The Blackmail® [Complete]

Chapter Thirteen

I have never thought I would ever look this beautiful. If my mother saw me now, she wouldn't believe I was her daughter. Granted I was a nervous wreck but, somehow I feel good about how I look. I am wearing a baby blue dress, with bell sleeves and tiny navy blue floral details all over the dress. It has a tiny sash on the waist and it flowed all the way past my ankles, showing only a little bit of my navy coloured stilettoes. I added a pair of tiny silver earrings and an equally tiny silver bracelet. I look like a princess.  

"You look like a princess!" Taylor gushed as I catwalked before her. If only I could still my racing heart. "Ovian would be here soon to take us to the palace." Taylor came around to tuck a strand of my hair back into the ponytail style that she had done for me. "Don't worry, you are very beautiful. Ovian will be pleased."

I roll my eyes, "If only I can have the same effect on the king and the council, and the queen and his siblings-"

Laughing Taylor says, "Stop it. You will go crazy if you don't. Just be your beautiful self and they will love you."

Jasper voice's came through the open door, "My ladies, my prince is here."

"We will be down shortly Jasper, thank you." Taylor calls back to him. "Come on let's go." She is wearing a pale yellow dress that compliments her very tanned skin. She looked beautiful too.

When I got to the foyer, Ovian is there waiting, looking more dashing than ever. He is wearing a very dark blue suit, with a white shirt that is open at his throat. He stood tall and handsome. I stopped a few feet away from him and look into his eyes, waiting for his reaction.

"My lady," he says simply, his eyes gleaming.

I look away. What were you expecting? You will do well to remember that you are just a means to an end and nothing more. I told myself and ask, "Are you ready?"

He nods and walks out ahead of me. I glance back to find Taylor grinning. I wait for her to fall in step with me and ask her why she's grinning.

"You two look so hot! I was just thinking along the lines of couple goals, power couple?"

"Be careful Taylor, you are building castles again."

"At least one of us should, else, life will be boring." She says.

Laughing, I get into the back of the limousine with Ovian while, Taylor rides with the others in the other car.

"What's funny?" Ovian asks as the car leaves the Manor behind.

"Nothing." I say, looking out the window.

And so we didn't say anything until we arrive at the palace. Our motorcade ride into the spacious palace grounds, and as soon as I get out of the car, I am faced with the most breathtaking structure I have ever seen. The first time I came to the King's city and saw the palace was when I was five. My mother had brought me here to see the Annual Palace Festival. It was so grand and exquisite, I remember being beside myself with excitement. Even now, the palace still stood majestically, but with additional buildings.

It boasted of several magnificent statues, most are legends and great men who have moulded our great Republic positively.

Ovian extends his elbow and I slip my arm into it and allow him lead me inside. I seem to have held on too tightly because I feel his gaze on me and he whispers, "Relax." Taking a deep breath, I do as he says. Rather than dwell on the inevitable, I decide to concentrate on admiring the palace.

As we moved along, people stopped to greet us, and I just knew I was smiling a lot, giving and accepting compliments. Soon, we arrive at a great carved door, which opened into a grandous hall. There were long tables on each side of the hall, with men of various ages seated around them. Beautiful crystals that glittered with lights, hang down from the very high sculptured ceiling, giving the hall a welcoming atmosphere. And of course, the gold throne, where sat the king of the Republic, Sebastian Lancaster, III. He is actually sixty-five years old but he looked eighty. Time has indeed dealt greatly with him. His piercing blue eyes which reminded me of the man beside me, peered up at us as we make our entrance.

Ovian left me to bow before his father, and greet the council members seated around, while I stand to one side, waiting for him, with a smile plastered on my face. The king gestures for him to bring me closer to him and Ovian, extends his hand. I take it, and after an assuring squeeze from him, I allow him take me forward.

When I got close enough, I curtseyed before the king. He merely waved his hand for us to sit down at a special place that had been set up for us, on the right side of throne.

As soon as we sat down, the questions began. These people wasted no time. Of course, one couldn't blame them, after all, its not everyday someone comes back from the dead.

"Lady Hawthorne, can you tell us how you came to be free of the disease that killed your father?" The question had come from a middle aged man who was peering at me through glasses that sat on his nose.

I cleared my throat and stand to my feet. "My Lord..." I asked, waiting for his name.

The man looks at me, then his colleagues, then looks back at me again, raising his brows.

I was about to respond anyway, when the king said impatiently, "Tell her your name!"

Obviously, taken offguard, the man says, "My name is Lord Brenton, now can you please answer the question."

"Thank you my Lords, my King." I curtseyed before I proceeded. "I must first thank you all for your benevolence towards my family during the time of our... er... health struggle. It was the worst time of our lives, especially after my father died. But I must say that, because of the nature of the disease my father had, everyone assumed I had it too."

There was a little murmuring. But I continued with the words I and Taylor had rehearsed countless times. "I say assumed because, no doctor diagnosed me. They just assumed that since my father had it, I must have it too and immediately shipped me off to some unknown place to supposedly take care of me. But you all left me for dead."

"That is outrageous!" Another one of the council shouted. "It is known that Tartan's disease is heriditory and fatal! Nobody has ever come back from it alive!" He said heatedly, while his colleagues nod their heads in agreement.

"My Lord, I do not doubt your great wealth of knowledge but since you are not a doctor, we have provided one. He will be here shortly to explain how that it is possible I am alive before you today. But in answer to your question," I returned my gaze back to Lord Brenton. "I was kept in a deary place, left for dead. A few days, I would get food, other days I would not. As we all know, the disease is supposed to kill its occupant barely three years after its discovery. But I was still alive four years later. It was the warden of the facility that eventually did a thorough diagnosis and found out that I didn't have the disease after all and so I was free to leave. And they sent me back to the Republic." I finished, my heart was beating widely, and my hands were shaking. I glance at Ovian and he nods his head. Just then the great doors open and the said doctor came in. The doctor had explained to Ovian earlier that the disease was not common in these parts anymore and its hereditary nature can skip two to three generations. So Ovian had asked him to come and explain it to the council. After the doctor's explanation, there was a great hush in the hall. Then the king spoke.

"My dear Charlotte, personally, I don't see what all the fuss about you being alive is," he rasps. "As if our council members would have preferred you were dead?" He asks them pointedly. He returned his bored gaze to me. "Anyway, I am glad that the legacy of my good friend and brother, Hawthorne, will continue through you. And I also pray that you will live long and healthy and bare healthy sons as well. On that note, I declare that your bethrothal to my son Ovian, is hereby reinstated and the wedding will hold one month from today." Then a loud trumpet was blown which signifies that the king has spoken and his word is final.

Hello!

I must say that so far, this is the hardest chapter I've written. It took me three whole days. I had to research and dig deeper into my imagination to create this chapter. 😥 😥 😥 

I also want to use this opportunity to apologize for my many many errors. Trying to write as fast as my mind unfolds this story, is a great task. So please, don't mind the grammar 😉 just nod in understanding and enjoy the story 😁

Thanks for taking the time to read❤❤❤

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