Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Hayden’s smile turned smug. “Whether I knew or not makes little difference. Here, the only thing she can do is eat and drink to her heart’s content. She can’t take a single step past the estate gates.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Rafael joked. “Your estate truly is place of privilege.”
“A place of privilege Indeed, Hayden sighed. “When she arrived, she declared her identity right away and begged me to find an excuse to send her away. She said I was too old and complained that I smelled like an old man. Imagine that!
“My whole life, no one’s dared insult me like that. Outrageous! So, out of spite, I treated her to the finest food and drink, and now she’s gained a fair bit of weight. I’ll have her brought out to show you two just how well she’s been pampered.”
With that, Hayden called out, “Bring our plump lady out here, so she can perform her act for the prince and princess consort!”
Rafael and Sophie exchanged a glance, both a bit surprised. Declaring her identity and begging to be thrown out right after she arrived? Wasn’t the woman worried about her biological mom?
Soon, an old steward led in a woman dressed in a pale pink gown. She had a soft, round face, and the dress clung a bit too tightly around her plump figure, especially around her midsection. She wasn’t extremely large??ust enough for the ill??itting gown to accentuate her roundness.
Even with the extra weight, her natural beauty shone through. Her features were delicate, her skin was fair with a healthy glow, and her eyes sparkled like stars in the night sky.
The steward had already informed her of their guests, so she entered and greeted them politely. Greetings, Prince Rafael, Lady Sophie. My name is Chaya Kingsley.”
Her smile was bright and sweet, suiting her softness. It was the kind of smile that instantly made people feel at ease.
“Chaya??hat a lovely name,” Sophie remarked, observing her thoughtfully.
There was something different about Chaya, unlike the other concubines’ daughters. She didn’t have Celeste’s seductive allure, Carmen’s prideful strength, or Cecilia’s quiet sorrow. She was just sweet. Her eyes were full of light, as if untouched by the darkness surrounding her.
She returned Sophie’s compliment with a cheerful smile, saying, “We all have nice names. My dad may not be good for much, but he does have some knowledge. Chaya??ounds nice, doesn’t it? But the meaning’s not great. Just a shadow, hidden and unseen. But I’ve lived quite a life here in Willowbrook Estate. Well, that’s enough. If you’re here to take me away, so be it. I can die with no regrets.”
Hayden laughed. “My dear girl, if they were here to take you away, they wouldn’t have come with gifts i the evening. They’d have shown up with the Capital Guard in broad daylight.”
in
“Oh,” Chaya said, her gaze drifting to Sophie, admiration glinting in her eyes. “Commander Devin, you truly bring honor to us women. If only I could be like you… but no, I couldn’t handle all that work. I’d rather stick to eating, drinking, and having fun.”
Sophie laughed as she turned to Hayden. “Seems you’ve picked up a real gem here. She must keep yo you well entertained, Great??ncle.”
Hayden waved his hand dismissively and pretended to be annoyed. “A gem? More like a freeloader! She can’t sing or dance, yet has the nerve to say I smell like an old man. I’ll feed her up until she’s as round as a pumpkin. Then, she’ll lose the right to complain about me!”
Though Hayden wore a look of mock displeasure, his tone was one of indulgent delight.
After the banter died down, Chaya grew more serious as she explained, “My dad sent me here, figuring that with Prince Hayden alone in the capital and away from his children, I’d have the chance to win his favor and make him hang on my every word.
“But once I arrived and saw him??onestly, he’s way too old! And he’s not big on rinsing his mouth either. Every time he speaks, a whiff of bad breath hits me. How am I supposed to serve him in bed like that?
“So, I tried to get him to send me away. I thought if I annoyed him enough, he’d be furious enough to send me out of the capital and I could just slip away. But no, he didn’t give in. He has kept me here, feeding me five or six times a day. He doesn’t let me do much, and occasionally calls me over to listen to music with him. Other than that, he lets me do whatever I want. I’m as free as a bird here.”
“What about your mom? Aren’t you worried about her? Sophie naked.
Chaya shrugged. “Worrying won’t do any good. Even if warmed Prince Hayden’s bad, it wouldn’t be enough to save her. All I can do is live well myself and try to keep my mom from fretting over me. That’s the most respectable thing I can do for her.”
Sitting down, she added, “I’ve known since I was a kid that I’d eventually be sent away. My mom told me as much. She always said, ‘If you can beni it, bear it. If not, you’d be better off cutting your losses and ending it. Life’s tough, but if it’s unbearable, then don’t suffer through it. Life’s too short for that.”
Chaya smiled as she spoke, but her words hit a little heavy.
“Funny thing is, though she told me that, she never really lived by it herself. She had it rough, but never let herself give in to death. I came here intending to put up a fight, but now, life’s just too comfortable. So, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll enjoy this while I can. And if one day Prince Hayden decides I’m fattened up enough and wants to get rid of me, I wouldn’t say anything against it.”
She chuckled, eyes sparkling with a kind of strange optimism. “But for now, I’m safe. Seems like I got lucky again.”
Hayden chuckled along, a warm, grandfatherly fondness glimmering in his gaze.
After leaving Willowbrook Estate, Sophie felt a weight ift from her chest.
n
The concubines and daughters in Harmony Palace had become an unbearable mountain of guilt pressing down on her, Sophie knew all too well why those women had been imprisoned in Harmony Palace, and she knew their misery was Eleanor’s doing. Though Cnossa refused to take on any blame for her parents’ actions, she couldn’t shake the deep sadness she felt.
Seeing those women, hollow??yed and trembling at the slightest sound, had been heart??renching.
Meeting Chaya had been a small balm, a fleeting comfort like a colorful bubble glistening in the sun- beautiful yet fragile, and once popped, only the dark reality remained.
As the night wind whipped at the carriage curtains, Rafael wrapped an arm around Sophie. Neither spoke. Each was lost in thought, yet thinking about the same thing.
Eleanor’s recent actions had rattled Yuvan, making him recoll once more. Now, he would be thinking of and the ways to get out of the capital. But he wouldn’t dare make a move just yet, not with Ruth still ill treason case unresolved.
Salvador’s decision to delay closing the case was wise. So long as it remained open and Eleanor was alive, Yuvan would be left in a state of restless fear. It might only last a year or so before he had to choose -to either give up his ambitions entirely or stake everything in a final gambit.
Yuvan had once had a golden opportunity, but was too greedy, wanting both the throne and a clean reputation. Perhaps he never believed that the Southern Frontier could truly be reclaimed or that Sandoria wouldn’t try to fight back this time.
As Rafael and Sophie’s thoughts converged, they spoke in unison, “For now, Yuvan will have to stick to the shadows.”
The couple exchanged a smile??eing married had really brought them closer.
“His Majesty must still suspect him,” Rafael murmured
“These days, His Majesty suspects everyone. But it’s clear that Yuvan is his main target,” said Sophie.
“Are you going to the Quinton family’s residence tomorrow, or will you just send Michael?” Rafael asked. “Since it’s the queen’s family and with the late king’s teacher involved, sending only Michael wouldn’t be proper. I’ll go myself. I don’t have to say much. I just need to ask a few pointed questions,” she said.
Recalling the actions of the Duke of Oakspire’s family, Rafael replied, “I’ll go with you tomorrow. It’s a rest day, so Lord Quinton should be home. I’ll speak to him personally. Lord Quinton usually takes his family out on his days off, so I’ll send someone ahead to notify him.”
“Alright,” Sophie agreed readily.
She didn’t want to waste time waiting outside for an hour, let alone face a barrage of unhappy expressions. Besides, with Kiera married to Logan, Sophie didn’t want to strain relations. If Rafael accompanied her, Malcolm would get the message loud and clear??e was meant to handle this personally. After all, this wasn’t a matter that should be exposed to the public.
*
After word spread that Sophie had visited Oakspire Ente with the Capital Guard, the Quinton family. anticipated that they were likely next on the lint. By evening, someone from Hell Monarch Estate arrived at the Quintoh family’s residence, notifying that Sophie would be paying Malcolm a visit at around nine in the moming.
When a servant relayed this to Malcolm, he frowned. “They asked for me by name? So, I’m supposed to wait around for her?”
“Yes, sir, that’s what they specified,” the servant confirmed.
Malcolm was annoyed. The fact that they had specifically ested for him to wait but hadn’t sent any formal notice clearly indicated that the visit was related to the treason case.
“Fine, pass along the word??f the princess consort arrives with the Capital Guard, don’t obstruct them. Let them in, but have Mark handle it. No one else needs to make an appearance.”