"Yes, praising the demons is indeed going a little far."
"Princess Clairette is kind, but after all, we must be loyal to our own race and people," The noble ladies were quick to chime in behind Priscilla. With her being the blessed, none wanted to be on the wrong side.
Vivia glanced at each lady one by one. "I'm not singing any undue praises. I'm simply speaking the truth which everyone must know. Half-knowledge brings ruin to a nation."
Priscilla chuckled. "Princess sure does loves to live in an illusion. Don't mistake their kindness for something real. They only helped you because of your status as royalty. Don't forget the history of how those vile creatures made our ancestors die of drought and thirst!"
Sierra intervened. "That's enough, Priscilla. We're here to enjoy the tea party."
Claudia, on her side, anxiously watched the tension unfold but the confrontation between the princess and the blessed wasn't something she could step into.
"I'm not wrong, sister," she frowned. "Clairette has always been trying to brainwash our citizens into uniting with the demons but how can someone who knows history have the heart to say such things? Isn't that too cruel towards our ancestors who suffered and died at their hands?"
"I'm well aware of our history, Lady Priscilla, however it seems that you aren't," she raised a brow.
Her gaze darkened. "What do you mean?"
"It's true that humans have suffered at their hands - but so have they because of us. The war was a horror on both sides."
She snorted. "So? The demons deserved it because they started the war in the first place."
A frost settled upon her expression, and the atmosphere shuddered into a sharp, piercing cold. Her approach towards Priscilla was slow, every step heavy with a suffocating gravity.
Unnerved, Priscilla took half a step back, suddenly reminded of the time when she had slapped her without a trace of hesitation.
"Lady Priscilla. The war didn't begin because of any particular race. It began because both sides were consumed with greed and hunger for power. They wanted the scales to tip in their favor, but nobody wanted balance and cooperation. Thousands died miserable deaths, including children. The real battlefield was not where swords clashed but in the torn homes that echoed with heart-wrenching cries."
A tear perched upon her eye like a pearl. "We're fortunate that we weren't born in that tumultuous era, but Lady Priscilla…no one deserved to die in a war which only happened because of some royals clashing with their egos. Hundreds mourned for thousands, all because of some tens of nobles. War crimes turned our beautiful lands into a graveyard. Do not disrespect the souls who lost their lives."
A bleak atmosphere settled slowly, marring the tea party in a shade of dark.
"So I'll speak for the demons. I'll continue to work towards our realms' unity. There're demons just like me who do not wish for this hatred to last. You can mock me however you want, but I won't stop my efforts to bring peace. War and history taught us that bloodshed only begets more bloodshed. I thought the blessed would know that more than anybody else."
Priscilla clenched her jaw, hatred and humiliation twitching an ugliness across her face.
"I-I…" Claudia trembled, clutching a tray in her hands, attempting her very best to ease the tension.
The frost slowly dissipated from Vivia's eyes. "Lady Claudia. Apologies that the conversation got heated. I didn't wish to ruin the atmosphere."
"No Princess, I u-under-"
"Claudia understands, my lady," Raffert bowed and spoke on her behalf. "You need not apologize to us humble servants."
A cold smile curved her lips. "It's nice to see how you're such a supporting and faithful husband to Lady Claudia."
His expression blossomed. "Naturally. I love Claudia dearly."
"That's a relief. I heard some whispers that…some red-haired woman had caused a commotion at the Grisbane residence."
The gleam vanished from his face.
"Ah that…I feel embarrassed such a shameful incident even reached your ears, Princess. Some mad woman hungry for money and claiming to know me barged into the residence and started spouting some absurdities. Ugly vixens like her think they could coerce wealthy men."
The chill that had barely dissipated from her countenance returned at once.
"Ugly vixen you say…"
"Pr-Princess?" Raffert stumbled back as if trying to flee a deadly storm already moving to engulf him - and rightfully so.
Stras's entertainment house was Vivia's home. Everyone working in the group was a part of her family - even Audreya with whom she fought like cats and dogs. To see an elegant man like Raffert call Audreya a shameful vixen made her blood rage with ire.
Claudia fell on her knees, color fading away from her rosy face. "My lady, di-did we make a mistake?"
Vivia glanced down at her, searching for deceit in her demeanor. Disdainful whispers reached her ears, and the ladies, who merrily conversed with Claudia at first, were now relishing the sight of her kneeling tearfully before the royal princess.
"Please rise, Lady Claudia."
Claudia rose, however her gaze remained low.
"I understand your anguish and anyone would be disturbed by what you went through, but I simply wish to know the full story. Without knowing that…" her eyes squinted at Raffert, "it's unbecoming to humiliate a woman the way he did."
Her steely and unforgiving gaze distinctly shook Raffert. "My deepest apologies, Princess-"
"Please tell me what happened from the beginning, Lady Claudia."
He stiffened. "My lady, allow me to explain-"
"Your wife can explain it on your behalf can't she, like how you do it for her?"
All his efforts to ease his rigid muscles and heartbeats were being laid to waste by her cutting interruption.
Priscilla then intervened with a glare. "Why are we digging into an incident that happened months ago? It's already dealt with, and that same red-haired witch will be persecuted to death!"
"What? Persecuted?" Whispers quickly spread.
"Isn't capital punishment too harsh?"
Priscilla smiled. "Of course it's not because of the Grisbane family's incident. That witch tried to kill Princess Clairette a few days ago."
Shocked gasps rippled through the room, everyone unable to believe that a second attempt on Clairette's life had already been carried out when she had barely returned.
"That's terrible! Who'd be so foolish to harm the royal princess?"
"She truly is a mad woman!"
Priscilla smirked. "However, that's less important than her reason for doing it. That witch has accused Princess Clairette of killing her innocent friend in cold blood."
As if a murder attempt weren't severe enough, a murder accusation had now fallen upon her too. The women could barely hold their thoughts together.
"I wonder why the Princess would make so many enemies? First at the Realm of Harmony, then at the market and now an accusation…Someone seems to despise you with all their heart."
Vivia almost yawned. "People at my position often make enemies because that's how much royalty matters. Envy is always our foe. I'm glad Lady Priscilla hasn't had to face such misfortune, despite being the revered blessed of our realm."
To emphasize her own importance while subtly deprecating Priscilla, the blessed, was an insult too embarrassing to bear. She couldn't fathom how Clairette could remain so calm even in face of a murder accusation against her.
Raffert dropped to his knees. "There must be some misunderstanding, Princess. It's indeed the full story where that red-haired woman barged into my residence and began throwing accusations at me out of nowhere! I've never even met her!"
"Is that so…?"
The woman draped in a black veil, known to be Lady Melissa of the Great Three, rose with an eerie quietness. Stunned gazes drifted towards her. The Sequeira family always chose to distance themselves from the public eye, yet here she was, willingly stepping into the center of one.
"I-Is there a matter, Lady Melissa?" Claudia's anxiousness only climbed several notches higher.
"Indeed. I've a grave matter to address with your husband who claims to not know me."
Melissa tugged her veil, her red hair spilling across the air like the first sight of dawn.
"Y-You are not Lady Melissa!" Claudia stumbled back in disbelief.
Audreya smiled, as cold as ice. "No, I'm not. But your husband knows exactly who I am. Isn't that why he looks like a ghost right now?"
Priscilla was the first to react. "H-How is that possible!? You're supposed to be rotting in prison! How did you trick your way into coming to this tea party?"
Needless to say the royal guards, led by Benjamin, sprung into action at once. Several blades pointed at Audreya, surrounding her with no means to escape.
Benjamin glared. "Fall upon your knees right now and surrender!"
"Please step back, my lady," he said, becoming the shield between Audreya and Vivia, yet despite the danger, her face held a complete lack of any reaction.
He urged again. "My lady, please."
"It's okay, Sir Benjamin," Vivia stepped around him, calm and composed.
"My lady, she has broken through prison! She's a threat to your life-"
"I don't think so. If she could come this far despite the clear risk to her life more than mine, then it seems her claims might not be so unfounded after all."
"How dare you show your face before me again!" Raffert erupted with a sudden fury.
Audreya's gaze shone with frost of equal severity. "Because it seemed like you faced some short term memory loss the last time we crossed paths. So this time, I wanted to make sure to bring undeniable proof of our acquain - I mean," she smiled, "our relationship."