Beautiful Virgin Lady

Dancing with Danger

03 – Beautiful Virgin Lady

I was defeated.

A month of lessons are not getting me anywhere. The title Countess cannot save me from any more humiliation.

I am still the bastard daughter of the late Duke. I feel embarrassed.

He thrown me out of the Palace like a dog. Now I'm walking down the road like a stray dog.

I cannot stop the tears running down my face as I walked in the gravel that leads me to the centre of town. A thunder growl behind the forest, I looked up and rain started showering me.

Nice.

In no time, my beautiful gown got wet. I was walking slowly in my heels, on gravel street, in the middle of the night under the heavy rain.

I don't know where to go. My place so far away, there's no way I can get back to my house on foot.

Where's the bloody carriage?! Where's the horses?

I was dragging my gown, my beautiful gown soaked with rain and mud.

OK, take a deep breath, Celeste. Maybe tonight is not according to plan. There's no way I can executed the plan at the first attempt.

That bloody fool Archie who had put this idea into my mind can rot in jail. I couldn't care less about him anymore!

But the devil in me has spoken, the egoistical, cannot-lose-my-inheritance side do not agree with my pessimistic side.

I must save Archie. If he died, then I would die, too, so does the rest of our family member. There's a law about anyone who trying to overthrow the King, the Kingdom, or the Government.

It's a death sentence for the one who do the coup and his or her family. It includes the extended family, meaning the death sentence cut off one family tree.

A bunch of people of our bloodline will be dragging into the court as criminal, there was no exception about gender and age. Anyone who has the same family name as us, must be dead!

This family name is cursed!

*

"My God, Celeste! What happened?!" Marianne, my best friend who I hired as my maid, looked at me with horror in her eyes.

She opened the door and let me in. I was soaked to the bone, trembling through and through.

Marianne quickly handed me a towel and help me get out of this wet dress.

"What happened? Why didn't you take the carriage? Everyone looking for you, Celeste!"

I cannot speak. I was trembling from head to toe. Marianne rushed me to get inside before I was frozen to death and prepared some tea. She took me to the chair by the fire and put blanket around my shoulder.

I sighed when I feel the warmth of hot tea around my frozen fingers.

After a couple of sip the hot tea, I finally speak, "That General …." I stared at the fire as it swallowed up the wood.

Marianne sitting next to me, she looked at me intensely with my dress in her hand. She was sewing my other dress while waiting for me to come home.

"… was so mean. He had no ounce of kindness in his blood." His dark eyes still lingered in my mind. I shuddered; I was so close to death.

Marianne nodded, "So the rumour is true. No wonder he called the Conqueror."

I sighed again, like an old woman. The warmth of chamomile tea slowly soothing me, I stared at the fire crackled in front of us. The sound of pouring rain echoing through these walls.

"Do you think I can get Archie out of jail?" I glance to Marianne; she was busy sewing my other beautiful dress in her hand.

She nodded, "Yes, I think you can do it, C."

I wanted to believe her, but I cannot visualize how to do it. I put down my cup and turn around to her, "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Being optimist."

Marianne looked at me for a moment then laugh, "What, do you think I'm an optimist?"

"I suppose you're the only one here who doesn't care about Archie being a criminal."

"I have no bloodline to you and your family, so it's not affecting me." she shrugged, as if no care in the world.

I shouted, clearly offended by her remarks, "Marianne! I'm your friend, my life is on the line!"

"Yeah, I just concerned about your life, C." she looked at me intensely. Suddenly I feel that she really cares of me.

"But you didn't show that you care."

Marianne hold up my dress in her hand, "I am sewing your dress, My lady! If you think I'm not showing any care to you. Why did I stay up late waiting for you to come home?"

I gulped, Marianne is a young woman, but her rage can throw a bull out of its cage "Because I hired you?"

Marianne squints her eyes, "I think you're as stupid as your brother."

"Marianne!"

"tell me about this General, what did he do to you? Are you hurt?" asked Marianne, she looked at me from head to toe.

"Don't act like you care, Marianne."

"I care about you, Celeste. You just don't know how to receive tender loving care from anyone. You think you're the miserable one. In fact, you're the strongest one."

"Strongest?" I laughed at her remarks.

I just fake being strong. Fake it 'till you make it.

"If you're not the strongest, why Archie asking for your help?"

"Because I'm his sister?" I cursed myself for being his god damn sister.

"Beside that. You have the strength to let him out the dungeon, Celeste."

"What strength are you talking about, Marianne?"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Marianne grabbed my hand and dragged me to the mirror "look at you, fool!"

I look at myself in the mirror; same old Celeste but wearing a nice dress and makeup. I didn't see any different beside the beautiful gown and jewellery.

"You're a woman, Celeste. A beautiful virgin lady."

"Wha…"

"I bet the King couldn't resist you. He will set his eyes at you when the time comes…"

"What do you mean, Marianne?"

Marianne smiled mysteriously, "Just wait, your charm will be working any time soon…"

*

I think Marianne is a psychic.

Just two days passed when a bunch of people arrived on my doorstep. The rugged-looking man announce that I should go to the palace.

They invited me to meet the Queen herself.

Marianne and I look at each other, there's a shadow of smile in her face, as if she knows that this would happen.

"We shall go now, Miss." The man who introduced himself as Nathaniel, guided me toward the carriage.

Once again, I looked to Marianne, I stretch my hand to her and whispered, "I don't want to go …."

Marianne smiled, she held my hand tightly and whispered back, "Just go, I will wait here. Sewing your most beautiful dress."

I gulped, I held her hand one more time.

Nathaniel escorted me to the carriage "The Queen will be delighted to meet you."

I just nodded.

I doubt that.