La Luce

"AAAAAAAAH!"

A deafening scream pierced the silence of the dark forest, and caught the attention of the Duke, and the Butler. The two immediately turned towards the direction of the sound—with their hearts racing, and more than the fear of what's to come, the two gentleman felt worry wash over them like waves that pulsated through their whole body.

Whatever could the young Prince be witnessing, right at this very moment?

"Hya!"

The Duke was imagining all sorts of scenarios, and it felt like the beast that he was on couldn't go any faster than his racing heartbeat which made him feel frustrated.

"Hya!"

The Duke's demanding voice echoes throughout the forest, and the Butler noticing the urgency in his master's voice made him more aware of the seriousness of the situation.

The two can only hope that the young Prince is safe.

    The Princess stormed out of her chambers while still in her wedding dress. The maids could not stop the Princess when she demanded to see her father— the Duke, but the moment she tried to step inside her father's chambers, the Duchess, seems to be already eagerly awaiting for her arrival. The Duchess grinned at the Princess provocatively, and with her mysterious gaze looked her up and down to assess the situation.

"What brings you here, Princess? I am quite sure, you are yet to finish your wedding preparations. So, what brings you here, Dove?"

Just looking at the face of the person the Princess loathes so much makes her sick to her stomach. It was yet to be the worst day of her life but just from seeing the Duchess's face already speaks volume of what impending doom she could expect.

Today is truly not her lucky day.

"I'm here to see my father before the wedding. Where is he?"

The Duchess lets out a wry chuckle.

The Princess was clueless as to what seems to be very funny, and as to why every expression the Duchess makes, the Princess feels like choking her to death. It is a mystery how the Duchess can get under the Princess's skin so easily.

"The Duke is not in the Palace at the moment. He seems to have some business to attend to."

The Duchess closes the gap between the two of them with just a few strides, and the maids spectating everything that was unfolding before them, dare not get in-between the two ladies. The atmosphere inside the Duke's chambers feels too heavy that it feels like there are  snakes that coils around your whole body the instant you try to step inside, and foolishly charge without a plan.

"And, what is this business, if I may ask?"

The Princess does not feel the need to back down. Especially, to vermins with the likeness of the Duchess.

The nightmares, the bruises, and the words that stabbed at her very soul was more than enough reason for her to stand her ground against this cunning creature in front of her.

And, today the Princess had just reached her limit.

Enough is enough.

"Oh, nothing of note. It's something that you shouldn't lose your silly little head for. Why don't you just head back to your chamber, and read more of those fairytales of yours while you wait for the Duke?"

The Princess slammed her fist on the table beside her with no hesitation, and the maids were taken aback by the temper the Princess showed.

The Princess was silent most of the time, and she would always be smiling beside the Butler.

But this side of hers was entirely new and different. The maids were not sure how to react, and the Duchess was shaken for a moment. The servants thought of stopping the Princess but they were too scared for their lives.

"Answer me truthfully, Duchess.", The Princess's voice was low, it was getting hard for her to suppress her rising anger, and the calm expression that she would always show before her subjects were nowhere to be found anymore.

"What is this disgraceful behavior about, Princess?!", The Duchess shouted but the Princess was not fazed.

"We both know you are no fool. The Prince left the Palace walls for no known reasons, and it is now minutes away from the promised time but my father nor the Butler is around. I need to know what is happening."

The Duchess turns her back to the Princess, and smiled secretly as she witness her plan effectively unfold before her very eyes. All it takes now is for the Princess to fall for the trap laid out specially for her.

"Oh, Princess. Are you quite sure that you want the truth? But as you already know,  I am quite magnanimous, and to be honest,I, also could not bear to hide it from you any longer."

"Hide what?", The Princess asked.

"Well, everything. How about you ask me questions, and maybe you'll find the answer that satisfies you?What do you think? Tempting isn't it?"

The Princess knew it was not wise to get swayed by her words. The Duchess is not to be trusted, and just from the looks of her eyes it is obvious that there is something that she is planning.

But the truth was in her reach. If she play her cards right, the Princess thought that maybe, the Duchess will finally slip, and take off her mask to reveal her true self. She could finally expose her of the crimes she committed, and she might even find ample evidence that points to her as the one who murdered her late mother.  She isn't sure how yet but maybe this is the moment she had been waiting for her whole life.

After her mother died, the Princess took it upon herself to collect evidence that the suspicious new Duchess had a hand at her mother's death to finally secure her unstable position. Young as she may be, the Princess was not without awareness and so, she threw herself into books and studying to find the answer she seeks.

And, as the one closest to her mother before her health declined she made sure to keep a watchful eye on the lady that her mother would frequently meet over tea when the Princess was still young to know any better. It was then that she noticed small changes about her mother, who eventually fall prey to an unknown illness that rendered her unable to walk or even move from her bed.

The Princess found it odd even then that when her mother would excuse herself the lady that she meets with, would whisper closely to the maid serving them their tea, and hand the maid a tiny bag. The two of them would smile knowingly at each other, and before her mother would return, a new set of tea would be served but the Duchess would not take a sip at all.

The Princess with her boundless curiosity, tried following the maid that has the tiny bag one day to find out more about the weird bag. And, it was then that she witnessed the maid carefully scooping what was inside the bag with a spoon, and putting what the bag contains inside the pot of tea that she served to the late Duchess.

After the tea was served by the maid, the unsuspecting Duchess drank it. It was then that the Princess felt that there was something off, and when she decided to stop her mother from drinking the tea any further and come out from her hiding, she witnessed her mother losing her balance, and falling down from her chair.

The Duchess didn't move, and the Princess was paralyzed from shock, and from where she stood she could only watch as her mother lie unconsciously on the floor. The Lady on the other hand who orchestrated everything, had a smile plastered on her face that made the Princess realize that she was too late.

Too late to save her mother or to warn the Duke of what was to come.

It was painful to not be able to do a thing, to only sob silently, and to watch your loved one slowly slipping away even though they are just right beside you.

The Princess tried telling the Duke about what truly happened but her father would dismiss her, saying that the Lady who she points her finger at is someone who helped them, someone who the Duke trusts. He told the Princess that it is not right to lie, to accuse someone without the evidence of something heavy such as killing the Duchess.

The Duke did not believe the innocent Princess, and so, she kept the truth to herself, and she silently swore that one day she will unveil the witch's true colors to the world.

And, that day, indeed came.

How fateful it is that it was even on the day of her wedding. The Princess thought to herself that maybe she could consider this to be the best wedding gift given to her by god themself.

A chance given to her by the heavens to finally bring her mother's death justice.

"Well, have you finally decided, Dove?"

The Duchess faces the Princess with a smile adorning her face. A smile that managed to creep the Princess out.

"Yes, I have long decided, your Highness. All I hope is for you to tell the truth, and nothing but only the truth."