The Web of Knightspur-Chapter 67: Culprit

Princess Eleanor observed the change in expression on Lady Gisella’s face but soon the Lady covered it up.

"How could Princess Eleanor guess that we belong to House Beaumont?" Lady Gisella asked. Her body leaned a little towards the princess as she waited patiently for her to answer.

"It wasn’t that difficult, really. First I saw the seal on Sir Kit’s body when he showed it at the border, and the same seal I saw on the knights as well. Although I remember Sir Kit’s seal was made of gold, why?"

"All the knights that went to escort the Princesses belong to the House Beaumont. They all are given the gold seal, indicating their rank and importance." Lady Gisella explained.

Princess Eleanor nodded her head as she understood it now. She looked at Lady Gisella who was waiting patiently to listen to her other explanation. "And the second will be the location. We all are staying at House Beaumont’s tents. So I figured that you both might belong to House Beaumont."

Lady Gisella was silent but soon she realized that it was quite easy to guess. Princess Eleanor could not help but laugh as she saw the confused expression on Lady Gisella’s face.

Princess Eleanor giggled as she said in a playful tone, "Did Lady Gisella think I am a Princess blinded by clothes and jewelry alone? I like them but I am intelligent too."

"I never doubted that princess Eleanor was not intelligent." Lady Gisella tried to explain. "Maybe the rumors said that but I know how to distinguish between the rumors and reality. And after seeing your life at the Angevin Kingdom I knew that you had to compromise a lot and be mindful of your words with every step you took."

Princess Eleanor was silent. She could see what Lady Gisella was doing but she also knew that for the little information she got, she needed to provide some information too. It was a two-way street and she had to do her job now.

"Life at the Angevin Kingdom was never so difficult." Princess Eleanor said as her tone trembled a little. Thinking about her life prior to the incident always brought tears to her eyes. No matter how much she pretended to be okay, the past looked like a beautiful daydream she had experienced before the nightmare.

"My parents and elder brother loved me a lot. The love and care that she had shown to me were beyond words. I was blessed in many senses." Princess Eleanor tried to control the emerging emotions in my body but her body was turning warm, "They never forced me to do anything. Although many Kings think that the daughter should be married off to a good family, I knew that my father thought that no one was good enough for me. He even told me once that I could marry anyone that I truly love when I grow up irrespective of the person’s status."

Princess Eleanor giggled as she smiled, "It feels so silly to think about now. Maybe things might have been different if they were still alive." Princess Eleanor looked at Lady Gisella as she said in a dull tone, "The Lady might have known that my family was murdered. It was treason but the culprit was never found. And before I knew it I had to adapt myself to the new environment."

"I was no longer the beloved Princess of the Angevin Kingdom. I was a Princess who had lost her power and status. I was looked down upon. Before I could even grieve about my family’s loss I was forced to adapt to the new status quo," Princess Eleanor’s lips curled up, "I was allowed to retain the status of the Princess but I had no powers. I was neglected and I felt lost."

The teardrop dripped from her eyes, but Princess Eleanor did not stop. "So I decided to leave the Kingdom and stay with my maternal family. I sympathized with them as well. To be honest I was sympathetic everywhere but slowly I grew accustomed to it. My Maternal grandparents taught me a lot of things. I took up new hobbies and learned new things to keep my mind occupied and to be honest it worked. Or that was what I thought."

Princess Eleanor smiled as she shook her head in disappointment, "But some feelings can never be suppressed. No matter how much I enjoyed staying at my grandparent’s place, I missed my Kingdom. It was then that I was told a few words which I could never forget. I still remember my grandfather coming to me last night. He said, ’You are the Princess of Angevin Kingdom. Even if you have lost your parents, the status cannot be lost. You are the daughter of your parents and your father and mother would not like to see you weakened in front of anyone. As a Princess, you have to keep your head high.’ It was a good lesson"

Princess Eleanor smiled. She looked outside of the carriage as the dessert shined like gold under the sun, "But I had learned something of my own. A person should know when to be powerful and when to be powerless. Power is important in life but so is intelligence. After all, one needs a brain to execute the power."

"So did the Princess return to the Angevin Kingdom because you wanted power?" Lady Gisella could not help but ask.

Princess Eleanor laughed at the words. Her smile looked captivating as she continued, "I wanted to find the people responsible for my parent’s death. I do not care if I get the throne or not, I want justice for my family."

"But then why would the Princess agree to come to the Roulux Empire?" Lady Gisella asked as she raised her eyebrows. The confusion was clear as water in her gaze,

Lady Gisella’s voice turned sharp as she continued, "Why would you not stay in the Angevin Kingdom and find the culprit?"