The crown i will claim — Chapter 15

I-ISN'T THE GEM A LITTLE TOO SMALL, YOUR HIGHNESS...?

PERHAPS A MORE ELABORATE PIECE WOULD--

NO, THIS WILL DO.

MARIEU, HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR ANTIDOTE TODAY?

YES, YOUR HIGHNESS...

GOOD. MISSING EVEN A SINGLE DOSE CAN BE FATAL, SO BE SURE TO COME TO ME REGULARLY FOR IT.

YOUR HIGHNESS, HEAD MAID PINATELLI HAS ARRIVED.

SEND HER IN.

YOU'RE RIGHT ON TIME. I'VE JUST FINISHED PREPARING.

THE QUEEN DOWAGER IS WAITING.

I WILL ESCORT YOU TO HER PALACE.

VERY WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO THIS.

Episode 15

YOUR ETIQUETTE IS IMPECCABLE. ONE WOULD NEVER GUESS YOU'VE BEEN BEDRIDDEN FOR DAYS.

YOU ARE TOO KIND, GRANDMOTHER.

I AM RECOVERING WELL NOW, THANKS TO YOUR CONCERN.

IT FEELS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY YOUR ETIQUETTE TUTORS GAVE UP AND RAN OFF. WHEN DID YOU SUDDENLY BECOME THIS GOOD?

OR WERE YOU PRETENDING THIS WHOLE TIME?

THE TUTORS AUNT CATHERINE SENT WERE CERTAINLY CAPABLE, BUT THEY WERE NOT THE RIGHT FIT FOR ME.

THEY SPECIALIZED IN NOBLE ETIQUETTE RATHER THAN ROYAL PROTOCOL, SO THERE WAS ONLY SO MUCH THEY COULD TEACH ME.

WHAT? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

I LEARNED FROM THOSE VERY SAME TUTORS!

ARE YOU SAYING I WAS TAUGHT THE WRONG WAY TOO?

IN ANY CASE, MEDEA,

AS THE KINGDOM'S ONLY PRINCESS, YOU NEED NOT PRESENT YOURSELF SO PLAINLY.

CHOOSE WHICHEVER YOU LIKE.

IT IS MY GIFT TO YOU.

ARE YOU SURE IT'S ALL RIGHT FOR ME TO ACCEPT SOMETHING SO PRECIOUS?

OF COURSE. GO AHEAD AND CHOOSE.

THANK YOU, GRANDMOTHER.

WHY IS GRANDMA ACTING LIKE THIS ALL OF A SUDDEN?!

SHE PROMISED SHE WOULD GIVE ME SOME OF THOSE PIECES WHEN I GET MARRIED!

NO! I'M NOT LETTING MEDEA TAKE ALL THE BEST ONES!

MEDEA! SINCE YOU CAN'T MAKE UP YOUR MIND, I'LL GO FIRST!

I'LL TAKE THIS NECKLACE, GRANDMA!

IT'LL GO BEAUTIFULLY WITH THE DRESS YOU HAD MADE FOR ME LAST TIME!

SUCH INSOLENCE!!

G-GRANDMA...?

WHEN DID I EVER SAY I WOULD GIVE YOU ANY?

AND HOW DARE YOU LAY HANDS ON THE PRINCESS IN SUCH A MANNER?!

M-MEDEA WAS TAKING SO LONG... S-SO I JUST...

ADDRESS HER PROPERLY! SHE MAY BE YOUR COUSIN, BUT SHE IS THE PRINCESS!

DO YOU BELIEVE LIVING WITHIN THESE PALACE WALLS MAKES YOU A BALDINA AS WELL?!

YOU WOULD DO WELL TO REMEMBER YOUR PLACE, VIRNA ROBIN CLAUDIO!

I WAS JUST DOING WHAT I ALWAYS DO, SO WHY ARE YOU SUDDENLY TAKING IT OUT ON ME?!

YOU'RE BEING SO UNFAIR, GRANDMA!!

THAT FOOLISH CHILD...!

I'VE SPOILED HER FOR FAR TOO LONG.

AT HER AGE, SHE SHOULD KNOW HER PLACE IN STATUS, YET SHE SHOWS NO SENSE OF PROPRIETY.

PLEASE DO NOT BE SO HARD ON HER, GRANDMOTHER.

VIRNA AND I GREW UP TOGETHER IN THIS PALACE AND SHARED EVERYTHING FROM CHILDHOOD.

IF I HAD SOMETHING, SHE DID TOO, AND IF SHE WENT WITHOUT, SO DID I.

IT MIGHT BE WHY SHE WAS SO TAKEN ABACK BY WHAT YOU SAID.

WHATEVER VIRNA WENT WITHOUT, MEDEA DID AS WELL?

NO... THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

MEDEA IS OF THE DIRECT ROYAL LINE, WHILE VIRNA IS MERELY FROM A SIDE BRANCH OF THE FAMILY.

WHATEVER MAY HAVE BEEN TRUE IN CHILDHOOD, THEIR PATHS NOW STAND COMPLETELY APART.

GRANDMOTHER, MAY I HAVE THIS ONE?

A FAN...? IS THAT NOT A BIT PLAIN?

BUT I QUITE LIKE IT.

THIS FAN WOULDN'T BE IN GRANDMOTHER'S COLLECTION WITHOUT A REASON.

IT IS CRAFTED FROM DAMASCUS STEEL.

IT MAY NOT BE AS ORNATE AS THE OTHER PIECES, BUT IT IS AN EXCEPTIONAL WEAPON.

I HAVE BEEN NEEDING SOMETHING FOR SELF-DEFENSE, SO THIS IS PERFECT.

SHE'S NOT JUST MODEST... SHE IS ALMOST AUSTERE.

WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THOSE RUMORS ABOUT HER EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE COME FROM?

IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT, YOU MAY HAVE IT.

THANK YOU, GRANDMOTHER.

IF YOU WILL EXCUSE ME, I WILL VISIT AGAIN SOON.

VERY WELL.

I DOUBT VIRNA IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS FORGOTTEN HER PLACE.

HAD HER PARENTS EXERCISED PROPER DISCIPLINE, SHE WOULD NOT HAVE BEHAVED SO POORLY.

BUT IF JOAQUIN HAS BEGUN TO HARBOR DANGEROUS AMBITIONS...

PINATELLI, PREPARE TO SEND A LETTER TO MONTEGA AT ONCE.

DO YOU MEAN MARGRAVE MONTEGA OF THE ROYAL HOUSE, YOUR MAJESTY?

YES.

IT'S TIME TO BRING HIM BACK TO THE CAPITAL.

MARGRAVE MONTEGA?!

HOW COULD MOTHER DO THIS TO ME?!

HE'S ALWAYS LIKED MY BROTHER MORE THAN ME! TO CALL THAT STUBBORN FOOL, OF ALL PEOPLE...!

THIS IS CLEARLY MEANT TO KEEP ME IN CHECK AND BRING IN REINFORCEMENTS!

VIRNA WENT TO SEE HER MAJESTY AS WELL AND CAME BACK IN TEARS.

IT SEEMS SHE WAS SCOLDED FOR NOT ADDRESSING MEDEA BY HER PROPER TITLE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HAS COME OVER MOTHER LATELY.

JUST DAYS AGO, SHE SUDDENLY ORDERED US TO VACATE THE COTTAGE HOUSE...

AND HER INTERVENTION IN THE QUEZIN AFFAIR COST US DEARLY.

BECAUSE OF HER, THE BLACK EYE MERCHANT GUILD, OUR SECRET SOURCE OF FUNDING, HAS BEEN COMPLETELY DISMANTLED.

I NEED TO SEND MONEY TO THE REBELS IMMEDIATELY, BUT I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO WITHDRAW FUNDS FROM THE ROYAL TREASURY RIGHT NOW.

WE BARELY MANAGED TO HOLD ON TO THE COTTAGE HOUSE, BUT IF MOTHER CHANGES HER MIND AGAIN...

ON TOP OF EVERYTHING ELSE, PUBLIC SENTIMENT IS ALREADY TURNING IN THE PRINCESS'S FAVOR!

CALM DOWN, DEAR.

HOW CAN I STAY CALM WHEN MY ENTIRE PLAN IS FALLING APART?!

MEDEA MUST BE MADE OUT TO BE THE VILLAIN, AND I MUST BE THE ONE WHO DRIVES HER OUT AND SAVES THIS KINGDOM!

IF PEOPLE BEGIN TO REALIZE THAT SHE IS NOT THE ROOT OF ALL THE KINGDOM'S TROUBLES, THEN MY CLAIM TO THE THRONE WILL CRUMBLE!!

DON'T WORRY, MY DEAR. YOUR POWER IS STILL SECURE.

AND REMEMBER, THE MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS IS ON YOUR SIDE.

AS LONG AS THE PALACE REMAINS UNDER YOUR CONTROL, WE STILL HOLD THE ADVANTAGE.

AND DON'T WORRY ABOUT MARGRAVE MONTEGA.

WE'LL SIMPLY NEED TO ACT BEFORE HE DOES.

DO YOU HAVE A PLAN IN MIND?

HMM.

WHY DON'T WE HOST A GRAND BANQUET TO CELEBRATE MEDEA'S RECOVERY?

AFTER ALL THAT POOR GIRL HAS BEEN THROUGH, IT WOULD BE A THOUGHTFUL GESTURE.

WE WILL MAKE IT SO LAVISH THAT NO ONE WOULD DARE PITY HER AGAIN.

NOW THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA.

WE JUST NEED TO DO AS WE ALWAYS HAVE.

BECAUSE, AS ALWAYS,

MEDEA WILL STAND AS OUR SHIELD.