The King's Rejected Lady

I Am Now Standing Steps Higher Than You

THE CONNECTION of the Monakre Kingdom lies deeper than anyone could think. This was the proof of how it would be easy for a foreign country to overturn the empire if they deemed it so. Because of the battle of succession between the two princes, the borders had become stagnant – causing the spies from neighboring countries to run rampant within the empire's wall.

And Tori was about to take advantage of such spies. With just one word, the knights guarding the cell were easily replaced by Crown Prince Yei Lin's men just for this night. A bag of gold bought the royal knights' said loyalty to the royal family of the empire which was such a shame. But Tori turned her head from the obvious corruption since she would need this leak in the nearest future.

Three long strides resonated inside the dingy dark hallway of the cell. They were headed to the most comfortable room inside this prison cell where Tessa was currently held and was guarded by the second prince's most trusted knight.

But even the trusted servants would bite their masters when their family is threatened. Oh, how tragic! No one can be truly trusted with your life in this dog-eat-dog world!

Upon seeing them, the supposedly trusted knight opened the lavish door where Tessa was ludicrously situated. "This way." Bowing to them the entire time, the knight's guilt-stricken form was something that did not warrant any pity from the party.

Tori stepped forward but was stopped by Crown Prince Allistair's voice. "Are you going to go there alone?"

Your worried voice brought summer paradise to me, my dearest Allistair. Protect me, be strong for me, and plunder for me. That way, I can tell myself that you are indeed a great investment.

Smiling at him, Tori gently pried his hand from her. "When you hear me shout your name that would be the time that I need your help." Her eyes settled on the Monakre's prince then next to the serious-looking Yei Lin who just nodded at her as his response.

Though reluctant, Crown Prince Allistair stood still. Tori's confident aura enveloped Tessa's cell. The very first thing that she saw was the sullen look of the crouching Tessa at the corner of her lavish cell. Though the steel bars surrounded Tessa's space screamed prison cell, the comfortable bed down to the clean walls and floors was the second prince's doing.

Right after his outburst from the other day during the covert meeting, Tori received reports from Rowan that the second prince met the noble faction twice.

Tessa's arrival in her plot was both Tori hated and loved. She hated Tessa because she was ruining her smooth plans about Prince Corean. She loved Tessa because she could have the chance to know about the shady death of the second prince from the original plot.

Tori knew that the plot was changing. It was becoming more complicated but the roles of the leads and the villains never changed.

"Look at what we have here." Tori's voice resonated inside the room but the quivering Tessa did not even move from her fatal form. She was still slumped at the corner while covering her face as her small shoulders were wracked with silent sobs.

"Do not act as if you didn't know that this would not happen. The moment that you agreed to the first prince's plan, you already signed up for this possibility." Tori walked closer to Tessa as she enjoyed the very sight of her greatest threat.

"How did you know?" Tessa's frightened eyes met Tori's malicious ones. Leaning towards the steel bars as Tori grasped them, she crouched to Tessa's level.

"I have eyes and ears everywhere, my dear. Either way, you will die a terrible death and the second prince's power can't help you but will make your situation even worse, so worse that you'll wish to die quick."