The Uninvited Princess ✔

Chapter 71

Chapter 71

It was a cold night. It seemed the storm had passed by the end of the day and all the palace was left with a mess from the destruction it reaped.

Pranee stood in the throne room next to Shashi beside many unfamiliar faces. Her fingers twisted the ends of the new wig that the emperor provided, waiting to see how the trial would unfold. It wasn't as large of a gathering as her trial but her heart raced by the second. Reza took his place on the throne and had worn more extravagant clothing to display his status. His nice demeanour had changed into a cold one which only made Pranee more unnerved.

"How did this happen?"

Reza's eyes were filled with fury as he spoke to his guards. Pranee watched from the sidelines as the two men bowed before the emperor.

"Your majesty, they don't understand Isla's language," Anuman whispered.

"I knew that." Reza's cheeks turned red and he began to speak in his native language.

The talk went back and forth between the three of them and Pranee looked to Shashi. They refused to make eye contact with her as the situation unfolded before them yet their gaze seemed distant.

Reza eventually sighed and looked to Anuman. "Are there other people in this palace that use Isla magic?"

"No, it's just me."

Reza muttered to himself in annoyance and waved his hand. "Okay, you two are dismissed. Bring me the foreign wizard."

"You spoke the wrong language again," Anuman said. It looked like he was holding back a smirk.

Reza cursed and Pranee assumed that he repeated his orders as the guards did as he said.

Ubol was brought forth and two guards stood on each side of her while a third carried her staff from a distance.

Reza's expression hardened and sat a little taller than before. Probably to give the impression that he was in charge of the situation. "State your name."

"Ubol, your highness." Her voice was still weak and Pranee looked at the bruises on the woman's neck.

"Have you come here intending to die?"

"I have, your majesty."

Silence engulfed the room and it was near suffocating. Pranee's mind went back to her own trial and she clasped her shaky hands together in hopes that no one would notice. Ubol had bags under her eyes and her head hung low as if she couldn't bring herself to take in the surroundings around her.

"Why is that?" Reza asked. "I heard that you've been trying to kill two members of your nation's royal family."

Ubol's expression darkened. "Your highness, have you ever dedicated your life to your country and it not only spits on you but cuts off all your limbs?"

Reza was silent. His eyes scanned the woman's face as if to analyze whether she was speaking from the heart.

"What happened?"

"My livelihood was stripped away from me, your highness. Everything that gave me a sense of purpose is gone. My tower, my freedom... even my body itself."

"What about your family?" Reza's eyebrows furrowed at the comment.

"They only accept me if I'm successful."

"And are you?"

Her head lowered further. "I don't know anymore. But I can't go back to face my parents with my life's work taken away. I became a wizard to become free and be able to do whatever I want without judgement."

"You said even your body isn't free anymore, what do you mean by that?"

"The king... has forced upon a union between us."

Pranee's heart dropped. The witnesses of the trial began to whisper to each other panickily. One thing was clear, they couldn't execute her or the king would have grounds to start a war with the country of Aslo itself.

The emperor raised his hand. "Silence."

The noise simmered to silence and the attention that Pranee had on Ubol was now intensified.

"We'll put you in a holding cell for now. The court and I will discuss and see what actions we'll take once we're finished." Reza's words triggered another wave of murmurs throughout the crowd.

The most shocking thing to Pranee was that the loudest voice in the room was Ubol's.

"No, just end here!" Ubol's voice was hoarse but she still yelled as loud as she could. Tears streamed down her face but she didn't seem to notice. "Just end it here. I'm ready to move on to my next life!"

"Ubol, interfering with the politics of another country is not the place of Aslo." Reza's forehead was creased and Pranee could tell he was perplexed by her reaction.

"Please-"

"Guards take her to the cells."

The guards readjusted their grip on Ubol and began to haul the woman away. She didn't even try and fight them and Pranee watched from a distance.

She turned to Shashi but they had already left her to talk to Kiet. Whatever they were talking about seemed serious as the two weren't joking around and Kiet's expression was hardened and cold. She didn't know Kiet was watching too.

"Pranee? How are you feeling?"

She turned to see Tanet and his complexion was paler than usual. His face was still covered in sweat.

"What about you? You're the one walking around looking sickly." She couldn't help but glance at Shashi before immediately forcing her eyes to focus on her brother.

"It's fine, I needed to get exercise." He crossed his arms and looked to the side. "Did you eat yet? You look like you've been losing weight."

"I've been eating good enough." Pranee held up a hand to stop Tanet from going on a tangent. "I just... have a lot on my mind."

"That woman really scared you, didn't she?" Tanet asked. When he didn't get an answer, he continued to speak. "Don't let her get to you. I know war isn't fun but there will be a lot of people like that when we're on the battlefield."

"We? I'm going to be there too?"

He looked taken aback. "Of course. Pranee, our lives and honour are on the line. It's our duty to make things right again."

"Duty..." She echoed. That word seemed to pester her lately and she couldn't escape it.

"Yes." Tanet gave her a look but then glanced at the emperor. "I have to go talk to Reza about... stuff. Are you sure you'll be fine al-"

"Just go. I'm not a kid anymore."

Tanet looked uneasy but eventually left to talk to the emperor.

Pranee was standing alone in the room and observed the dispersing crowd as they chatted and gossiped to themselves. She wasn't sure where to go next or what to do. There wasn't a place where she was needed.

She slipped out of the room and began to wander through the palace, trying to find a quieter place.

Duty. What did that even mean? Duty was tied to who the person was and how the world needed something from each person. King had to rule righteously. Kids had to respect their elders. Princesses had to marry noblemen and give away their identity to raise children while still looking beautiful.

The more Pranee thought, the less she understood about herself.

Her thoughts swirled chaotically in her mind that by the time she stopped walking, she didn't realize she was standing in front of the prisons. Not too far from her, Ubol sat behind the bars. She was curled up with her knees against her chest and watching the princess with empty eyes.