Princess Victoria's Secret |

clearlock palace

After Victoria quickly strode away from Jason, he couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration and anger towards the king's arrogance and despotism. He couldn't believe that the princess, who he had grown to admire, would feel inferior because of her lack of prestige. He quickly caught up to her as she made her way to the Clearlock Palace entrance, but she surprisingly turned towards a flower bed instead. Victoria crouched down and picked a few flowers, crushing the petals in her hands before smearing them on her cheeks, making herself look like a mess. Confused, Jason asked her what she was doing, and she explained that she needed to avoid standing out as a rival for men's affections. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her, knowing how difficult it must be for a young woman from a poor country to live under someone else's roof and face cruelty from others. He offered to help her leave, but Victoria explained that she couldn't as she was engaged to the second prince. She didn't want to cause trouble between the nations and still loved her family back in Little Venice. Jason had forgotten about her engagement and felt foolish for making the suggestion. Despite it all, he still couldn't help but admire the princess for her optimism, cheerfulness, intelligence, and honesty.

Victoria bid farewell to the bustling streets with a wave and made her way confidently towards the palace gate. The guards were slightly taken aback by her sudden appearance, but they didn't dare stop her from entering. Jason watched her go with a sigh, knowing his mission at the king's mansion had not gone as planned. He needed to find someone to confide in about his next move.

Word quickly spread among the other princesses of Victoria's return, catching Pauline and Shauna discussing the empress's attire for an upcoming event. Upon hearing the news, Pauline was so stunned that she dropped and broke her hairpin, which shattered into pieces. In a fit of rage, she lashed out at Hilda, her maidservant, who tried to retrieve the broken pin, leaving her reeling on the ground. Not even her servant's wincing screams deterred Pauline, who hurled a teacup full of boiling hot tea at Hilda, scalding her instantly.

Shauna, who had been watching in silence, took a sip of her tea before making a suggestion. If Pauline was angry about the broken hairpin, she could offer her a spare. As for Victoria's return, Shauna had some doubts. She questioned whether Victoria was truly as beautiful as everyone claimed, as she hadn't seen much of her in the six years she had been in the capital. Despite her reservations, Shauna couldn't help but feel envious that Victoria was engaged to Kris, the future Crown Prince.

Shauna's resentment towards Victoria stemmed from her childhood, but she didn't harbor any intentions of harming her. In Shauna's eyes, Little Venice was insignificant, and Victoria was too ugly and foolish to deserve her attention.

Several days ago, Shauna's friend Pauline told her that everyone was talking about how Victoria's beauty was unmatched and that if the prince saw her, he would marry her instantly. This information made Shauna furious, and she and Pauline decided to frame Victoria. However, they were still puzzled as to how Victoria had managed to escape. When Pauline insisted that she had seen Victoria without makeup and that she was breathtakingly beautiful, Shauna didn't believe her. She argued that they had grown up with Victoria and that even without makeup, she wouldn't look that different. Shauna also pointed out that if Victoria was so beautiful, she wouldn't hide her true appearance. They then shifted their focus to the empress's upcoming birthday and the hope of securing a good home. Shauna revealed that she was not interested in the second prince and was secretly attracted to the War King. She had to pretend otherwise because the empress didn't tolerate her son being overshadowed by other men.

Based on the given text, we can see a complex web of relationships and power dynamics at play in the Ember Empire. The empress is a powerful figure who values her son Kris's excellence and wants to show it off to others. To this end, she needs to have all the young girls fall in love with him, even though he can only marry one of them. Shauna, one of the characters in the story, is feeling bitter and jealous because of this situation.

Shauna's sister Pauline tries to comfort her by suggesting that Victoria, another woman who was recently dismissed from the War King's mansion, must not have been very beautiful if she was kicked out. However, Pauline herself is unsure about her statement, having seen Victoria's beauty with her own eyes. She is also curious about why the War King would save Victoria one day and then banish her the next.

Feeling determined to get answers, Pauline decides to go to the Floating House, presumably to speak with someone who might know more about the situation. This decision sets up further tension and suspense in the story, leaving the reader curious about what Pauline will find out and how the various characters will react to the revelations that may come to light.