When Anastasia arrived at the receiving hall, the Duke and Duchess were seated on one side of the room.
On the opposite side sat three strangers. From their attire, Anastasia could tell they worked in the palace.
"Father, Your Grace," Anastasia greeted her parents first, then acknowledged the presence of the strangers.
The Duchess nodded warmly but secretly twisted her handkerchief in annoyance. "When did this stupid girl learn to behave properly?" she wondered, disappointed that Anastasia had not made a mistake to leave a bad impression on the guests.
Elisabeth entered the room moments later. "Father, Mother," she greeted with a graceful smile, which froze when her gaze landed on the palace representatives seated on the other side.
Elisabeth had followed Anastasia to the receiving hall, suspecting the guests were related to her sister's proposed marriage. Curiosity burned within her, she wanted to see who Anastasia's future husband might be. However, confusion swept over her when she noticed the presence of a eunuch instead. Content orıginally comes from novęlfire.net
If the eunuch were of a low rank, Elisabeth would not have been alarmed. But this eunuch served the King directly, making his presence in their home akin to receiving the King himself. Only the King could command him. Moreover, the two women accompanying him held prestigious positions at court. The woman seated next to the eunuch was a lady-in-waiting to the Empress, and although Elisabeth was unsure of the third woman's rank, her placement suggested she was no less important.
"Why would Father summon only Anastasia for such distinguished guests?" Elisabeth wondered uneasily. By now, she no longer believed the visitors had come to propose marriage. A sinking feeling overtook her as she realized Anastasia might have gained their father's favor.
"This is my daughter, Anastasia," Duke Thompson introduced, glancing at Elisabeth momentarily. He had intentionally excluded her from the meeting, worried that her reaction would embarrass the family once she discovered Anastasia would marry the Crown Prince.
The eunuch and the lady-in-waiting directed their attention to Anastasia. Since she had never attended royal functions, this was their first meeting.
"Duke Thompson is blessed with a beautiful daughter," the lady-in-waiting remarked after a moment, her voice calm. The eunuch and the second woman nodded in agreement.
The Queen, dissatisfied with the King's decision to have her son marry the daughter of a mistress, had sent her trusted aides to assess what made Anastasia so special, especially since the King placed such importance on the union.
"Thank you," the Duke replied, accepting the compliment with a polite smile. He was relieved that Anastasia did not make any mistake since she stepped in.
"Duke Thompson, I'm sure you know why we are here today," the eunuch said, wasting no time on pleasantries. The king needed him to report back as soon as possible.
Elisabeth frowned as the eunuch continued without allowing her father to introduce her. By custom, the Duke should have introduced Elisabeth first as the eldest daughter, then her but the eunuch's omission felt like a humiliation.
"According to tradition, we are here to propose marriage between your daughter, Anastasia, and His Royal Highness, Prince Edward," the eunuch declared, oblivious to Elisabeth's rising anger. Even if he had noticed, it would not have mattered, his sole concern was carrying out the King's orders.
Elisabeth trembled at his words. Though she understood what he had said, it felt incomprehensible.
Shock rippled through the room. The servants, though trained to remain composed, were visibly taken aback. Even the Duchess, who was aware of the arrangement, clenched her fists in frustration.
"This marriage should unite the Thompson family with the royal family," the Duchess wanted to argue but dared not. She knew the eunuch represented the King himself.
Duchess Anita cursed her husband silently. When the royal representatives arrived, she had planned to spread the news that the royal family sought to marry a daughter of the house, allowing the public to assume Elisabeth was the chosen bride. This way, she could manipulate events in her daughter's favor without tarnishing her own reputation.
But her husband had summoned only Anastasia, creating unnecessary trouble for her.
While the Duchess had hoped to use Anastasia's lack of refinement to push Elisabeth forward, the eunuch's straightforward proposal had shattered her plans again.
If the eunuch had merely hinted at uniting the two families, the Duchess could have exploited the ambiguity. But his direct statement left no room for maneuvering, Anastasia was the chosen bride.
Anastasia felt bewildered. Though the Duke had informed her of the proposal, she had fully expected the Duchess to intervene and redirect the marriage toward Elisabeth before the royal family made it official.
"Could Father really be doing this to make up for his past wrongs?" Anastasia wondered, this thought made her feel loved by her father.
The eunuch ignored the tension in the room as he completed the formal proposal.
"We are honored," the Duke replied, accepting the proposal with grace. He had no choice; the King's decision was absolute.
The eunuch smiled and clapped twice. Four servants entered, bearing gifts. A marriage proposal was incomplete without the bride receiving gifts from her fiancé. The servants placed the gifts before Anastasia and quietly withdrew.
"I thank His Majesty for his grace," Anastasia said, accepting the gifts while feeling the Duchess's and Elisabeth's searing gazes upon her.
"Her Majesty, the Queen, has also sent Miss Magdalene, a lady-in-waiting from her court, to teach and prepare Lady Anastasia for her life in the royal family," the first lady-in-waiting announced, gesturing to the previously silent woman.
This revelation made the Duchess bite her lip hard. She had planned to warn the servants not to speak of what transpired in the hall, but the Queen's actions had rendered that effort meaningless.
"That old fool must have lost his mind," the Duchess fumed silently. She felt humiliated and powerless. The King's decision to send his eunuch made it clear how much he valued the union.
The marriage would elevate the Thompson family above even other dukes. Yet, for the Duchess, this honor bestowed on Anastasia instead of Elisabeth was unbearable.
And now, with the arrival of a lady-in-waiting, all of her carefully laid plans were undone.