Chapter 213
Belle took a moment to tidy her dress, which got wrinkled during running.
Then she puffed her chest, raised her chin, and walked over like a proud princess.
âMorning.â
She said in a polite yet distant voice.
The ladies jerked around in shock. Especially Agnes. Her movement was so large that
she almost knocked over a teacup.
âPrincess Belle, whaâwhat are you doing here?â one of the ladies stuttered.
âI am here for your tea party,â Belle replied with a cool smile.
âForgive me Your Highness, but you are not invited-
âOh, is that so?â
Belle raised an eyebrow, glaring at her, âThis is my house, my garden. The willow above your head was planted by my late mama and papa decades ago. And now you are telling me that I need to be invited to my own home?â
The lady flinched, biting her lips in silence.
Wells walked over and stood behind his twin sisterâs back, âBelle, looks like we have got a bunch of intruders in our house. What do we do to those intruders again?â
Belle said in her soft, silky voice, âWe chase them out. Or we shoot them dead.â âGreat idea.â Wells grinned, stretching his body, âDo you want to take the lead? Or should 1
âWait!â
Agnes stood up abruptly with a pale face.
Her chest heaved. Then she forced out a smile, âYou are more than welcome to join us, Princess Belle, Prince Wellsâ¦and Lady Janet.â
âAwesome.â
Belle held Janetâs hand and led her to the long table set underneath the tree.
There were several intricately designed cushions on the ground. All the ladies were sitting on those cushions.
Yet there was only one empty cushion left.
âI am a dude. I can sit on the ground,â Wells shrugged.
âThen we still need one more seat at the table.â
Belle looked around the table and eventually fixed her gaze on Agnesâs face. ââ¦Agnes, you should stand up and make room for me and Janet,â she chuckled.
The twinâs target was quite clear now.
The ladies exchanged uneasy looks with each other while Agnesâs face twisted with embarrassment.
Then she said in a strained voice, âI donât think that is necessary, Princess Belle. I can easily ask the maids to bring us one more cushionâ¦â
âSo now it is OK to add one more seat to the table? Then what about last Christmas?â Belle said in a loud voice, âYou sat in MY seat last Christmas by my brotherâs side! When I walked up to confront you, you said that the table was full and asked me to sit somewhere else! I got angry yet you said to everyone, âLook at Belle. Getting all teared up for such a small matter. But who can blame her? She is just a spoiled child.ââ
She did a vivid mimicry of Agnesâs gentle, pitiful voice.
Some ladies wanted to laugh.
Yet Agnes glared at them. They quickly lowered their heads.
Wells crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at Agnes, âLady Agnes, you are not a child. Surely you wonât get upset if we ask you to give your seat to Belle now right?â
Agnes clenched her fists, looking mortified.
She suddenly pulled a handkerchief and dubbed it at the corner of her eyes:
âYou obviously hold a grudge against me, Princess Belleâ¦Butâ¦But it is not that your brother enjoyed my companion more than yoursâ¦â
âWhat did you say?!â Belle cried.
my fault
âBullshit!â Wells huffed, âOur brother would never choose to sit with you instead of with us-
âBut it is true.â
Agnes peeked up from her handkerchief and sobbed, âHe often said to me that⦠that he hoped he could have a break from his annoying brother and sister sometimesâ¦
âLIAR!â Belle roared her cheek on fire.
Janet now saw what was going on here.
Belle and Wells took her to Agnesâs exclusive tea party, hoping to wrap up the party and embarrass Agnes in front of her gang members.
Yet Agnes could easily get under their skins.
Janet hated to see the twins lose.
So she stepped up and said to Agnes with a faint smile, âLady Agnes, are you saying that you are more important to King Westin than his own brother and sister?â
Agnes parted her lips, stuttering, âNo, that is not what I said-â
âBut it is what you are implying. Oh, and do remind me. What are you to King Westin again? You are not his mate nor fiancé, are you? You are just his dead friendâs wife. Why are you so important to him?â
Agnes was rendered speechless.
A pink tinge appeared on her pale cheeks, âI am the Kingâs friend-
âWhat kind of friend is more important than his own brother and sister?â Janet let out a sarcastic laugh. âOr are you saying that you and the King have an improper kind of relationship? I wonder what the King says about this
âNO!â Agnes snapped.
She let out a frustrated breath and stood up from her cushion.
âYou can have my seat if you like, Lady Janet,â she gritted.
Belle snapped her head to Janet, joy gleaming in her eyes. Wells grinned and highâfived Janet behind their backs.
Janet felt exhilarating as well.
It did feel good winning.
They all took their seats by the table, leaving Agnes the only person standing.
Belle snickered, âAgnes, since you have nothing else to do while standing, why donât you play the harp for us?â
Agnes froze on her spot again.
at once, âGood
One of the ladies, with the intention to ease the tension, spoke up at once, idea. Lady Agnes is an expert in music.â
Issa echoed, âIt would be our pleasure to hear Agnes play!â
Many ladies started clapping, including Belle and Wells, even though the latter two⦠got an evil grin on their faces.
Agnes stuttered, âIâ1 hurt my fingers. I canât play string instrument-
âHow about the flute?â Wells suggested.
âNo, I donât feel like.
âYou talk about how you are an expert in music all day. But how come you donât know how to play any instrument?â Belle asked sharply, âAll the ladies are trained. to play at least one instrument! Do you have a strong suit? Or are you just a fraud?â
All the ladies looked at Agnes with skeptical eyes.
Agnes balled her fists, scarlet in the face.
She shivered and then suddenly let out a sob.
âI see what is going on hereâ¦â she choked, dubbing her eyes with her handkerchief. âA widow like me is an easy targetâ¦What would poor Keavy thinkâ¦â
âIndeed. What would he think? If he knew that you used him as an excuse to get out all of your lies and wrongs, leaving the dead with no peace?â Janet asked icily.
Agnesâs back became stiff.
Then she suddenly let out a loud wail of sorrow and turned on her heels running away.
âYES! GO! Go tell Westin on us!â Belle yelled to her back. âSee if we care!â
There was an unsettling look on the rest of the ladies by the table.
Issa straightened up, wanting to go after Agnes, yet Wells spoke up first:
âI brought pokers with me. Those of you who stay here are welcome to play. I am ready to toss away some gold. Who is it?â
The court never allowed young ladies to gamble.
It was such a huge temptation!
The ladies giggled excitedly nodding along, even Issa sat back at the table.
Wells blew a whistle and took out the pokers, starting to shuffle.
Belle leaned over and whispered in Janetâs ears, âThat Agnes was just a commoner before marrying Keavy. Yet she bragged about what a highborn she was all the time. She is so fake!
âHonestly we donât discriminate,â Wells shrugged. âTake me and Sammy for example. We are best friends. It is OK for you to come from a poor family. But you canât lie about it.â
âI wonder what Westin sees in that woman,â Belle rolled her eyes.
After the tea party, the twins took Janet on a little tour around the castle.
Janet tried asking them if they knew the way out of the mist forest.
Maybe with the twinsâ help, she could find a way out of this place.
Yet to her disappointment, the twins had never left the mountains in their entire lives.
They had a great day hanging out together.
When it was nightfall, Belle was still not ready to say goodbye and begged Janet to go to her room and have a rematch of poker.
âJust one round!â Belle shook Janetâs hand, âPleeecaaaase!â
Janet laughed, âWe can have as many rounds as you like!â
Wells cheered and his twin sister jumped, âI know you are the best Janet!â
They went back to Janetâs room for a rematch.
The room was dark when they walked in.
Janet went to turn on the light in her room.
Yet before she could reach the switch in the darkness, she felt a chilling gush of wind
coming across the room.
â¦Weird.
Did she leave the window open this morning?
She turned around, perplexed, and looked in the direction of the window-
A sharp blade, glinting coldly, popped out from the darkness.
Coming directly at her!
Somebody was here to kill her!!!
âJANET! WATCH OUT!!!â Belle let out an earsplitting scream.
Chapter 214