Rival

Freya pressed her lips and clutched her dress beneath the table.

"Mother, Queen Freya is not like that," Rachel spoke in a concerned tone, trying to appease her so-called 'mother'

'I did not know that the two of them have a close relationship.'

Freya put the cup down. "Queen mother, I have no objection to handling my duties as a queen, but it is not my decision," she said, and Queen Lira's face tensed.

'You got it, right? It is not my fault, but your son's!'

"Duties? Hilarious, a vase can talk big." Lira scoffed, looking at her.

"Rachel, I have something else to do. Have a nice gathering," Lira said, walking away, casting a glance at her, and then going away.

After Queen Lidia's withdrawal, the place became quiet and awkward.

"Try this dessert. It was made with three layers of various flavours of crème and decorated with berries," Rachel said, pointing at the plate in front of her.

"I do not like berries," Freya said.

She had an allergy to berries, but she couldn't tell anyone.

"Then try the one beside."

"When I met you last time? Is it before my wedding or after, Queen Freya?" she asked.

'Why is she asking this question suddenly?'

Freya's heart pricked as she replied, "No, I did not meet you after your wedding?"

Her thoughts drifted to that day when she attended an official party as the queen for the first time. After her marriage, the king never allowed her to visit any place. She spent the first year locked in the quarter. Surprisingly, she got a letter from him saying that there would be a gala at the palace she had to attend.

As soon as she entered, noblewomen cast strange gazes at her. She wondered why but soon she understood.

'I, King Fraser Harrison Frowshire, announce my marriage to Lady Rachel Rosenberg next month,' the king's voice echoed in the great hall.

She still remembered his voice till now.

Freya stood frozen in her spot witnessing the heartwarming scene. The murmurs and the cheering for the king rose.

"I envy Lady Rachel; she got the king's love despite having a queen already."

"That's true. No one of the previous kings dared to marry another woman besides their queens."

"Did you see that? The queen attended this party. Is she trying to make herself a joke?"

"Did you see her purple eyes? What a strange colour."

Freya heard the murmur in all directions. People mocked her for being petty, but her focus was on two figures. The man was tall and lean. His face was expressionless while he stood beside a petite woman. Her blonde hair was neatly combed, and her green eyes shone with endless happiness.

They were a perfect pair.

She prepared herself and went there. Who thought that it was a celebration of the king's second marriage? Never feeling that much humiliation, she swallowed her dignity and forced herself to stay. The king didn't glance at her as he smiled at his new bride.

Her marriage was none other than a joke. She still heard the people laughing at her when the king announced his second marriage date. Despite the Frowshire kingdom's law that identified only one queen, he took another wife.

He told her on their wedding day that he hated her. 'I never hated and will never hate something as the Valian kingdom and its people, so stay put and expect nothing from me. No normal relationship, no recognition and no love.'

Freya snapped out of her thoughts. She felt a stung in her heart. Asking this question brought a buried pain to the surface. Freya gulped the lump in her throat and stared at the green eyes that sent a clear challenge.

"It's such a long time. I am exhausted from work these days, so excuse me for my bad memory," Rachel said in a pitiful tone.

'Showing off!'

Freya forced a smile, stabbed the chocolate tart with a fork and ate. Every bite she took felt like knives piercing her heart. She knew it was a bad idea to come here. Keeping herself hiding in her quarter, didn't mean she was easy to ridicule!

"When I came here, I listened to your conversation with Queen Mother about 'good news' so are you pregnant?" Freya said blatantly.

Rachel's face became ashen. The smile on her face a while ago vanished. 

"No," she murmured, looking away.

"Forgive my unnecessary curiosity. I thought you had good news to share, so I asked."

Freya feigned an innocent look while her heart swelled with joy. Rachel was the one who messed with her first and thus she had to suffer from the same cup.

Freya gulped the last sip of her tea. "It was nice having a pleasant discussion with you, Rachel. It is time for my nap, so I need to retreat. Have a good day."

Standing up, Freya walked away, letting the shocked Ritchel open her mouth, and went back to her residence.

She never wanted to embarrass Rachel nor cared if she carried the king's heir or not. What she hated most was someone laughing at her face while stabbing her back!

She thought Rachel was naïve like her appearance showed, but it was all a disguise. She could understand what Rachel felt. A strange woman came from the enemy's kingdom and took her position and title. If she were in her place, she would behave the same.

It would be the first and the last gathering they had together. At least, she would rest from the tons of invitations sent to her.

As she entered her room, she requested, "Help me change into a comfortable dress."

Joe nodded and bought a long beige dress without a corset. Freya wore it and went out to her garden.

"Joe, whose garden is more beautiful? Mine or Rachel's?"

Joe stood, rubbing her nose. "To tell you the truth, Lady Rachel's garden is more beau—"

"Do you want to change your master and work for her?"

Joe's eyes were filled with tears as she appealed, "No, Ma'am, I was wrong. Don't fire me."

Freya laughed and said, "I was just joking. Stop being emotional."

Freya pursed her lips and looked at her masterpiece. Her garden wasn't for watching but for consuming. She sowed almost every fruit in the kingdom here and constructed a swing too.

'My garden is special.'

A week passed peacefully and boringly, like always. Freya took an afternoon walk around her quarter and went to her room.

She stared at her maid, Joe, talking with an unfamiliar person for a few seconds.

As her maid came to her side, she asked, "Who is the man you were talking to?"

"He is the king's servant. He's looking for Felma," she answered.

"What!!!"