CHAPTER 11: COPLAY ROYAL FAMILY

Location: Thorka Empire

Royal Palace

“We have arrived.” The knight said respectfully while standing outside the carriage.

The carriage door opened, and a hand stretched out from it. It is a custom for a man to help a lady out of the carriage, so the knight held her hand, assisting her off the carriage. As soon as she came out, the knight was stunned by her beauty. He could not help but stare.

“Thank you, sir knight,” she said with a smile.

The lady’s words shocked him out of his thought. “No-no, it is an honor to serve you. my lady,” he said as he kissed the back of her hand, which was covered in white, smooth gloves. Elric heard rumors that princess Coplay, Aria Coplay., was the most beautiful creature in the world. Every man that laid eyes on her fell in love. But rumors are rumors, they are usually exaggerated. But what he saw in front of him was no exaggeration. She had long wavy ocean-blue hair and beautiful blue eyes, but what made her more breathtaking was her face, which look like that of an angel. He could not help staring at her face.

“Get your hands off my mother, you are starting to drool.” a voice from inside the carriage said in a rude tone.

Shocked by the voice, Elric came back to his senses and released the lady’s hand. “I am sorry about that Lady Coplay, prince.” he apologized while bowing respectfully with his left hand on his chest. After he apologized, he brushed the back of his left hand over his mouth, trying to clean his drool.

A figure stepped out of the carriage. It was a boy who look to be in his teens; he had the same characteristics as his mother, blue eyes, blue hair, and most of all, a handsome face. The maids lined up at the entrance of the palace doors started blushing as soon as they saw his face.

“K’len. don’t be rude to the gentleman.” princess Aria said.

Elric, like every other man, could not help to fall in love with this kind beautiful princess.

What a pity she has a son. If I had met her earlier, I would have made her my bride. He thought.

Elric, even as the third son of a count in the thorka empire, would have had the right to marry a princess of a small kingdom if she was still unbedded.

A maid with brown hair walked toward princess Aria. "My lady, I am Sere, the head maid. I’ll be bringing you to see his majesty, and you do not need to carry your luggage yourself. The maids will do that for you.”

“My, thank you.” She said with a bright smile, “oh can I trouble you ladies to help my daughter down? She has a disability and can’t get off the carriage herself.”

“Oh, no… leave it to us, my lady.” The maids shouted with gusto.

“This way, my lady, prince k’len,” Sere said as they walked up the stairs toward the palace gates.

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Aria. took off her gloves as soon as she entered the palace. “Disgusting,” she said with a low voice while throwing them on the floor.

“Mother, are you sure the plan is going to work?” K’len asked with doubt on his face while walking beside Aria.

“It has to work. unless you want to go back to being a commoner, just like your stupid father.”

He shook his head “No.”

Aria regrets the decision she made for love when she was younger. She thought that falling in love was better than the arranged marriage her father made for her, so she ran away from home with her lover, a commoner who was a gardener in the palace. She thought she could live happily ever after, like the romance stories she read. But the reality is often harsh to the weak-minded

When they had their first child, her lover had to work two jobs to provide food and warm clothes. After some time, aria realized that this was not the life she wanted. A life where they only eat meat once a week and the roof of their house leaks on rainy days. As time went by, she began to fight with her lover.

He started to stay out late or come back home drunk. She asked him why he came home drunk, but she got a beating when she asked and was raped. After he had fallen asleep, Aria stabbed him in the neck with a knife.

With her husband dead, there was no one to provide food for her and her son. She could not work because of her pregnancy, so they had to beg neighbors for food to survive.

Aria realized she could not live a life like this anymore, so she sent a letter to her father asking him for help, but what she received was news of her father and family’s death. and a box.

This news sent her into shock while she was also pregnant with a second child, resulting in her giving birth prematurely.

The child was blind in both eyes and had red hair like her husband’s instead of blue hair like hers and her son’s. Every time Aria saw the child, she had traumatic memories of how she was beaten and raped, so her hatred for the child grew stronger.

Aria decided to open the box she received with the news, and she found the Coplay royal stamp given to only the king and a sealed letter that could only be opened, with the blood of the Coplay royal family line. After opening it, she discovered a secret that could make her live the life of a princess again.

It has to work. This is my only play. I can’t go back to that life anymore. She thought while biting on her right thumb finger out of anxiety.

“My lady, we have arrived,” Sere said, standing at the entrance of the throne room.

The two knights guarding the entrance pulled on the door’s handle, causing a loud creaking sound. “Princess Aria Von Coplay and Prince K’len von Coplay. Have arrived.” The knights Announced in a loud voice.