Lucia POV—
"This is... 'her?' I thought at least my daughter would look similar to me. She looks like a 'dead' branch." The man's voice was oozing coldness. He had a crown on his head, and his clothes were like... an emperor. He glanced at me once, and averted his eyes immediately. I could tell clearly that he isn't exactly thrilled to see me.
Thomas hissed, "Your Majesty, this is not the time for this!"
The man raised his brows at him and asked, "Have you checked her completely? Is she authentic?"
"Her eyes are the same as you, and she has the royal mark," Thomas gritted out.
My 'father' gave him a bored look. He said, "Fine," he turned towards a knight, "call Martha. From now on, she would be her personal caretaker. Thomas, you can go now. Martha will take care of her."
Thomas clenched his hands. He yelled, "What the heck are you saying, Morise?! She is daughter. Won't you ask her anything? For the god's sake, you were absent from her life for twenty years! Look at her injuries! Won't you ask anything?!"
With a tone similar to a void, my 'father,' Morise said, "Are you defying your ruler? Don't forget your status, Thomas. And for the reference, I don't care what happens to her. The only reason, she is here... is because of the blood connection between the two of us. She can live here as a princess. That's all she is to me. When the time comes, maybe I will marry her off to secure an alliance." He rubbed his chin, showing as if he was really considering it.
Marry me off? What the fuck is this dude saying? Why the hell will I marry a man? I don't even like men! Forget that! This man is going to use me as a pawn! If I had my voice, I would have cursed the living hell out of him. Although, 'that' might cause some serious troubles for me.
A greenish light began to emit from Thomas's eyes. He sneered, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?!"
"Thomas, don't try to blame me for your own insecurities. Never forget whose brother you are," said Morise.
Thomas flinched at his words. He lost his entire composure hearing those words. 'Brother?' It seems the plot thickens.
Suddenly, an elderly woman wearing maid's uniform came and stood in front of Morise. She bowed and said, "May the sun always shine upon you, Your Majesty! May you rule for thousands of years!"
I gave her an incredulous look. Thousand years is a bit extreme, isn't it? Martha sure does know how to flatter someone. Right now, all I can think is, Martha is the 'junior' who likes to flatter the 'senior,' Morise. Humans never change.
Morise said, "Raise your head, Martha. This is the princess. Take care of her," he turned towards me, "go with her."
Martha looked at me and bowed, "May your beauty tarnish the moon itself, Your Highness!"
No, I was wrong. Martha is not just a bootlicker. No. She is the leader of bootlickers. The queen who stands above every bootlicker.
Thomas patted my head. His eyes were full of sadness. He said, "Go with her, Your Highness. Take some rest," he turned towards Morise, "I have something to talk with your father."
"Please follow me, Your Highness," said Martha. I nodded and started to follow her.
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The walls were painted silvery blue. Gems were embedded in them, showing that even a thief would think thousand times before stepping inside this palace. There were statues of animals everywhere around me. They were made up of gold and silver. A chandelier as big as a whale, was hanging from the roof. It looked so shiny that my eyes hurt to even look at it. The floor was covered with tiles as pristine as a new born baby's soul. So clear, and so clean... it easily reflected my image like a plane mirror. Morise lives lavishly. There is no doubt about it.
With each step, I found the knights and the maids lower their heads. They were trembling in fear. It confused me. Why are they afraid of me? I stopped and pointed at a maid. She flinched and trembled in fear. "Sarla, come here. Her Highness is calling you," said Martha.
Sarla closed her eyes and walked towards me. Bowing her head, she stuttered, "M-may t-t-the g-g-god b-b-bless y-you... Y-your Highness..." She was completely afraid of me. Hey! I am offended! I don't kill people unreasonably! In fact, I don't hurt people unless, it's necessary.
I looked at Martha with pleading eyes, trying to convey my message.
Martha gave me a surprised look and nodded. Turning towards Sarla, she said, "Sarla don't be afraid of Her Highness. She is feeling sad because of your reaction," she moved her eyes over everyone, "I am telling this to all of you. She won't hurt you. Instead, she might think you are feeling repugnant of her presence."
"No, Miss Martha! We don't," Sarla lowered her head even more, "I am sorry, Your Highness. It wasn't my or anyone's intention to make you feel bad. We are genuinely sorry."
I shook my head and patted her shoulders, indicating her to raise her head.
Sarla raised her head and gave me a confusing look. To placate her doubts, I flashed her a smile, which made her face flush with embarrassment.
"You look too good... it's unfair," whispered Sarla.
"Sarla!" yelled Martha.
Sarla's eyes filled with terror. Just as she was about to apologize to me, I shook my head in denial. I waved my hands and gave her a reassuring smile. She vacillated but nodded nevertheless. I don't like people to be afraid of me, especially common people. It doesn't sit well with me.
"I think now you all know that Her Highness is very kind hearted. So, please rest assured and serve her with all your heart. Remember, she is your master. Her Highness will always come before your and your family's life. Understood?"
Everyone nodded. I looked at everyone and analysed their reactions. Ah, their fears are subsided, but not erased entirely. Well, it works me. Trust is one of the most powerful weapons in this world. If used perfectly, it's as lethal as a black mamba, and as impactful as a hydrogen bomb.