Be friends with the princess

"Where is Benedict?" General Daiz stepped out of the carriage and asked the Coachman. he had expected her to be in the carriage since he met the princess alone at the king's study.

"My lord, I saw my lady coming out of the palace; she seems to have gone to say hello to a friend," the Coachman answered.

"Let's go," General Daiz's gaze turned dark when he heard the reply. The coachman looked like he wanted to say something, but seeing that General Daiz was not in a good mood, he decided to shut his mouth and do as was told.

A few minutes after the carriage had left the Palace, Benedict stepped out of Ramsey's carriage.

She broke into a cold sweat when she saw that her carriage was gone. Her father never allows her to take a single carriage out of the house. Although they were five carriages in the family, she could not leave the house alone. She either went out with her mother, elder brother or father.

That day, she had gone to the Palace with her father. The man had ordered her to visit the princess.

"come, I will take you home," she had Ramsey's voice from inside the carriage. He did not come out because it would ruin her reputation if anyone saw her riding the carriage of a young man. he also could not afford to let the princess see him with her.

"There is no need," Benedict rejected; she could tell that her father was in a bad mood to have left the Palace without her. Although he always told her how long she should spend with the princess, he had never left her behind for delaying a few minutes.

She was already in trouble; she could not afford to anger him any further.

"your house is far; you might have to walk an hour before you arrive; come with me; I will drop you at a close distance," Ramsey's voice was like a gentle bird whispering to her. Benedict thought about her options, but she still chose to enter. No matter what, she could not give up the chance to spend time with Ramsey.

....

Daiz Residence.

When Benedict arrived home, General Daiz was drinking wine in the garden. A servant was standing close by, refilling his cup.

Benedict's footstep stopped when she saw him there. She had decided to use the back door, hoping to avoid her father; she never expected to walk right into him. Her mother was the person who used the garden, while her father was in his study most time when he was home. "Father," Benedict walked over and bowed; no matter how she wanted to turn back to avoid him, she knew it was too late.

When General Daiz saw her, he was so angry that he threw the remaining contents of his cup at her. "you useless thing," He roared. He knew his daughter would try to avoid him, so he waited for her in the garden.

Benedict bit her lips and did not allow herself to cry; it was the first time her father got physical with her. Although shocked, she comforted herself. "it's for a while," viciousness flashed past her eyes, which the angry general missed since Benedict bowed her head.

"Get ready; you will be married to the son of Lord Lucas by the next new moon," she heard her father's voice. She panicked when she listened to this. She had just agreed with Ramsey not to marry the second prince. She planned to spoil her plans with the princess and push a maid to the prince instead. But if she acted this way, then she had no choice but to marry the son of the Lucas family. She had forgotten this problem when she agreed to Ramsey's suggestions.

"Father," she called out; she could not agree to this arrangement; she was tired of being used as a tool. She was also human, and she deserves some benefit.

"Do not call me that; I do not have such a useless child. Since you were young, you had just one responsibility. Be friends with the princess, but you could not even do something that simple," General Daiz replied. He looked at his daughter hatefully; if looks could kill, Benedict would have died from it.

" I have done everything father told me, " Benedict replied. It was the first time she dared to talk back at her father.

" ahh! " General Daiz was displeased. "you say away, then why did I hear that the princess will be married to the second prince in a few days?" General Daiz asked.

"What?" Benedict was shocked by the news. Agreeing to the marriage was not part of her plans with the princess. She was scared that the princess had changed her mind because she had mentioned the Lucas family earlier.

"My lord," Lady Daiz was informed by a servant about what was going on in the garden, so she came out to help her daughter.

General Daiz glared at his wife. "it must be my misfortune to marry you; how else would I have such a useless child," General Daiz complained.

Lady Daiz took a sharp breath; it had been a while since her husband blamed her for giving birth to a daughter. So she could tell that Benedict must have done something that angered him so much.

"My lord, I heard you say the princess will marry the second prince. Did you hear the wrong information," she decided not to inquire about Benedict as that would only annoy him.

"Heard wrong? I was present when that girl agreed to marry the second prince. My brother will go over to Gousho in two days, and a date would be fixed for the marriage rite," General Daiz was angry as he remembered the scene in the king's study.

Although he knew his brother had threatened the princess into an agreement, he still blamed it on his daughter.

" My lord, the princess and Benedict have other plans; I am sure she just said that not to alert the king," Lady Daiz looked at Benedict for confirmation.

Benedict took a deep breath, realising she must have misunderstood the princess. Jessica blindly loved Ramsey, so she could give up anything to be with him.

" That's right, father, " she spoke under her mother's encouragement.

"What plans?" General Daiz asked, he did not believe the princess would dare lie to her father.

"I will marry the prince in her stand," Benedict whispered. This was a secret, so she did not dare speak too loud, afraid someone would hear it and spread the rumours.

"What?" General Daiz was shocked, then he thought about the benefits this would bring to his family and smile.

"you are smart," he praised his daughter. "go change," General Daiz's mood improves after hearing the news, he looked at his daughter differently. Benedict looked at the smile on her father's face, and a mockery smile appeared on her lips. She has her plans, but she would not share them with her parents; after all, they both cared about making her brother the next king, so it was necessary for her to think for herself.