A carriage with two emblems, one for the Thorin family and another for the crown prince rushed through the streets of Doria in the afternoon. At it’s front was a large towering man with white hair that was flying through the wind as his horse galloped wildly, frightening those that were walking and other horses that were trotting at a slow pace.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the gates of the royal castle, as soon as the knights that were guarding the castle guards saw the emblems, they opened the gates and the carriage slid through with ease.
It came to a stop in the orchid wing, the residential area of the secondary consort in the castle. The large man dismounted and it’s door was opened.
Two red knights were thrown out, startling the three chambermaids that were passing by, one of them screamed at the sight of the knights, each had only one arm and bruises on their faces.
One more person was thrown out of the carriage, the governess of the secondary consort.
The scream from one of the maids attracted the attention of other knights whose duty it was to protect the secondary consort. They came running and their jaws dropped at the sight of their fellow knights.
Their eyes bulged when they saw the governess, she was in an even sorrier state than the two knights. A well dressed Lanai stepped out of the carriage. The knights gripped the hilts of their swords and waited to identify the reckless person that had dared to touch the secondary consort’s people.
Lanai drew back the hood of the cloak covering her head and revealed her face. There was no reaction from the small gathering crowd of knights and servants, she was Sigrid’s maid, it was not abnormal that they did not recognize her.
"Who are you?" one of the knights asked.
Lanai did not respond, she reached into the carriage and retrieved a full blood soaked bed sheet, it was still wet and drops of blood fell to the ground.
She looked at one of the chamber maids, walked to her and stuffed the bloody bed sheet in her arms.
"Tell the secondary consort that the crown princess has sent her what she asked for."
With those words, she turned around and entered the carriage, Cosmos mounted his horse and they set off, leaving the castle.
The secondary consort’s people were mortified however, this was obviously a hidden threat of some kind.
"Governess Lim, someone run and find a royal doctor." One of the maids shouted.
The knights carried the injured knights away and run in the direction of the royal hospital that was on castle grounds. Others, carried the governess and did the same, but they all knew it was hopeless, no magic on Eldoria could re-grow a limb.
The chamber maid that had been given the bloody bed sheet rushed in the direction of the main castle where the secondary consort was at the moment. She and the king were soaking in the hot springs.
After making her way through all of the king’s knights, she finally found the secondary consort. Consort Rina and the king were enjoying the hot springs, she was half dressed and massaging his shoulders.
It was not difficult to see why the king was enchanted by her, she was trained in the art of seduction. At seventeen, she had been sold to a madam that owned the enchanting parlor, the most famous brothel in Eldoria.
When madam Francis took a look at her features, she knew that she had discovered a gem. For two years, Rina underwent training in all the ways to bewitch a man and when she was nineteen, madam Francis unveiled her to the world.
Her unveiling was done through a dance known as the blossoming moon flower. That night, the king just happened to have some business to attend to in the enchanting parlor, he saw Rina dancing and he fell in love.
He bought her immediately, paying three hundred thousand gold to madam Francis. Rina’s records in the enchanting parlor were destroyed, almost all of the people that knew who she was were killed off secretly.
She was given a new identity as an orphaned commoner’s daughter. It just so happened that the position of secondary consort was available and the king gave it to her.
Many years had passed but Rina continued to hold onto the heart of the king, sinking her claws into him deeper and deeper. This was why she acted haughty, the king’s love had given her the right to do so.
"Your highness, she is here." A knight announced.
The maid was not allowed to get close to them, she could only keep a distance and fall onto her knees.
"Speak." the king ordered.
He and the consort had already been informed that a chamber maid was looking for the consort urgently, as annoying as it was that their private time was being infringed on his consort had insisted on allowing the maid to enter.
The maid revealed the blood soaked bed sheet. "Consort Rina, the crown princess had her people send this over. Her maid said that this is what you asked for."
Consort Rina removed her hands from the king’s shoulders and she looked at the bed sheet, at the moment it was folded in the shape of a crooked ball.
"Is that the proof of consummation between the crown prince and princess, unfold it." she commanded.
The maid trembled as she got up and exposed the entire bed sheet, it was formerly white but now red, every inch of it dyed with blood.
"What,,what is this?" Consort Rina asked. "Why is there so much blood?"
The maid fell to her knees again. "Consort, your highness, the crown princess.....the crown princes...." she squeaked as if she was frightened.
A red knight took over from the maid.
"Your highness, the crown princess amputated all of the people that the secondary consort sent, including two red knights. This bed sheet is soaked in their blood, governess Lim is on her last breath."
They all fell silent, afraid to speak or breathe for fear that they would anger the king or consort and lose their heads, it was hard to tell how they would react to this news after all.
Consort Rina let out a scream suddenly and she slapped the water.
"That bitch...your highness, my governess. How could she do that to my governess?" she cried out.
King Raff eyebrows shot up, his consort was crying about her governess and he could have cared less about that. He was more bothered by the fact that Sigrid Thorin had dared to amputate two red knights.
"The knights?" he queried.
"Your highness, the crown princess sent them back alive but she requests that you behead them immediately. They barged into her private chambers with swords intending to murder her and the crown prince on the orders of their master the secondary consort. She says that it happened in the presence of so many witnesses and she is afraid that word of this will travel beyond the walls of the vale soon." The knight relayed words which Cosmos had said before departing.
King Raff threw his head back and laughed. Sigrid Thorin was truly not to be trifled with, she was indirectly forcing his hand; asking him to choose between Rina and the red knights.