Emmelyn and Maxim sat on the chairs, facing Myrcella Leoralei. They could smell the fragrant flowers from around them. This gave them the feeling of bliss and peace. Suddenly, all their worries and the exhaustion they felt seemed to vanish.
"Have you eaten lunch?" Myrcella asked Emmelyn and Maxim softly.
They both nodded. Earlier that day they had captured a game and ate it. Besides, they were too anxious to eat anything. They wanted to get answers as soon as possible.
"We did. Thank you, Your Grace," Maxim said politely. "We will have the tea, please."
Myrcella nodded at Tides and the old butler efficiently poured tea into the additional two cups that he suddenly had in his hands.
"You can call me, Grandma," Myrcella smiled at Maxim.
Her words made Maxim hiccup again. He stole a glance at Emmelyn, trying to gauge her reaction. Emmelyn pretended not to notice how Myrcella asked Maxim to call her grandma, confirming their familiar relationship.
She didn't want to make a scene and throw accusations at Maxim for covering up the truth from her. She was in a foreign place, and she didn't know anyone from here. So, she thought she had to be careful with what she said or did.
"I prefer to call you by 'Your Grace', if you don't mind." Maxim decided to keep a distance between him and the Leoraleis. He didn't come to take his bride. So, he didn't want to give the wrong first impression.
Maxim didn't know if his mother had told the Leoraleis that he refused the betrothal or not. Maude Ashborn had never gone back to Myreen anyway, after Catalina's death.
If the Leoraleis didn't know before, Maxim hoped he could make them understand his opinion about it today.
Too bad that girl wasn't home. Maxim would love to give her a piece of his mind.
This was modern times and people shouldn't be forced to marry anyone they didn't fancy or never even saw before. He thought she was just a mindless woman if she let other people, including her parents, tell her what to do.
That's why Maxim loved Emmelyn. She was a free spirit, just like himself, and she made things happen for herself. Emmelyn was amazing.
She didn't let anyone bind her in invisible shackles like most noblewomen who had to stay home and prepare themselves to marry any men their parents wanted.
Myrcella looked at Maxim deeply and then turned to Emmelyn. She was not stupid and could easily read the room. Her facial expression suddenly tensed up. "What is the reason for your visit?"
Emmelyn could feel the change in atmosphere and she realized Myrcella was offended by Maxim's words. This made Emmelyn feel nervous. She kicked Maxim's leg under the table, and with her eyes, she asked him to be more tactful.
Obviously, Myrcella treated them well because of whatever relationship Maxim and his mother had with the Leoraleis. Now that Maxim seemed to deny that, the queen changed her attitude. She became cold and distant.
From Myrcella's perspective, Loriel Ashborn, who was officially her granddaughter's fiance, only came here to break off the engagement and he brought with him the woman who became the reason for this one-sided decision on his part.
This made Myrcella feel upset as she looked at Emmelyn and Maxim together and saw how much the man adored the young woman he came with.
Myrcella was sad for her granddaughter, Elise, because she knew how much that girl loved her fiance. That foolish girl.
Elise was holding on to the betrothal with Loriel because that was her mother's last wish and she wanted to do it for her mother's sake.
Everyone knew how much Catalina and Maude loved each other like sisters and they hoped to see their children get married. Elise never met her mother because Catalina died shortly after giving birth to her.
She always longed for her mother and dreamed of someday fulfilling her last wish. Her marriage to Loriel was Elise's dream in life, but to Loriel it meant nothing whatsoever.
And how dare he came here today, flaunting on the woman he wanted to be with, and asked for the cancelation of his engagement to Elise?
"Max—uhm, Loriel just wanted to be respectful, Your Grace," Emmelyn quickly tried to break the ice. "He had not come to Myreen for a long time."
Myrcella turned to Emmelyn and looked her dead in the eye. "Please just tell me what you are here for. I don't have much time."
By then, Emmelyn realized they were no longer welcomed. So, she had to quickly explain the purpose of her visit before things got more awkward. She wanted to cuss Maxim for his stubbornness just now.
If only he tried to suck up a little bit, maybe Myrcella would still be kind to them.
"I-I came here because people said I was cursed by a Leoralei..." Emmelyn didn't beat around the bush. "It started two years ago after I got to know Maxim, uhm, Loriel here, and become friends with him. One by one, people I loved and cared about experience tragedy. My country was conquered, all my family members killed, and I have been homeless and an orphan ever since."
Myrcella's eyes bulged when she heard Emmelyn's blunt statement. "What did you say? Nobody in my family would do something like that to anyone. How could you accuse us of such a thing?"
Emmelyn's tears started dripping, even though she tried to shard to hold back from crying. This was not the time to cry about her life. She must be able to present her case clearly to Myrcella and touched her heart so she would help.
"I don't know, you tell me." She stood up and looked at Myrcella helplessly. "Look at me... I have three seers telling me that I am surrounded by a really dark aura and I am cursed with bad luck."
She added, "They said this was something that a Leoralei could do. That's why, I came here... to ask you, why a Leoralei would do this to me? What did I do to deserve this??"
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From Missrealitybites:
I know you must want to kick Maxim/Loriel in the head now. He could have been more tactful. Sigh.
PS: Thank you for the golden tickets!! OMG.. we are still #2. This is really mind-blowing. Thank you soo much!!
I will keep publishing 3 chapters per day or even more since I am feeling pumped this week.