บท 2: Her Hope
The Royal Courtyard was engulfed with a deafening silence the moment Princess Thalia expressed her request to marry Alaric.
Among the crowd, Eve was the one who was shocked the most. Her body stiffened and remained frozen in her hiding spot as she watched the unfolding scene before her eyes.
'No! This can't be. He is my husband!' She felt threatened. She wanted to object but she didn't have the courage to show herself in the crowd in fear of Queen Amara.
She shifted her gaze to Alaric, hoping for him to speak up on her behalf. However, it seemed that even Alaric had forgotten about her existence. Though he didn't agree, Alaric didn't oppose Thalia's sudden request.
Eve clenched her fists tightly, her tears threatening to fall as she felt helpless. 'I understand. Alaric and I have nothing special. Our marriage was void of the warmth of affection. I have been his wife in name only while he was off defending our kingdom.'
Eve gazed at Princess Thalia, observing her. She couldn't help but subconsciously compare herself to her.
'I have to admit that she is more beautiful than I am. Her skin is as fair as snow. And her body… as compared to my mine…' Eve paused for a moment, looking at her own thin, frail, and hollow body. 'I am nothing compared to her. She has a perfect figure.' Eve felt more disheartened as she didn't realize her true beauty.
Growing up, Eve had been hiding her true beauty, covering her face with thick eyebrows and fake freckles in obedience to Queen Amara's order.
In fact, Princess Evelina was the most beautiful princess among the three princesses. Queen Amara, threatened and jealous by her ethereal beauty, made sure to isolate her, making the people believe that Eve was always frail, weak, and had a contagious illness.
That's why she never showed up in public or at any palace occasion and gatherings. If her presence was really needed, she had to wear ugly makeup so that she wouldn't overshadow the other princesses.
After a while, King Solomon's laughter was heard, breaking the deafening silence.
"Princess Thalia, I regret to inform you that General Alaric is already married to my daughter, the third princess of Kingdom Averion, Evelina."
Thalia frowned upon hearing that. She immediately turned to Alaric, tugging his hand and asking him. "Is it true? I never thought that you were already married. We've been traveling together for a month yet you've never mentioned anything about your wife."
"I don't believe it," Thalia added, pouting her lips while putting on a pitiful face. "Ever since we entered the palace, I've never seen any woman by your side. Where is your wife?"
Alaric's face contorted slightly at the mention of his wife. He immediately concealed his displeasure, considering he was in front of King Solomon and Queen Amara. After all, Princess Evelina was their daughter so he didn't dare say anything to offend the Royal Family.
Alaric was about to speak up when Queen Amara butted in.
"Princess Thalia, I agree. If this is for the kingdom's sake, then I won't oppose your suggestion. In times of war, strengthening our alliance will benefit us all. If you really want to marry General Alaric, then our daughter, Princess Evelina can divorce him at any time. Besides, I don't think she loves him at all," she declared confidently.
Queen Amara was in favor of the marriage between Alaric and Princess Thalia since she didn't want Eve to have a strong backup now. Alaric was no longer a commoner knight. He gained his title as the Kingdom's hero and became a general.
Queen Amara's last remarks triggered Alaric to recall an unpleasant memory. 'I know. The Third Princess will never acknowledge me as her husband. For her, I am just a nobody.' He clenched his jaw while trying to keep his cool.
"Queen Amara, are you sure about this?" Thalia asked her expectantly, her eyes sparkling with delight. She didn't expect that Queen Amara would agree to her proposition.
"Yes. I'm certain about it." Queen Amara promptly responded, reassuring her.
'No! You can't do that! He is my husband! I won't divorce him! He is my only hope.' Eve wanted to scream but she couldn't. She felt like her last strand of hope was slowly slipping away from her hand at this moment.
Her eyes were already burned with tears as she kept staring at her husband. Subconsciously, her feet moved, stepping forward as she unintentionally left her hiding spot.
At that certain moment, King Solomon caught a glimpse of Eve's figure so he specifically called her, letting everyone know that aside from his two daughters and the crown prince, the third princess was also there.
"My daughter is here. Why don't we ask her opinion first about this?" Unlike Queen Amara, King Solomon didn't want to make a decision without consulting Eve first.
Following King Solomon's line of sight, everyone's attention was shifted to the timid girl who was hiding from the crowd.
'What the hell is she doing here? She wasn't supposed to be here! How dare she disobey me?!' Queen Amara glanced at Eve with contempt, clenching her teeth.
"Huh? Is she your wife?" Thalia chuckled, her eyes glinting with mockery. "No wonder you've never mentioned her to me."
Alaric also gazed in her direction. This was the second time he would be seeing his wife. The first time he saw her was the day of their wedding, one year ago.
Alaric and Eve met each other's gaze for a long moment. For some unknown reason, his sharp eyes sent a chill down her spine, making her step back instead of striding forward. There was no hint of warmth in the way he looked at her.
'Does he hate me? He seems unhappy to see me. But why?' Her husband's indifference hurt Eve, making her feel more miserable right now.
Little did she know, Alaric's hatred toward her was rooted in the incident that happened on their wedding night. A cold glint flashed through his eyes as flashbacks came flooding into his mind.
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