NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11: Hatred and revenge
"You can return to your courtyard; I'll call for you when I decide," Prince Nicholas said to Luciana.
"Okay, Your Highness," Luciana said and bowed slightly before walking out of the prince's study.
Prince Nicholas felt uncomfortable with her form of address. When did she become so obedient and follow the rules? In Serenevale, she would always sweetly call him "Nick." Even though she wasn't promiscuous, she had a free spirit and a curious heart. She always wanted to know and learn about new things.
He realized where her childlike wonder came from. It must be due to always being locked up in the palace. A princess who sneaks out of the palace. She was a daring one.
"I deserve to be punished for making my presence known in front of the princess," James, Prince Nicholas' shadow guard, said, interrupting his thoughts.
"And what else?" Prince Nicholas asked, his tone as cold as ever.
James stood there, tongue-tied, not knowing what to say. He didn't know what other offense he had committed apart from the one he had just mentioned.
"Do you think I can't discern her true character? Do you think my judgment about her is flawed?" Nicholas added.
"Your Highness, I wouldn't dare," James declared determinedly.
"Go to Peter for your punishment," Nicholas said and waved James away.
~~~
Luciana returned to her courtyard, and Dora helped her out of her elaborate clothes. She wore comfortable clothes and brought out the books her master gave her to study. She read more about medicine and refreshed her mind of some of the things she had forgotten. In her previous life, she had not practiced most of the things she learned from her master and had let revenge and hatred consume her.
Now she would make use of her gifts and all the knowledge she had acquired to change her fortune. She continued to read as she sipped on some tea and baked pastries. Her mind drifted to the empress.
Luciana knew the biggest stain in Nicholas' life was having a mentally unstable mother. The empress' condition wasn't so bad; in fact, in her previous life, she had heard the royal physicians had tried their best, and she was clear-headed at most times.
It was when she had her episodes that she would not recognize people and try to sneak out. Luciana remembered one time the empress went missing, and the maids couldn't find her in her courtyard.
Nicholas was like the devil; he had gone on a rampage and killed several maids and servants in the Empress' courtyard, saying the Empress' disappearance was the work of a traitor, an insider.
That same night in her previous life, she had put her escape plan into action since she knew Prince Nicholas would be distracted by the empress' disappearance.
Unfortunately for her, the empress was soon found unconscious, and Prince Nicholas, who had been raging like a fire-breathing dragon, still found out about her plans and dragged her back in his anger. He had forced himself on her, going all the way this time.
As Luciana recalled the demonic side of Prince Nicholas, who didn't even care about how painful her first time was and had his way with her, she felt the chills. That Nicholas was too scary. And her hatred for him had only increased after that. That was the day Nicholas assigned Dominic to her as her guard.
After that night, Nicholas had kept her courtyard under strict supervision again, with guards always following her every move. She felt like a prisoner at that time, and her hatred for him only grew. Imagine her surprise when, after that one time, she later found out she was pregnant with the royal seed.
The more Luciana remembered about the past, the more she decided to never let that happen again. But from her memories, the empress' disappearance occurred not long after she married Nicholas. It should be happening within a few weeks. She must tell Nicholas to tighten security around the empress.
She remembered in her previous life, the empress' condition had worsened after that incident. She had stabbed one of her servants during one of her episodes, and Nicholas had been called to court for his negligence. The empress' title had been stripped, and Noble Consort Margaret naturally became the next empress.
Nicholas' chance to become a crown prince became slimmer. She must not allow that to happen. Luciana called Dora to help her dress up.
"Dora, hurry and help me get ready; I must relay a message to the prince," Luciana said.
A smile formed on Dora's face when she heard what her mistress said.
"Does my lady already miss the prince? But it is quite dark outside. Wouldn't you seem too eager if you're the one who makes the first move?" Dora said,
"Who said I'm eager to see the prince? I just want to tell him something I had forgotten," Luciana said in a haughty tone. Her cheeks burned from Dora's insinuation.
"But I think the prince is quite good to you. I think if you don't provoke him, he will treat you well. He doesn't seem like the rumors," Dora naively said.
"You are saying that because you are naive; you have no idea what he did to our country; he is brutal and mean. He made people orphans and took away their families from them. He's just blinded by his bloodthirsty nature," Luciana said, clearly enunciating every word.
"I know, I'm not so oblivious. That day when we returned and found the palace in shambles and up in flames, I saw the flags that were mounted in the capital. I know you came here to avenge the king and queen. But no parent would want their child to live their life full of hatred and revenge. Since the prince is good to you, you shouldn't do anything that would jeopardize your life. The late king and queen would understand," Dora said.
Luciana stared at Dora in shock. Could it be that she understood everything from the beginning but had still followed her? She opened her mouth to tell Dora to be reassured and that this time she wouldn't live her life in hatred and revenge, but before she could open her mouth,
She heard Esther's voice from outside the door.
"Your Highness, I didn't know you were still standing here; the princess consort is inside," Esther said respectfully.
Luciana's eyes flashed as she realized what Esther had just said. 'Could it be that Nicholas had heard everything she said?'
The door opened, and Nicholas' cold presence filled the room.
"Leave us," he said to Dora. If he wasn't naturally so cold, someone would have noticed his tone seemed a bit softer when he spoke to Dora. He had heard what the maid said.
He had also lived his life in hatred and plotting revenge on the king of Serenevale all his life, and look what happened. The only time he experienced an emotion close to love, he had lost it because he killed the parents of his beloved. He had heard her words and realized just how much she must hate him.
"I would have my supper here and spend the night with you," he said simply and made himself comfortable. 'She could hate him with all her heart, but he would still win her heart. She belonged to him!'