The Debt Of Fate
Chapter 94: choice

Chapter 94: choice

"Lady Amabel is quite talented with a straightforward personality. I think she is an excellent choice for your court," Miss Magdalene said. She felt she had made the right bet by being kind to Anastasia when she visited the Duke’s residence; now, she could be her close confidante.

"I think so too, but I don’t plan to let her join. I will choose Lady Rosalind, Lady Isabel, Lady Cecilia, Lady Jilian, and although I find Lady Sabina a bit too frivolous, I would still pick her," Anastasia said. She would not have anyone in her court who looked down on her.

"Your Highness, if I may?" Miss Magdalene asked. Though she knew Anastasia might be seeking her opinion, she still had to ask permission before speaking.

"Go on," Anastasia smiled.

"I think Lady Amabel is a better choice. Lady Sabina, as you have noticed, is not as talented," Miss Magdalene said.

"I know. Even Lady Amabel’s family background is more impressive, but she is a bit too proud. Although her father, Lord Thorne, holds a lot of power at this time, his title is still lower than that of a duke. Yet, she looks down on Lady Elizabeth," Anastasia said. Of course, in her heart, she knew that the person Lady Amabel seemed to look down on was herself, but she could not say it so as not to appear petty.

"Your Highness..." Miss Magdalene hesitated, unsure of what to say.

"I don’t care much about talent. Although this court has no real power, I cannot be too casual. After all, every lady who joins represents me through her words and actions, and their behavior can influence others. While talent is valuable, I prefer unity in my court," Anastasia said.

"Your Highness, Lady Amabel is well-raised. I doubt she would cause any issues in your court. Her behavior today was within an acceptable range," Miss Magdalene said. She glanced at Anastasia to gauge her reaction. Seeing that she was not angered, she continued. "However, I must also remind Your Highness that Lady Amabel’s mother is close to the queen. It is said that the two had a private agreement to marry their children. Lady Thorne has two daughters and one son. The queen has no daughters. Over the years, Lady Amabel has frequently visited the palace, and there were rumors that she was a match for the crown prince. Later, when the king decided on the crown prince’s marriage," Miss Magdalene lowered her voice, "I heard that Lady Thorne went to the palace upon hearing of this engagement. The queen told her that the arrangement between their children was never official. Moreover, she had never specified that it was the crown prince who would marry her daughter. In the end, the matter was resolved by promising her to the second prince. I am unsure of Lady Thorne’s true thoughts on this matter, but the second prince was injured during the war and has yet to fully recover. No one knows his true condition," Miss Magdalene said.

Anastasia nodded. Although Miss Magdalene had not stated it explicitly, Anastasia understood that she was subtly reminding her why Amabel might look down on her or try to test her. Moreover it was a reminder that the queen wanted lady Amabel in her court.

"I will not change my mind," Anastasia said. She had not known of the arrangement between the queen and Lady Thorne, but she had already found Amabel too arrogant and was uninterested in having her join. Now that she had heard the backstory, she was even more determined to keep her out. There was already one Dorothy, who knows if the king dies if she would not be killed to make way for Amabel.

Miss Magdalene said nothing.

---

On the other side, as everyone departed, Dorothy realized that there had been no arrangements for her return to the prince’s courtyard. When she went to the chapel earlier, a carriage had brought her over, but after the tea gathering, there was no carriage to take her back. She watched Anastasia board a carriage with Miss Magdalene, a maid riding in front with the coachman. Since they were heading toward the prince’s courtyard, she expected Anastasia to invite her, but Anastasia pretended not to see her.

She asked a few servants who were cleaning up the garden, but they confirmed that there was no carriage for her. With no other choice, she had to walk back to the courtyard. As she made her way, she continued cursing Anastasia in her mind.

At first, Dorothy had thought Anastasia was naive for giving her such rare opportunities to befriend noblewomen. Though she still did not fully understand the intricacies of noble society, she could tell that while many noblewomen were gentle and polite in their actions, they secretly looked down on others.

Now, she felt certain that Anastasia had heard the rumors about her and the prince and had deliberately allowed her to be humiliated in front of a few people. She had no choice but to walk a long way back to the prince’s courtyard. It was not that she had never walked that distance before, but the reason for her anger was different. In the past, she had dressed simply. But that day, in order to fit in with the other noble ladies, she had dressed exquisitely.

Since becoming the prince’s secret mistress, he had showered her with gifts. Now she deeply regretted it—after all, the weight of the dress made it difficult to walk.

After a few steps, Dorothy abandoned her attempts to walk like a noble lady and hurried forward as fast as she could to return to the prince’s courtyard.

Though she wanted to get back quickly, she was still new to the palace and took several wrong turns, nearly doubling the time it should have taken her.

Her face was flushed with sweat and anger. Fortunately, she finally spotted a maid who recognized her and accompanied her back to the prince’s courtyard.

By the time she arrived, evening had already fallen.

That night, news suddenly reached the palace that the people of Gube had finally attacked the border. Though the attack had been anticipated, it still caught many by surprise, as negotiations with the representatives of Nixel had been ongoing that very morning.

"Where is the prince and the army?" The king, who had not shown his face for seven days, finally emerged.

"Your Majesty, the prince is one day away from the border. Fortunately, he chose to rush forward, allowing the soldiers little rest. I heard the attack from the Gube people is fierce. Thankfully, our defenses are still strong; otherwise, the border wall might have been breached," a general reported.

Hearing this update, the lords present felt some relief. With more soldiers defending the border, Gube would have a harder time winning.

"You speak so confidently, but even if the prince and his soldiers arrive early, they will be tired and unfit for battle," a military advisor countered.

At his words, tension rose in the room once more. After all, who could predict the true intentions of the Gube kingdom? If they had suddenly attacked after pretending to negotiate peace, what else might they have planned?