THRONE:Bloody Strings Of Love.

Choking on pride

"No matter how I look at it...it is the same—same scent, same colour and same size too..."

Calista trembled from anger as she clenched the rose that she received hours ago. What Rosette said really ticked something off which was unusual. Was she doubting her fiancè? No way.

"He would—couldn't do that! It must be that wench!"

It didn't take too long for Calista to go from 'lady' to 'wench'.

"Nonsense! Axel could never. It must be her!  She must've tried to seduce my...fian...ce?"

Calista trailed off as another thought came to her mind. 'Even if it's not true..then why and how did he gave me the same flowers that were supposed to grow only in the imperial garden. And why did Rosette did that actions..as if she was mimicking Axel..'

drip...drip..

Blood oozed out from Calista's hand as she clenched and crumpled the rose in her hand as if she wasn't feeling slightest bit of pain. More as if the pain she was feeling was nothing compared to the rage she felt towards that 'wench'.

"My lady!"

Matilda's worried voice was heard as she ran towards Calista and took her hand in her own. She tried to take away the rose but Calista didn't opened her fist. "My lady, let go! You will hurt yourself."

No response. Calista merely stared blankly nowhere. Matilda slightly shook her, trying to bring her master to her senses. "Lady Calista! Are you alright? Please answer me!"

Yet no response. To a third person present in the room, Calista would look like a mental patient. With the kind of blank expression on her face and the blood coming from her hand that stained her dress, she was looking like a psychopath.

"Calista Dalton!"

Slowly turning her head to her maid, Calista let go off the rose as it fell down on her lap. Opening her fist, she noticed how a thorn had got inside her skin.'You really are getting under my skin..'

[One and a half year later]

Everytime at a gathering or at some social events, where Calista and Rosette met the air seemed to get heavy. Since last year, an interesting rumour had started to float around the noble society: The Lady of  the Dalton and  and Lady Broffet seemed to be at odds. Heavy tension arises when these two beauty are present in the same room.

"Bullshit."

Was what Calista summed it up as when this rumour reached her ears. But what gave it more spice was when suddenly the house of Marquise Broffet gained the favour of the imperial family from the Empress's side. In the name of how the empire gained a lot of profit by the heavy export of jewels and precious stones found at the mines of the North-west states. Of course, that was the reason of the attention until another rumour spread that Lady Rosette has been seen visiting the palace since past two weeks.

"Three visits since the last two weeks, my lady."

A servant reported as Calista looked up from her book. Her eyes now didn't held that soft and kind look which was there before. Right now, there was only an invisible look of rage as she closed her book with a loud sound. Walking towards her built-in closet, she ordered Matilda,

"Matilda, get me a dress—the fanciest one that I've got."

"Oh, and it should be red—deep red."

"Yes...my lady."

[At the imperial palace gate.]

"Stop the carriage."