To His Hell and Back-Chapter 408: Position of A Queen-II
When Mrs Standford have finished laughing, she finally looked back at Arabella’s green eyes that were full of question though masked with a smile. Not minding the other ladies in the table, Mrs Standford aired Mrs Smith’s business without ever thinking twice.
Mrs Standford said, "I really despised it when false rumors are being spoken as if true. Once a person’s reputation has been ruined, nothing can wash it clean and return it to its original spotless self. You see, Lady Arabella. A person who had once been accused of thieving and paraded as one with those vicious rumors, even after their innocence had been proven, later when in an accident they are involved with a nasty incident, they will be for certain the first person someone would accuse."
Arabella understood her words.
Even though someone has been proven innocent, they would still be accused when something goes wrong just because there was once a rumor about them.
If Mrs Smith spreads rumors about her eating on human’s flesh and the incident about the servant was spread, perhaps none of the women here would dare to sit beside her.
"Besides," laughed Mrs Standford, "If I only have to eat a human flesh to look as precious as you, I would have done it."
The jest immediately made the other ladies to laugh, though awkward as they didn’t truly find those words funny.
But she broke into a smile when seeing Mrs Standford. Perhaps she simply hated Mrs Smith and wasn’t standing for her sake. Regardless it does made her feel touched to see that the woman didn’t immediately believe Mrs Smith’s rumors.
"I am a simple woman," Arabella took the time to explain, "I live in the village and I’m sure there is a lot of things in the court that I haven’t yet learned how to navigate. But my wish is to have everyone in peace. I wish for a time where all the children of Versailles doesn’t have to fear each other by race, that they look at one another as equal. I want this land to be a safe space where their features wouldn’t be the reason why everyone despise their presence."
Mrs Standford and all the other ladies sitting on the table were wide eyed hearing what she had to say. Humans and vampires, the ladies sitting there consists of all different race. They had always been taught to sit in the side of humans while vampires mingle with their own race in another table.
But today, Arabella never once placed a card where a human should sit or where a vampire should gather.
She allows everyone to sit in the same table, beside each other, so that the humans and vampires who are friends could sit beside each other like normal.
The food and tea were specialized and vampires could enjoy drinking blood without having to fear that the humans would look disgusted by the smell of the blood. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢
This was... peace.
The ladies who sat on the tea party could feel the wind brushing against the trees and the fresh scented lavender spread across the garden. The simplicity of conversation and sipping tea... the fact that they could forget their long hatred towards each other.
A quality of a Queen they never knew they needed.
Mrs Standford drank her tea and softened the corners of her lips.
"The position of a Queen," she began when Arabella had drank another cup of her tea and turned to her, smiling, "It must be difficult to be in such position. No one here had ever have the grace to become a queen so we could not help you much but," her words hung and the rest of the ladies in the table looked toward her with a smile akin to Mrs Standford’s.
"It would be our greatest pleasure to be able to help you in your goal. To build Versailles from scratch, to make it as a safe land no one had ever done before. It’s a dream that we all like to share as well."
Arabella smiled, "I’m sure with your help, ladies, it won’t only be a dream."
The rest of the tea party ended on a good note. The ladies left with a smile on their lips and their once wary self left the garden at peace, delighted to think that one day there would be a peaceful time of Versailles, perhaps the most peaceful era Versailles could ever face.
Left with Mrs Standford, Arabella showed her the way out as they talked about the castle’s renovation. But in the middle of it, Mrs Standford spoke up, "It is going to be a difficult ride when you have a power that others could only see as danger. I was also one of those people spooked by the idea that you could summon water with bare hands but also now I simply admire it as I realize you are someone who would summon that water for the thirsty people rather than to flood Versailles down."
"It is going to be difficult," she admitted, "I do not have the prestige to become a queen, I know that and I’m aware of it. Even without being a witch or my magic, it would already be difficult for anyone to accept me in such a position of power. I could tell earlier not everyone was happy with me."
"They are jealous as they wishes to be one of those people chosen by His Majesty," answered Mrs Standford with a giggle, "Take Mrs Smith as example, how much she pushed her daughter who is still fifteen to marry Cassius?"
Arabella smiled, "But I shall try my best. That’s what I’m good at, after all."
"And I’m glad that I will be of help for you," Mrs Standford then squeeze her hands, "I cannot wait for the wedding to proceed."
"Soon," she answered before bidding goodbye with the lady.
When Arabella had finished escorting the last person and turned, her green eyes froze when she was faced with the vampiress, Isabelle.
Her expression was colored in red, anger, jealousy, all of it mixed into one. It’s been a while since they have last seen each other and to see her, for some reason instead of joy for meeting a friend she hadn’t met in such a long time, Arabella only felt uneasiness.
