The Fifth Guardian

Chapter 23

ARISTIA'S POV

I was already up before sunrise, I was just walking around the garden behind the castle. It was quiet and beautiful, but the peace got disrupted when I heard someone call for me.

"Lady Aristia" I heard someone say, I looked at the direction it was coming from and much to my surprise it was Lady Casindra with some other ladies following behind her. I just stood there as they approached me, giving them my fakest smile.

"Fancy seeing you here, would you like to join us for tea?" Lady Casindra says, and I felt like that wasn't a question because I didn't have a choice. With the recent incident I have to at least show that I like her so that they leave me alone.

"I would love to", I simply said, and she wrapped her hand around my arm and gently tugged me towards the greenroom. I somewhat feel like this was a bad idea, not only do I hate tea, but I can't handle long fake conversations with Ladies who clearly hate me.

"Your highness If I may be so bold, I would like to clear the air. I know I may have been Lord Raynar's betrothed doesn't mean I hate you because he married you. He explained to me and since we were friends from childhood, I couldn't hold any grudge against you or him. I would like to apologize for the incident that happened last night" she said, she sounds very genuine. I somewhat understand her, where she's coming from. So, they have known each other for a long time, she looks so beautiful and graceful as well.

"No worries, Lady Casindra, I'm glad I have met you. I have no doubt you would capture someone else who is worthy of your beauty" I said, and she giggled and so did the other ladies. We then conversed freely about anything under the sun, it was nice talking to her. I never touched my tea, also because I just realized that the teacup, she was using was something my skin is not fond of. Most tea sets are made with Lead and Cadmium, in which if I touch it or use it to drink something. I tend to get hives around my lips and on my fingertips. Thankfully no one noticed I wasn't drinking my tea. I'm pretty sure no one here knew about this and can't really assume they did it on purpose. Little by little the other ladies left in which left me and Lady Casindra alone. I was watching the birds flying inside the greenroom.

"You should leave" I heard her say, I didn't realize it was already afternoon, so I was about to stand up but when I looked at her. Her facial expression changed, there was so much hatred and anger.

"You don't know him like I do, I know his pains and how to make him happy. You? You're an outsider. Just leave, you'll be doing everyone a favor", her voice even changed from being soft spoken to aggressive and dark. I was shocked to see her demeanor changed to a completely different person.

"You could have had any man, but you chose him. Someone else's fiancé, you're a whore just like your mother" she said once again, I was getting angry that she was insulting my mother now. But I took a deep breath and stooped up to walk away but when she stood up with me, she grabbed the teacup that was right in front me and poured it on herself. She started sobbing, I was so confused about what she was playing at until I heard people coming in the greenroom. I turned around and saw the guardians and one of the ladies that was just here with us.

"I'm sorry my lady, I was too late! I should have known she would stoop this low" the other lady said as she was helping Lady Casindra to clean herself. I turned around and was about to say my side of the story.

"She got mad when I told her I had known Lord Raynar since we were children. She told me I should leave and when I refused, she poured the tea over me" Lady Casindra just said, and I was just looking at her. I never thought she would do this, Lord Val was quiet, Lord Lael had this concerned look on his face. My brother was looking at me, he knew me. I try to move away from trivial problems, but Lord Raynar had this look on his face. I started hearing more people talking as they came into the greenhouse and saw what was going on. Lord Raynar pulled out a handkerchief and gave it to her, I looked away because that gesture means he believes her over me. But of course, they've known each other for a while now.