Forgotten Wife

CHAPTER 5: THE VILLAIN AND THE VICTIM

Summer passed, giving way to the refreshing autumn. Rebecca continued to escape during the nights, she found it fun to walk through the gardens at night, especially since when winter came she would not be able to do so, her clothes were light and she did not have a coat, so when winter came she would have to stay in her room sheltering from the cold and wishing for spring to come again.

Rebecca had always hated winter, those months she always suffered from the cold, she wished it would be different now that she was no longer in Baldoyle's palace but she doubted it, the maids ignored her and when she complained she only received worse treatment, the maids stopped bringing her food, those days Rebecca would eat the fruit she hid until they decided to come back.

That had happened the times Rebecca had complained about the stifling heat in her room and again when she protested because they didn't bring her food, after that she stopped complaining for the sake of her stomach and even when she needed something she never asked for anything, she made do with what she had in her room.

Autumn passed in the blink of an eye, when winter came Rebecca had to give up her nightly walks, but from time to time, tired of her confinement, she would go out into the garden for a moment and then return.

One night while taking a walk in the garden Setherian saw her, he did not approach her, nor did he let her see him, he stood watching her from the shadows, seeing that she was barefoot and not wearing a coat but wrapped in a blanket he thought the princess was extravagant and then left. That winter was not as bad as it had been in the kingdom of Baldoyle for Rebecca, although she did not have proper winter clothes her room was kept nice and warm, she also had enough blankets to keep her warm.

When winter ended and spring began again Rebecca was happy that she would be able to take her evening walks again.

Rebecca was singing a song while looking out of her balcony window at the beautiful garden full of flowers when one of the maids came in.

-Princess, it's a nice day today, why don't you take a walk in the garden.

-Can I do that?

-Of course, His Majesty has given his permission.

Rebecca very excited left her room and went to the garden, she had been so excited that she forgot to put on her shoes, she only had one pair and they were uncomfortable, that's why she never wore them.

As she strolled through the garden she felt the fresh and soft grass under her feet, she walked for the first time in the sunshine enjoying the beautiful flower garden that shone brightly. Suddenly she heard a female voice speak to her, it was a beautiful brown haired woman, she was wearing a beautiful red dress that made her stand out among the white flowers in the garden. "She is a very beautiful woman," Rebecca thought as she saw her, she approached her.

-Are you Princess Rebecca Quin of the kingdom of Baldoyle? - Rebecca nodded her head in response, that woman laughed mockingly.

-I can't believe that my engagement to Setherian was broken by someone as insignificant as you.

-Who are you?- Rebecca asked.

-I'm Sarah Alessandrelli, I was his majesty's fiancée since we were young, we were supposed to be married a year ago, but because of you that didn't happen.

-I'm sorry-, Rebecca said without giving much importance to what the woman was saying.

Sarah was annoyed to see her indifference, she pushed her making Rebecca fall on the roses behind her, several thorns stuck in her skin, others in her bare feet as she struggled to get out. Sarah saw her enjoying her pain, Rebecca asked for help to the maid who had been accompanying her on her walk, however she did not lift a finger to help her, she said indifferently:

-I don't want to get hurt, it was your mistake to fall into the roses, go out on your own.

At that precise moment Rebecca realized what it was all about, it had been planned in advance, the maid was in cahoots with Sarah. Suddenly Sarah threw herself to the ground and started screaming desperately, Rebecca thought she had gone mad, not even she had screamed like that when she had fallen into the rose bushes.

Setherian who was passing by ran to the aid of the lady who was screaming, when he saw to Sarah he ran to her side and asked her what was wrong, she lied saying that the princess had thrown her to the ground and that by accident she had fallen into the rose bushes. Until that moment Setherian had not realized that Rebecca was entangled among the thorns, then he asked her.

-What happened here?

Before Rebecca could say a word, Sarah and the maid made up a story in which Rebecca was the bad guy and Sarah the victim, it was two against one, Setherian didn't even let her speak when she judged her.

-You are just like your family, cruel and ruthless, you are so well off in the palace that you think you have the right to trample on others, get out of my sight right now.

Rebecca laughed with irony, she had never been well off in that palace, trampling on others, she laughed at that term as it was the maids and that woman who was like a poisonous snake that trampled and hurt her, but he wouldn't believe her, no matter what she said he would think she was to blame. Rebecca got up, the thorns in her feet stuck even more and made her bleed, she walked away as fast as she could and went back to her room, when she arrived she removed all the thorns she could, however, there were some others she could not reach and she did not know how she would get them out.

Setherian took Sarah to the palace, after giving her a cup of tea to calm her down he sent her back home and sent for the butler.

-Send for a physician to see the princess.

-Immediately, your majesty.

The butler carried out the king's orders without asking any questions.