The King's Mistress

Chapter 53: A Simple Misunderstanding

She walked out of the bushes with confidence, dusting off her dress and readjusting her hat a little to make sure she looked presentable. She did not have a mirror on her to see her reflection, so she would just have to make do with how she looked.

Sierra walked briskly towards the group. As she got around them from the side, it was clear that the Queen was currently in the company of Princess Cassandra and Agnes. Princess Myra was somewhere in the middle of the ground. She was delighted to see that Sierra had made it.

She had a look of worry on her face. Sierra took note of it, knowing full well Cassandra and Agnes may have spoken negatively about her in front of the Queen. She would just have to deal with it as she went.

"Ah, Princess Sierra. How good of you to join us," the Queen spoke in a condescending tone.

Everyone else behind Queen Roxine was impressed by the dress Sierra wore. Those who saw her outfit earlier in the day assumed she would be wearing her casual clothes to attend. Especially since that was what she wore when she was splashed with paint water.

Sierra glanced up for just a moment to catch a look at Cassandra and Agnes’ faces. To her disappointment, neither of them seemed impressed by her outfit. Instead, what they had on their faces was a gloating grin.

"My most sincere apologies, Queen Roxine. I will accept any punishment you see fit for my tardiness. But if I may be so bold, I wish for a chance to explain the reasons for my tardiness."

Queen Roxine arched her eyebrow. She was amused by Sierra’s request. It was not every day that she got someone who openly asked for a chance to explain themselves. Most of the others simply cowered in fear.

"Queen Roxine, if I may. I don’t think it would be wise to hear her explanation," Cassandra barged into the conversation immediately to give her two cents on the situation.

Agnes backed her up, "I agree with Princess Cassandra, Your Highness."

Sierra could not help but grin as she looked up at the Queen. Based on her interactions with Queen Roxine so far, she knew she was intelligent. Surely she could see through their facade. They were hiding something.

"I see no harm in hearing her out," Queen Roxine declared, brushing off the opinions of the two princesses by her side, "Princess Sierra, tell us."

Sierra looked up at Cassandra and Agnes. Now, they had the expression she had yearned to see. Their faces were twisted in shock and anger. They thought they had the upper hand, but they might lose the entire battle soon enough.

Sierra lowered her gaze once more, staring at the grass beneath her feet, "I had accidentally bumped into Princess Cassandra’s maid while she was carrying a bucket of water. As such, I had to take some extra time to change into a clean set of clothes. Hence, resulting in my tardiness."

"Oh? Is that so?" the Queen commented.

"She’s lying, Queen Roxine. We-"

"I can tell when someone is lying, Princess Agnes. I do not need you to tell me," Roxine said sternly as she glanced over at her. freewebnσvel.cøm

Princess Agnes bit her lip and slumped her shoulders while hanging her head low. Sierra saw the confidence the Queen exude.

"Do you have proof of the matter?" Roxine asked.

"Your Highness!" a voice shot out from behind the Queen.

Everyone turned to see who it was. It was Princess Myra. She came forward as the crowd parted a path for her to walk. She stood by Sierra’s side and curtsied to the queen.

"I was there when it happened. I witnessed it." Myra declared.

Her voice was shaking as she spoke, but she spoke the truth. To add to the credibility of the situation, Sierra offered to bring the soiled blouse she had changed out of as evidence, hoping it would help convince the Queen.

"Your Highness, if I may?" Cassandra finally spoke up to the Queen.

"Speak, Princess Cassandra. Shed light on this for me," Roxine replied.

"There might have been a miscommunication between us. Agnes and I were so excited to view the gardens with you, we must have misheard that Princess Sierra was going to stay in her room and not attend."

Sierra tried really hard to stifle her laughter. The cat was out of the bag. Cassandra and Agnes attempted to misguide the Queen to think Sierra was not attending. While under normal circumstances it might not have been a huge issue, this one was.

If Sierra did not attend, she would have disrespected the crown and had declined a direct invitation from the Queen. She would have been badly graded for her performance.

"A miscommunication that led to a misunderstanding... I see. I can’t help but wonder what other surprises you all would have in store for me," Roxine remarked.

After the matter was cleared up, Sierra was allowed to rejoin the group as they continued on their tour of the gardens. Ida joined Sierra shortly after, relieved to see everything progress smoothly.

The Royal Garden had four distinct sections, each housing different types of plants. One such section was known as the Flower Trail.

Today, it was in full bloom. All the seasonal flowers were on display in their most beautiful state. All the princesses were mesmerized by the sweet-smelling fragrance and colorful flowers.

At the end of the Flower Trail was a wide-open space, often used for picnics and garden parties. For the test, it had been transformed into a competition ground. In the center of the space was a long table filled to the brim with flowers of every kind imaginable.

On each side were five smaller tables with a whole range of tools and vases.

"My dear princesses, I would like to see how great your floral arrangement skills are. So, I set up a little competition," Queen Roxine declared with a smile.