At Viola's house, Anita was sitting on the couch, her arms crossed as if trying to contain her anxiety. Then she lifted her head and said in a hesitant tone:
— "So… are you saying we should hide the matter from my brother?"
Viola answered calmly as she watched her with gleaming eyes:
— "Yes. We can use this matter as a weapon in our hands… but we must use it wisely."
She paused for a moment before adding, as an image flashed quickly in her mind: that sharp look she had seen in Lucas's eyes as he stared at Bastian when he was speaking with Irene after the council meeting. It lasted only a second, but it was enough for her to read in his eyes a rejection that could not be denied.
Viola smiled slyly and continued:
— "Perhaps what you said about dating is true… but Lucas will never accept it easily. That's why… we must wait a little. I have a plan. Don't do anything for now."
Anita sighed and nodded:
— "Alright… as you wish."
Then she stood and left, heading toward the palace.
Viola remained alone, sitting near the window, her fingers moving slowly over the necklace hanging from her neck. Her gaze was lost in the darkness outside the house, but a faint smile curved her lips… a smile carrying the features of her upcoming devilish plan.
---
In the carriage, Irene placed her hand on her heart, feeling its erratic beats. Her eyes dropped to the rose placed between her fingers—the rose Bastian had given her. Her heart whispered in a trembling voice:
— "Why… why do I feel that every word he said carried another meaning?"
She turned the rose between her fingers, her eyes drowned in thought.
— "I should have found an excuse to keep Sally by my side… I should have said we were going to buy something on the way… or that we were meeting someone… but I couldn't think at that moment."
She let out a long sigh, then leaned her head against the window, watching the distant lights in the dark streets.
— "Well… it's fine. I'm alright now. What matters is that nothing happened."
As soon as the carriage reached the palace gate and stopped, she stepped down. At that very moment, she noticed another carriage standing not far away. Lucas was there, arms crossed, silently watching her from a distance.
She approached him with a calm smile and said:
— "Hello, Lucas… you came back early tonight."
He raised his eyebrow, staring at her:
— "What's that you're holding in your hand… have you gotten used to going out at such a late hour?"
She quickly replied, lifting her chin slightly:
— "If you came home earlier, you would know that yourself."
He let out a short mocking laugh, then said:
— "What? Are you scolding me now? Do you like the role of a wife that much?"
She avoided looking at him, folded her arms against her body, and said:
— "I just… feel cold. I'll go inside first."
Then she continued walking toward the palace with quick steps.
Lucas followed her with his eyes before muttering sarcastically as he walked behind her:
— "Annoying… as always."
---
When they entered the palace, silence loomed over the place. Suddenly, Sally appeared, walking quickly with a tense face, and as soon as she saw Irene, she rushed to her and said:
— "My lady!"
Irene stopped in her place, so Sally came closer, her eyes anxious:
— "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
Irene placed her hand on her shoulder to reassure her:
— "Calm down, Sally. I'm fine."
Then she looked toward Lucas, who was standing behind them with a puzzled expression, before turning again to her maid and saying:
— "I'm tired, we'll talk later."
She signaled with her eyes toward Lucas, and Sally quickly understood the hint, saying:
— "As you command."
Irene asked her in a low voice:
— "Has everyone had dinner?"
Sally replied:
— "Yes, Queen Elizabeth dined with Miss Violette… but I heard that the king has been invited to a dinner in the neighboring city."
— "I see…"
Irene's breath eased with slight relief. She had no desire for food, and with the short winter nights in Valerian, it was natural for them to dine early. It wasn't surprising… but it gave her a reason to withdraw peacefully.
---
A few days before her trip, Irene sat at her small wooden desk in her room. The palace was wrapped in quiet slumber, with nothing to be heard but the winter winds slipping through the closed windows, brushing against the glass as though reminding her of the coldness of the world outside.
She opened a small box placed carefully in one of the drawers and took out pure white sheets, dark ink, and a quill. Sitting upright, she took a deep breath, then began to move the pen with her elegant handwriting, deliberately slow, as though weighing each word before inscribing it:
"To Miss Elinor…"
She wrote the words carefully, then continued in the following lines:
"It would be a great honor if you would grace me with your visit to the palace to have tea with me, at the nearest time convenient for you. It will be a joyful opportunity to exchange conversation, and I hope you will accept this humble invitation of mine."
She paused for a moment, gazed at the paper with a critical eye, then smiled faintly as she thought:
— "It's an appropriate way… this way, when her invitation reaches me in the future, it will be natural for me to accept it."
She finished the letter with her signature, then let a few drops of red wax melt onto the fold, sealing it with a small stamp carrying the first letter of her name.
She quietly called for Sally, and when she entered, she handed her the letter, saying:
— "I want you to deliver this letter personally to Miss Elinor… and tell her it is a special invitation from me."
Sally bowed respectfully, taking the letter carefully as though she were holding something precious, then left to carry out the order.
Irene remained for a long moment staring at the window, watching her reflection in the glass, her eyes holding a mixture of anxiety and determination. She knew that this small step might open an important door in the future, and perhaps become yet another thread she was weaving into her long plan.
---
Thank you guys for being patient I'm having a clear imagine now to write ☺️
The quation: give me your ideas about what viola do ?