It was early in the morning when she woke up upon hearing the whinnying of the horses stationed in the front of the mansion.
It was almost sunrise she thought when she saw the fiery sun slowly climbing up the wall of mountains on the east side of the mansion. She put on her white robe and then walked outside her balcony. She had already anticipated then what she was about to see.
There were millions of people gathered outside the fortified entrance gate of Regaleria. Few selected dignitaries were at the tail of an enormous glass block adorned with gold, silver, and high-priced stones.
There was a chimera sitting at the facade of the block and surrounding it were blood roses and ferns. Of course, inside the glass block was the dead body of the King wearing another viciously adorned velvet robe.
So typical of Garlow, she thought and then moved on to survey the people standing behind the glass block.
She couldn’t help herself but look at the one thing that managed to hunt her dreams last night; and there he was, riding in his black stallion, wearing his princely wardrobe.
Just beside Ruen’s stallion were Lady Faye and Lord Jared on their own horses positioned on each side of the prince. They were apparently lining up after a brigade of troops with the generals on command, and also accompanying them was Lord Cain on his general suit.
Despite being busy, Lady Faye somehow managed to visit the princess last night, but she was already asleep. It seemed the news of her leaving has come to Lady Faye’s attention, obviously, by Prince Ruen’s doing. Then at midnight, Lianne surely noticed a certain shadow in the door of her bedroom. She wasn’t able to discern much because of her drowsiness, but her suspicion was that it was the prince’s.
A strong blow of a trumpet caught Lianne’s attention.
“It has begun…” she whispered to herself followed by a deep sigh.
The main gate opened to the crowd and the entourage started to follow the steps of the band playing the final interment tune, then Regaleria flags were raised thereafter.
It was the royal line’s turn to follow. The prince motioned his magnificent stallion to move and Lady Faye and Lord Jared followed.
She watched him slowly advance to the gate, looking intently at him feeling as if there was a heavy burden in her heart. With one deep breath, she softly whispered his name.
“Ruen…”
And to her surprise, he turned his head towards her balcony as if he heard her call.
She was certain he was looking at her that moment, and it made her undeniably conscious.
The stallion slightly leaped and he grabbed the reins looking as though he was about to go back to the mansion.
Lianne’s heartbeat leaped and her eyes widened.
‘He couldn’t! NO! He wouldn’t!’
She hastily turned her back against the balustrade and walked speedily to her bedroom, afraid to see what would happen next; but to the prince, he read her actions almost like she was thoroughly sickened by the sight of him.
‘What if he would abandon the burial? No! He will not break his promise!’ she thought heavily in her mind.
Mixed emotions ran high inside her, and panic began to rise; but she was oblivious that due to her instant reaction, it made the prince stop himself.
Gathering courage, she looked back at the advancing procession and to her astonishment, he was still in the line, his back facing the mansion.
She gave out a long sigh, apparently relieved he didn’t do such a foolish thing; but, why did she feel disappointed then?
Fifteen minutes had passed, the entourage was nowhere in sight. The crowd started to disappear from the main gate following a line of clergymen.
It was a sight to remember.
She had never expected amidst the man’s cruelty, he’d still manage to catch the sympathy of his subjects.
***
Lianne’s entire morning passed by with bafflement of her own feelings. She so desired to leave the mansion, but why was she not even packing?
After her lunch at the servant’s table, she decided to try horseback riding along the mountains surrounding the mansion. Knowing the fact that no one would ever dictate her actions anymore, she felt so remarkably light.
She donned on her low-heeled brown leather boots, a pair of white cotton gloves, white jodhpurs, and a red ovation dressage coat for the ride, then went to the stables for her horse.
The kingdom owned such a vast land that it was hard for her to choose where to go; but remembering a sustainable town near the mansion at the foot of the mountain, she decidedly chose to visit there.
Many of the mansion’s servants live in that place, so Lianne knew it would be safe to go.
It was pure fascination as the wind in her hair played lightly as she strode down the green hills, the fresh feeling of the river water in her feet reminded her of the stream close to the stables, and the sweet fragrance of the daffodils and jasmines surrounding her was overwhelming when she passed by the field.
She made a stop in a nearby cliff after picking fresh apples along the way and got awestruck when she feasted her eyes on the vast stretch of land at the north side of the mansion.
She had never before seen such a scenery even when she first came to the mansion.
She looked down the cliff and to her admiration, she found the town she has heard so much from the maidservants’ lips.
It was oddly quiet for a town as big as this, she thought. “Where are all the townsfolk anyway?” she asked herself, surprised by the emptiness of the roads.
She stopped by a bakery and found fresh-baked muffins placed in the glass window; so, without any hesitation, she led her horse closer to the bakery with the intent of buying them.
“Hi! Uhm, I would like to buy the muffins please.”
“Hah! Oh my! My-my lady, good afternoon.” A cute, braided girl in her teens curtsied in haste.
Lianne was taken aback.
“Oh, don’t mind being polite please.”
“Oh no, no My Lady. I must!” the girl exclaimed, shaking her head. “It is what papa had taught me to do.”
Lianne smiled sweetly in response. “What a good daughter you are. Very well then. But, please call me Lianne instead.”
“Oh! Ohhh!” the girl shouted whilst covering her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness, Princess Lianne!” She went to curtsying again much to Lianne’s chagrin.
She arched her brow feeling confused. She never expected she would be known as a princess in this kind of place.
“Can I request you to please not address me that in here? At least, in a place like this, I wouldn’t be able to catch so much attention.”
The girl bowed low in response. “Yes, Princess. It is as you wish. I am Lenora, at your service.”
“Good afternoon to you, Lenora,” Lianne greeted. With a few examinations on the ground, she set herself afoot down the horse and smiled at the girl again. “Where are the townspeople? Is there a festival of some sort?”
“Oh no Your Highness, well, they are actually in attendance of the procession.”
“Oh, I see,” the princess replied in a low tone. “Of course, they would attend it.”
Lenora gave her a perplexed look. She stared at the sullen expression of the princess and wondered why.
“Uhm, well, pardon me for asking Your Highness, but you sound as if… uhm…” The young girl stuttered while asking. “By any chance, you’re not so close with the late king are you?”
Lianne was amazed by the frankness of her question. Could she easily read her expression amidst her young age?
There was a whole minute of pause but Lenora waited diligently for the princess’ answer.
Would there be harm if she were to tell her the truth?
“Hmm, truly, that is the case, Lenora.” Lianne ghosted a smile.
“Oh, my… my sentiments also, Your Highness,” the young girl quickly replied without malice. “I am not one to pry, but I do hate the king myself. But, somehow, father thinks highly of him, and on his son also, Prince Ruen. But, of course, I do not hate the prince… just the king.”
“Hmm…” Lianne giggled slightly. “I really do appreciate your honesty but you’re too young to be talking like that, Lenora.”
The baker’s daughter smiled in response and shyly dipped her head low. “My apologies, Your Highness.”
Lenora proceeded to slip on the mittens, took a batch of muffins from the glass window, and placed them on a wooden table nearby the bakery door.
Lianne stood beside it observing the young girl’s finesse of handling the pastry.
“Uhm, papa told me that he’s a good friend of the prince,” Lenora said as she placed the muffins into a paper bag.
“But, I don’t actually believe him. Papa is… well… a bit of a fat liar sometimes and it is so hard to believe him. But, he did mention you in his stories, described what you look like and how beautiful you were and after I met you today, I somehow believe him now.”
The princess gave her a questioning look and said, “Me?”
“Oh, yes Your Highness. Papa said the prince adored a princess living as a servant in the Regaleria Mansion. Princess Lianne was her name. I didn’t actually believe it considering it absurd to have a princess as a servant.”
“Oh.” Lianne inhaled deeply as if calming herself. “I don’t think the prince has-” She abruptly stopped, unsure what to say. Clearly she was taken off guard by the girl’s statement.
Lenora looked up at her and saw the blush on the princess’ cheeks.
She gave Lianne a warm smile in response as if there was a mental understanding between them both.
“Well, besides the muffins, can you be my guide walking down the town?” Lianne exclaimed wanting to avoid the subject.
Lenora’s eyes beamed with excitement. “But of course, Your Highness! I would be honored!”