Chapter 18: Wedding Mishap

"Brother!!!"

I just stared at his body, full of blood on his chest while I'm still sitting on the ground from falling.

Blood already spread in his tux, eyes open, and also his mouth.

His brother hugs him tight while he cries in agony. People already ran out for their life after the gunshot while the knights are gathered around to find the evil-doer.

That incident was fast. I didn't have a chance to see the suspect's face because it was covered by a black cloth.

"It's your fault!" King Levin suddenly stood up and points at me.

"Wha-wha--"

"King Levin! How dare you to accuse my daughter?!" Mother hurriedly walk to King Levin as Eliz helped me to stand up.

"Your Highness, let's go for now. His Majesty Zoltan wants you to go home for your safety precautious." Eliz said while helping me to stand up.

"B-bu--"

"Your Father and I will handle this predicament. Now go!" Mother said to me in furious while not looking at me.

When I was getting pulled away, I looked back to see King Levin.

Our eyes met.

My eyes were teary.

His eyes were in a rage.

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"I don't understand!!"

"Your Highness, calm down for a bit. Drink some water." Luca gave me water as I gulped it quickly.

We just arrived home without Father and Mother. I drop myself on the floor while still in the vestibule.

"Your Highness, Her Majesty and His Majesty won't be happy if they see you here like this." a tear slid on my cheek as Luca kneeled down and offer a handkerchief.

"My wedding is a mess!!" I shouted as it echoes in the whole palace. The workers inside of the palace stopped what they're doing as they gave me a concerned look.

In disappointment, I prostrate and cried even louder.

Why is he blaming me? I didn't do anything...

Those eyes...

They were full of sparkles earlier.

But now, it looks like it's on fire...

Someone is setting us up.

"Your Highness, please, let's go to your chamber." Eliz said while trying to pull me up.

I almost sacrifice myself for him. I was supposed to get shot by it but Prince Ephraim pushed the two of us and took the bullet instead.

"I didn't do anything!!"

"We know, Your Highness. Let's be calm for now and wait for Her Majesty and His Majesty to come back. They will make sure to fix this disaster." she comforts.

"But Eliz, he is mad at me!" I hug her and cry on her shoulder, still kneeled on the floor. She caresses my back for more comfort while exchanging glances with Luca, also in a concerned look.

I can't think straight now but to King Levin only because of his false accusation. It's just... why me? I am only standing in front of him and was about to kiss him.

And...

How about the wedding?

Luca and Eliz assisted me to my chamber and they both decided to stay here for a while to keep me in company.

"It's all ruined."

"Your Highness, just wait for the things to settle in. Her Majesty is working on it together with His Majesty." Luca said.

"I swear to God, I didn't do anything! It's too questionable that he accused me! You both see me there just standing in front of him, right?!"

"Shh, yes we know and see that. But Your Highness, try to stay calm. Your eyes are already puffy. I know that you're in shock caused by that incident but it won't solve anything if you just keep crying and think of any possible reasons why he blamed you. You knew to yourself that you didn't commit a crime."

I can't be calm because the future of Starnstadt is also to be concerned about since this marriage is for the alliance in case of the second war by the threat of this mysterious kingdom.

Wait...

"Is Mother and Father not home yet?" I asked the handmaid that passes on my door.

"Not yet, Your Highness."

"Luca, I need to talk to them. Right now!"

"I am sorry, Your Highness. We can't go there again until His Majesty Zoltan says. Also, you are guarded around here by the knights of hunllef to protect you from possible attacks."

"I have an idea." I said as Eliz and Luca look at each other in confusion.

"Your Highness? Is something wrong?"

"Do you guys remember the threat note of the mysterious kingdom?"

"Yes." they both said in sync.

"What if they did this?" Eliz gasped and a shock plastered on her face while Luca focuses on me, waiting for me to add more ideas.

"If it's them, how will they trespass the Kingdom?" he asked.

"Do you also remember the time I had dinner with King Levin that caused a ruckus too by one of their knights?" Luca snaps his finger as he looks at me convinced.\

"It makes sense now..." he said.

"Does it mean... they hired someone to assassinate the king?" Eliz asked.

"Probably."

"Or, someone is pretending to be a Mondrian?" I said.

These are the only possible reasons for the incidents these days. I just realized it since they're declaring a war that is read from the threat note we received from the mysterious kingdom.

"The declaration of war by the mysterious kingdom... After they gave us a threat note, they just sent one for us and one for Mondreich and it never send us anything more."

Then suddenly, I recalled a scenario from having dinner with King Levin.

"The paper!"

"Pardon, Your Highness? Do you need something?" Eliz stood up.

"No, no. I mean, the day we first encountered an assassination while having dinner with him is there's a paper on the arrow. It says: 'how's your dinner?'."

"So, the incident that happened just now has the same mastermind as the incident a week ago?" Eliz calculates.

"Indeed." I simply replied.

Now we have a clue.

First, I have to talk to Mother since she has the threat note and to King Levin who also has the paper from the incident.