Seizing the throne (2)

Elena spent the day making preparations for her wedding with Esteban. She was so happy to be getting married that she stopped thinking about anything else than her wedding. It was going to be a grand affair that with be arched into the memory of her subjects for many years to come. She was going to have the best wedding and her coronation was going to be nothing short of astounding.

She had her lady royals running around the palace to perfect everything for the party tonight. She had ordered the whole palace to be decorated with beautiful flowers from top to bottom. The best chefs in the kingdom were already in the palace making food for the wedding. The wedding dress was already ready and just laying in her room waiting for her to wear it. She went ahead and ordered a six-layer cake baked without blood because Esteban hated blood and after activating her curse she didn't want to taste blood either on her big day.

She checked the arrangements to make sure that nothing was lacking in her wedding. "Princess, you have been summoned to the throne room by the relatives, elders, magistrates, and the councilmen," said a female servant of one of the relatives.

Elena frowned on hearing the news, she did not know why they were calling her or why they came. She took a minute to think and try to figure out why they could have come all of a sudden and what the meeting was about. Her mind could not come up with anything and hence she let it be. She called Lola to her side and the throne room. The guards announced her arrival at the door and the guards inside opened the door for her and as she stepped in they stepped out.

She entered the room and scanned the people present with her eyes. She saw that queen Regina and King Marcus were also present at the meeting including Elsie. She walked up to the throne and took a seat and stared at all the people in the room with a blank face. She waited for them to inform her of the reason for her being summoned out of nowhere.

The head of the relatives Lydia got up from her seat and went over to her. She took her by her hand and helped her to get up from the throne and led her to a seat on the sides. Elena was confused as to her behavior but brushed it off. She only wanted the meeting to be over and done with so she can go back to preparing for her wedding.

"Elena, I am sure you must be wondering why you are here?" asked Lydia and Elena nodded. "I will not beat around the bush, Elsie together with Regina here has brought something to our attention that we can not ignore," she said and reached out to the table and picked up the journal. On seeing the journal the color drained from Elena's face and she went pale. She recovered in a minute and went back to having a poker face.

Lydia handed the journal to her and she took it and looked at it. "I need you to read it and tell us what you understand from it," she asked and Elena opened the first page. She had not read the journal but she understood the reason behind the meeting and what Elsie's intentions were. She didn't read the journal but used to cover her face, she gritted her teeth and pulled herself together. She braced herself and got herself ready for everything that was going to happen. She calmed herself and put the journal down.

"As you today is my wedding day, I don't have time to read it. You have already read it why don't you tell me what it says," she said and handed the journal back to Lydia. Her heart was burning with rage and she cursed the day Regina and Elsie had come into her life. She remained calm on the surface but her mind and heart were panicking.

"According to this journal written by your late mother the late king is not your father. You are the daughter of a stranger," she said and Elena listened carefully.

"And as per the rules of Atria you no longer qualify to be the queen of Atria," added an elder.

"As Elsie is the king's blood she is now the crown princess of Atria and as such as long as she is alive you can't seat on the throne," Lydia explained. Elena remained calm in all this and didn't say anything. They all took there to turn to explain to her that she was no longer going to be the queen and that Elsie was the one to be crowned Queen. They said a lot of things and Elena listened to all of them and gave them a chance to talk. She had not expected this to happen and was completely caught off guard.

She tried to think of a loophole she could exploit and get out of the situation but her mind went blank. She kept catching the people in the room looking at her like she was a disgrace to them. They were staring at her with disgust on their faces and she hated it but remained composed. She looked over to Elsie who was also looking at her. They held each other's eyes, Elsie felt bad for everything that was happening and it showed on her face but all Elena could see was her pity. She saw the girl who had snatched her childhood snatch her birthright too.

Her hatred for Elsie increased, even more, she moved her eyes to Regina and saw her glow with happiness. She had a look of victory on her face and sat with confidence and she seemed to enjoy everything that was going on.

"So Elena after hearing what we all had to say, would you please tell us what you think," suggested Lydia. Elena stared at them and arched into her memory all their faces. Her eyes glanced at King Marcus who remained quiet and composed. There was no emotion on his face at all. He was a neutral participant who watched everything silently. She remained quiet, they had made her speechless, with a blank mind she couldn't think of what to say. All she knew for sure is that she was going to make them all pay for what they have done to her.

"And while you think of that we want you to consider our decision. We all have decided that for the sake of peace Elsie should marry Esteban along with taking over the crown," she announced surprising both Elena and Elsie. Elsie could not believe what she heard, she only wanted the throne and not Esteban but now this. She couldn't believe how things were proceeding, she wasn't just taking the kingdom but her sister's love away from her.

Elena heard what Lydia said and her heart shattered. All her dreams broke in front of her eyes in just a moment and she could not do anything about it. Lola got to her side and held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze to comfort her.

"Tell us what decision you have made."

"I agree with all of you," she said and got up and walked out of the room, and went back to her room. She didn't talk to anyone or see anyone for the rest of the day.