377: Arrived At The Palace

Arrived At The Palace

After three days, Commander Loyset's troop reached the palace uneventfully, without any interference from Prince Arlan's side.1

Although the entire situation had been kept highly confidential, with only the King's closest confidants being informed, the influential families in the vicinity had sensed that something was amiss. The sudden deployment of the King's forces and the Commander of Knights leading the mission had not gone unnoticed.

One of the King's closest acquaintances and friends, Marquise Ahren, was privy to the situation and tasked with handling related matters. Preparations for the Crown Prince's residence had been entrusted to him.

"Your Highness, the commander's troop has entered the capital," Imbert informed Arlan, who was still at Wildridge Manor.

Arlan's response was one of silence, his gaze growing colder as he clenched his fists. He appeared displeased yet powerless.

"Have our operatives monitor her. When the time is right, I will take action," Arlan declared.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Just like Alex, Imbert also pondered why Arlan was so reluctant to accept his betrothed, but he chose to keep his thoughts to himself. Alex had relayed the Prince's earlier response, leaving Imbert to wonder about the hidden meaning behind those words.

Was Arlan's betrothed going to harm him in some way? Imbert knew Oriana well and believed she could never intentionally harm Arlan. However, given the change in their relationship and Oriana's apparent anger toward the Prince, it seemed she wouldn't hesitate to hurt him.

Imbert recognized that Oriana was a woman with a strong character and challenging to handle

-----

At the palace, Oriana was guided to a guest mansion with stringent security measures in place. Apart from the specially appointed personnel, no one was allowed to approach the guest mansion, and they were strictly forbidden from divulging any information to outsiders.

Oriana, dressed in an exquisite gown and a veil covering the lower half of her face, descended from the carriage. The servants assigned to welcome her dared to sneak glances at her, aware of her status as the Crown Princess. To their surprise, they were unable to see her face, but her eyes and the upper half of her visage hinted at her extraordinary beauty. Her long hair cascaded gracefully, and her elegant travel attire accentuated her slender, alluring figure.

"Your Highness, welcome to the palace," all the servants greeted her simultaneously. Behind her veil, Oriana clenched her teeth, averse to being addressed in such a manner. She loathed the association with the Prince, yet she couldn't take her anger out on the servants who were merely performing their duties.

A middle-aged servant stepped forward and introduced himself, "Greetings, Your Highness. I am Astral Barlow, the butler of this mansion. I am here to serve you."

Oriana regarded the man and offered a simple nod. She was then led into the mansion, with a few lady servants closely following her; they would serve as her ladies-in-waiting.

Her grandfather was escorted to a room where the royal physician and his apprentice were already in attendance to tend to him. Once Oriana ensured her grandfather's safety in the care of the royal physician, she was led to her own room, where the female servants were ready to assist her.

Before she retired to her room, Commander Loyset respectfully addressed her, saying, "Your Highness."

Oriana regarded him with a quizzical expression. It seemed that even this man was now addressing her with the title instead of simply calling her Miss Verner.

'Miss Verner sounded much better than this title, which associates me with that jerk.'

She kept her thoughts to herself and listened as he continued, "Please take some rest. In the afternoon, I will be here to accompany you to meet His Majesty. He wishes to see you."

Upon hearing this, Oriana felt a fresh wave of puzzlement, realizing that her concerns had multiplied. The King had known her as Arlan's aide, and now he would learn her true identity.

Sensing her apprehension, the commander spoke again, "His Majesty is aware of who you are. That is why, Your Highness, you must continue wearing the veil for the time being, until the palace's residents forget your previous identity. Only the servants seeing your here, will be able to see your face."

Oriana nodded, contemplating, 'I must remain calm and composed and tolerate these people for the time being. I can only comply with their wishes.'

Just like any other Crown Princess, Oriana was provided with personal servants who attended to her every need. While she wasn't accustomed to such treatment and typically conducted herself as a noble lady, her time among royals and nobles had taught her how to navigate these situations.

"Your Highness, the bath is ready," her servant informed.

Oriana nodded and promptly removed her veil. It had been suffocating for her, as she wasn't used to wearing it.

The moment she unveiled her face, the three female servants, who were ready to assist her, froze in place as if they had witnessed something astonishing.

Oriana raised an eyebrow and looked at them, curious if there was something amiss with her appearance.

"What's the matter?" she inquired.

The servants quickly regained their composure, and one of them stammered, "Y-Your Highness, you are exceptionally beautiful."

"I know," Oriana replied matter-of-factly and proceeded toward the bath, leaving the servants flabbergasted. They hastily followed her.

Oriana couldn't wait to shed the bothersome gown and don her usual attire.

The servants couldn't help but think to themselves, 'She is incredibly beautiful. A beauty worthy of standing by our Crown Prince's side. It's no wonder she's the chosen one, and our Crown Prince hasn't accepted any other woman to date. We must serve her diligently and keep her content.'

As Oriana emerged from the bath, feeling rejuvenated and free from the weariness of the journey, the servants busily prepared her. Entrusting everything to them, her mind was preoccupied with planning her next steps.

'Whatever the King requests of me today, I must present my own demands to him as well. I will only comply when he accepts my terms.'

pqdm.com