The crown i will claim — Chapter 13

NO, NOT YET.

I NEED TO HOLD ON A LITTLE LONGER...

JUST A LITTLE MORE...

WHO IS THAT...?

JUST A LITTLE MORE...

JUST A LITTLE... LONGER....

QUITE THE SHOW YOU'RE PUTTING ON, PRINCESS.

BOSS!

WHERE'S THE UMBRELLA I GAVE YOU?!

BE QUIET.

Episode 13

IT'S ALREADY BEEN FIVE DAYS, AND SHE STILL REFUSES TO YIELD. SHE MUST THINK VERY LITTLE OF ME.

IF SHE HAD BEGGED FOR FORGIVENESS, THIS WOULD HAVE ENDED ALREADY. WHERE DOES SHE GET SUCH STUBBORNNESS...?

YOUR MAJESTY,

MAY I OFFER MY THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER?

GO AHEAD.

I DO NOT BELIEVE HER HIGHNESS'S DEFIANCE...

...IS DRIVEN BY GREED FOR THE SEAL'S POWER.

WITH THE HEAD MAID SUBJECTING HER TO CONSTANT TORMENT,

SHE LIKELY SEES IT AS HER ONLY MEANS OF PROTECTION.

AND YET SHE IS A PRINCESS. ONE WOULD EXPECT HER TO HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER THOSE BENEATH HER.

THAT MAY BE SO, BUT SHE HAS NO ONE TO TURN TO.

NOT LONG AGO, EVEN NERIL, HER CLOSEST MAID AND A FORMER MEMBER OF THE LATE KING'S ROYAL GUARD, WAS NEARLY BEATEN TO DEATH BY THE HEAD MAID.

IF ANYTHING, THE HEAD MAID IS THE ONE WHO WARRANTS SUSPICION.

WHATEVER GRIEVANCE SHE MAY HAVE HARBORED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY HER HIGHNESS, WHAT SHE DID IS INEXCUSABLE.

NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, IT DOES SEEM RATHER SUSPICIOUS.

QUEZIN SERVES UNDER MY SECOND SON, JOAQUIN, AND SHE IS QUITE CLOSE WITH CATHERINE AS WELL.

UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, SHE WOULD HAVE TAKEN SUCH MATTERS TO THEM FIRST.

YET SHE CAME TO ME INSTEAD. WHY?

YOUR MAJESTY, I HOPE YOU'LL FORGIVE ME, BUT I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF INVESTIGATING THE HEAD MAID.

Q-QUEZIN...! THAT VILE WOMAN!

SHE'S BEEN EMBEZZLING FUNDS FROM THE PRINCESS'S PALACE?!

YES, YOUR MAJESTY. AND IT APPEARS SHE'S BEEN TAKING FROM HER HIGHNESS'S PERSONAL BELONGINGS AS WELL.

IT IS ALSO LIKELY THAT THIS RECENT INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE PRINCESS DISCOVERED HER MISCONDUCT...

SO SHE INTENDED TO USE ME TO CAST MEDEA ASIDE?

NO MATTER HOW COLD I MAY BE, I WOULD NEVER CAST OUT MY OWN GRANDDAUGHTER!

HOW DID SOMEONE SO DECEITFUL EVER COME TO HOLD THE POSITION OF HEAD MAID?!

Y-YOUR MAJESTY!

THE PRINCESS HAS FAINTED!

MEDEA!!

GOOD HEAVENS...!

SHE'S MUCH WORSE THAN I WAS TOLD!

HOW COULD YOU ALL HAVE LET IT GET THIS BAD?!

B-BUT... YOU SAID SHE WASN'T TO BE GIVEN EVEN A DROP OF WATER...

HAVE YOU NO SENSE AT ALL?!

DON'T JUST STAND THERE! DO YOU PLAN TO LEAVE HER LIKE THIS?!

?!

N-NO...!

JOHANN... MY SON...!!

SUMMON THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN IMMEDIATELY!

YES, YOUR MAJESTY!

WHAT ARE THE REST OF YOU WAITING FOR? TAKE HER INSIDE AT ONCE!!

WHY HASN'T THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN ARRIVED YET?

A MAID HAS GONE TO CHECK AGAIN. HE SHOULD BE HERE SHORTLY.

AND WHY IS THE PRINCESS'S ROOM SO COLD?

AH...!

F-FORGIVE ME, YOUR MAJESTY. I WILL LIGHT THE FIRE RIGHT AWAY.

TSK. HOW IS IT THAT EVEN THE MAIDS ARE NOT PROPERLY TRAINED?

I WAS TOLD THE HEAD MAID DISMISSED ALL THE FORMER STAFF, SAYING THEY WERE CAUSING TROUBLE.

SO QUEZIN WENT ON AS SHE PLEASED UNTIL THE VERY END...

MOREOVER,

I WAS TOLD MEDEA HAD BEEN LIVING IN LUXURY UNDER THE KING'S SEAL AND JOAQUIN'S PROTECTION,

YET THIS ROOM LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I WAS LED TO BELIEVE.

I SEE NO SIGN OF EXTRAVAGANCE AT ALL.

IT'S AS IF... SHE'S BEEN NEGLECTED FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

YOUR MAJESTY, THE MAID HAS RETURNED.

Y-YOUR MAJESTY.

WHY HAVE YOU COME BACK ALONE?

TH-THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN SAID HE IS BUSY AT THE MOMENT...

NONSENSE! WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE URGENT THAN SEEING TO THE PRINCESS?

H-HE SAID...

...LADY VIRNA CUT HER FINGER ON AN INVITATION...

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

YOU MEAN TO TELL ME HE WOULD IGNORE A ROYAL SUMMONS OVER A MERE PAPER CUT?

TH-THAT'S NOT...!

IT WOULD SEEM I'VE ALLOWED MY GRIEF FOR THE LATE KING TO CONSUME ME FOR FAR TOO LONG...

TO THINK THE KING'S ONLY SISTER HAS BEEN TREATED WITH SUCH BLATANT DISRESPECT!

P-PLEASE FORGIVE ME, YOUR MAJESTY!

GO FETCH THE ROYAL PHYSICIAN AGAIN, AND DO NOT LET HIM KNOW I AM HERE.

Y-YES, YOUR MAJESTY!

VERY WELL. I WILL RESTORE ORDER IN THIS PALACE MYSELF.