QUEEN’S PUPPET

CHAPTER 2 QUEEN'S PUPPET

She was never a petty person, they may have done some unforgivable sin towards her in her last life, but she simply could not find it in her heart to cloud her judgment with rage and grudges. To take revenge for a sin that they have yet to make, would be unfair.

She was no saint, she was simply rational enough not to fall for pity or anger. It was beyond her, if they dare to do her wrong in this life, then that would be the time she would act according to the situation.

Besides the tides being in her favor, she knows everything that they are planning and everything that would happen in the next 30 years. She dies on her 48th birthday, as the pitiful Queen who married a heartless man whose heart would never be hers.

In her last life, she was the cursed and unloved Queen who could not bear a child for the King. But little did everyone know, every time she conceived, her mother and sister would do something and it would result in her either almost dying, losing the fetus, or giving birth to an infant whose life was numbered.

"Is that so? Then, you won't have to perform, you just have to attend for a few minutes and leave right after, I will inform the King about this.`" The Queen brushed her off and Princess Irene wanted to argue more, however, it would annoy her Queen mother so she had to curb her irritation and go along with the Queen's decision.

"You may go, and don't even dare to leave your quarters unless I give permission. You are to stay there and live as if you don't exist." Being discreetly confined as royalty is a shame and would make a prideful one feel bad. However, for Candace, they are actually doing her a favor.

"Certainly, Your Majesty." She curtsied and returned to her quarters immediately, she still had to sort her memories out and see what she could do.

In fact, in her last life, she was the one who insisted on performing and joining the banquet. It was all because her childhood sweetheart will be there.

No one else knew about this, but the crown prince of an allied kingdom from the west was her childhood lover, the crown prince was once blind. During those times, he was at the Kingdom to recuperate since his mother's family was born and raised in the Capital City, Winter Way.

His mother was the only daughter of Marquis Llevan, and as crafty as he was, he always put his daughter's wellbeing as his top priority.

The Marquis' estate was quite close to the castle and every time that Princess Candace was reprimanded, she would go out to the forest and incidentally meet the half-blind first Prince of Ucruiwen Kingdom.

The last time they met, was when they were 13 years old, the two of them promised to wed each other and as a symbol of this oath was the hairpin that the Prince's mother used to wear before she died of childbirth to his younger sister.

With hopes of meeting her childhood sweetheart, she went to the banquet bearing the old hairpin that she took care of after all these years.

The First Prince of Ucruiwen arrived and unlike her imagination of a happy ever after, her sister, Princess Irene stole the show once again and as always, she became the shadow.

It was unbeknownst to her that the moment the Prince set foot in their Kingdom, Princess Irene had her eyes on him and would do anything to have him.

In this life, Princess Candace did not want to have anything to do with him. Not because she hated him or anything, but because she learned that what he felt was not love, she chased after him because he was giving her the bare minimum. The attention and care she longs for and to tie herself into something like that were beneath her.

She would rather wed a man who doesn't love her but respects her, than a man like him who was blinded by looks, easily manipulated, and cruel.

Candace shivered as she recalled all the sufferings she experienced with him whenever her sister plots against her and makes her seem like the evil Villainess in their sweet love story.

Even if it was just a short visit, she has to see who can help her, and how can she escape from the Queen's clutches. Regarding her health, the poison was on the morning tea that the queen makes her drink, it was mixed with chrysanthemum and sometimes rose petals.

A small amount won't do anything to a person's body, but a continuous and long-term intake would slowly kill the person.

She was supposed to die on her wedding night with the Prince because of the Queen's poison, but the second poison given to her by the Prince's sister triggered the one already inside her body and saved her instead.

In her case, she lived for 48 years because as the poison seeped through her blood, her body grew accustomed to it that any medicines or any kind of poison were impossible to kill her or save her. Continuous ingestion was making even her blood and tears to be poisonous.

Her death last time was due to the fact that the 'Kind and Beautiful Queen' was almost assassinated under her command, and this further angered the King. He then granted her the white cloth, pertaining to her being executed the next day.

Feeling the feverish burn inside her stomach, she felt exhausted, the thought of death does not scare her. Even though in three years she would die unless she ingests the same poison, Candace felt nothing.

"Princess, your lunch is served." Even though she is unloved and uncared for, she can still eat twice a day. But if she misbehaves, clean water is already a luxury for her.

There was not much in her meal, she was given sauteed vegetables and soup, then a hard bread that could be used as a weapon anytime.

Sometimes, whenever the Queen does not pay attention, some servants who took pity on her would put in some snacks for her. Those people are the ones who saw how difficult her life was and pitied her.

Since the Queen had just recently placed her on prohibition, the cooks and servants could not give her anything but turn a blind eye to it.

"Hannah, can you please return these books to the library and get the ones I asked for last week?" her soft yet cold voice was soothing, it did not sound childlike nor the usual alluring tone that her sister uses, rather it was calming.

"Yes, your highness."

Hannah is a kind and diligent attendant, she does anything that Candace asks for. In her last life, Hannah was one of the very few people who mourned her death. She knew because somehow, she had a vague memory of watching those people cry at her cold and pale body that was not even placed in a coffin.

Some servants do try to abuse her, but it was not that visible due to their fear that she would retaliate, after all, no matter how she was unfavored, she is still a princess.

If she wanted to, she could have their heads cut off, the Queen would certainly allow that since it would embarrass her as the Princess' mother to have a measly servant do that to her child.

After eating her meal, if it was even a meal, Candace began listing all the events that would happen for the next 30 years, and in case someone reads it, she made sure to use aliases and codes that only she knows. At the same time, making up her alphabetical system and turning it into a language of her own.

If she wants to win this game they are playing, she has to be smart and quick to her feet. That includes training this body. In her last life, in order to gain the Prince's love and attention, she learned all the things that he loves to do. And to be called a propper Queen worthy of her role, she studied everything there is, language, politics, military, arts, and music. Name it and she knows.

However, no matter what she does, she was always beneath Princess Irene, the perfect epitome of Beauty.

A year from now, a decree would be given where the eldest daughter of king Cedric Dione be betrothed to the Prince of Ucruiwen. And 2 years later she would marry the man. Supposed to be earlier than that, but it was always held back because of some events. It now makes sense to her that the Prince, Princess Irene, Queen Eloizabeth, and the Prince's sister were pulling the strings for the marriage to not happen.

Before she goes to battle and fights the Queen's beloved daughter, the Queen's puppet has to gain control of her strings and by doing that, she has to train and prepare herself.

That includes strengthening her body and researching ways to cure herself.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Your highness, it's the Queen's attendant," Hannah informed her quietly.

"Let her in," she ordered and put away the journal at once.

A lady in a black and white dress that resembled what Hannah wears, however, she had a cardigan on top of her shoulders, indicating a higher rank amongst servants.

"Your Highness, Prince Theodore has arrived and requests for your presence at the Royal Garden with everyone. In addition, the Queen permitted you to join the gathering." The First Prince Theodore? Wasn't her brother supposed to arrive 3 days from now? Why did this happen? What caused the changes? Was her rebirth behind this? But she barely did anything?

At that moment, the familiar feeling of fear rose deep inside her heart. She was uneasy, but she couldn't do anything but go with the flow of destiny.

TBC

Maple Writes

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