It is the season for love and murder in the court of Ravaeryn.
After a chance encounter one winter night, Lady Catarina de Fontaine had fallen hopelessly in love with Julian, the Crown Prince. However, upon discovering his untruthfulness, she immedi...
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1711, Opera d'Ghislaine, Kestramore City
As the night fell, the gates of the Aethiel Palace opened up to let the three royal carriages pass, leaving nothing but dust in their tracks.
The carriages were painted black, cerulean blue and gold, the colours of House de Lavilliers. Gold was extremely significant to the people of Ravaeryn-- it was a symbol of wealth and status, and in a kingdom, who would stand tall above them all ?
Of course, it would be the royal family. In Ravaeryn, only House de Lavilliers had gold as their symbolic colour, while the other houses were forced to choose other colours. To illustrate, House de Fontaine's colours are black and burgundy, while House le Prince's colours are white and sky blue.
The first carriage only carried three people-- the Crown Prince, his sister the Princess Royal, and their cousin, the Duke of Devereaux. The three initially got along well in their childhood, and they spent their days creating havoc and chaos inside the palace, with mud staining their hands and the sun shining on their faces, but it all came to an abrupt halt when the late Prince Anatole and his consort, Nicholas's mother, Princess Morgana Antonia died from the plague that swept the Kestramore City.
After the death of his parents, the young Duke was sent to the cold and bitter Devereaux. Nicholas initially reciprocated Julian and Demitria's letters, but eventually, they stopped coming altogether.
"I heard that you scored a great victory against the Amarisians, Cousin," Princess Demitria began awkwardly. "Perhaps they will finally stop reaching for our regions and tend to their own matters.."
"We haven't won. It would be foolish to think so," Nicholas retorted rather cruelly, causing Demitria to go completely silent.
Without her trying to initiate conversations, the entire journey went on wordlessly, and not a single sentence was uttered by the three of them.
Things were much different in the second carriage.
"Oh dear, that shade of rouge does not suit you at all, Lady le Comte. You better wipe it all off," Cosmina Breckenridge cried out exasperatedly while tossing a white handkerchief at Jessamine.
The female general frowned as she picked up the handkerchief on her lap and lightly dabbed her red lips.
"Lady de Fontaine said that it looked fine," she replied sourly.
"Lady de Fontaine does not know what she is talking about," Cosmina declared. "She hasn't seen a cosmetic box in ages, and I suspect she's gone mad."
Catarina, who was applying kohl under Eleanora's eyelids, abruptly stopped to scowl at Cosmina. "I can still hear you. This carriage isn't that big, if you haven't noticed yet."
