Chapter 5: Blood at the Spring Ball

Spring had come, and the palace gardens were in full bloom. The magnolias looked like clouds of color from afar. Palace corridors lined with blossoming trees, halls filled with fragrance. The world seemed softer, hopeful. I let myself breathe it in for a second.

Some lords asked my father to host the Spring Ball. The Spring Ball, also known as the Matchmaking Ball, was a royal event for princes and heirs to find brides. Noble ladies from all the major families would be invited, and if a girl from a humble family caught a prince’s eye—even as a companion—she and her family would rise to unimaginable wealth and status.

So, for their own and their families’ sakes, all the noble ladies would do their best to stand out at the ball, hoping to land a good match. Even if they didn’t catch a prince, being noticed by a prominent young lord was still a fine outcome.

But… I was the only princess in the whole palace. Not a single prince. Awkward.

Luckily, the two surviving royal uncles had sons of marrying age. And of course, the young lords and ladies of the capital’s great families.

My father agreed. But with no queen mother, no queen, no consorts, my father left the matter to me, the still-unmarried princess.

I was speechless. "Are you kidding me?" Isn’t this usually handled by elders? At least my uncles’ wives could do it—what’s it got to do with me? Is this even proper?

But my father made it clear—he is the rules. Once the order was given, what could I do but obey?

To be fair, my father had killed his own father—the late king—his siblings, and bathed the court in blood when he was young. If not for my mother’s intervention, the whole capital might have been strung up as a warning. If he could do something that extreme, what’s a little ball?

Since I had to do it, I’d do it well—leave no room for criticism. So I oversaw everything, from the venue to the decorations to the guest list. After all those years learning from my father and my tutors, a little ball was nothing.

Lately, Tristan had kept quiet. The -99 favorability had scared him into behaving. He didn’t dare cause trouble while I was busy. If it dropped one more point, he’d be dead.

The Spring Ball went smoothly. All the young lords and ladies I’d invited showed up. As a woman, I naturally glanced at the young men.

The Chancellor’s youngest son was handsome and shy. The prime minister’s son was elegant and charming. The Marquess of Westhaven’s son was tall and striking.

But after growing up around my father’s almost otherworldly looks and presence, all these young men seemed a bit bland. So I made my appearance, then quickly lost interest.

As for the looks of amazement in the young men’s eyes when I appeared—I felt nothing. As the child of my father and mother, I certainly wasn’t lacking in looks. I’d been the center of attention my whole life.

Bored, I slipped away and left the rest of the event to the guests.

"Your Highness, please, save my lady!"

The main hall was too noisy for my taste, so I strolled to a quiet path in the palace garden. Suddenly, a maid rushed out, dropping to her knees with a thud, her forehead hitting the ground over and over until it bled.

My maid snapped, "How dare you! Do you know what you’ve done, offending the princess?"

The maid ignored her, just kept begging, "Please, save my lady!"

I frowned and gestured. The hidden guards vanished to investigate.

I said coolly, "Stand up and tell me what happened."

The maid hemmed and hawed, only saying the king was going to kill her lady. It was about my father?

The covert guard soon returned, kneeling. "Your Highness, the eldest daughter of the Duke of Wexley tried to seduce His Majesty. The king is about to execute her on the spot."

The maid’s face turned ghostly white!

Me: "?"

Expressionless, I ordered my maid, "Drag her away."

Was this maid insane? Her lady dared seduce my father, and she came to beg me, the legitimate princess? Did she not realize—my father belongs to my mother? Her lady tried to seduce him?

Forget my father killing her. Even if she survived, I wouldn’t spare her! My father is not for just anyone to covet.

Over the years, some ministers tried to persuade him to take companions, but before they could anger him, I’d already found leverage on them. I smiled. "Keep quiet or lose your family—your choice."

Even the most upright, incorruptible lords didn’t dare argue. They weren’t afraid of death, but everyone has a weakness. Find it, and they’ll break without a fight. They could only grumble a few harmless insults, and mutter that having only one princess was a sign of a doomed dynasty.

Doomed, my ass. Even if your grandson’s gone, Aldermere won’t fall! Besides, I was saving them. If they really angered my father, things would get much worse than just a little blood in the court.