The night after the announcement of the selection results, the corridors of Avalon Palace still carried the echo of footsteps and whispers. Aerith walked slowly, her emerald green gown trailing softly across the floor. She did not feel like a victor. Since her name had been called as the first rank, Aerith's chest had been heavy with guilt.
I have humiliated the land of Moonstone, Aerith thought anxiously. People will believe Moonstone is a backward land for sending a candidate as foolish as me. I… have never been of any use. At the last words, Aerith bit her lip.
Her thoughts scattered when she arrived at her chamber door. There, Gwenevere stood waiting, her hands folded neatly in front of her stomach. A faint smile touched her lips, pale beneath the golden glow.
"Tonight, you left the entire hall speechless, Aerith," she said in a calm yet piercing tone. "Oh, the entire palace is now speaking about you!"
Aerith swallowed hard, lowering her head in shame. "Lady Gwenn, forgive me for failing to be eliminated again. I… am useless."
Gwenevere leaned in closer, whispering near Aerith's ear. "You do not realize what you have just done. Remember, by simply sitting still, you made King Lucien cease looking at everyone else… and turn his gaze to you. You truly caught His Majesty's attention!"
Aerith froze. She wanted to deny it, but the memory of the King's cold gaze earlier that day flashed once more in her mind. It had not been a look of interest, yet it lingered too long upon her.
"I… never intended that," Aerith muttered quickly. "Forgive me, Lady Gwen. I ruined our plan."
Gwenevere smiled kindly, her hand patting Aerith's shoulder. "It does not matter," she said as if offering comfort that Aerith desperately needed at that moment. "Know this, not everything in this world happens as intended. Tonight, rest well. Tomorrow we shall speak again."
Aerith hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. She felt Gwenevere truly understood her unease. Because of that, Aerith held a deep respect for her, never realizing it was all part of Gwenevere's scheme.
"You are my angel, Lady Gwen! From tomorrow on, whatever you command, I promise to do it wholeheartedly. This will be the last day I disappoint you."
"Are you certain you will follow all my commands?" Gwenevere asked to be sure.
Aerith nodded at once. "Anything!" she replied firmly. "Thank you for all the care you have given me. I am touched."
Gwenevere only smiled faintly, then allowed Aerith to enter her chamber. Inwardly, Gwenevere rejoiced, for Aerith was nothing more than a naïve girl, easy to manipulate. With only a touch of gentleness, Gwenevere now felt Aerith rested under her control. And her burning ambition to push Aerith toward becoming a royal consort grew fiercer.
Elsewhere in the palace, on the highest balcony overlooking the vast gardens, King Lucien stood with his back against the night wind. Tobias waited a few steps to his left. The night was calm and serene, yet Lucien's mind was disturbed by one thought.
"Sitting Still…" Lucien repeated softly. "A talent that cannot even be called a talent. Yet… why is it that I cannot ignore it?"
Tobias bowed respectfully, not daring to respond.
Lucien exhaled a long sigh. To his eyes, the candidates for consort all appeared the same: desperate for status, steeped in pretense, and most importantly, utterly infatuated with his charm. Yet Aerith was nothing like the consort candidates he had ever envisioned.
"Look deeper into Moonstone," Lucien commanded Tobias after a moment of silence. "Find out who they have sent to Avalon, what their interests are, and why they offered a candidate… like that."
Tobias bowed low. "At once, Your Majesty."
***
The next day, news of Aerith's victory had already spread through Avalon's marketplace. Merchants abandoned talk of fabric prices and spices only to argue about the consort selection.
"Moonstone? Such a tiny land could surpass Lady Venetia?" one merchant sneered.
"I cannot believe such a small land produced a woman surpassing Lady Venetia," another scoffed. "There must be cheating involved here!"
A third merchant furrowed his brow. "Could Lady Moonstone possess an enchantment spell? Absurd, yes, but it feels like the only explanation!"
And so, gossip of Aerith possessing some kind of enchantment spread like an uncontrollable plague. Not only did it fill chatter in markets and taverns, but it also seeped into the tea parties of nobles.
Even in the prime ministers' important meetings, whispers of Aerith arose. They believed the rumor that Aerith had bewitched King Lucien with ancient magic to be fact.
The prime ministers could not afford to dismiss it, for the chosen consort might one day alter the course of politics. Of course, they would never allow King Lucien's chosen consort to hail from a powerless land like Moonstone.
"What? Many suspect Lady Moonstone used a charm talisman? And that she ensnared me with it?" King Lucien nearly spat out his tea upon hearing Tobias's report.
His chest rumbled with fury. His fist clenched and struck the table. That foolish, peculiar girl, they claim she has managed to bewitch me?
Lucien's grip tightened, the rumor piercing straight to his heart. He cast a sharp glance at Tobias, pointing his finger westward.
"Go to the western palace. Bring Lady Moonstone to my chambers. Now!"
Tobias bowed and turned swiftly to carry out the order.
At that same time, Aerith hid her face under her blanket. She dared not leave her room ever since the gossip about her spread like wildfire. Her wish had always been to remain unseen, unnoticed, yet now she had become the center of the entire nation's conversation.
Knock Knock Knock!
The sudden knock at her door jolted Aerith from her long daze.
A servant entered, bowing low. "Lady Moonstone, I bring a message from His Majesty the King. He summons you to his chamber, immediately."
Aerith swallowed, trying to recall every detail of the servant's words, but her restless thoughts blurred her memory. "What? What did you just say?"
The servant gave a faint smile, repeating more clearly. "It is said that His Majesty wishes to witness your performance… more closely."
Aerith froze. Blood surged through her veins. "Performance… You mean… sitting still?" she asked in a near whisper.
The servant bowed deeper. "Now, in His Majesty's chamber. I shall escort you there, my Lady."