Chapter 51 Catherine has a plan
Catherine's POV
I've read it in books, but I thought it was just fables. I heard the rumours, but I thought they were nothing but peasants' tales.
I anchored myself to the railing of the stairs as I stepped down from the roof.
This has to be a very bad dream.
When our solemn dance was over, Daevir had leaned in to remind me that I was nothing to him and that he had only chosen this dance out of courtesy.
Since he had agreed to let go of the engagement, he had decided not to do so openly so as not to put u and my families to shame.
Yes, when a man lets a woman go and calls off their engagement that fast and openly, rumours begin to spread. People will think I am either barren or unfaithful, when it is Daevir who has been unfaithful. It is indeed a cruel word for a foolish woman.
I appreciated Daevir's discretion in not spilling the news openly and in keeping up the act of us being together so as not to bring shame on me.
But I was ready never to let things go.
I could take advantage of this moment of pretense and probation to sneak my way back into his heart so he would never, ever be able to let me go.
But what I saw tonight is the height of it. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the world!
All I read about was Emperor Darian's alleged affair with a werewolf woman and how she became the blood moon witch who raised their bastard son to hunt the human race for life!
There is a connection between Daevir and that werewolf slut Sarina first got involved with. The story doesn't make any sense!
I crawled down the stairs quickly, my legs too weak to hold my whole body. This same stir in which I rushed up eagerly, moment after moment, following Daevir after he excused himself from the dance.
I had thought he was going up the castle to sneak in that whoreish concubine Amarien's skirts. I was determined to catch them in the act this time and intimidate Amarien by telling her I'd report her to the Emperor if she didn't let go of Daevir.
Yes, I was that desperate. My time in the mighty palace walls is running out.
I stand no chance against Amarien, who shares his secret.
Behold, not even the universe had prepared me to meet this same secret they share.
I stopped for a moment.
Wait…that means one thing.
A smile curved my lips as a thought settled in my head.
You see, I have always known I was made to become the greatest.
Even from the moment I was born. The midwife told my mother that it was unusual for me to come out with my eyes open. I never cried, even after they beat me to it. And I didn't sleep for days.
Because of this, they tagged my mother a witch. She was the king's favourite Queen and had a promising future in the courts. But because she had a child who refused to cry at birth, she was banished from the palace and sent to live in the woods till the child came of age.
I was separated from my mother when I became a teenager, to be trained in the palace since I was still the king's daughter.
When some of my father's daughters got great Gothic castles to their names and married great, noble, handsome men, I was told to clean up after them and serve them like a slave.
But I didn't let my disadvantage get to me. I didn't cringe and cry when they called me the witch's daughter. In fact, I embrace it. Because I knew I had magic in me.
Mother had trained me with the sort of magic that conquers your enemies. So when they all started falling to their faces, dying one after the other, no one dared point a finger at me.
I rose from the ranks, from the girl who waits tables for her sisters to the princess who no one could ignore. No one could bully me anymore because they know the consequences.
I was content, satisfied. Until my father decided it was time to sell me off in marriage. He claims he knew I was empress material, so he is sending me to the eastern Kingdom to conquer it. "Go bring it to its knees so the West shares from its prosperity." He said.
My father, for once in my life, believed in me.
He believes in my powers.
He had faith in me!
You think I'm going to take that for granted.
You think I'll let a lowly concubine take the place I've fought all my life to be in?!
Scoffs
No
Never!
I have a plan.
I looked around, and suddenly, a sense of power washed all over me.
Can you believe it?
Everything is right in my hands.
This new plan will change everything. No one, not even the Emperor, will be able to stop me.
And when I'm done, Amarien will crawl back to the dirt where she belongs.
Oh, but I won't let her go. I'll ensure I crush her into a million pieces so that she'll never be able to rise again, just like I did with my sisters.
She'll regret the very moment she swayed Daevir's heart from me.
She'll regret the very day she met him.
I'll ensure it.
I felt my lips crack a laugh and gave in.
A brawl broke out in laughter that echoed through the passage, shaking up the palace.