168: Wedding invitations

Wedding invitations

The youngest princess of the Blackthorn family refrained from joining the rest of her family in welcoming the king and his future wife-to-be. She was irritated by the way things had unravelled since Maxwell's death. Even though she wanted to voice her thoughts, she now found herself unable to do so. 

Not because she lacked the capability, but rather because she didn't want a repeat of the incident that had befallen her hand previously.

"Princess Niyasa." One of her maids appeared before her, offering her a respectful bow. "Lady Anastasia has arrived with King Dante and her family."

"Great," Niyasa muttered under her breath. "As if one wasn't enough, now I have to sit with others like her at the table. Leave me; I need some time to think."

If it had been any other commoner besides Anastasia, who had turned out to be her brother's soulmate, perhaps she would have been more accepting. However, Niyasa didn't like this particular commoner, who had fooled and mocked her intelligence. From her perspective, there were only two choices: either to accept her presence or relocate far from this place. For the sake of her own sanity, it was clear to her which option she should pick. 

Niyasa was strolling down the corridor when she abruptly froze in her tracks, her eyes fixed on a figure gliding past the corridor's end—someone who was supposed to be dead. 

"T—This can't be true…" Niyasa stammered and she shook her head in denial. 

However, a sense of suspicion crept in, and her eyes narrowed as she exclaimed, "Aiden!" 

Niyasa stomped through the corridor in search of her younger brother, who enjoyed playing tricks on her. Upon encountering a servant, she demanded, "Where is Aiden?"

The servant noticed the princess's angry gaze, but then also noticed the presence of the prince. 

Niyasa turned on seeing the servant looking behind her, and there stood Aiden, wearing a mischievous smile. She gritted her teeth and advanced towards him, snapping with a hint of arrogance, "Do you really think you can scare me with your cheap abilities, Aiden? Grow up," she added, rolling her eyes. 

Aiden maintained an innocent expression and replied, "What are you talking about?" 

"Don't act as if I don't know." Niyasa's eyes narrowed and she retorted, "Taking on the appearance of a dead woman who has been gone for months. You might as well perform your tricks in front of Anastasia and her family. They will find it more entertaining than I do."

"I've only just arrived from the dock, and I'm meeting you just now," Aiden replied, adding, "Come and meet Brother Dante and the others."

"I have no interest in it, and you can't force me into something I don't want any part of. I am being honest with my feelings, so it would be best if you left me alone. Or you can continue to stand here, and I will leave." Niyasa swiftly turned on her heel and took not more than two steps forward when she felt her heart leap into her throat. 

There stood Marianne, appearing just as she did when she was a courtesan, though without any ornaments. As she stood beside a window, the wind tousled her hair, leaving Niyasa incapable of uttering a single word. 

"Why are you making those choking sounds, Niyasa?" Aiden inquired, coming to stand next to her. 

"D—Do you see tha—at?" Niyasa stammered, her voice trembling as she observed Marianne turning to look at her. Startled, she jumped and clung to her brother's side. "Ai—Aiden! Over there!" 

Aiden turned his gaze in the direction indicated by his sister's outstretched finger. He gave her a confused look and responded, "The wall?" 

"No! 'Her'," she hissed, her widened blue eyes filled with horror. She had seen the woman's dead body, and she had been incinerated in the dungeon months ago.

"Her?" Aiden continued to act oblivious and asked, "You aren't referring to the window as if it were a female, are you?" 

Niyasa struggled to understand what was going on and felt like she was on the verge of losing her mind. She had initially believed that Aiden was the one assuming the appearance of the deceased woman, but it appeared to be her ghost! She whispered, "Aiden, she's standing right there. Max's co—concubine."

Aiden waved his hand dismissively and remarked, "Nice joke, Niyasa, but if you are trying to scare me right now, I would say good luck with that. I am going now, Sister." He began to walk in the opposite direction. 

For a moment, Niyasa contemplated whether she should go and check on the ghost herself to confirm if she was being deceived. With that thought in mind, she took a step towards the woman. However, the instant the ghost began to walk towards her, she swiftly pivoted and ran in the other direction. 

"There's a ghost in the palace! A ghost!" Niyasa cried out in a state of panic, raising an alarm among the servants. Meanwhile, Marianne followed her partway before vanishing from sight. 

Niyasa finally found her mother entertaining the guests, and there, at the side, stood Marianne. The sight nearly gave her a heart attack, her voice catching in her throat. Lady Maya, noticing her daughter's reaction, offered a brief smile and said, 

"This is my daughter, Niyasa. The youngest princess of the Blackthorn family." Frowning at her daughter, she questioned her in a hushed tone, "What are you doing, Niyasa?" 

"There is a ghost amongst us!" Niyasa shrieked, her eyes wide, and those who were already aware of the situation stared at her. The princess continued, "She has been following me from my room, Mother! She—"

"Good evening, Princess Niyasa." Marianne greeted the young princess with a polite bow. As she raised her head to meet Niyasa's eyes, she added, "It is good to see you again." This left the princess dumbstruck. 

"King Dante brought Marianne back to life," Lady Maya interjected before her daughter would embarrass herself further. 

Lady Sophia and Lady Maya had begun to adjust their attitudes and behaviours to foster better relations with each other, knowing full well what Dante was capable of should they try anything that might displease him. 

"What?" Niyasa whispered, her eyebrows raised. "He brought her back?" 

"Yes," Lady Sophia affirmed, and then turned to Mr. Gilbert. "Norrix, would you kindly escort the women to their rooms? I will go discuss something with the king."

With that, they left the room, leaving Lady Maya and Niyasa behind. Niyasa inquired, "How can anyone bring a dead person back to life?!"

"Apparently, from what your grandmother said, Dante is an archdemon, and he must possess abilities to perform such a feat," Lady Maya informed her daughter before adding, "I need you to behave, Niyasa. And don't do anything that might be poorly received." 

Niyasa remained confused, and she asked, "Why didn't he bring back Maxwell? Marianne is Anastasia's sister, but Maxwell is our brother. His own blood brother."

Lady Maya pursed her lips, her heart yearning for her son's return to life. The pain of losing him was immeasurable, particularly because he was her first child who hadn't died like the rest. She expressed, 

"It is a form of punishment, Niyasa. A lot of the time, what you send out into the universe is what returns to you..."

"That is not fair, Mother," Niyasa objected, shaking her head. "Everyone in the palace speaks of how they wish things could improve, so why not fix it? Brother Dante could have brought Max back."

Lady Maya found herself at a loss for words, for she had been grieving for her departed son since his passing. She explained, "Noor had intercepted Lucretia's letter, and the Vizier had confiscated it before the news could reach Dante..." However, she remembered that she had also played a part by refusing to permit Lucretia to be buried on the palace grounds. "No one understands the depths of this sorrow..."

"Mother, is there no way to make it right? Maybe we can ask for help—"

"Don't. There has been too much damage, and I am tired now," Lady Maya interjected, taking a brief pause before saying, "I want to rest, Niyasa. Please don't cause any trouble." 

Observing her mother walk out of the room, Niyasa furrowed her brow. Among the women of the palace, animosity ran deep, as Lady Sophia disliked Lady Maya, and Lady Maya had always disliked Lady Lucretia. 

In the stillness of the night, Anastasia stood on the balcony, gazing at the towering walls that safeguarded the kingdom—the very walls that had once occupied her thoughts for years as she contemplated how to pass through them to escape. Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching from behind her, and before long, Dante's arms enveloped her from behind. 

"Did everyone settle into their rooms?" she asked him and heard him hum in response. 

Dante kissed her cheek and replied, "Yes, they did. You should be resting, especially since you were feeling a little sick this morning."

"I thought I would stay up and wait for you." Anastasia placed her hands on his. "Marianne's presence left everyone breathless today." Marianne had given the courtesans, who had now turned into maids, quite a fright, which also included Madame Minerva. 

"I heard a bit about that from Aiden," Dante responded with a smile, his gaze fixed on the kingdom spread out before them. "Grandmother has warned everyone not to speak about Marianne's previous time here. This way, your parents won't need to learn the full extent of what happened to her."

"I should express my gratitude to her for that," Anastasia said and felt Dante kiss the crook of her neck before he whispered, 

"I know a way that will earn Grandmother's gratitude." His lips teasingly brushed against her skin, bringing a wide smile to her lips. His hand gently settled on her stomach before he said, "I cannot wait to build a family with you. Our very own family."

Anastasia knew their children would be loved and protected, and cared for by their loving grandparents, uncles, and aunts. She imagined their future together with him and inquired, "Did you see the rose? It is blooming with many more roses, and the bush has begun to spread throughout the garden."

"The curse has finally been lifted." Dante nodded and released her from his embrace. "Things are returning to the way they were meant to be."

"Not quite yet," Anastasia murmured, meeting Dante's gaze, and she said, "The land is still covered in sand and needs a touch of greenery." With that, she brought her hands together, conjuring a white sphere of light intertwined with delicate threads between her palms. It grew bigger within her grasp, and when she directed her hands towards the kingdom, the light disappeared and radiated outwards like a wave, passing through the towering walls that extended as far as their gaze could reach. 

A brief silence ensued before the sand began vanishing, seemingly swept and drawn into the ground, while the terrain started to transform into mud. Tiny green shoots started to emerge from the rejuvenated soil, with grass spreading and a few trees sporadically sprouting here and there. 

Before Anastasia could exert more of her power, she started to feel weak and swayed, only to be caught by Dante's supportive embrace. 

"Don't push yourself," Dante advised her gently. "There's plenty of time to fix it; you don't have to do it all in a single day."

Anastasia nodded and said, "I didn't know it was going to exert that much of my strength." Her brown eyes now held filaments of green in them, and she admired the transformation before her. Although the grass and forest didn't stretch endlessly, it was sufficient for people to enjoy a taste of forest life. They stood there, enjoying the breeze together, before returning inside the room. 

Days passed by, and everyone was consumed by preparations for the upcoming wedding. Renowned tailors were hard at work crafting the attire for the royal family, while invitations had been sent out to all those of significance and acquaintances of the Kingdom of Versailles. 

The news had also reached the commoners of both Versailles and the neighbouring kingdoms. Though some were unhappy about Dante assuming the throne due to him being perceived as cursed, many were enthusiastic about the prospect of positive change and improvements under his rule. They were excited that a commoner, a former maid, no less, was about to be married to King Dante Blackthorn. 

Several days ago, the residents of Versailles found themselves shocked to witness the sudden appearance of trees and grass, causing many of them to question if it were a mere dream. No one knew what had happened, but they guessed it was King Dante's doing. 

A few days before the wedding, the Mother Queen sat in her private room, accompanied by her minister, Emily, and Migdre, who had been assigned to assist her. She said,  0

"Double check it, Aziel. This wedding is going to be magnificent, unlike anything anyone has ever seen before."

"I believe we have addressed all the invitations, My Queen," Aziel stated, glancing up from the parchment in his hands. "Except for perhaps the last one, though I am uncertain how important it is. The individuals from the underworld." 

"Right, we forgot about Viktor," the Mother Queen acknowledged with a nod. 

Migdre's eyes snapped to the old woman playing with fire. It seemed she might not have to wait much longer, as she would be frying soon at the rate she was going. 

"Grandmother, you aren't seriously considering inviting the Devil into the living realm, are you?" Emily's eyebrows shot up. She had been present in the room when her grandmother attempted to summon the Devil, only to find a dead rat inside the vessel. 

"It is important to build connections, Emily. You will soon learn that this world revolves around having people you can use," the Mother Queen chuckled softly while the imp stared at the crazy earthling. Use? The Devil would use her instead, it thought to itself. "Future connections."

Emily and Aziel exchanged uncertain glances, questioning the decision to invite someone known for causing disruption and commanding numerous demons. They watched as her grandmother walked over to her desk and picked up her quill. She then hastily wrote something before folding the paper and applying a dash of perfume to it. 

No, her grandmother wasn't eyeing the Devil as a potential prospect, or maybe she was, Emily thought to herself. Her grandmother was too wise, and she appeared to be trying to gain the Devil's favour by buttering him up.

Folding the letter and inserting it into the invitation, the Mother Queen handed it to the imp and ordered, "Deliver this to him. Go on."

Though Migdre vanished and reappeared in Hell, it looked positively nervous, second-guessing whether it should have gone to its master first. But Master Dante was busy with Lady Anastasia, and it didn't want to be glared at again by interrupting. 

The imp made its way towards the Devil's tower, feeling its boney hands growing sweaty, and it wiped them against its clothes. Upon entering the long hall, it eventually reached the spacious room where Viktor leisurely sat in a relaxed manner. 

"What is Dante's imp doing here?" questioned one of the demons in the Devil's Hall. 

Viktor's eyes lazily shifted to the imp, which seemed on the verge of fainting under his gaze. The imp promptly bowed, presenting the envelope with its head lowered and squeaked out, 

"Hail the Devil!"

The Devil stared at the envelope. He had severed all means of communication to avoid being disturbed, yet here it was. His eyes narrowed at the foul odour emanating from the envelope that was starting to give him a headache. 

"What does it say?" Viktor inquired without bothering to open and read it himself. Migdre, who had never spoken to the Devil, appeared nervous. 

"It is from Ginger Blackthorn. It is about Master Dante's wedding." The imp quickly opened the letter, its eyes scanning through the contents, and it paled as it stammered, "It, uh says, you don't have to attend it..."

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