Chapter 6
As the musle played again, the wedding procession passed the Crown Prince and slowly moved on, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the street.
My wedding with Kael had gone perfectly, while chaos reportedly erupted in the Starlight Palace during his own ceremony.
The Crown Prince had arrived too late. Although Chara wasn’t happy about it, the lure of becoming a princess was simply too great. In the end, she still got into the ceremonial carriage with a smile,
But the meager blessings and gifts offered by her families stirred up another wave of gossip in Radiance City.
“Are you kidding? Is the Gwen family really this poor? She’s marrying into the Starlight Palace, and that’s all they brought?”
“The Gwen family’s run by her stepmother now. Chara’s lucky to get anything at all from her birth mother.”
“Did
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see how small that crystal box of blessings was? Nothing like the hefty chests Princess Kael received before her wedding.”
“Come on, Kael’s bride is a princess from Elansia. Chara’s just a knight’s daughter. It’s not even a comparison.”
“What was the Crown Prince thinking? Giving up the Elanslan princess for a mere knight’s daughter?”
“Girls from such low–bom families–can they really handle royal life? Honestly, she already looks so petty and provincial
*The Crown Prince must be regretting it. He even tried to block Princess Anna’s wedding carriage this morning. Caused a whole scene and ended up late to his own wedding
These whispers grew louder and eventually reached the ears of both the Crown Prince and Chara.
That night, Chara waited in the bridal chamber bur the Crown Prince never came. When she finally lifted her own veil, she realized he had gone off to drink alone in the study.
The room was a mess, filled with the gifts I had once given him–all thrown aside.
Drunk and slurring, he mumbled,
“Talways thought Anna would never marry anyone but me. I only meant to marry you first to humble her a little, and once she softened, I’d bring her in
“Who knew she wouldn’t wait even a single day… She actually went through with it. She inarried my younger brother…”
*She always said she loved me the most…”
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Chara could no longer hold beck her tears and burst into subs
“Your Highness, I am your wife, your Crown Princess Tonight should have been our special moment, yet here you are thinking about another wornan,” “If word of this gets out, how am I supposed to face anyone tomorrow?
“You told me you only loved me! You said you hated how spolled and willful Anna was said you didn’t want a pampered royal like her. And now, on the night of our wedding, you drown your sorrows over her?”
“It’s too late. No matter what you do, she’s already your brother’s wife.”
The next day, news that the Crown Prince and his bride hadn’t consummated their marriage reached the Emperor and Empress and soon spread across Radiance City.
When Karl and I went to the palace to greet them, we ran into the Crown Prince and Chara
After breakfast, the Empress asked me and Chara to stay for a while. She looked sternly at Chara
“I’ve already heard what happened last night in the Starlight Palace. Even if the Crown Prince was being reckless, as his wife, you should have counseled him calmly. Instead, you caused a scene. Is this how a Crown Princess should behave?”
*The royal consort I want is someone polsed, intelligent, and dignified. You are none of those things.”
“I was against your marriage from the beginning. Rey insisted on marrying you. Now look at the result–you are simply unfit to be his wife.
“You’re no better than a foolish woman, crying, fighting, Jealous beyond reason. What a joke.”
“From today, the Mistress of Ceremonies from my palace will return with you to the Starlight Palace. She will stay by your side and teach you court etiquette and nales,”
“If after a period of time, you still fail to improve and win back the Crown Prince’s favor, then you wouldn’t be able to keep your title any longer.” Chapter 6
Chara collapsed weakly to the floor.
“Yes__ 1 understand…”
As we left the Empress’s chambers, Chara glanced at me, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
“You must be so pleased with yourself. I married the Crown Prince and lost his favor, while you married Kael and he treasures you like a gem.”
“You must be laughing at me, thinking I was a fool to dream so big–a knight’s daughter aspiring to royalty.”
I looked toward Kael, who was waiting for me outside the palace gates. Then I turned back to her.
“I never loved the Crown Prince, and I never tried to compete with you for him. So maybe you should focus on being a good wife, instead of fixating on
“Otherwise, you’ll only lose more.”
From that day on, news of Chara became scarce in Radiance City. Though she had become the Crown Princess, she was also the object of ridicule–a new bride already cast aside by her groom.
It wasn’t until the Moon Goddess Festival that I saw her again.
