Beyond A Scorned Heart

Chapter 20: A Familiar Encounter

The days went by like the wind and she still didn't hear a word from Prince Nathaniel or Rebekah since their last quarrel . Even Lord Bakewell hadn't made any appearances since his last threat, the atmosphere was quiet except from the usual hard stares and glares she gets from the servants, nobles and invitee anytime she walks around the palace. She has even tried to avoid Penelope for now. She was bent on carrying out her revenge, she had gotten enough information through the help of Charlotte that could  cause the downfall of her enemies.  She smiled to herself as she walked in the corridors, her arms folded together. She stopped dead in her track, her smile lifting to a frown.

"Aubrey"

"Sister". She smiled sarcastically. "What a pleasant surprise"

"Ironically speaking"

"Your presence has been missed. You no longer join us for breakfast nor dinner, we have all been worried"

Maria raised an eyebrow at her direction. "Really, You don't say"

Aubrey paused, her face serious than before. "How is your stay in the palace?"

"Its been well, as you can see, I am very much alive"

"Yes, am not blind". She moved closer, her voice stern . "You shouldn't have come back here , don't you have some dignity left? After all the life you have destroyed, after murdering so many people including your own brother!"

Maria growled. "Don't you dare blame Ben's death on me. I didn't commit any crime so why should i hide away in some other country. "

"You expect me to believe that. That you are innocent of all those crimes? Well, Prove it then". She spat. "You have no either what we had to do to conceal the fact that Ben's death was accidental and how mum and dad tried to protect the family name and image"

"I wouldn't care less. Ben's death was accidental, he saw something he shouldn't have seen". Maria countered.

"Well, tell me then, this particular forbidden thing Ben saw"

"Why don't ask your Momma?" She smirked when she saw her clenched her fists and hardened her glare. She chuckled. "Why? Are you scared of asking her ? Maybe you know she will lie like she always used to"

"Don't dare turn me against my mother because it won't work"

Maria shrugged her shoulders and raised her hands innocently. "But i didn't say anything implicative. You are the one doubting her, not that i blame you though"

Aubrey hissed, her glare resurfacing. "You are crazy! You are just jealous that i have a mother who loves me and you don't. Now i understand, why your mother abandoned you in the first place. You are cursed!"

Maria flinched a little, it had been long someone used her mother's abandonment against her. Hearing Aubrey use it against her really hit a nerve. Being a bastard and motherless was a scar she had to live with for the rest of her life.

"Why don't you leave us in peace?!". Aubrey continued, her tone becoming bitter by  each passing word. "Why do you have to come back and destroy our peace and happiness?"

"Because that will be injustice!". Maria spat back her tone matching hers' equally. "Why should i keep on bottling my sadness and apathy when i can open it up and share it to the appropriate people to have a taste of it. Of how it feels like to lose but only this time, it will be justice. It will be the justice of a scorned heart whom everything was taken away from her just because she had no one to stand up for her. Whose life was torn apart because she was wrongly accused for a crime she didn't commit rather was a victim".

Aubrey mocked, her tone still seethed with anger. "What do you want? My pity?"

"Oh no, dear Aubrey. Your pity means nothing to me. It might as well be useful to your mother when the time is right".

"I told you--"

Maria groaned. "I don't wish to further this discussion. I have already wasted half of my afternoon, excuse me". She strolled never glancing back to see her half- sister's reaction. She didn't care anyway, they never really bonded. She shook her head removing all thoughts and traces of her previous encounter, she wasn't going to allow anything ruin her peaceful afternoon.

"Annamaria"

She stopped, her breath hitched as her body stiffened. She knew the tone of the voice, how couldn't she?. She turned slowly and looked at him, his face still looked the same ,only a few grey hair surrounding his head. Her voice broke. "Father"