"Spoken like my daughter. You do your end and I do mine."

"Yes mother."

As soon as she finished speaking, the door k.n.o.b turned and her maid entered.

"Ohh she has arrived, let's enjoy the snacks shall we?"

"Hmm."

Her maid made her way to where they sat and dropped the tray in her hands gently on the table. There were two plates and two gla.s.ses on the tray, with a wine bottle. Each plate had a slice of chocolate cake on it.

She served each one to them, placing it in front of them and serving the wine in the empty gla.s.ses. By the time she was done, she took the tray and bowed her head.

"That would be all Mia" Cyrena said with a wave of her fingers.

"Yes Princess" she turned and left the room.

"Why do you always look at her like that mother?"

"Hmm, I do not feel right with her around. Something about her makes me feel uneasy."

"Come on mother. You're just being paranoid. Let's eat and enjoy the wine. A toast!" She pucked up her wine gla.s.s and raised towards her mother.

Lady Erwina sighed and picked up her gla.s.s as well, they hit both gla.s.ses together and cheered.

"Cheers."

"To his shame" Cyrena said.

Lady Erwina grinned, she was happy that her daughter was her perfect protegé. With her, she can rule the kingdom and the whole magical realm when the time came.

"Wait brother. I would turn your victory to your shame, let's see how %ather would protect you this time" she thought.

------------------------

~Prince Owen's Chambers~

Gerald sat comfortably in one of the chairs in the Prince's chambers, he was staring at the disturbed prince, watching him pace to and fro in his room.

"How could she dare to do that? Who does she think she is? If not that her conniving mother made father acknowledge her, who would have known she existed" he lamented out loud.

"Thank goodness father didn't marry her as Queen. Now that she is a princess, she thinks she can fight for the throne with me! Pfft, she is joking. She wants to make me lose face, imagine what she said to father."

He stopped in his tracks and stood right in front of Gerald. "How come you are not concerned?"

"I am your Highness, but I am not throwing tantrums because of a little girl."

"Well that little girl is a conniving b.i.t.c.h. She is just like her mother" he latched out angrily.

"Can't you see, she's got you cornered Prince Owen. She's got you right where she wants you to be" he sighed, getting tired of the Prince's childish behavior.

"You first challenged her lest you forgot."

"Me! How?"

"First you told her she is now interested in matters of the kingdom, what were you thinking saying that? Then you said, this is why princesses are not allowed to handle matters of the kingdom... "

"I only stated the truth Gerald" he defended.

"The truth, it's as though you have forgotten whom her mother is."

"No it is you who has forgotten who I am. I didn't forget her mother one bit, but I am Owen Bayard, crown prince and heir to the kingdom of Grendel."

"What kind of a prince did his majesty raise?" He thought.

"Know your enemies, you may be the heir but what do you think was Lady Erwina's goal when she made your father allow your sister to attend council meetings?"

He got up from the chair and walked to meet Prince Owen. He placed a hand on his shoulders and said, "Like I said before and I would still say it, be wise. You were the one who provoked Cyrena's hand or better still, you played right into her palms."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Pray she doesn't find the real culprit because from what I know, Lady Erwina has so groomed princess Cyrena to be like her."

"Get to the point Gerald."

"Meaning, Cyrena found a possible lead, a missing link you didn't notice, a loophole and now she is plans on using it against you. I have said too much Prince Owen, just watch your back."

With that he walked towards the door leaving the stunned Prince to his thoughts. He placed his hand on the door k.n.o.b and looked back.

"If I were you, I would go over this case again. Ohh, and the girl awaits your arrival in the designated room your Highness."

"Hmm, I'm not in the mood, send her back. I need to think."

"As you wish your highness."

He opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. "Finally he is starting to see the threat that has been lurking in his own home. What could you be up to Lady Erwina?" He thought as he walked away.

-------------------

~Princess Cyrena's Chambers~

Achoo!!!

Lady Erwina sneezed for the umpteenth time that evening. Her eyes had become red from sneezing a lot.