1705. Luck had never been on Eleanora Finley's side. After her father died in a tragic fire, she was left at the mercy of her domineering and abusive mother, being deprived of all love and affection.
Truly, who would have thought that the simple red...
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1711, Aethiel Palace, Kestramore City
"Will you be a fool too?" the Queen asked, her eyes filled with scrutiny.
Eleanora blinked in shock, having never being asked such a question before. "No, of course not, Your Majesty," she answered obediently, trying as best as she could to calm down her erratic heartbeat.
The Queen hummed in delight, her slender fingers still stroking Eleanora's long gold-red hair fondly. Then, those cold brown eyes flickered towards Dinah Finley, who awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, begging to be addressed.
"That is your mother ?" she asked Eleanora, to which she nodded to.
The Queen's lips curved upwards. "You are very fortunate that you look nothing like her," she said, gesturing to Dinah Finley's dirt flecked platinum blonde hair and vacant blue eyes. "The Finley good looks have passed on to you, it seems."
Eleanora was unsure whether this was a good thing or not, but before she could even react, the Queen continued, "Nora, I believe you are still unmarried ?"
She nodded. Most Ravaeri girls were married off at seventeen, so it was no surprise that the fifteen-year-old Eleanora was still unmarried.
"My son, the Crown Prince is searching for a bride," the Queen said forthright, not bothering to beat around the bush.
"You are of my blood, my brother's daughter. And furthermore, you carry the Finley name. I would rather see him marry you than some other snobby young lady."
The distaste in the Queen's tone was evident, and her fingernails dug into the pillow that she held, tearing the pillow case into shreds. Queen Isabel's hatred was not baseless, however.
Over twenty years ago, the kingdom was in a state of shock after the the Crown Prince announced his intention to marry her, a mere scullery maid at that time.
Even after she became queen, those noble ladies would jeer at her and badmouth her behind her back. And of course, those noble ladies went on to have children, young ladies who grew up to be as unbearable as their mothers.
The initial disapproval towards her faded over time, but Queen Isabel was a bitter, vengeful person.
How disappointed those jaded halfwits must be after finding out that the next queen shall also be a Finley, and furthermore, her own niece ?
"Your Majesty, that would be such a great honour," Eleanora lied through her teeth, faking a grateful smile. "But I am afraid that I would not be up for the task-"
"Do not refuse Her Majesty, " the lady-in-waiting from earlier reprimanded, cutting off Eleanora midsentence.
Eleanora noticed that Queen Isabel's expression had soured, so she did not dare to utter another word.
