章節 12: Visiting Queen Hannah
"What?"
Why suddenly?
This meant that Count Herald went along with his plan without consulting her.
This was bad. She had to get a reward from the king before the second queen comes for revenge.
Where did I go wrong?
Lily dismissed Mary and took out the book that she hid under her bed. She flipped through the pages and jotted down a few words; Where did she go wrong? Everything had been well laid out and planned. Since she had no powers yet, only empty threats could work, and if this threats didn't work, then it meant that Count Herald had gone over to the second queen's side.
Lily banged the table in annoyance, just when everything was going right. However, she could not afford to make a mistake or falter. The second queen wouldn't sit still now, and with what Mary said, the servant in charge of serving the meals has been murdered under the guise of torture for investigation.
Having the graphite mine would do her no good now, instead it would put her in a lot of turmoil. She would have considered going to Perez for a little bit of protection but he had long left for an expedition. Now, the only safe place was in the bossom of the third queen.
* ~ *
"Princess." Queen Hannah welcomed Lily with open arms.
The third queen's palace looked different from how she remembered and the servants were also properly organized and managed.
"Surprised?" Queen Hannah asked.
"Well...yes."
"I've been doing my part of the deal too, you can't be the only one who works so had all the time." She led Lily to the drawing room and continued, "I've become closer to the king as of late and for the past days since the second queen was away it only made us closer." Queen Hannah beamed, as if asking for praise.
"Wow." Lily exclaimed; no wonder the third queen had been so quiet all this while, "That's wonderful, Your Majesty."
"Isn't it?" Queen Shannon chuckled.
The door was pushed open and a large man walked inside, his blonde hair was combed and neatly gelled. Except for his stoic-looking face that made him look like a mercanary, his clothing and the air around him screamed nobility.
"Paige." His thunderous voice resounded in the drawing room, "I am about to return."
Lily blinked slowly, unable to assert the situation. When a lady marries the king and becomes queen, her last name and first name changes, her maiden name become her middle name and her royal name becomes her first name, and it is the same for heirs, their royal names are given as soon as they are recognized as potential heir, and then they are addressed by that royal name as soon as they ascend the throne. Hence, only royalty bear three names, but who could call an official queen by her maiden name.
"Father." Queen Hannah jerked up with a bright smile.
"Oh." Lily blinked again, slowly asserting the situation. Duke Blithwine still addressed his daughter by the name he gave her.
"Father, meet Her royal highness, the first princess. Your highness, this is Duke Blithwine, my father." Queen Hannah smiled even more brightly.
The name, Paige really did suit her. No wonder, the name, Hannah just felt so wrong.
"Nice to meet you, Your Grace." Lily greeted first, though, it was common knowledge for the nobles to greet the royal family first.
However, he remained silent, scanning her with his fierce eyes, "The pleasure is all mine, Your highness." He finally said, "Thank you for bringing my daughter back to life." His fierce eyes softened.
"Father." Queen Hannah whinned, "Don't cry in front of her highness."
Cry? Ha!
Lily chuckled internally.
"My daughter told me about your plans, I'll do my best to assist you, Your highness. However, I wouldn't do anything that would put my family in danger."
Oh, he does know where to draw a line.
"I'll keep that in mind, Your Grace." Lily smiled and sat back down as the father and daughter duo left to converse outside before Queen Hannah came back in shortly after.
"Did I keep you waiting for too long?"
"Not at all, Your Majesty." Lily shook her head negatively, "I could barely feel the passage of time."
"That's great."
"Do...you want to go home, Your Majesty?" Lily suddenly asked out of the blue. Shocked by her own question, she placed her hands over her mouth.
"Yes, who doesn't?" Queen Hannah answered in-between chuckles, "But I'll make sure to take you with me." She winked.
"I wouldn't rule the kingdom from the Eastern Duchy, would I?" Lily laughed too, expelling the tense air.
"True." She paused and placed her hand on her chin as if lost in thought and then her eyes suddenly brightened as she cheered, "Then, we'll have to bring the Eastern Duchy to the palace."
"That would be treason."
"Not if Queen Lily Selena de Florain allows it." Queen Hannah winked.
"What?" Lily yelled in a whisper, "Don't say that in public."
Queen Hannah shrugged with pouted lips, causing Lily to laugh heartedly.
After a moment of reeling in their joy, Queen Hannah finally spoke up again, "Vianka."
"Who?" Lily's eyebrows arched.
"I visited the harem and met Lady Vianka. She holds the most power among all the king's concubines and she isn't scared of using that power." Queen Hannah sat down properly and continued, "She visited the king once while I was with him and from the look of it, she already has found favour in his sight."
"Is it bad?" Lily asked, the concubines were quiet all through her past life, hence she never heard anything from them, Franz was also the only child bore by a concubine. Not because they couldn't have children, but because they spend their time killing each others' children as they all lived in one palace.
"Yes."
"How bad?"
"She might be promoted to queen. She may become the fourth queen of Florania in a few years since the king is already thinking of bestowing her with a name." Queen Hannah paused and continued, "She's very ambitious and would stop at nothing to gain power, not even the named heirs can stop her."
"That's bad." Lily looked down at her hands. An unstoppable concubine would make a great ally, but also an undefeatable enemy, "Does she has a side?"
"None that I know of, but with the other concubines and their families, it won't be long before she creates a faction of her own."
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