Aiden waved away the smoke with his hand, just as Raven did, but to his misfortune, the man had chosen to flee rather than stay and fight, presumably because he feared capture.
"You never told me being your fiancee would cause trouble."
"I didn't expect it to be this way; it seems someone is very keen on tarnishing your reputation."
"Yes, I've heard the rumors about me. I hope you'll handle this."
Even though she tries to ignore it, she doesn't appreciate being the subject of such an offensive gossip.
"I'm on it, though I have an inkling of who it might be, I need proof."
Otherwise, he is powerless to act against this person. Aiden takes her hand to bring her along as he notices their guards have followed them with the carriage in tow.
"Come on, get in. Let's do something to further vex that person."
"What? Listen, this will cost you more."
Raven climbs into the carriage. If he indeed has a plan, that's fine with her, so she won't be bothered when she needs to go out for herbs. The carriage makes its way to the palace. Upon dismounting, Aiden asks Lady Jones to escort Raven to get changed; she must wear a fine dress, as his plan is to drop in unexpectedly on the tea party the empress is currently hosting. Reluctantly, Raven follows Lady Jones, who shows her various dresses, but Raven finds all of them too lavish, especially for an afternoon event.
When she emerged, Aiden was taken aback; while the dress was somewhat revealing, it suited her perfectly. He knew Raven always had a bold taste in clothing but managed to command respect, and he recalls how she never showed interest in anyone, focusing solely on her potions until peace was restored, and she retreated to a distant place. Aiden offers his hand to lead her to the patio where the empress is holding her meeting, intending to appear unaware of the guests; they enter hand in hand, feigning laughter and flirtation. The empress and her attendees notice their presence immediately, Daisy in particular, who glares at Raven with annoyance.
"Oh! Mother! My apologies, I didn't realize there was a gathering, I was simply showing Miss Raven the beautiful garden. But this is a good opportunity for you to meet her."
Raven steps forward in her revealing little purple dress, adorned with matching decorations and earrings, and greets the empress with a slight bow and a smile.
"It's an honor to meet you. The prince has spoken highly of you. Raven Green at your service, your majesty."
The empress scrutinized her from head to toe, clearly not impressed, perhaps Daisy was right about her not being suitable. Daisy approached with a smile.
"Miss Green, a pleasure. You must feel out of place among so many noble ladies, but don't worry."
"Not at all, I'm just a bit nervous, being in front of the empress. After all, she will be part of my family when the prince and I marry."
She took hold of Aiden's arm, and he smiled warmly at Raven, which aggravated Daisy.
"Well, it's not an official engagement yet, we don't know what will happen."
The empress interjected to express her disapproval.
"Don't worry about that, I know the prince loves me and I love him dearly, I'd never leave him."
"That's right, mother. Raven and I are very happy and if not for the formalities, we would have married instantly."
Aiden hugged Raven affectionately, who merely smiled at the gesture. It’s exhausting to keep up such an act, but seeing Daisy's expression, Raven senses that playing lovers with the prince could prove to be an amusing game.
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