Free Web NovelChapter 149: Chapter 149
For a fleeting moment, standing there with Nieah beside her and the gentle hum of conversation beginning around the table, Circe allowed herself to believe that perhaps this luncheon would not be as dreadful as she had feared.
Circe and Nieah ended up seated beside each other at the round table, surrounded by the other women. The pavilion itself was bright and airy, the silk canopy above them catching the soft afternoon breeze.
The table had been laid beautifully with crystal goblets and polished silver, the surface glimmering softly.
Light chatter soon filled the air, ranging from topics that revolved around fashions from the capital, to the recent gatherings they attended, which noble family had bought which estate this season and so much more that Circe could hardly keep track of.
Circe, however, remained mostly quiet, preferring to watch rather than partake in their conversation. She only spoke when she was asked a question and occasionally chimed in the discussions when the moment called for it.
That was how she handled social events back home. Present enough that she wasn’t completely forgotten but not enough to make her the center of attention.
It didn’t take long for her to notice the easy bond between Lady Mina and Lady Maelis. The two conversed with the ease of women who had been old friends, their laughter bubbling freely.
Circe also realized that Mina’s bubbly personality extended to everyone at the table, even to the young maids who brought in trays of food. She smiled and thanked them each time, her charm as effortless as it was genuine.
The food itself was a feast of color and aroma. The maids filled the table with plates of roasted pheasant glazed in honeyed herbs, buttery rolls still warm from the oven, with delicate platters of spiced lentils and a chilled pear tart dusted with powdered sugar. The scent of sweet wine also drifted faintly through the pavilion.
Mina tried several times to draw both Nieah and Circe into the conversation. Nieah, cheerful as ever, obliged with bright smiles, while Circe only added a few polite remarks here and there.
She enjoyed it better when she just observed, noting the way these women spoke to each other, the subtle courtesies, the unspoken rules that dictated what one could or couldn’t say.
It was while watching that she noticed Lady Sasha Arnild. The woman sat a few seats away, her posture poised but her expression tightly wound. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as the others laughed and spoke.
Even Circe, who was still learning her way around this group, could sense Sasha’s distaste like a chill cutting through the air.
Sasha had barely spoken since the luncheon began, and when she finally did, her words landed harshly.
"There are so many people in Amris who haven’t seen you before. Lords and ladies who have been eager to meet their new princess." Sasha said suddenly, interrupting Elara mid-sentence. Her tone was light, but her gaze was sharp as broken glass shards. "And many others in neighboring towns wouldn’t even recognize you. Before today, the only form of description that I could tell anyone was that you are a human married to Prince Ragnar."
A faint smirk touched her lips before she continued, her voice laced with feigned concern. "We all know how elusive Prince Ragnar can be, but it isn’t right that he keeps you hidden away in his estate all the time. You agree, don’t you?"
The table fell into silence. Even the soft clink of cutlery ceased.
Sasha sat there, unbothered by the stares she received. Her tone might have been polite, but Circe could feel the venom curling beneath it. She had met women like this before, disingenuous women who smiled as they twisted the knife.
Why was she trying to make Ragnar sound cruel? Circe wondered.
Whatever history lay between Sasha and Ragnar, Circe decided she would not allow herself to be dragged into it. freewebnovёl.ƈom
Noticing the tension, Mina gave a small, nervous laugh and tried to shift the tone back toward civility.
"That is quite the question, Sasha," Mina said lightly as her eyes darted nervously around the table.
But Circe couldn’t simply let Sasha’s strange words hang there between them. She wasn’t sure why she suddenly felt so defensive about this, only that something burnt hot in her chest at the way Sasha spoke about Ragnar.
"His Highness treats me very well, if that’s what you’re worried about, Lady Sasha," Circe said calmly. It wasn’t even a lie.
Circe couldn’t recall a single moment in their marriage when Ragnar had ever been harsh with her or treated her unkindly.
Sasha tilted her head slightly, her lips still pressed into a thin line .
"Is that so? But the news of how you two came to be married suggests otherwise." She smiled sweetly, but her tone was steeped in something bitter. "You’re strong, truly. After everything that happened to you, I don’t know what I would do in your place."
The words, coming from Sasha, sounded more like an insult than a compliment.
What was that woman’s problem?
Circe’s jaw tightened. A scowl threatened to shatter her composure, but before she could reply, Sasha suddenly rose to her feet, still smiling that infuriating smile.
"Excuse me for a moment," she said breezily and walked away from the table without another glance.
The moment she was out of earshot, Elara shot Mina a sharp glare.
"I told you not to invite her," Elara said in a harsh whisper but it was still loud enough for everyone else at the table to hear.
Mina covered her face with her hands, mortified.
"I know, I know but she’s Gracil’s sister. I just didn’t want it to seem like I was purposefully excluding her." She let out a very unladylike groan that made a few of the others stifle their laughter.
The tension slowly began to lift, replaced by sympathetic smiles and soft chuckles. Circe, still processing the exchange, leaned back in her chair. Her appetite had lessened, but her curiosity had not.
