NOVPUBLady Parthia’s heart perhaps shattered for a snd time in her life upon hearing her daughter’s answer.
Camelia had really left no doubt in her mind whose voice she heard.
Despite there being no clocks, Lady Parthiauld instinctively tell it was indeed around midnight, the time when the darkness was the deepest when Alexander had her stand in front of her mirror, taking her twice and driving both her body and soul to never before felt euphoria.
But as Lady Parthia recalled her past night’s joyous activities, she suddenly found her heart aching greatly, perhaps even slightly more than the time when she learned of her husband’s defeat.
Because this time involved herself personally- it involved her honor.
In fact, the only reason Lady Parthia was still sitting straight with amposed face was because her daughter did not show the slightest hint of suspicion that it was her.
That was perhaps her greatest solace.
However, that still did not stop her from cursing her daughter in her mind, venomous spitting,
’Dammit, you brat Camelia. You had tome then? Because you were scared of some thunder? How old are you? Next time will you tell you wet the bed? Have somemmon sense! You are a grown lady!’
In her mind, Lady Parthia reallyuld not believe such a freakincidence had happened.
Alexander hadme to their room well after everyone had retired. So, by all aunts, Camelia should have been long asleep, cuddled alongside Fabiyana and Alexandria.
There really should have been no chance of her divering these illicit activities.
Yet… it had happened.
Once Lady Parthia was done mentally wringing out her daughter, she turned her attention to Alexander, and for the ’grand winner’ she intended to give the ’present’ face to face.
"Wait till tonight, brat!" The furious lady menacing spar under her breath, heart burning with the heat of a thousand suns.
Long story short, Alexander would not get the night he was expecting that day.
Instead, he would be forced to sit and listen as Lady Parthia tore him a new one, mocking him for all the promises of security and secrecy.
And then the lady would threaten to refuse all his advances until Alexander would calm her down with flashing palms and an understanding smile,
"Okay, okay, Parthia, no need to be so mad. I believe you are looking at it all wrong! The fact that your daughter came so close to divering you, yet you got away so easily, is really proof that the gods have blessed our union. How else would you explain this miracle?"
"..!!!..." Lady Parthia was momentarily stunned at the man’s shameless eloquence, letting her just stand there, lips quivering but no soundming out.
While Alexander, seeing the lady had only been halted and sensing the bubbling fury underneath, quickly promised,
"Okay, okay, since you wish, I will tell the guards to be more vigilant. I will also make sure to arrange a maid who can warn us if Princess Camelia is approaching. And most of all, we will keep our most intimate activities to only the most remote of places… where you can scream to your heart’sntent."
That last phrase would earn Alexander a great glare, but in the end, Lady Parthia would tacitly agree, with her heart slightly heating up.
….
Now back to the present, where finallymposing herself, Lady Parthia turned to give Camelia a very fresh yet fake smile, lightly hugging andoing,
"Ahhh… my poor daughter. To have seen such a … vile thing. Ohh… and to have such a fate! Do not worry; you won’t have to deal with that stinking pasha. Royal Mother will make sure you can annul your agreement as soon as the four years are up!"
The lady sounded so saintly and pure in her proposal.
"What? No mother! What are you saying?" Yet as soon as Princess Camelia heard Lady Parthia’s proposal, she reacted like a cat that had its tail stepped on, furiously biting back with an incredulous look and an even more incredulous shout.
And despite fully understanding the reason for it, Lady Parthia decided to play dumb, pouting her lips in apparentnfusion, "Oh? Then why were you badmouthing that lady from yesterday? Were you not disgusted?"
It was like she was trying to take a bit of revenge on her daughter for unknowingly bad mouthing her.
"..." While the young princess suddenly found herself tongue tied at the ask, unable, or perhaps unwilling to articulate her feelings so openly.
"Mother… stop playing with me. I am serious." She thus angrily clenched out, at last, sending angry glares as if to say she was not in the mood.
"Hehehe…" And feeling she had amplished part of her goal, Lady Parthia gave a triumphant chuckle before seriously asking, "Do you enjoy living here, Camelia?"
"Yes!" The answer was short and succinct yetntained a firm determination.
"How are Lady Cambyses and the other wives? How do they treat you?" While the motherntinued her interview, curving her eyes into slits with interest.
"Lady Cambyses, Lady Gelene, and Lady Tayin are mostly too busy during the day with their work to see me. And Lady Mean has her hands full managing the maids. So I can mostly do whatever I like during the day." The young princess eagerly replied without pausing, eyes sparkling at the great freedom she had.
And even better, her tone turned even more upbeat as she mentioned the night,
"Oh, and at night, we play all kinds of delicacies, play so many new games, eat sweet snacks, solve puzzles, and…."
Princess Camelia appeared to be on track to deliver a great speech about the spectacles of Alexander’s games night. Yet suddenly, all of it was forcefully put on the brakes, for she just realized she was being a bit too frank.
As a royal lady, she had been taught to be always reserved and elegant, only ever letting half of her true feelings known.
Thus, for her to show alacrity so openly… thankfully, the setting was extremely closed, sparing the young princess from any blushes.
"....." As for Lady Parthia, she heard the runt with an extremelymplex feeling in her heart.
The mother part of her, ofurse felt very happy for her daughter. It was clear the young princess was very happy here.
But the other part…. Princess Camelia being with Alexander obviouslymplicated matters on Lady Parthia’s part.
Hence, wishing to subtly nudge her daughter, the regal mother pointed in a slightly testing voice,
"Camelia, Alexander has so many wives. And that number is only to increase in the future. Are you sure you want to stay with him? You are not even his official wife, you are only a mere mistress. Would it not be better for you to find a good husband in Tibias?"
Saying so Lady Parthia lightly grabbed her daughter by the hand, squeezing it while giving a sincere look,
"Trust me when I say there are a lot of suitors who will be interested in you once you go back, especially since you are still unbroken! This is a great chance Camelia!"
The Tibian queen almost seemed as if she was pleading with her daughter to take the deal.
However,
"No, Mother I want to ma…. " The young, feisty princess swiftly pulled her hand away, turning to give her mother both an angry and determined look.
The inexperienced girl also wanted to say about how she wanted to ’marry’ Alexander, however, she quickly remembered as ancubine, she was never going to get officially married to Alexander.
Hence she quickly swallowed those words.
"....." Instead, what followed was a long string of silence as both mother and daughter dealt with their own thoughts
Lady Parthia ofurse understood why her daughter still preferred being only a mistress of Alexander rather than an honorable wife of a Tibian noble.
In terms of status, the former was still higher- as thensort of a Pasha, if she was favored, Princess Cameliauld wield much greater prestige than even the main wives of Matbars (Marquiss), even rivaling the royalnsorts and princesses.
Thus, in thatntext, being the wife of a Tibian noble, hailing from a land defeated and subdued by the Pasha, really was not even worthy of getting entry into thenversation.
It was a decision made all the easier by the fact that even if Princess Camelia was not favored, given Alexander’s gentle demeanor and soft temperament, the young maiden was still quitenfident of leading a very cushy life.
So why should she risk everything?
For some unknown status?
Camelia was no longer the green eyed verdant caterpillar who had entered the manor almost two years ago.
Rather, after talking with many of the local ladies and getting to know their lives, the princess was clever enough to realize just how privileged a position she managed to inadvertently get.
All the ladies had to fight tooth nail to maintain their status,ming up with all sorts of new ways to pamper their men.
While the young princess had absolutely no responsibility- in fact she was so carefree in the house that she sometimes felt bored.
As long as she did not cause trouble around the house, sheuld basically do anything.
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