CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Sweat trickled down the side of Tatiana's face as she walked towards the banquet table. The scenery was beautiful. The whole place looked green, and the vibrant colors of flowers popped out. Butterflies were fluttering around the garden with their colorful wings.
"Welcome, your highness." one of the ladies said, as they all bowed their heads in respect for the princess.
Norma pulled the chair out for the princess to sit down on the long table. Tatiana nodded her head and smiled at the ladies before sitting down.
One of the ladies asked, "I heard that you lost your memories, your highness." She was elbowed by the one beside her and gave a wary look.
Tatiana noticed how the air tensed and they were filled with awkwardness. She once read in the novel where Tatiana attended a tea party just like this, but Agatha was there as her guest. She was known to brag about herself all the time and humiliate others. She would also fish for compliments by putting others down.
She wondered if Tatiana was like this even at the age of fifteen, but based on what she'd seen, Tatiana had been already a villainess ever since she was young.
"Ah," she started, "yes. I lost my memories after waking up from a coma."
The ladies started whispering and talking as if she was not even there. She also felt that someone was staring at her back, and when she turned her head, she saw a familiar face that was looking down.
Her hands turned cold and she ground her teeth in anxiety. That was Emma. Emma was looking at her. She turned away and fiddled with both of her thumbs while the other ladies chattered away.
'She won't tell on me, won't she?' Tatiana thought to herself. 'Nah, she would be too scared.'
She spent the time convincing herself that her recent façade wouldn't be exposed and used against her.
"Her Majesty, the Queen of Aragon, has arrived!"
Everyone's attention was turned to her when she arrived. Her gown was a simple and modest design, but it was made from a rare fabric that is imported from the east. She also wore simple-looking pieces of jewelry as her accessories. Everybody knows that it is a rare item. She walked gracefully into the pergola, and everyone stood up to greet her and acknowledge her presence.
Except for Tatiana, who was lost in her overthinking state. She was so busy thinking about Emma that when everyone stood up and greeted the queen for her arrival, she was the only one who remained seated.
Everyone looked at her with surprise. Everyone in the room knew that they had a bad relationship with each other, but it was a normal gesture to stand up and greet the king and queen when they arrived. Even in the past, Tatiana stood up against her will.
Whispers about it resurfaced again and when the queen arrived at the head of the table, she glowered at Tatiana and cleared her throat, but Tatiana was too preoccupied and continued fiddling with both of her thumbs.
The queen cleared her throat again once, and still no response, twice, and still no response. She was starting to lose her patience, and the tension in the air grew. It was also awkward for everyone to still be standing up and waiting for the princess to respond.
Finally, one of the ladies nudged her, which caused her trance. Tatiana looked around and saw that everyone was standing up and staring at her. She also realized that the queen was already standing beside her.
She awkwardly stood up then the queen smiled with victory and sat down. Everyone followed suit.
"The fabric of your dress is quite exquisite, your majesty!" one of the ladies started. Tatiana looked at her and noticed a mole on her cheek. She also looked older than the queen, who was wearing a colorful dress that had ruffles on her puffy sleeves. Her lipstick was too red and her brows looked like they were drawn using a marker.
"You flatter me too much, Lady Cortez," the queen answered, but straightened out her clothes. "This is just a simple gift from my husband."
"The King is head over heels for you," another woman said. "to give you such a rare item that's difficult for others to get."
Tatiana wanted to roll her eyes. Of course, the queen is a spoiled woman who loves to collect limited collectibles as her hobby.
"You know what this fabric is, Lady Dizon?"
"Yes, of course!" Lady Dizon said. "How could I not know that it was rare silk that was imported from the east? Not to mention that only a few have been able to buy it! "
The Queen smiled and nodded proudly at what Lady Dizon had said. It looked like she succeeded in showing off her clothes.
Tatiana studied the nobles before coming to the event. She had William collect information about them and study their families and backgrounds beforehand. She knows Lady Cortez, a woman who owns an expensive salon in the city. She loves to flatter the queen and spread rumors that she and the queen are close friends and uses it to her own advantage.
Next is Lady Dizon, the wife of one of the richest traders in the kingdom. She loves to collect jewelry and has an eye for rare and expensive items. However, her husband is also known for his illegal businesses and is known for evading taxes and avoiding paying tariffs.
Does the queen know this? Yes. Does she do anything? No
Lady Dizon is a path for her to get her luxury goods and collectibles from other parts of the world. There is no way she would let go of that opportunity. So, in exchange for turning a blind eye to the trader's illegal ways, she is the first one who gets to know whenever their limited edition items are being imported into the kingdom.
"But have you heard the new talk in town? "Another lady said. Everyone turned to her as she slowly smiled. "Mrs. Baron discovers that her husband has been cheating on her with a younger girl."
Many of them gasped.
"Finally, they got caught!"
"I know, right? That Mrs. Baron was even boasting about how her husband was the best in the world," another snickered, "always annoyed me."
"She got what she deserved then."
Tatiana sighed and picked up the small spoon and scooped a chunk out of the ice cream. The sweet and vanilla-flavored ice cream melted inside her mouth. She moaned at the deliciousness of the dessert and closed her eyes. This was the most perfect thing to eat during the summer.
When she opened her eyes, everyone was staring at her, even the queen.
"You must be enjoying yourself."
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END