Free Web NovelChapter 260: Chapter 260
"Lady Mina," Avarine replied smoothly, her false mask still firmly in place. She inclined her head just enough to appear respectful, though the gesture felt rehearsed. "I promise you, it’s not what you think. I was simply checking to see if the prince and princess had arrived. I was told they would both be in attendance. They were sent an invitation, after all." A brittle edge had slipped into her voice as she uttered the last words, sharp enough to betray her irritation before she could rein it in. It made her sound petulant.
Mina narrowed her eyes. "If the prince and princess are not here tonight, then it is because they are too busy to attend," she said flatly. "Why do you feel entitled to their presence?"
Avarine faltered. Her mouth opened, then closed again as she scrambled for an acceptable response. But before she could gather herself, someone across the room caught Mina’s attention and waved in her direction. Mina turned without another glance, already moving away.
The dismissal stung and a flush crept up Avarine’s cheeks as her carefully restrained temper flared without warning. She clenched her jaw so tightly she feared she might chip a tooth. The anger coiled in her chest like a wild beast, thrashing and demanding release.
"How dare she!" Avarine muttered under her breath.
She swept her gaze across the hall once more. Her eyes finally paused on two women lingering in a distant corner of the ballroom, their heads bent together as they engaged in what looked like an intense conversation.
Avarine recognized them almost instantly.
Lady Melissa and Lady Ruelle.
They had both attended Avarine’s ball and her mother had spoken about them in length afterwards, warning her to stay away from their path.
Neither woman possessed what one might call a stellar reputation. Every detail Avarine knew about them was somehow worse than the last. They were notorious gossips, cruel in their amusements, and they delighted in the humiliation of anyone they deemed beneath them. They had started more than a few malicious rumors in the past, some of which had left lasting scars.
Most people were wary of being associated with them, yet very few could resist the allure of fresh gossip.
As Avarine watched them from afar, a plan began to take shape in her mind, one fueled by the contempt simmering inside her.
As the night wore on, she found herself gradually drifting toward them. The two women were laughing when she approached, but the sound died abruptly as soon as they noticed her presence.
Lady Taryn would have disapproved of the path Avarine was now choosing, but her mother wasn’t here to stop her and the knowledge of that only emboldened her.
"Please," Avarine said lightly, her voice sweet as honey, "you shouldn’t stop whatever you were doing on my account."
The two women merely stared at her.
Lady Melissa straightened her posture and turned fully toward Avarine. "Why are you here?" she asked bluntly. The question was so sharp it bordered on rude.
No wonder they had such a reputation, Avarine mused. Still, she remained undeterred.
"I came hoping to see a prince and princess tonight," Avarine said, carefully stirring the conversation while still modulating her tone. "So imagine how deeply disappointed I am and I can’t be the only one who feels this way." She sighed softly. "I’m sure His Highness has a perfectly good reason for his absence, but the princess could have attended in his stead, don’t you think?"
Lady Ruelle smiled faintly, intrigue flickering in her eyes as she took the bait while Melissa remained standoffish. "I think you’re right. But it’s hardly a surprise to those of us who live here. She’s rarely seen at social events. Some say His Highness keeps her locked away in his manor."
"She didn’t look trapped the last time I saw her," Avarine murmured, her lips curving downward in a thoughtful frown. She paused as if genuinely considering the matter before continuing. Her words were intentionally innocuous, carefully chosen in case the conversation ever found its way back to her. "Still, I can only imagine how difficult things would become if Prince Ragnar were to ascend the throne. Her Highness would be utterly out of her depth, unfamiliar with how to navigate our court."
She lifted her gaze, eyes glinting sharply. "Lamora is a beast compared to where she comes from. Even the nobles here can be vicious."
The implication hung in the air, ripe and contemptuous. freewēbnoveℓ.com
Avarine had no intention of slandering the princess herself. She only needed to give the right people enough material to do it for her.
"She would be the first Lamorian queen to be a foreigner, and most people will dislike her for that reason alone. Honestly, I wouldn’t even blame them." Avarine’s voice dipped into a conspiratorial whisper, as though she were sharing an intimate concern rather than sowing poison.
"Can you imagine a human ruling over vampires? She would not only be our first human queen, but also our most inexperienced. You know how Westerians are, I wouldn’t be surprised if she doesn’t even know the first thing about our kingdom, our customs, or our politics. Poor thing," Avarine murmured softly. "She would need all the help she can get, or she won’t be able to keep up."
Avarine delivered the last words with carefully measured sympathy. Her voice remained gentle, and she pressed one hand to her chest as if deeply troubled on Circe’s behalf, maintaining the innocent façade she had perfected over the years.
Yet beneath that practiced kindness, her mind was already at work. She was planting the first fragile seeds, confident that they would take root. She knew those two women would nurture them eagerly until they grew into vicious rumors that would spread far beyond her reach, blooming wildly and uncontrollably.
The thought alone filled Avarine with quiet satisfaction. She could already imagine the outcome, the damage done without her ever appearing responsible, and the delicate pleasure of watching it all unfold exactly as she intended.
