King Fortem ventured early to Princess Majic's chamber, knocked on the door, but received no reply. After a while, he chose to enter and, upon doing so, discovered the young lady still fast asleep. A smile graced his face as she lay curled up like an embryo in a mother's womb, prompting him to take a moment to sit by her side. In her slumber, she appeared as an angelic being. He acknowledged that he faced a tough choice, yet perhaps distancing her from his presence for a while was the best he could do for her.
Princess Majic felt an observer's gaze, half-thinking it was a dream, but when her eyes fluttered open, she realized it was indeed the king; she startled.
"Calm yourself, I've come to change your bandages. Look, I've brought all the necessary supplies," the king said, his eyes bright and lively.
Observing the ointment, bandages, and healing implements at hand, Majic extended her arms. The king gently removed the dressing and was utterly astonished to find the young lady's hands as if nothing had transpired.
"It seems all is well, how can this be?" he uttered, bemused.
"I heal quickly, thankfully it was so this time too. I didn't want to trouble you to... feed me," the princess said, her voice laced with nerves.
"Well, it seems you no longer require my assistance. I'll call for the maids to help you," the king stated as he began to organize his departure.
"I'd prefer to get ready on my own, please. They often pull at my hair too much and lace my dress too tightly. My bones will thank you," the princess conveyed.
"I understand. You may. Perhaps I should change the dresses I ordered for you, they are quite light and..." the king pondered aloud.
"I like them. They're not heavy, and I can move easily," Majic interjected with enthusiasm.
"As you wish. I'll let you know when breakfast is ready," the king pronouced and exited Majic's room.
The young princess felt a surge of happiness; she had become comfortable in this place, and the king no longer filled her with fear. Perhaps, she mused, things were indeed changing for her.
Lady Marila's carriage drew up to the palace sooner than anticipated, but she had been summoned by the king's order and could not refuse. Rumors that Princess Majic had attempted to set Lady Zarila ablaze were rampant throughout the palace and the first tidings that greeted the refined noblewoman.
The monarch welcomed Lady Marila in his office, hopeful the noblewoman could understand and accept his request; for in the entire realm, it seemed an impossibility to find someone willing to educate his bride without mistreating the daughter of an enemy king. Lady Marila, with her just and prudent nature, may well be the sole person equal to the task, he hoped to persuade her.
Following customary greetings and once the king's request had been laid forth, a heavy silence fell upon the room. Lady Marila knit her brows and took a deep breath.
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but this order is quite difficult to obey, and I feel the princess has played the role of the innocent child well, somehow bewitching you on your wedding night. I cannot fathom how you've lost your sanity to such an extent and ask me this massive favor. Forgive my boldness, but it's inconceivable to me that you expect me to tutor that man's daughter, who possesses such ill nature, demonstrated immediately as she tried to burn Lady Zarila," Lady Marila stated, her tone severe.
"I understand your position, yet if you spend more time with Princess Majic, you will see she is not as you believe. Regarding the Lady Zarila incident, I am confident it was a mistake; I implore you, just a couple of days. Meet my wife, and you will witness the kind of person she truly is. If after a couple of days you still do not trust her, I shall no longer insist on your assistance," the king implored, his gaze unwavering and earnest.
Lady Marila breathed deeply, reflected for a moment, and met the king's gaze directly.
"If you insist, I will engage with her in a regular day's setting, observe her behavior, and thereafter, tell you my decision," Lady Marila conceded.
"That's all I ask for," the king replied with evident relief and gratitude.
He then invited Lady Marila to breakfast and along the way instructed the butler to have his wife join him in the dining room.
Princess Majic entered the dining room with a sense of excitement, having grown familiar with the king. Yet upon seeing Lady Marila seated, she timidly began to eat with her hands, albeit more slowly than usual.
"Princess, you should sit to eat, as you did yesterday with your hands bandaged," suggested the king.
Majic complied with a seat, continuing to eat with her hands as the king remained silent. However, this disturbed Lady Marila.
"Princess, do you not think this act is highly inappropriate? What are you trying to prove with such extravagant and disrespectful conduct?" Lady Marila questioned firmly. "Use your utensils and eat properly. How can I believe you lack table manners when you speak our language so fluently? It's a sign of your refined education."
Princess Majic stayed silent. The lady before her spoke of things she barely comprehended, her tone reminding her of her father's head servants, who'd strike her for failing to comply with their demands. Lowering her gaze and incapable of using the silverware, Majic stopped eating altogether, though her stomach continued to rumble with hunger.
"Princess, tell Lady Marila why you know the language of this kingdom, as you told me yesterday," the king interjected, his demeanor calm.
"My mother spoke this language; I learned from her," uttered the princess sheepishly.
"Absurd, Queen Tiurname would never possess the skill to learn another tongue; do not be deceitful," Lady Marila chided with disdain.
"That woman is not my mother," Majic cried out, pained by the accusation.
"If you are King Carpio's daughter, she must be your mother. Stop this nonsense; the audacity of this girl is astounding," snapped an exasperated Lady Marila, rising to leave.
"I am the daughter of Queen Karoly, the first wife of King Carpio," declared Princess Majic.
The young lady dashed to her room without asking leave, surprising all, but what truly astonished them was the king's lack of reprimand. He was immersed in thought, the name Queen Karoly stirring a sensitive history linked to the young girl's past.
In contrast, Lady Marila remained astounded. She recalled the last reports, from eight years prior, of Queen Karoly being condemned for treason and sentenced to the gallows. Although she knew of a daughter's existence, the child was thought to have perished shortly after her mother, never seen in the palace or at any royal functions again.
"She must be fourteen years old; she cannot possibly be Queen Karoly's daughter," Lady Marila muttered, agitated.
"She is sixteen and seems to have spent eight years locked in a forgotten tower of the Susumira Palace, under dreadful conditions," the king revealed.
Lady Marila slumped into her seat, unable to stand. The realization hit her: the girl she despised ever since setting foot in Fontana, for being King Carpio's daughter, was also the child of her half-sister Karoly, which made her her niece and the only living family she had left.
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