The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 89: testing her

Chapter 89: testing her

Anastasia and Miss Magdalene made preparations, and soon, invitations were sent out. Instead of merely inviting the ladies for tea, she decided it would be best to invite them to pray for the soldiers marching north, hoping for their victorious return.

This was not the first time prayers were held during a war, but the conflict had only just begun. The soldiers had not yet arrived in the North, yet no one thought it was a bad idea to host prayers.

Every noble house that received the invitation was pleased.

At Lord William’s house, Beatrice and Bridget were delighted to be invited. Lady William also had a smile on her lips.

"Remember to get along well with the princess," she advised.

"Mother, don’t worry. We will definitely win the princess’s favor and join her court," Beatrice said confidently, forgetting that Anastasia had paid neither her nor her sister much attention when she had visited Rosalind.

Rosalind, standing to the side, frowned. She had no particular interest in joining the princess’s court; she saw Anastasia as a friend. Since she never got along with her stepsisters, she never attempted to befriend their acquaintances. Now, seeing them target the first friend she had tried to make, she felt uneasy.

"Rosalind, you are the elder sister. Remember to take care of your sisters at the palace," Lady William said.

"Madam, they are already grown up and can take care of themselves," Rosalind replied. She refused to accept this responsibility, knowing that if anything went wrong, Lady William might place the blame on her.

Lady William did not press the issue further, seeing Rosalind’s unwillingness. Instead, she chose to carefully advise her daughters.

Many other noble families had similar conversations, with mothers advising their daughters. In the past, noblewomen only entered the palace with their families. Since the king and queen had no daughter, there had never been an opportunity for young noblewomen to be in the palace on their own.

The Thompson family was no different. Duchess Anita worried that her daughter might act recklessly again.

"Remember, she is the crown princess now, and things cannot be as they were before," she warned.

"Mother, I know," Elizabeth said, though she cursed Anastasia in her heart. The only thing that had cheered her up after the wedding was that her father had strengthened his ties with other nobles, gaining better status.

Then Anastasia had sent invitations to only a select few noble ladies. Among Elizabeth’s circle, she alone had received one. Those who had secretly laughed at her could no longer do so.

Even if she had lost the chance to marry the crown prince, she had still become his sister-in-law. This was a good opportunity for her to shine.

"Your cousin also received an invitation. Your grandmother advises that you stay close to her," the duchess said, noticing that her daughter no longer looked as irritated.

"Why? Does Mother not trust my manners?" Elizabeth asked. In the family, she was always the one praised for her talents and quick learning. Isabel, despite being older, was constantly reminded to be as diligent as Elizabeth. Yet now, her mother wanted her to follow Isabel’s lead.

"I trust your manners. Your talent is evident to all. However, when it comes to Anastasia, you lose control. She has just married into the palace, and the horse incident is still fresh. She may hold a grudge. You don’t want to give her an opportunity to ruin your reputation," Duchess Anita explained. She was not foolish enough to think Anastasia would tolerate any slights now that she was the crown princess.

Though she had sent Nile and Dorata to observe Anastasia, palace rules were different. They would need time to train before continuing to serve her. Thus, she hoped Elizabeth would not cause trouble.

"I understand," Elizabeth said.

Days passed quickly, and soon, it was the day to enter the palace. Anastasia had been busy; she still had much to learn. She visited the library daily to study and also spent time in the chapel to pray.

On this day, since she was expecting guests, she would not be going to the library.

"Your Highness, Miss Dorothy is outside. She says she has been appointed as your personal physician," a maid announced.

Everyone in the palace knew there was something between the prince and Dorothy. It felt strange to have her serve the princess.

"Let her in. Arrange a room for her," Anastasia said.

Though disappointed by the prince’s behavior with Dorothy, Anastasia was more concerned about avoiding the fate of her nightmares. Instead of remaining passive, she would make the first move and assess the kind of person Dorothy was.

The maid was surprised that Anastasia did not react angrily. Even if she spent most of her time in the library, surely she must have heard the rumors.

What the maid did not know was that it was Anastasia herself who had arranged for Dorothy to be transferred to the prince’s quarters. None of the palace servants suspected this, and even Dorothy, who was directly involved, thought it was a coincidence. While Anastasia had been present when the queen assigned Dorothy to the royal physicians, Dorothy assumed it was merely a stroke of luck.

Moreover, the queen had arranged for her to reside in the prince’s courtyard. This led Dorothy to believe the prince had reminded his mother to take care of her. Given the rumors circulating, the queen’s decision seemed to confirm them. After all, the prince had promised to take Dorothy as his mistress after one month of marriage.

Coming from a small family, Dorothy’s thinking was simple—she believed she had won the queen’s favor because the prince loved her.

What she failed to realize was that with the prince away, moving into his courtyard made it easier for Anastasia to deal with her if she so wished.

Upon hearing that a prayer gathering was to be held and that many noble ladies would attend, Dorothy wished to join. Thus, she sought an audience with Anastasia.

"Your Highness, my name is Dorothy, and I will be your personal physician from now on. Physician Nathan has instructed me to continue your treatment," Dorothy said upon meeting Anastasia.

"Alright. The queen is concerned for my health and wants me to recover quickly. After all, grandchildren are expected after marriage," Anastasia said, deliberately testing her.

Dorothy’s eyes flashed momentarily at those words, but she quickly lowered her head, reminding herself to remain composed.

"Your Highness is blessed. I will do my best to follow Physician Nathan’s instructions," Dorothy replied.

Anastasia looked satisfied. Just as she was about to dismiss her, Dorothy spoke again.

"I know I was born of low status, but I love this kingdom and would be honored to join the prayer your higness is holding," Dorothy said.