Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Meanwhile, Hell Monarch Estate was abuzz with grand festivities. The celebration was nothing short of extravagant. They had begun the feasting the day before, and all invited guests could partake in the banquet for three days..
Rafael was feeling an indescribable sense of urgency.
Every moment seemed to crawl by. It was so slow-painfully slow. From morning to noon felt like a year had passed, and from noon to evening, another year seemed to drag on.
His mind was constantly occupied with finding an excuse to visit Northwatch Estate. It had been many days since he last saw Sophie, and he was desperate to see her again.
But the Royal Astronomer, who had been summoned by the Protocol Department’s minister to oversee the ceremony, had declared that it was bad luck for the couple to meet in the days leading up to the wedding.
So, Rafael couldn’t find a valid reason to leave.
On the surface, he appeared calm. But inside, it felt like a thousand ants were gnawing at him, pushing him towards Northwatch Estate.
As night fell, he finally stepped out of Hell Monarch Estate, only to be stopped in his tracks by Jacob.
Jacob’s face remained expressionless as he issued an order to the guards.
“Escort His Highness back to entertain the guests. He is not to leave the estate until tomorrow evening. when the wedding procession begins. If he leaves before then, all the guards will have their salaries docked for three months.”
With Jacob’s command, the guards all turned their hawk-like eyes to Rafael, forcing him to step back. Slowly, Rafael retreated, getting increasingly further from the entrance. Rafael rolled his eyes. “What are you all trying to do? I just had a bit too much to drink while entertaining the guests. I wanted to go out and get some fresh air to sober up.” Jacob gave another order. “Bring a bucket of hangover remedy for the princel”
A whole bucket…?!
Rafael glared at Jacob furiously, but Jacob remained unmoved, his heart as hard as a stone. Even if Rafael looked at him like he wanted to gouge his eyes out, it didn’t faze Jacob.
Luke, who had been running around non-stop, came jogging over. Despite the cold weather, he was sweating from all the work and used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
“Your Highness, can’t you just give everyone a break? Who goes running to the bride’s house the day before the wedding? People would laugh at you if they heard about it!”
“Fine, whatever. Stop nagging.” Rafael waved him off irritably. “I’ll go back and have a few more drinks with Davis. That old guy’s been here for two meals already, and while everyone else has left, he’s still drinking.”
“Hey, you can’t say that! Keep your voice down. Mr. Lloyd came as a sign of respect,” Luke whispered.
He wished he could somehow seal Rafael’s mouth shut. These past few days, the usually composed prince had been saying things that were bound to offend someone. Rafael shot him a stern look from his lofty height before striding back inside to entertain the guests.
Meanwhile, Helen was busy hosting the women. With her son getting married, she was reveling in the attention, changing outfits five or six times a day and swapping out her jewelry sets just as frequently.
In the palace, no matter how much she flaunted, there were only the other noble concubines looking at her. Or perhaps when visiting Victoria, Helen might show off a bit when the more junior concubines came to pay their respects to the queen dowager.
But outside the palace, it was a different story altogether.
There were so many noblewomen, so many matriarchs of prestigious families, and the wives of countless officials. Over the past two days of hosting banquets, Helen had barely managed to recognize a third of them.
Seeing all these women bowing their heads humbly in her presence greatly satisfied Helen’s vanity. With the new daughter-in-law yet to enter the household, Helen was already planning to host more banquets after the wedding to establish her authority as the mother-in-law.
Eleanor was always hosting banquets, wasn’t she?
Helen thought she should learn from Eleanor. After the wedding, she planned to visit the makeup shop. She wanted to figure out why the business had been doing so poorly for so long and why it constantly needed more funds.
Eleanor and Jessica didn’t attend the banquet. They were probably waiting until the wedding day to make their appearance. Trevor and Jeremiah’s family hadn’t come either, likely saving their arrival for the main event tomorrow.
After showing off with several outfit changes, Helen decided she had done enough for the day and headed to the newlywed’s suite for a quick inspection
The suite was set up in Orchid Hall, where everything was themed around orchids-a flower Helen didn’t particularly like.
She had even suggested changing the name, but her son was adamant about keeping it. He said that while other matters were negotiable, this name was not.
At least the orchids, which had been transplanted two or three times, hadn’t blossomed yet, which was a small comfort to her.
However, the newlywed’s residence still didn’t make her happy.
It was quite large, as it combined two courtyards, with a spacious yard and big buildings.
Since there were two courtyards, there were naturally two main buildings. One was located on the east side, while the other was on the west side. The eastern side was the living quarters, while the western side housed the study and storage rooms.
The expansive courtyard was connected throughout, and they had even built a few additional rooms to the north, supposedly for the servants who would attend to the couple.
What a joke!
Who ever heard of servants living in the same courtyard as the lord and lady of the household? It was one thing for the maids, since they had to stay nearby to be on duty at night, but if the male attendants and servants were to live here too, it would be laughable.
Helena hadn’t seen her son treat the household servants this generously before. Could it be that he was preparing accommodations for Sophie’s maids and servants?
It seemed he was really serious about Sophie. Had he forgotten the woman he was once infatuated with? So much for his previous declarations of undying love.
He claimed he would never marry anyone else if he couldn’t have her.
So what was this now?
Thinking about all of this, Helen felt a mix of emotions.
When Rafael was on the battlefield before this, he would refuse any mention of marriage. The resoluteness he expressed in his letters had led her to believe that this son of hers was prepared to remain a bachelor for life.
Yet, as soon as he returned victorious, he announced he wanted to marry Sophie.
Granted, Sophie was a divorcee, but at least it meant he was willing to take a wife. Besides, after investigating, they found out that Blake had never touched her. She was still a virgin, so it was acceptable, if only barely.
Accompanied by Gillian, Helen entered the newlywed suite on the eastern side of the building. White wedding banners adorned every wall, and new furniture was draped in white silk, tied with intricate decorative knots. The intricate knots were a traditional wedding touch, and they were called Eternal Knots, which represent eternal love and harmonious union.
Nearly every new item had a white ribbon on it. Even the large folding screen had a white shawl draped around and tied in the middle with a big, intricate bow.
Helen muttered to herself, “So many Eternal Knots-did I give birth to a son or a daughter? Why is it all so feminine?”
As she stepped into the inner room, she was met with a sea of white and gold. New brocade quilts were neatly stacked on the bed, and the bluish-white bed curtains draped to the floor. Though the bride had yet to be brought in, the room was already heated, making it comfortably warm.
All the furniture in the newlywed suite was brand new, and the quality was no less than what Helen had in her own quarters. The only things missing were the antique shelves and the antiques themselves. Rafael had previously hinted that Helen was too extravagant and wasteful. Yet, it seemed that it was because the extravagance was reserved for him and his bride.
Helen made a round of the room, then rubbed her temples and said to Gillian, “I don’t like Sophie.”
Gillian smiled and replied, “My lady, I think everyone can see that.”
Despite her words, Gillian was actually pleased-after all, Rafael was finally getting married.