Hearing that, Mary frowned and then relaxed before started panicking.
Since he was a distinguished figure those who had just arrived, all those who had been seated stood up hurriedly to pay their respect to the royal while many were excited as they had never seen a royal before only on the TVs. They felt that coming to the party was the best decision they had made since they could see a lot of people whom they rarely saw.
When the prince walked in, everyone was bowing their heads.
“Greetings, you may all stand up,” he said as he was pleased with how he was welcomed.
He had initially thought that since they weren’t from his homeplace, they wouldn’t give him the respect he surely received but now he thought that he was just overthinking.
They were all raised.
“Welcome second Prince,” They all said in unison as for the moment, it wasn’t the prince attending Amanda’s party but visiting the commoners like them.
Although they were rich families, to the Royals, they were commoners.
“Well, I guess that I was the last on the guest list to arrive. Although I want to say sorry for being late, it seems that I am on time as it is now 2 o’clock,” he said making everyone look at the clock on the wall making the other guests ashamed as the venue time was 2 but since they were so excited to enter the Phenix Hotel, they went early.
“Let the party begin,” he added as he clapped his hand before asking Antonio where his seat was.
Antonio took him to Brandon’s table.
“Good afternoon. I want to thank you all for coming to my wife’s birthday party. We are honored to have you all here,” Antonio said as he walked on the stage.
“Next, my wife Amanda Andersons will descend downstairs accompanied by our daughter, Anabelle Hayes, and daughter-in-law, Rhiannon Rodrigues,” he said causing a stir.
“Please, please. I know you are all shocked and some of you came with your daughters hoping that they can catch my son’s eyes but he is already married and in a very happy marriage. We will be holding the wedding so soon and you will all be invited to witness their big day,” Antonio added as he knew that if he didn’t explain things, it would cause a commotion as Rhiannon might be targeted by those rich young ladies who would think she was just Octavius’ girlfriend.
He was supposed to introduce Rhiannon at the end when Amanda gave a speech but the ladies had changed their plans and decided to descend with their mother.
“Now, let’s welcome them,” he said as the lights in the hall dimmed.
As Amanda descended, the lights behind her lightened up. As she stepped on the stairs, a luminous light would brighten up showing her the way. Since it was in different colors and both Anabelle and Rhiannon were behind her, the color mixture. The piano being played in the background made things more beautiful.
When the lights shone on Amanda’s dress, the people took deep breaths as it was so breathtaking. At first, the Andersons were shocked to hear that Amanda’s dress would be made by her daughter-in-law. Although they didn’t mean to look down at Rhiannon but didn’t believe that someone from a small city could make a beautiful dress like them. But now seeing the dress Amanda was wearing, they had to take back what they had said and found that it was so beautiful and thought that their skills were lacking and inferior to Rhiannon’s.
When they arrived downstairs and both Anabelle and Rhiannon stood at each side, everyone saw their dresses and were shocked again as they were so beautiful complimenting each other’s dresses.
Antonio walked to them and got in between Amanda and Anabelle, Octavius walked next to his wife while Mr Hayes walked to Anabelle’s.
Most people took their phones out to take a picture of them as they were so beautiful. Those ladies who wanted to make things hard for Rhiannon thinking that they were more beautiful than them remained silent, changing their thoughts as they felt that they weren’t worthy of standing with the Rodrigues as everyone in that family was so beautiful.
“Hello everyone. Thank you all for coming to my birthday, I apologize for my late invitation. The beautiful gown am wearing, the decorations, the delicious snacks, drinks, and food you are enjoying, and the venue are all thanks to my daughter-in-law, and am so grateful to her,” Amanda said as she took the opportunity to show how great Rhiannon was and not inferior to any of the young ladies present.
“Mrs Rodrigues, you have a talented daughter-in-law but no matter how talented she is, where she comes from matters right?” a woman in the crowd said making the Andersons, the Rodrigues, and the Dragon Organisation member's eyes darkened.
The two big families approved of Rhiannon after seeing the venue and the talent and they didn’t care who her family was.
At that moment, lights shone on Rhiannon shocking the Sanders.
“Celestine?” Mrs Sanders called out making everyone quiet as they looked at them.
The prince looked at her with curiosity. He already knew the woman thus hearing her calling out the name of the person he had been searching for, he wondered whether the person who had disappeared had made her presence known.
Mr Sander also stood up and the couple ran towards Rhiannon.
The woman who was seated at the Sanders table looked at Rhiannon coldly as she sized her up and down as if she were looking for something.
“I am sorry, my name is Rhiannon Sanders. Daughter to Celestine Sanders,” she said causing a stir.
Most people knew Celestine and her disappearance had caused a commotion in the capital now her daughter was present, their thoughts couldn’t help but run wild.
The prince was also shocked as he had investigated and never found out that Celestine had given birth.
“Why is my daughter? Where is your mother?” Mr Sanders said as he shed tears.
“She died twelve years ago,” she said coldly as she looked at the couple.
She looked at the table they had come from and saw a woman who seemed her mother’s age. What made her angry was the fact that the woman looked like her mother.
“Why care about my mother when you already replaced her? Do you think that she is happy seeing this?” she asked coldly making the couple mad.
"I am sorry, I know that you are mad that your grandparents adopted me but you don't know that they have been thinking of your mother every day. Wondering whether she is alive or not, eaten or slept hungry. Although I am their daughter, I am just by name and I will take what does belong to me." the woman who was seated with the couple said as she said tears making people pity her and think that Rhiannon was just jealous of her growing in richness when she didn't.
"I don't even have the Sanders heirloom. Don't you think that if I really wanted to replace your mother, by now I would have them in my hands?" the woman said making Rhiannon laugh.
"The Sanders heirlooms? They haven't given you as I have them! I inherited them from my mother!" she said shocking everyone.
"It wasn't that they didn't want to give you. It's just that they didn't have the heirlooms in their hands," Rhiannon said coldly as she looked at her grandparents she could see through them as they looked at the woman with doting and love in their eyes.
"You should forget about them as soon as possible as you will never get your hands on things have should belong to my mother! You have selfish gains by staying with them," Rhiannon added as she could see the woman as sizing her up as if she was looking for something.
"You don't love my mother," she said to her grandparents.
“What do you know? She left us and we were so heartbroken,” Mrs Sanders said angrily making Rhiannon shake her head.
“Heartbroken that you replaced her? Do you think that Mother wanted to leave you and that he didn’t love you? Just accept you are selfish,” Rhiannon said as she felt disappointed with the only people who were related to her by blood.
“How dare you,” Mr Sanders said as he lifted his hand to slap Rhiannon but she raised her hand and held his hand.
The prince’s eyes constricted when his eyes fell on her fair hand and wrist.