5. ANOTHER MARRIAGE PLAN

Crysta opened her eyes. Blue irises as bright as the sky in the sky signaled that she was a descendant of the ruler of the Orva Kingdom. She tucked the mane that partially covered her face behind her shoulders. Fixing the position from lying down to sitting leaning against the headboard. Neutralizing sleepiness.

Her sense of smell immediately picked up the delicious aroma that was coming from the center of the room. Monic deliberately put it there to make it easier for Crysta to eat it. It had been three days since Crysta had been reluctant to leave the room since seeing Prince Logan's severed hand. Her appetite had disappeared. Crysta also had trouble sleeping and stayed up until morning.

She may not have loved Logan, but she empathized with the death of the Mytris prince who passed away by being killed quite sadistically. Crysta couldn't imagine if something like that happened to Pascal. Maybe he would cry hysterically, then fall unconscious and die slowly.

Letting out a long sigh, Crysta stood up and approached the sofa where there was a lot of food on the table. She took one piece of meat and popped it into her mouth. Even that still didn't make her appetite return. She moved away from there and chose to approach the dressing table. Staring at the velvet plaid with many pearls that reminded her of someone.

''Pascal...''

''Your Highness.''

Crysta-who had just wanted to sit down-turned to stare at the master of the voice behind her.

''Monic?''

The woman came with the servants in charge of taking care of the princess's needs. The women spread out taking charge of their respective tasks. There were those who prepared the warm water, made the bed, prepared the dresses and many more. As for Monic, she approached Crysta who was still reluctant to smile.

''I bring news for you. It's about Prince Pascal.''

Crysta's eyes bulged instantly. She glanced at the busy servants and then pulled Monic to the balcony to hear the news that had managed to make her sleepiness disappear. This conversation was confidential. No one was to know.

''A raven has just arrived from Valliant. King Lumiere said that Prince Pascal arrived safely.''

''Oh, thank goodness.'' Crysta got her smile back. Her face was filled with happiness.

Just as Pascal had arrived late to the party, the reply to the letter from Valliant had also arrived late. It made Crysta worried that the prince of the other kingdom had replied to the letter from Orva the day after the raven was sent. And what Monic had just said made Crysta's mind relieved and also struck with a sense of calm.

However, there was still an expression hanging on Monic's face at this moment. It made Crysta's forehead frown quite deeply. There was something Monic wanted to say but was hesitant for the woman to say.

''What's wrong, Monic? Isn't that wonderful news?''

Monic took a deep breath. She looked at Crysta sadly and instantly the girl asked another question out of curiosity.

''Is there any news I don't know about?''

''I must prepare you, Princess. You have been asked by King Brent to come to the royal hall.'' Monic replied softly.

''Prepare how?" asked Crysta.

Soon a servant would remove her dress. Cleaning her body. Putting on her dress and also polishing her face until she came out of the room looking beautiful. Crysta knew by heart the dead schedule that the maids always had. And it was like a regular schedule and Monic never once said to prepare unless she was required to meet a royal guest.

''Kingdom of Lucard, Princess.'' Monic's answer instantly silenced the questions in Crysta's head.

''What is the need for Lucard's envoy to come here? Didn't Prince Leonard and Prince Klein return safely?''

Monic bit her lip. Thinking hard about how she should explain what she knew to Crysta. The princess had just gotten the happy news about Pascal after three days of moping and staying indoors. She didn't want to ruin Crysta's flowery mood.

And the change in Crysta's mood from hills to freefalling to the bottom of the cliff really happened as Monic had expected. After exiting the palace hall, Crysta slammed the door quite hard, threw herself onto the bed and buried her face in the pillow.

The fact that she was going to be married off to Prince Leonard made Crysta cry hysterically. Logan's death, which she thought would be a bridge for her to be with Pascal, turned out to be just a beautiful fantasy.

''Crysta,'' Queen Ophelia inched over Crysta's bed. Stroking the princess's head.

''Mother, please,'' Crysta turned to her mother. She had tears in her eyes. Her expression was pitiful. ''If I have to be betrothed again, why should I be betrothed to Leonard and not Pascal?''

Whose mother's heart doesn't break to see her only child hit by sadness like this. But, she who had mentioned Pascal before Brent made his choice on Leonard could not guess her husband's way of thinking either.

''The western kingdoms called Pascal a tyrant prince just because he succeeded in conquering the Calvard Kingdom. But he has never once attacked an eastern kingdom, Mother.'' Crysta defended while sobbing.

Pascal's reputation for slaughtering a royal family by hanging the heads of the Calvard king and prince in the royal square became the talk of the east. All of the kingdom's political henchmen and soldiers who were loyal to Calvard were killed without mercy. That's why the kingdoms in the west were so angry with Pascal and tried to overthrow Calvard's sovereignty, which was now under the Valliant flag.

Ophelia suspects that King Brent just doesn't want Crysta to marry and have offspring from a tyrant. Valliant is known to be prosperous with an obedient people. Even such a peaceful kingdom did not interest King Brent in making the Prince of Valliant one of his daughter's husband candidates.

''My beautiful daughter,'' Ophelia pulled Crysta to level her position. Sitting facing each other, she wiped away the water that still wouldn't stop flowing from Crysta's eyes.

''It seems like your father took a lot of things into consideration, dear. He just wants you to be happy.''

''But I am happy when the person I marry is Prince Valliant.'' Crysta emphasized.

Don't ask what Ophelia's expression was at this moment. Because it was like she had just seen her five-year-old daughter back in front of her. Crysta was so fussy when she wanted something. There was no no let alone rejection of the things she wanted. Anyway, it must be granted.

Ophelia was silent for a few seconds. She turned to Monic who clearly gave Crysta her full support. She may be a queen, but the ultimate power is still held by the king. And right now she was in the dilemma of being the neutral camp of the two most important people in her life with opposing principles.

''Crysta, our soldiers will escort you to meet Prince Leonard. You must go tomorrow to declare your readiness to marry the prince.'' Ophelia grasped Crysta's hand as if helpless. She said this because Crysta suddenly withdrew before the conversation with Lucard's envoy was over.

Crysta burst into tears again. Lamenting the misfortune that made her fall in Ophelia's arms.

Monic's hands clenched involuntarily. She couldn't bear to see the princess's condition, who was as helpless as she was as a servant. But the hand suddenly opened with the memory of the kingdom territories that Crysta had explained to her while studying in the library. It was about the Kingdom of Lucard, which was not far from the Kingdom of Valliant. And an idea revived Monic's instinct to relieve Crysta's crying.