章 10: Claimed by darkness

[Music Recommendation: Prince Of Darkness ~ City Of The Fallen]

Early the next morning, an entourage of royal carriages lined up in front of the isolated quarters of the palace. It was the first time this part of the palace had seen so many visitors at the same time.

Lady Beaufort stood in front of the most decorated carriage, which was meant to carry the bride. With her long cane behind her, her stern eyes scanned the area.

Finally, the door to one of the rooms opened, revealing Jacquelyn, who was dressed in a regal purple gown with intricate silver embroidery and delicate crystals carefully designed around her chest. The full skirt spread out around her like a fan, adding elegance to her form. A delicate silver crown was placed on her head, from which a white veil cascaded down her back, covering her face.

This was the most Jacquelyn had ever dressed up since she was born. As she walked slowly towards the carriage, she kept her face down as instructed by Griselda. Mindlessly, her hands moved to the gloves that covered most of her hands up to her elbows.

"Do not touch that!" Griselda slapped her hands away, stopping the girl from touching the gloves.

Jacquelyn bit her lips. "Grisie, I'm trying, but gloves increase my anxiety," she muttered.

"You'd better get comfortable with them. The Governess won't tolerate any tardiness," Griselda spoke with a stern voice. She knew she was being harsh, but it was better that it came from her than from the Governess.

In their kingdom, Governesses were allowed to use their canes on any defiant princess. Griselda didn't want Jacquelyn to encounter that.

Jacquelyn lowered her hands, now holding up her dress. She had the urge to raise her face and look around, just to see her father's face.

"Grisie, is Father here?" she asked in a small voice.

Griselda's eyes moved towards the carriage that wasn't far from them. The King stood outside his carriage, with his consul standing beside him as they watched the princess walk to her carriage.

"The King is here...and he is watching you," Griselda replied, trying her best not to curse the man out. A spineless king who even dared to show his face in front of the child he abandoned and cursed on the very first day she was born, and now he was giving her away.

Jacquelyn's lips tugged slightly. "What does he look like? Is he happy? Can I move the veil a little and...and...smile...I want to see his face."

Griselda opened her mouth to reply but closed it again because they were now standing in front of the Governess.

"Princess Jacquelyn shall now make her way to the groom's castle," Lady Beaufort announced, and two maids uniformly came to hold Jacquelyn's hands, placing a stool in front of her as she stepped on it before getting inside the carriage.

Lady Beaufort took a step closer to Jacquelyn, pushing a long object that was wrapped in leather towards her. "I assume you have already prepared for today, after reading your instructions. Use this and serve your kingdom."

Jacquelyn held the object that was given to her and noticed a shiny part of it. Curious about what it was, she opened the pouch it was placed in, only to see a silver dagger that now sparkled.

"Hm..." Jacquelyn hummed, before placing the dagger beside her. She tapped her feet nervously on the carriage's wooden floor, waiting for Griselda to join her.

Griselda raised the small bag she had packed to join the princess, ready to enter the carriage, but the Governess used her cane to stop the woman from moving any further.

"Your duty as the princess's handmaiden ends today. You shall return to the palace," Lady Beaufort announced with a strong voice.

Griselda blinked, rubbing her hands together. "I should be around-"

"Do not question my orders, unless you dare to defy the King's orders. Griselda, you have been stripped of your duty as the handmaiden of the princess, and you shall return to the palace immediately!" The Governess warned, and this time her voice was loud enough that even Jacquelyn heard it.

Pushing her veil aside, Jacquelyn peeked her head out of the carriage to ask why Griselda couldn't go with her, but the reaction she saw made her heart sink.

"Everyone close your eyes! The cursed one shows her face!" Lady Beaufort shouted, turning her face to the other side.

King Everard quickly closed his eyes, as did his consul and all the palace servants—except for Griselda, whose eyes were now filled with tears.

"Lyn, I-" the woman started, taking slow steps closer to the carriage.

Jacquelyn swallowed gently. The first time she heard the term "cursed one," she waved it off immediately, but this time she was sure they were talking about her.

"I-I am the cursed one?"

Griselda shook her head. "No, no, you're not cursed, you're just you..."

"Why..." Jacquelyn's eyes were now filled with tears. Her emotions swirled, and she didn't know what to feel at the moment. Was it hurt? She was a cursed child. Then betrayal? She had lived with Griselda all her life, trusted the woman, yet she was never told about this. Or...happiness, even...because at the moment, she was able to see her father.

There he was. . .Jacquelyn's eyes settled on her father, whose hair was covered in grey, with his eyes closed and his body looking lean.

"Father..." the princess muttered in a small voice, forgetting that she was the reason everyone had their eyes closed.

Lady Beaufort flogged her cane on the carriage door. "Cover her veil now! And start the carriage."

"Lyn...Lyn...wait...please let me go with her," Griselda tapped her hands on the carriage door that was now moving. She could see the hurt in Jacquelyn's eyes when she looked at her.

The woman knew she had a lot to explain, but she had hoped that none of this would happen if Jacquelyn had quietly left for her husband's house. Then the girl would never have found out that she was cursed, much less by her own father.

"Stand back, old woman!" Lady Beaufort moved Griselda to the side, stopping her from running after the carriage.

Griselda got down on her knees, though it was difficult for her because she was old. She clasped her hands together and begged.

"Please...that girl...she needs me. She won't survive without me. I beg of you, let me go with her. I am already cursed by living with her, right? I can't go back to the palace either."

Lady Beaufort nodded. "You're right, you're already cursed by living with her. Which is why you shall now leave the palace. You're already old, and there's nothing you can do, not even for the princess...you'll only be a burden at Morville Castle..."

Griselda gulped, lowering her hands. "M-Morville?"

"Yes, she is set to marry the Vampire King. You're old enough; you should know what that means for her and the entire kingdom. This is our only hope."

Griselda raised her face, looking at the carriage that was now leaving the palace gates. She tried to stand up, but her waist wouldn't let her.

"Lyn..." The woman's voice was barely audible. She could still see Jacquelyn looking at her through the small window at the back of the carriage. Griselda stretched her hand forward, "You've been claimed by darkness, Lyn..."

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