The Web of Knightspur-Chapter 252 - 248
Crown Prince Richard sat in the garden with a smile. His eyes were looking at the Princess who was looking at him as if she had something to tell him.
Crown Prince Richard knew that maybe there was something in Princess Eleanor’s mind that she was curious about. He looked to the side where the maids were making the tea as he got up.
"Let me make one for the Princess." Crown Prince Richard was a tea lover and everyone knew of it. Especially when it came to tea made with roses. His eyes were filled with excitement as if he was a child who wanted to show off his skills to his favorite person.
The maids swallowed hard as they nodded their heads and took a step back. There was nothing they could do in this situation.
’Maybe the Crown Prince is in the courting phase.’ The maids thought as they nodded their heads in understanding.
Everyone knew that the Temple will be crowing the chosen one today. No matter what happens, the situation will not change. Maybe Prince Richard wanted to leave a good impression on the Princess so that she would choose him.
The maids did not say anything. The rumors surrounding the Crown Prince were known to all. The man was a playboy, so him doing something as simple as making tea for the woman he wanted to impress did not come as an utter shock to them.
Princess Eleanor sat at the table and she smiled. Her eyes moved to look at the ring on her finger from time to time. The poison in it was deadly, but it still will need a few hours to work. That would actually be a good situation for her. Princess Eleanor knew that she had to inject a small amount of poison into the tea and her own body. After all, the temple will be responsible to heal her.
’The High Priest will never reveal his plan to the people of the Temple. I need to make sure that I still have the symptoms.’ Princess Eleanor thought as she smiled to herself.
"Princess." It was the voice of Lady Gisella who came towards her with a smile, "I know that you loved to eat the biscuits that I make, so I baked some for you when I knew that you would be out here having tea. I know that you will no longer be a Princess in a few hours and instead, be given the position of the Crown Princess. It will be difficult for me to meet you, so I took this opportunity."
Princess Eleanor saw the biscuits in Lady Gisella’s hand. She had secretly baked them in the morning with the light poison that she is used to and had asked Lady Gisella to bring them here. "Did you bake them?"
"Yes, the Crown Prince had ordered the staff that if anyone wants to do anything for Princess Eleanor, they should not be stopped. The relationship between you two are really admirable."
"Yes." Princess Eleanor smiled shyly as her eyes moved to Crown Prince Richard who was happy to hear the words from Lady Gisella. It implied that he was caring towards her and would take care of Princess Eleanor in the long run.
Lady Gisella followed Princess Eleanor’s gaze as her eyes widened. She bowed her head as she said, "Sorry, I did not know that the Crown Prince was here too."
Crown Prince Richard waved off Lady Gisella’s concerns as if he did not take it to heart. There was a smile on his face which proved that he was still in a good mood. "If Lady Gisella is done delivering the goods, I would like to have some alone time with Princess Eleanor. She is feeling much better now and earlier, we did not get a chance to talk much either."
Lady Gisella nodded her head as she placed the biscuits on the table. Soon, she and all the maids moved back, giving some space to the Crown Prince and Princess Eleanor.
Princess Eleanor saw the Crown Prince busying himself with his tea making and she smiled. This was the perfect opportunity. She lowered her hands below the table as her eyes sharpened while glancing around. She moved her finger to the ring as she got up.
"Is the Crown Prince used to making tea for others?" Princess Eleanor asked as she smiled innocently. Her eyes looked at the Crown Prince who was about to bring the cups toward her. She placed her finger at the tip of the ring and opened it carefully and discreetly.
Once the teacups were placed on the table, she did not waste any time as she brought the cups towards her, naturally making sure that her finger where the ring was placed was stable.
"I do not mind, though. After all, it was our deal." Princess Eleanor said as she smiled. "Let me add some sugar for you at least. Otherwise, I will be sad that I made the Crown Prince do all the work."
Crown Prince Richard did not object as he sat in front of Princess Eleanor. His eyes were still looking at the happy princess.
Princess Eleanor did not waste any time as she asked the question. She knew that once she asked about it, Crown Prince Richard’s complete attention would be on her and she could simply tilt the ring upside down and pour the poison in without getting noticed. She was even wearing gloves today that went along with her dress, so that not even a single drop would touch her skin.
"When will Felix arrive?" Princess Eleanor asked the question as her eyes looked straight into the Crown Prince’s eyes and as per her thoughts, he was shocked. Princess Eleanor did not waste any time as she calmly poured the poison inside. She smiled happily once thinking that the deed was done. She pulled her hand back naturally and crossed both hands over the other, placing them under the table and deftly closed the lid with a twist of her fingers. "You know that I want him to see me getting crowned. He is the only one left that I could call my family."
Princess Eleanor smiled, but she could see a slight uneasiness on the Crown Prince’s face. It was as if he was desperately trying to hide something, "How many cubes of sugar?" Princess Eleanor asked innocently pulling Crown Prince Richard back to reality.
"2 cubes, please."
Princess Eleanor nodded as she took the cubes and dropped them into the cup she had poured the poison into. Her eyes were glittering as she stirred it properly. "I know that you have sent the invitation to him, but you should understand my situation too. My lady-in-waiting went back because she did not want to see Felix. After all, they had a history and Felix married my sister without caring for her feelings. Although I do not blame him, my lady-in-waiting does. So I do not have anyone from my family here."
Princess Eleanor extended the teacup to the Crown Prince who took it. "He will be here in the evening. I got the news that they have entered the Empire and will arrive in the capital in the afternoon."
At the Crown Prince’s words, Princess Eleanor nodded her head. She extended the plate of biscuits to the Crown Prince who took them with a smile.
Princess Eleanor smiled as she drank her tea with ease. Her eyes looked at the Crown Prince from time to time as she smiled satisfactorily when she saw that the tea in the Crown Prince’s cup was almost finished.
Princess Eleanor took a biscuit and ate one. "Does Crown Prince Richard want to say something else to me?"
Princess Eleanor asked as her eyes blinked innocently. The emotions on her face looked as pure as day as if she too, wanted to hear what the Crown Prince was about to say.
"Well, today is the day that you will be crowned as the Crown Princess." Crown Prince Richard said in a straightforward tone. His eyes were looking straight into the Princess’ as he continued, "I had kept my end of the deal, Princess. And I hope that Princess Eleanor will keep her end of the bargain too. I hope that when the High Priest asks the Princess, who do you want to marry, you will not hesitate to say my name."
"I know." Princess Eleanor nodded her head, "Is Crown Prince Richard doubtful that I will not stick to my words? Do you fear that I will betray you?"
"No. I had heard that the Angevin Kingdom’s people are true to their feelings. I am grateful to you as you are to me. Although we are not in love right now, the future is unpredictable Princess. I hope that the trust I have in you will not be broken."
Princess Eleanor smiled at Crown Prince Richard’s words, "Yes we are people true to our feelings. I cannot deny that statement. And the Crown Prince should not worry. I am someone who is consumed by revenge and I will do everything it takes to achieve it. So, Crown Prince Richard should trust me and my feelings."
Princess Eleanor smiled as she looked into the Crown Prince’s eyes who was smiling as if he was happy with the statement. She knew what the man wanted to hear but she did not say anything wrong. She will be staying true to her feelings.
"I look forward to meeting Felix today."
