[√]Lady of the White Rose

24: The Royal Palace

VESPER

It's a good thing that Aidan accepted my request without asking too much. I only told him the name of the person he'll be going to find. Aya helped me describe Ashley's features upang mapabilis ang paghahanap nito.

Her name is Ashley De Blaine. The eldest daughter of the De Blaine house and tho she's the eldest she cannot inherit the family just because she's a woman. The De Blaine household was known to be a patriarchal family ever since its foundation. And an eldest daughter cannot possibly inherit it. Her brother, Aaron De Blaine is the one her family declared to be the official heir.

But Ashley demonstrated a once in a lifetime talent of being a genius in both magic and swordmanship. A magic swordsman. She instantly became the star in her family, giving her all the love, attention, and support she always craves when she was younger.

She worked hard, harder than anyone else and became so great that people forgotten about her brother. People claim that she will undoubtedly become the first female to inherit the De Blaine family, a Marchioness, the one to break her family's traditional.

But something unexpected happened. In a single night her talent vanished like smoke in thin air. Yesterday, she's like a blooming flower but the next day she withered. Without a trace of how she used to be. All her hard worked disappeared in one night. And that was because...

"Of the blessing you gave her?" Taas kilay kong tanong kay Aya na ngayon ay hindi na makatingin sa akin. "You're kind of cruel in that part."

"When I gave her that blessing was before she was even born! I love all my children and when I gifted her that that was with the thought of love and her future! It's her family's fault for not accepting who she is." Pag-a-alburuto nito sa isang tabi habang nakanguso.

She's not cute at all. She's kind of creepy if you ask me since she's in the form of a lizard.

"So what happened to her?" When Aidan left a while ago, Aya told me everything about Ashley and the reason why she's so eager to let me find her. She said that just like she told me the first time we met, Ashley is the same as me. Blessed by her but with a different kind of blessing.

"Disowned by her family," Aya's voice was laced by bitterness and sadness kaya naman hindi na ako nagtanong pa. Hindi man ako nakakarelate sa pinagdadaanan niya, dahil walang ibang pinaramdam ang pamilya ko sa akin kung hindi pagmamahal. They accepted me for who I am and what I am not.

But if I put myself in her shoes, if father, Kuya Iklis and Kuya Kaido will disowned me, I think I'll be beyond broken.

The next two weeks was spent with preparation for a ball. Not too grand but not too small either. Only a few families will be invited dahil na rin nag-iingat kami dahil nga sa sunod-sunod na pagtangka sa buhay ko.

We can't afford to have a lot of guest because of the danger of my safety but we can't also postponed the ball since in this event, I will be announced as the temporary head of the Frontera Dukedom. However, before that happen I must pay a visit to the Royal Palace first to greet His Majesty and Her Majesty.

How burdensome.

"You should go," napatingin ako kay Aya na parang may ari ng kwarto ko dahil nakahilata ito sa kama ko. Inaayusan ako ngayon ng iilang maid kasama si Abby. Mabilis ko silang pinalabas upang makausap ko si Aya ng tahimik.

"Bat parang sure na sure ka na kailangan kong pumunta?"

"Makakahanap ka ng clue sa mga problema mo kapag pumunta ka sa palasyo. I can feel that darkness was looming over there."

Napaisip naman ako sa sinabi nito. If Aya says so, then maybe I can find something when I go there. But why the palace? It's the first time that I think about that place being connected with everything that's going on with our family.

Malalim ang iniisip ko sa buong byahe hanggang sa makarating kami sa palasyo. Buong third squad ang kasama ko at iilang maid. Aya is with me also.

Nang makarating kami sa palasyo ay nagpaalam si Aya na mag-iikot daw ito. Mag-iimbestiga in other words. While I went straight to the throne room to greet the King and Queen.

"Vesper Frontera from the Frontera Dukedom presents herself in front of the Sun and Moon of the Kingdom. Your Majesty the King and Your Majesty the Queen, may the blessing of the Goddess of Time and Justice be upon you." Itinaas ko ang hem ang aking damit at yumuko sa harap nilang dalawa.

The last time I saw them was when I attended the foundation ball last year with my family. The Queen was still as dazzling and elegant as I remembered her to be. With warm doe eyes, fair complexion, bright red lips that mesmerized both men and women whenever it arcs to form a smile, and her light blue eyes...

Light blue eyes? I think I've seen that same eyes somewhere before, but I can't remember.

"Please raise your head," agad ko namang sinunod ang utos ng hari. "Congratulations for being the temporary head of the Frontera Dukedom, Lady Vesper."

"Thank you -"

"So, when are you going to get married? Women can't possibly have all the time in their life to lead a family since they also need to take care of the internal duties. You need a man to lead you or your family will fall."

What? What the hell is he talking about? I was really surprised when he suddenly cutted my words off. And the way he stares at me reminds me of a certain someone I don't even want to remember. That stupid magician.

Pareho sila ng mga mata ng hari. Tho the king's eyes were more disgusting than his. Pakiramdam ko, hindi ako tao sa harap niya kung hindi isang insekto.

"If you don't have anyone in mind, I know a lot of young gentlemen that's up to your standards, My Lady. Great at swordmanship with a handsome face."

I feel like he's saying that I'll throw myself at anyone who's handsome. Pinigilan kong huwag magreak ng basta-basta. I bite the inside of my cheek and swallowed hard. I must endure all the insults -

"It's really a shame that the next head of the Frontera is a woman. It'll be a different thing if it's a man but I guess they're done for. Should they have chosen someone from the branch family, somone who isn't a woman. They're sure will meet their doom sooner or later, right Dominique?" Kausap nito sa right hand man niya.

Dominique fix his glasses, glance at me over his shoulder and face the king once again. "I'm not too sure, Your Majesty."

"Eh? Have you ever heard of a woman leading a family before that didn't fell in the end?"

"That -"

"C'mon, there's nothing to worry. Frontera is done for, Duke Vallerian and his beloved son are missing. Additionally the heir, Kaido Von Frontera was long been buried 6 feet beneath the ground!"

Halos manginig ang mga kamay ko sa pagpipigil ko sa sarili kong huwag sumagot ngunit nang banggitin nito ang pangalan ni Kuya Kaido na namayapa na ay hindi na ako nakapagpigil pa.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, but I cannot let all the insults you've thrown to my family slide and I can't also allow you to further insult them. I will not get married, thank you for your concern and my family will never, ever fall in my generation. I swear it, on my honor, on my blood and on the Goddess. Frontera Dukedom will not fall."