Vol.7 Ch.414 The Two Bickering Princesses

“O-Oh? Well… T-That sounds like an important meeting,” Hilda said, her expression a mask of innocent curiosity. She had to pretend that she didn’t know anything about the Duchess’s plan, that she was just a concerned party, a friend who was worried about the stability of the Kingdom. “So, when were you planning on telling me exactly?” Hilda asked, her tone had a little bit of annoyance in it.

Rya’s brow furrowed, “Well, I was just going to bring it up. I know how much you hate the idea of sharing Quinus, because I hate the idea myself. That’s why I was going to talk to you after Leandra’s game was done with. But that is beside the point now.” The Dark Elf looked at her plate and started cutting her steak.

Quinus looked over at Hilda and saw that she was a bit flushed. He could tell that she was a little upset, but he didn’t know if it was because she was angry at the idea of being a second wife or if she was just embarrassed that he was seeing her in a vulnerable state.

“I… Yes, I don’t like the idea… B-But…”

Everyone looked at Hilda with intrigue. Rya paused cutting her steak to see what she was going to say next.

“B-But if it’s the only way to make sure that you aren’t doing something nefarious to the Kingdom… I… I might do it,” Hilda said, a little too quickly. She looked at Rya, a flicker of something that felt suspiciously like hope in her eyes. She had to play the part of the selfless Princess, the woman who was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the good of the Kingdom, the woman who was willing to do whatever it took to protect her people.

Rya put down her knife and fork and began to rub her temple. ‘God dammit… This chick is too fucking naive for her own good! I hoped that she would refuse and make a big enough stink around the palace that Octavius and Caldorian had to change their minds. But she’s trying to play the hero card… Fuck! I need to think of something… But I need some time to think about it. Fucking Leandra. I’m going to make her life miserable tomorrow,’ Rya thought to herself.

“We’ll talk about it later. And I mean it. After tomorrow’s request for repentance, we will have a long talk about this. About the term of becoming the second wife,” Rya said, her expression a mask of weary resignation. She had to end this conversation, to regain control of the situation, to stop the train before it derailed completely.

Hilda frowned, “W-Well… You will have to consider defeat once I become pregnant with my Prince’s child.”

Quinus was in the middle of drinking wine and nearly shot it out of his nose after hearing her proclamation. He started to cough and sputter, and Rya was there to pat him on the back, but she glared at Hilda.

“Oh? You think I can’t get pregnant? Or that my kids won’t be good enough for the Kingdom?” Rya said, a hint of challenge in her tone.

“Th-That’s exactly why the Viscount wants me to marry, my Prince! Even with all your magic, I can provide something that a Dark Elf can’t. A proper Heir with a proper lineage! A Heir that will be blessed by the New Three! And with that, the Alliance will have to accept our Kingdom!” Hilda said, her chest puffed out with pride. But deep down, she was trembling. She was stepping onto a stage she didn’t know the lines to, playing a role she hadn’t rehearsed. Her proclamation was a gamble, a desperate attempt to assert her worth in a game where the odds were stacked against her. Hopefully, Leandra’s plan would work out and she wouldn’t have to share Quinus. But if it failed, this was her new plan. Become the second wife and have a child with him.

Rya let out a little laugh, a sound that was both melodic and chilling. “Proper lineage? Oh, I promise you that my lineage is far more potent than yours could ever dream of being.” Her eyes held a glint of something powerful and wild, something that made Hilda shrink back in her seat.

“B-But you have to get pregnant first! And we both know that it’s not going to be easy for you!” Hilda shot back, her voice a little more confident now. She had found a weakness in Rya’s armor, a chink in her otherwise impenetrable facade. She pressed on, her words a series of sharp, stinging jabs.

Yuliana quietly yelped as she wanted to blurt out that Rya was pregnant. But the elven folklore of angry for spirits kept her from saying anything. Rianna was in a similar boat, as she knew Rya was carrying, but she respected Yuliana’s desire to keep it a secret for now. Queen Rianna looked annoyed as she couldn’t believe Rya didn’t see the signs of her own pregnancy.

“And what makes you think that you’re more fertile? There are plenty of human women that struggle to conceive. Maybe you might be one of them!” Rya retorted, her tone a little too sharp, a little too personal. She needed to sow the seeds of doubt in Hilda. But this only made the Foreign Princess more confident.

“The both of the Divine Ones have chosen me! The Divine Three told the Prophet that I was the one to become my Prince’s wife! And the New Three’s Idol lit up during the ritual! There’s no way I’m not going to be able to have a child with my Prince!” Hilda declared. She was no longer a frightened Princess. She was a woman who had a mission, a mission that was bigger than her own feelings. She was a woman who was going to do whatever it took to achieve her goals, to fulfill the destiny that had been laid out for her.

Quinus thought he could see steam shooting out of Rya’s ears as she leaned in closer towards Hilda. “You don’t even know the first thing about getting pregnant! And I lit up Iyomelka’s Idol, too, you prude! So don’t act like your little prayer was that impressive! You were lucky!” Rya snapped.

Hilda’s face turned a shade of crimson, but she stood her ground and she leaned forward towards the dark elf’s face until she was inches away from Rya’s nose. “I know enough to know that it takes a man and a woman to make a baby! I’ve been researching things on my own so I can properly please my Prince! And not act like some kind of… harlot for the whole world to see! And for your information, it takes a special kind of person to light up the Goddess’s Idol! Not just anyone can do it!” Hilda shot back.

Rya’s anger flared. “Then tell me why did I light it up brighter than you!? Huh!? You think the Lame Goddess would pick a prude like you over me!? And who you calling a harlot!?”

The two women were now literally bumping foreheads. Their faces were so close that the other nobles in the dining hall could see the raw anger in their eyes.

“I’m calling you a harlot because you are one! You’re nothing but a temptress, a stain on the good name of the Royal Family of Fiafyr!” Hilda yelled.

“Like you would know! You’re a stain on—”

The King had enough, “Enough! Both of you! This is my dining hall, not a tavern brawl! You will both sit down and act like the Princesses you are supposed to be! I’ve had enough of this childish behavior!”

Quinus had to pull Rya back as Nieren stood up and pulled Hilda away from her sister

Hilda was huffing and puffing, but Nieren sat her back down in her chair.

Nathaniel sank into his chair as he knew he was the one who started all this. He was just trying to help Rya’s cause.

Rya glared at Hilda, but she then turned her gaze to the King. She could see the disappointment in his eyes, a look that cut her to the core. She knew that she had crossed a line, that she had let her anger get the better of her, that she had made a fool of herself in front of the entire court. But Hilda wasn’t in a better position either.

“I am sorry for my outburst, Your Majesty. It won’t happen again,” Rya said, her voice a low, solemn murmur. She looked at Hilda, a flicker of something that felt suspiciously like regret in her eyes.

Hilda looked at the King, her expression a mask of humble contrition. “I am also sorry for my outburst, Your Majesty. I… I let my emotions get the better of me… A-And I’m sorry for calling you a harlot… Princess Rya,” she said, her voice a little shaky.

Rya grimaced as she didn’t want to apologize for anything to the redhead. But she had to play along. “I’m sorry for… calling you a prude.”

The King let out a sigh, a sound that was filled with a deep, weary resignation. He looked at the two women, a flicker of something that felt suspiciously like disappointment in his eyes. He had hoped that they would be able to put aside their differences, to work together for the good of the Kingdom, but it seemed that they were still at odds, still locked in a battle for the Crown Prince’s heart.

“You two better think about what you want in your future. Or none of you will get what you want. Just give each other some time to process this. And I better not hear that you two got into another fight,” King Cyndre said, a warning tone in his voice. He looked at the two women, a silent command to get their act together, to stop acting like children, to start behaving like the Princesses they were supposed to be.

Rya and Hilda both looked at the King, and nodded.

Rianna was surprised by how her husband has become and it made her heart flutter a little. He was finally taking charge, making decisions without her constant guidance. She saw the strength in him, the resolve that she had always known was there, but had been buried beneath years of self-doubt and indecision. She was proud of him, proud of the man he was becoming, proud of the King who was finally ready to lead. She unconsciously began rubbing her thighs together under the table, a subtle, yet telling sign of her arousal.

‘M-Maybe it was a good thing to let Cyndre out of the doghouse… I-I wonder if he’s going to take me in our bedroom and… Gah!? What am I thinking!? Not in front of all these people!’ Rianna thought to herself, her cheeks flushing a rosy pink.

Baron Zellin Coldforge couldn’t help but be amused. If his father, Arathar Coldforge was here he would probably ask to be the Baron again as he preferred to have dinners with a little bit of drama. The dwarf thought to himself with a smirk, ‘Father always said that a little drama keeps the blood pumpin’, that’s for sure. But then I wouldn’t be the Baron if he knew this was how noble etiquette was conducted these days.’

The King let out a sigh and decided to break the tension, “Now… Let’s eat. We don’t want the food to get any colder than this conversation.” He said, a sly grin on his face. He then looked over to the servants and gave them a nod, a silent command to continue serving the meal.

The nobles let out a collective sigh of relief, a silent acknowledgment of the King’s timely intervention. The atmosphere had changed as everyone went back to their meals.

Rya and Hilda’s posture was a little rigged as they say there. They occasionally gave sideways glances at each other, trying to see if the other was going to do something. It didn’t help that the two were sitting right next to each other.

Quinus looked over at Rya, a silent apology in his eyes. He knew that this was a difficult situation for her, a delicate balancing act that required a level of finesse that he didn’t possess. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything was going to be alright, but he knew that he had to give her space, to let her process the information in her own way.

After a minute of nothing happening between the two, Rya broke the silence first. “We will discuss this later…” she said, under her breath.

“Very well…” Hilda said, trying to act confident but the truth was that she was a little intimidated by Rya.

The Dark Elf wanted to end the conversation so she could focus on her food. She picked up her fork and took a bite of her steak, which was cooked to perfection. It made her forget why she was so angry. However, the moment she took a bite, Hilda decided to speak again.

“I think I’ve lost my appetite,” Hilda said, her voice a low, tremulous murmur. “I hope you have… a wonderful night.” She pushed her chair back and stood up, her movements a fluid, graceful dance, a testament to her royal training. She looked at Quinus, a flicker of something that felt suspiciously like longing in her violet eyes, before turning and walking away, her back ramrod straight, a picture of wounded dignity.

Quinus watched her go, a sense of unease washing over him. And then he felt a elbow in his side. He looked over at Rya who was looking at him with an arched eyebrow.

“If you’re thinking about going after her, you can sleep in the kennels with the wolves tonight,” Rya whispered.

“I-I wasn’t!” Quinus whispered back.

Rya smirked and went back to eating her steak. ‘I need to find a way get rid of Hilda… She thinks she has a shot still… And I have a bad feeling that Leandra will see that and use her if I don’t come up with somethin—’

Groan!