The Prince's Wedding

5. Venom.

ALEXANDER

"Why, thank you so much." Melissa says as a young girl hands her a basket of fruit. I watch from my window as she accepts it and smiles at her, while the other little children braid her hair with flowers.
Look at her.
Being so...thoughtful and nice and...
And rendering me speechless.

I hate to see women cry.
I don't like seeing any girl, lady or woman cry and when she had called me back, I could hear the tears in her voice. So I couldn't say anything... I could just stare.
It's not like I didn't have anything to say, I had a lot to say but how could I? Contradicting her would have been stupid because she was right...
Plus she was crying.
Right in front of everyone.

If they didn't see me as a monster before now, they definitely do...which is why I'm standing here, staring at her. I can't just let a commoner correct me in front of my men, no matter how right she is.
She told me I was wrong.
To my face.
And somehow got everyone to feel sorry for her....as if they haven't already.
So is this the kind of situation I fix or punish?

She may have been right but she still had no right to talk to me that way...in front of my men no less!

"I want her punished."

I hear Felipe sigh behind me.
"Your Majesty, you can't do that—"

I spin around to face him, anger coursing through me.
"She disrespected me and in doing so, disrespected the crown."

"You called her a commoner in front of the entire staff."

"Because that's what she is!" I yell, furious now as I turn and watch her put a flower in each little girl's hair as they line up for her.
"I mean look at her down there with the servants! It's in her through and through, she knows nothing about this castle or the responsibilities of being royalty and she expects to be addressed like one?"

"She expects not to be insulted." Felipe replies firmly and I turn to glare at him but he maintains a cool gaze.

"She shouldn't have expectations, period. Being here is already beyond her wildest expectations and yet she feels she can talk to me that way? No, I want her punished."
Why did she have to cry, though?

"Do you realize how this would appear to the people? How it would make you look to them?"

"Summon her Felipe."

"She cried, Your Majesty. She must have been scared but she still had to say what she said. Doesn't that make you realize how hurt she was?"

"I said, summon her."

"Fine." Felipe says, staring at me with disapproval, his voice coming out tense with anger.
"What is her offense?" He asks and I don't hesitate.

"Disrespect to the crown."

For a few seconds, he just keeps staring at me and saying nothing, almost like he is expecting me to change my mind.
"Now, Felipe. Summon her." I say, dismissing him and he bows.

"If you insist Your Majesty." He says and heads for the door, then pauses with his hand on the door handle.

"And just to let you know, how can she know anything about her Royal responsibilities when you keep her locked up in her chambers everyday?"
With that, he leaves.

I know the words are meant to have some effect on me but I shrug them off, as I walk back to the window and watch, waiting for the guards to summon her.
She has a lesson to learn.
And she will.

***

I'm sitting in the throne room when the doors open and the guards march in, followed by a confused Melissa, along with some maidens.
Her yellow gown is sweeping the ground from behind as she walks and her long mane of hair is braided to one big braid designed with numerous flowers.
But as she walks closer, I don't see what I'd hoped to see...which is the unmistakable look of fear.
No.
She doesn't look scared...she looks surprised.
Like she shouldn't be here, like she has no idea what she has done and the fire of revenge in me dies a little.