the slight change in expression at Dione's obvious provocation, Valerie did not respond. She simply turned and led her to the elegantly decorated table surrounded by noble ladies and filled with sweets.

Besides Valerie and herself, there were three other noble ladies in attendance.

Dione recognized them all.

One was a red-haired woman named Emery, Valerie's paternal cousin and the daughter of the Prime Minister. The next was a brown-haired baron's daughter whose name she could not quite remember and sitting beside her was an extremely familiar face. It was Aisha, the Marquess' legitimate daughter.

The table was round and the only empty seat was across from Valerie with the baron's daughter and an open space for viewing the garden flanking on either side. Roses scattered the garden and a slightly sweet scent wafted in the air due to the baked goods and rich teas.

Right before Dione arrived, she had heard the lively talk from the noble ladies here but now that she had arrived, the table was silent with loaded side glances and whispers of ridicule. Emery and Aisha were the main culprits with Emery using an intricately designed fan to cover her mouth as she leaned in to whisper to Valerie who laughed.

Aisha was not as subtle in displaying her mockery and directly said aloud, "Princess Valerie, I was under the impression that you invited me here to indulge in the beauty of the palace garden. Instead, it seems that my eyes have laid on something dirty. How strange." As she spoke, her eyes trailed Dione up and down, a small smirk dancing on her lips.

If Dione was bothered by such obvious provocation, she did not show it. She sipped at her tea elegantly, savoring its sweet honey-like taste.

This move upset Aisha who immediately sneered, "Now she has the gall to act as if she is above everyone else. How nauseating!"

After a moment, Dione's eyes flickered up as if she had only just now noticed Aisha's heavy glare. "Lady Aisha," she greeted, "I apologize for my late greeting. Your presence is so low that I nearly did not notice your incessant rambling."

"Incessant rambling? Low presence? Is that your attempt at insulting me?" Aisha scoffed.

Dione shook her head. "Of course not, Lady Aisha. I was merely pointing out why I did not respond. While your presence is low, your ability to speak as if you are drawing the whole world's attention is admirable. Almost comparable to an ignorant child who does not know their place. Is that not so, Princess Valerie?"

Princess Valerie's eyes glared silent daggers across the round table. An ignorant child that does not know their place…were these not the words that her own father had said to her when she confronted him that one day? She had only gone to him with the intention of clinging onto the love of her father but she found him already busy with her younger, illegitimate sister.

In all of her childhood memories of her father, he never once smiled at her. To her, he was no different from the same unrelenting ruler that everyone else faced. But for her younger sister Dione, he was truly a father and it seemed as if all his kindness was reserved for her.

So, on the day she went to confront her father and came across him happily laughing with Dione, she pushed her younger sister into the nearby pond. She deserved it. Why should that half-breed be allowed to receive her father's love? The was twelve-year-old Valerie saw it, it was a pity that the pond was not deep enough for her to drown right away.

But her beloved father had struck her and spoke so coldly to her as if she were not his own flesh and blood. As if she were not worth a single hair on that wretched girl's head!

Valerie's fingers unknowingly clenched the utensil in her hands, turning her hands a ghastly white color. Her mind buzzed with the unpleasant memory and she did not even notice her cousin Emery attempting to gain her attention.

Lady Aisha, on the other hand, was full-on fuming. She slammed down her hot cup of tea, splashing the contents onto the table.

Her eyes flared as she realized Dione was calling her loud and unruly, "Ha, you dare to want our noble Princess Valerie's agreement? I detest bastard children like you the most who take after their uncivilized mothers, always taking what does not belong to you. First, you bewitched the Late Emperor, then my father and now you even dare to snatch the Princess' beloved! You truly are such a vulgar woman - I cannot understand how the Gods could be so blind."

Aisha thought the silence that followed her comments was because she had successfully embarrassed Dione into not being able to defend herself. She smirked victoriously, missing the sly expression that had suddenly crossed the Princess' face.

"Ah, so Lady Aisha is of the belief that the great Gods of the Salian Empire are incompetent." Dione turned and her eyes swept over Valerie, yanking her back down into reality. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand as she leaned on the table in a taunting move, "Dear sister, it is common for people in the same group to share the same beliefs. Since Lady Aisha has clearly said so, I wonder if you also believe that the Gods made a mistake by selecting me as the Duke's wife."

"Tuh, of course, Her Highness agrees-!"

PA!

Before anyone could react properly, Aisha's head snapped to the side. A stuffy silence washed over them as Dione stared blankly at the pathetic scene in front of her. She slightly turned to catch Caleb's eye and shook her head, indicating that she was fine and he did not need to intervene.

Lady Aisha, who expected for her friend to be on her side, looked at Princess Valerie in shock. "Your Highness…w-why did you strike me?"

Valerie's eyes were cold, "Do I need a reason to hit you? How dare a mere Marquess' daughter speak blasphemy against the Gods and even speak for me! The education of Marquess Neil's household must be severely lacking considering the fact that you don't even know what you did wrong. Tell me, are you that desperate to send your entire family to hell with you?"