Chapter IX: Wheel of destiny.
Holding Raphael's hand, Berenice descended the staircase before the gaze of the nobles present who were disconcerted by the unusual companion of His Majesty.
Everyone knew the rumors surrounding the king's preferences, also that Miss Solera was almost like the monarch's right hand in terms of diplomacy and was the most diligent in the task of silencing gossip. But what had captured the attention of those present was none of that, but the way the noble maiden was dressed.
A regal gown, silk embroidered with silver thread on olive-green cloth, from which hung a half cape that stretched from the shoulders to the waist. And on her head, a silver tiara in the shape of an olive garland, with twelve ruby tears embedded in quadrants.
That clothing could not be used by any woman, regardless of whether it was the princess of the kingdom. Since that arrangement was intended exclusively, for whom the king himself appointed his crown consort.
"I can't believe it! She has been chosen by her majesty! Was the daughter as ambitious as the father? – The whispers of the noble ladies in the banquet hall could barely be heard by the human ear; but not being so, for those who had Hufira blood running through their veins.
After going through the trauma of believing that her mother had died, little Berenice unconsciously developed her spiritual abilities by having an affinity with air. At first the girl thought she was going crazy, because she was hearing whispers while she was in her room. As time passed, he understood that those whispers were the voices of the people inside the mansion, realizing it when he surprised his father talking to the king in his office.
Over the years, she was able to control that ability by focusing by thinking about the people whose voice she was interested in hearing. Until reaching a selective perfection, to the point of losing the capacity for wonder and with it many of his emotions. Transforming the weak character of a girl, until she reaches the cynical and calculating ice princess.
"You look upset. Do you want me to kill everyone who makes you uncomfortable?" – With a cold expression looking straight ahead, Rafael asked his mistress for the order. Causing Miss Solera a mix between panic and sadness.
The man she knew and loved had become a lifeless shell; a mere doll without a spirit, who moved by the threads of the young woman's desire.
"It's not necessary, I'm used to hearing them talk trash behind my back" - Berenice firmly took the king's arm, while they continued walking along the carpet until they reached the table of the dignitaries of Tigris.
Holding a glass of liquor in his right hand while holding a slave from his harem in his left arm, Prince Eleazar looked in the direction of the couple as he carried the glass away, hiding the smile behind it. Snapping the fingers of his left hand, the young heir ordered the slave to prostrate herself on her knees on the floor, bowing her head, while he placed the cup on the table and stood up with his arms outstretched in affectionate greeting.
"Glory to the sun of the kingdom of Antioca , may the grace of Astrea shower blessings on her land" – Carrying her right arm with her hand against her chest, bowing her body in reverence while keeping her left extended, Eleazar showed respect to her host who he would soon become an in-law.
"Grace be with you, morning star from the sky of Tigris" - According to the protocol, the king responded only by placing his hand at the level of the forehead and lowering it to the height of the heart.
Dressed in a white linen robe with red embroidery, Prince Eleazar was covered in jewels on his hands and neck. His wavy black hair and dark skin were characteristic signs of people who lived in the sands.
Although Tigris was bordered by snowy mountain ranges that separated it from Antioca , the land that lay behind them contrasted in the golden tone of its sands. That even despite how inhospitable it might seem, civilization flourished in that territory thanks to the various rivers that crossed the vast territory.
-"Your Grace. I ask you to prepare properly to receive the official announcement after the toast that His Majesty will give"
-"Oh, it's Lady Solera! From what I see, it seems that King Raphael has already put his blessings on you. Well, I will do as my future sister-in-law asks" – Taking the glass from the table to take a sip of the liquor, Eleazar looked at Berenice's face in search of a reaction.
According to protocol, it was considered disrespectful for a dignitary to raise a glass in front of a future royal consort. By making this gesture that could go unnoticed by the attendees who did not dare to look in His Majesty's direction, the young prince sought to intimidate Berenice, whom he always viewed with contempt.
"I appreciate the consideration of my future brother-in-law. I can see that the prince was properly educated by the royal family of Tigris" – Miss Solera's words apparently sounded polite, but to the prince's ear it was a diplomatic response to her insult.
One of the prince's escorts took a step forward ready to draw his sword, being stopped by Eleazar with the gesture of his raised hand.
"Then I will wait for the toast, your majesty! – Looking directly at Rafael deliberately ignoring Berenice, the prince left his table pulling the chain of his slave in the direction of the outer courtyards of the palace.
"My lady, what are you worried about?" – Taking her by the hair passing the brush to untangle it, Eunice observes her mistress through the reflection of the mirror, who kept her eyes serene, putting her hand to her face.
"First Sir Alfonso's imprisonment and now Julia's trauma from that damned Count Solera. Tell me how could I not be worried if two of the most important people to me are going through such moments and I can only confine myself to observing?
I feel useless, what good is being the princess if I only have a bombastic title without any power other than being a piece of exchange between nations!" - With the tips of her fingers holding her hundreds, Elena bowed her head in exasperation while exhaling deeply.
Placing the royal tiara on her mistress's head, Eunice was adjusting the last details of the hairstyle when the escort sent by her majesty arrived in the room.
"You don't have to worry about anything my lady. I have been responsible for providing food and water to Sir Alfonso without being discovered by the guards. And regarding Miss Julia, I promise that I will watch over even the smallest detail for her peace of mind" – Inclining her body in reverence with her hands folded in her lap, Eunice said goodbye to her lady without being able to accompany her to the banquet.
Walking down the long corridor that leads to her chambers, the young princess contemplates the flowers that were arranged at the ends of the corridor with their subtle tones and intoxicating aromas. It was like walking through a garden within the walls of the imposing palace, a scene that any maiden would have found captivating.
But in Elena's heart, a growing shadow of doubt and fear began to grow before the faces of the servants who stood at the end of the corridor showing reverence to the monarch's sister.
-"Sebastián, why are there so many servants at this point in the corridor?
-"As the king ordered my lady, the servants are here to serve you in everything you have during the meeting" - Maintaining a firm posture when walking, the assistant held the arm of the princess as an escort would do. his lady to debut. What turned out yet stranger for the already confused Elena.
"Glory to the kingdom moon! Hail our honorable princess!" – Like the thunder of a thousand voices, the nobles' cheers echoed in unison off the walls of the banquet hall as he descended the staircase.
"Sister, I am honored that you give us your presence" - Taking her hand and putting a kiss on the back, Rafael bowed his face before the eyes of those present, who applauded the monarch's gesture.
Elena immediately noticed that something out of the ordinary was happening; not just because of the reaction of the nobles present. But also because of the behavior that her brother was showing towards her.
For years, their relationship had gone through many ups and downs to the point of generating an almost sworn enmity between the two. But now, he was there in front of her, with a behavior that I consider outside his usual behavior.
"Looks like my fiancée has arrived!" – From the other end of the room, Prince Eleazar approached in a hidden way through the crowd to a young woman wearing a purple linen dress with long sleeves and a veil that covered half her face.
"Where do you think you've been? If you spoil this link, father will not sit idly by even if you are his firstborn" – A woman with a firm character who could rival the ice princess, with her long black hair to her hips and honey eyes that looked sharp around the edges like a cat. Princess Sofia was someone of singular beauty who, were it not for the vitiligo that invaded her body, would have been considered one of the most beautiful women in her kingdom.
Unlike Antioch , Tigris was a kingdom that was very open to women participating in public and governmental life. However, that opening was limited to low-level service, without the possibility of reaching positions that were considered to be of great power.
In addition to this, any person with physical defects was considered marginal. Condemned to ostracism and many times to begging, because that kingdom had a distorted concept of beauty; taken to the point, of revoking the right of succession in the nobles if the candidate had any mark or defect.
"Oh my sister, do you think there would be something for which I would miss out on such a wonderful opportunity to obtain such a valuable prize?" – Staring at Elena, Prince Eleazar stroked his chin, holding a mischievous smile on his face.
"Blood! Were you attacked by an assassin? – Speaking softly in her brother's ear, Princess Sofia took a handkerchief cleaning the blood from the prince's hand.
"Just as you say sister. He was an assassin hired by one of the autonomous principalities, but the poor wretch was no match for me. I must admit that I have had a lot to drink and under other circumstances I would have possibly died.
But the blessing of the goddess Astrea always accompanies her chosen ones" – Saying those words with a sparkle in his eyes, the prince took his sister's hand and walked among those present until he reached where King Rafael was with Elena.
The princess took the folds of the dress and bowed to Eleazar, giving the greeting that marks the protocol, causing a good impression on the young heir. Who stood erect without responding to the greeting, causing discomfort in Elena, who knew that the fact that a man did not respond to the greeting of a lady at a banquet, implied that it was her fiancé.
"Since we are all present, I ask the nobles, dignitaries and royals of principalities and kingdoms, raise your glasses and let us toast to this decree. In fifteen days Princess Elena of Antioca will marry Prince Eleazar Primus of Tigris.
In order for the celebration of this union between royal houses to strengthen our pact as sister nations, ensuring our well-being in common" – Cheering for the official couple, those present drank the wine that on the lips of the princess had a bitter taste of treason.
The brother in whom she still harbored the hope of finding the light that had been lost during her childhood, with that act sealed the life of the young princess with darkness, who felt how the tears that flowed from her eyes were mixed with the must of the wine in the glass.
While everyone was gathered on the ground floor where the banquet was being held, two silhouettes walked through the corridors of the palace until they reached the corridor that led to the king's chambers.
- "Why has Count Solera brought me to this place? If someone at the banquet notices my absence I…"
– "Shut up ungrateful daughter! Calling your father by his title as if we were strangers. No one will notice your absence after the announcement is made" – For Berenice, listening to her father talk about the sense of filial belonging caused her disgust, considering him a shameless subject with whom she did not want to have to share her blood.
But the insistence with which he dragged her to the king's chambers with that malicious sparkle in his eyes, made her move her feet quickly as if something bigger than her was knocking on the door of her being.
"Here is the heart of your puppet" – Opening the doors wide, surprising the maid who stood guard inside the room, Count Solera dragged Berenice by pulling her by the arm while ordering the maid to leave the room. .
"Count, you can't do this! These are the king's chambers, you can't even enter without permission…" – Throwing a slap that knocked the maiden to the ground, Solera rebuked her for her status as a commoner and threatened to execute her due to her insolence. Taking advantage of the fact that her daughter was present, she used her position as a diplomat to blatantly lie to her that it was an order from the king.
The servant looked Miss Berenice in the eye fearing for her life, receiving a cold look that made her scream begging for mercy and then exit closing the doors of the room.
Sitting on a sofa near the fireplace, the silhouette of a brown-haired woman who was muttering a lullaby was bathed in the glow of the flames that were snatched between the embers of the fire.
Berenice slowly approached the young woman, taking slow steps while feeling that for some strange reason her heart accelerated with each inch that she approached her.
Reaching the sofa, what his eyes saw made him shudder to the last fiber of his being. She had knowledge of the existence of Julia as one more slave of the palace; knowing the rumors of her past, up to the events that led up to that day.
He brought his right hand to the slave's face, running his fingertips over her right side, where a cosmetic patch covering the eye socket that was torn off during the execution of his servants rested.
The first time Berenice heard of that incident, she thought that the woman had gone mad for sacrificing one of her eyes for a simple commoner. For a noblewoman, such an act was somewhat preposterous; but after the sacrifice of the old woman in the alley, young Solera's thoughts about Julia had completely changed.
Lowering his gaze to the height of the young woman's lap, he saw with surprise that in her hands she held a rag doll like the ones usually seen among the daughters of commoners. When I tried to remove it, Julia's fingers tightened around her wrist as she continued to sing the lullaby she remembered from the music sphere.
"As you can see. His Majesty is madly in love with this crazy woman, who would say that the sun of the kingdom would fall for such an insignificant creature without an iota of beauty compared to you" – Using that sharp tongue full of poison that always characterized him, Count Solera frightened his daughter seeking to hurt her pride so that she would show herself to the vulnerable woman before her.
Instead, Berenice ignored him and humbly knelt at Julia's lap and placed her hands on hers, tilting her face with an expression of legitimate sadness in her heart.
"If the circumstances were different for me, as they were with this poor woman, I am sure that you would have done with me. You , who appreciate nothing more than your pride and vanity, would throw me away like a dirty rag if I had no use.
Tell me, father, how many women like her did you destroy? How can you make it to night and fall asleep knowing that you have trampled so many families because of your hunger for power? – Turning her face with a look full of determination, Berenice counterattacked her father knowing that now more than ever he would be incapable of harming her due to the curse that controlled Rafael.
Count Solera for a moment choked on his saliva with an expression of astonishment in his eyes. The daughter she had always used as a bargaining chip spoke with the weight of eloquence and power behind her words. That feeling of hostility that he saw in her eyes made him see himself, as if a fiery index pointed him out for something like divine judgment.
Recovering his composure at this unexpected reaction, Solera came to himself and walked over to where Julia was sitting. Holding her hair forcing her to get up from the couch.
-"Look at her well! Only the servants of the palace know that this woman exists and a few more know that she is someone important to the king! You that you want to become the queen you will be the mockery of the noble ladies of this kingdom.
Oh no, even Tigris will laugh at you! Tell me how Eleazar would see you being the sister-in-law who shares the bed second?
- "What are you talking about count?" - The last words said by her father made Berenice get up from the ground with her arms at her sides, clenching her fists and directing her angry face towards him .
Laughing at his daughter's reaction, Count Solera took his left hand to Julia's chest, traversing it until it reached her belly. Slapping hard on the fabric causing a slight moan of pain to come out of the young woman's lips.
– "I think that this adorable beast must still be in pain. You know that Rafael is a bit rough with those who share his bed. I thought she was only interested in other men, but it came as a surprise that she shared a bed with this slave."
-"You lie!"
-"To lie? You wish my words were lies. But I checked the sheets with my own eyes when the maids took them to be washed. Rafael took the flower from this slave and made her his wife" – Looking at Julia in dismay, Berenice's lips trembled and then she burst into a fit of fury, taking a vase from the table to throw it against the wall. Since that day in the alley, Lady Solera's emotions and temperament had been upset, leaving behind the ice princess that had existed for years.
Seeing that he could still manipulate his daughter beyond the control of holding her mother captive, Solera felt satisfied.
– "You know very well that this woman is a danger if she remains in this castle. You must take care of her."
-"I will not be a murderer like you! I will never be like you!" – With eyes full of tears, Berenice trembled with rage at her father's statements; who, keeping calm, sent for the maid who was still on the other side of the door listening to the scandal inside the room.
"At the service gate where the vendors are being dispatched for the banquet, there is a man in black robes bearing a crest of the Begonia Principality Merchant Union. Bring him here and don't be long, damn useless" – With the fear that the feeling of hostility inside the room overwhelmed her, the maid proceeded as ordered and after a few minutes she returned with the man in the black cloak.
"Here I am Count Solera" - The man whose face was covered by a white mask bowed to Solera and approached Julia to examine her.
"Try to see my face! This woman is not only mutilated, but also does not retain her virtue! If I were to try to sell it to the nobles of Begonia my business would be a laughingstock" – Known for their explosive temper, Begonia's slave traders had once been mercenaries who valued honor of their word more than money itself.
For that man, the fact that Solera offered him a poor good made him furious to the point of drawing his pistol and aiming it at his head.
"Calm down please! Take a good look at what I meant when I told you that it was a very valuable asset" – Breaking the dress at the neckline, the emblem of slavery with the heraldry of the royal house caught the attention of the merchant who soon put away his pistol and I look carefully at the brand.
" You're right, you damn lying fox! This good will be sold for a good sum of gold among those petty nobles" – Being formerly a territory belonging to the kingdom of Antioca , the autonomous principality was formed under the wing of several noble houses that were pointed out by the former King Edward as traitors to the crown .
Unable to return to the kingdom, they financed mercenaries and merchants to make the territory devastated by the conflict between Tigris and Antioch flourish . Creating what was known as the Principality of Begonia.
Being a slave owned by the royal house, the nobles resentful of the former monarch would pay anything for her regardless of her shortcomings. Just having something that belonged to his old enemy paid more than its weight in gold.
"Then all is said my good friend. And as a sign of my good will, also take that maiden as merchandise" – The maid who had taken the man to the room tried to escape, being forcibly taken by the merchant who imprisoned her neck with his forearm making her pass out.
-"What do you think you're doing father?"
– "We cannot leave witnesses of what we have just done, my future queen. Is a commoner worth the risk of losing her place with the king?" – Turning around escorting Julia while the merchant was carrying the maid, Count Solera left his daughter in the solitude of that room.
Berenice stood firm in front of the fireplace gnashing her teeth trying to regain her calm at what she had just done. Accepting the complicity that was thrown in her face by that ruthless man, the young lady lamented for the sins that were accumulating in her soul.
"If there is a hell, I have to drag you to it so that you pay for all your sins, father" - The fire in the fireplace that little by little was extinguished, let the cold that enveloped Berenice's body, remind him how he should stay your heart.