The Tale of Two Sisters

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Every second passed in that meeting room made Penelope grew restless, as all eyes were watching here, doubtingly. Lord Ferro took a moment before he can continue his talk since Penelope just took a seat beside Veldroid. The large, round table that served as a tool for the meeting made Penelope even more anxious, as it widens the gap between her and Veldroid.

Veldroid, who sat on her right, gave assuring looks to her, making sure that she is comfortable enough. Yet Lady Kenya, the one who sat on her left, clicked her tongue whenever she turned to Penelope. 

Penelope could not help to think that somehow, Lady Kenya and Vanya is related since both of them had the same beauty mark under their eyes.

They both have that butterflies-shaped mole under their eyes, which looks absolutely kind of similar for some reason. 

Everyone remained silent, waiting for Lord Ferro to start his speech. Lord Ferro scanned the round table, and finally, he stopped to Penelope.

"O' Chosen One. I know that this is such a piece of sudden news for you, but as I said, your role is to be the Grand Warrior and led us to win the Eren War."

Penelope could not help but raise her hand since she always did that in her class whenever she has a question. Lord Ferro nodded and smiled at her, giving her a chance to ask.

"I-I have a question. Um, what is this all about, like, what is the Grand Warrior? And what is Eren War? And definitely, why me?!"

Though she started with a calm tone, she eventually got worked up as she asked. Lord Ferro kept mentioning about Grand Warrior and Eren War, but he did not explain much about it to her. 

When Penelope acted like that, the doubtful looks in the others grew even more.

They leered at her like she was a nasty creature that shared the same place with them. Eventually, one of the elders, who wears a monocle, with golden chained with it, raised its hand. Penelope assumed that it was a he since he has a muscular figure which closer to male, rather than a female body. He glared at Penelope briefly with his sharp-looking eyes and then turned to Lord Ferro.

"Lord Ferro, I assume that this is the most ridiculous meeting I had ever attend. How can you possibly believe that-",

The elder looked at Penelope in the middle of his sentences and then continued.

"This uncivilized creature can be the Grand Warrior to our kingdom?"

Veldroid glared at the guy, with furious gaze, as he seemed to mock Penelope in some way. He knew that most of the people there were looking down at Penelope, but he has no power to fight them. 

All he can do was held his fist and bit his lips.

Penelope looked at Veldroid and put her hand on him as she moved closer to him since Penelope did not understand what is going on, but she just wanted to calm him down.

Lady Kenya glanced at those two in infuriated, suddenly slammed the table.

"How can this lowly creature has the nerve to hold my future son-in-law's hands when we have this meeting?!"

Every eye then turned to glare at Penelope, but Veldroid quickly took action. Veldroid stood from his chair and slammed the table, which made all the elders startled, but they remained silent.

"Listen! If you want to make this something personal, as you did it to my father, so be it! But don't ever think to drag Penelope in this case!"

Everyone murmured under their breath, sooner some of them were trying to cause a protest.

"This is absurd! Why do we need to listen to an unworthy royal heir?"

"I'm not listening to someone related to some nobody in this castle!"

"We are better without this pest lingering in the castle!"

Most of them started to lost control, and the elder with monocle smirked, as he was satisfied with what he had done. Lord Ferro tried to take control of the situation, but none of them is listening to him.

"We don't want to have this meeting with those two!"

"I rather die in the hand of the Dark Lord rather than be lead by the uncivilized creature and a traitor's son!"

"We didn't live long enough just to be ordered around by traitor!"

Everyone was getting hyped up, making a scene in the meeting room. Veldroid only bit his lips, as he knew his status inside the castle. Though he is a prince, none of his subjects is loyal to him anymore, because of his father.

Veldroid said to himself quietly.

"It is not my fault..."

Penelope could not help but listen to Veldroid's grievance, which made her sad to look at him like that. 

Suddenly, Penelope was felt with anger, and her body was burning inside. This intense situation somehow made her mad, and she had enough with all the peop-, dragons, there.

She can feel herself burning inside, and she knew that she needed to channel her anger on something. 

As she bit her lips, conceal the anger inside herself, the locket in her possession suddenly enlightened. 

For some reason, some voice is talking inside Penelope's mind.

Show them.

The voice is so soothing, yet it felt like it was an order.

Show them who has the power here.

Penelope hesitated, but deep down in her heart, she knew that the voice is right. 

They would not listen unless you show them who has the power!

Make them see who is the boss here.

The situation inside the meeting room remained chaotic, as no one is no longer can take control of the situation. The elder with the monocle raised his hand and clapped as he wanted people to listen to him. 

Abruptly, everyone did give their attention to him. 

Besides Penelope, of course.

Penelope just stood there, in her place, while her head lowered, and her fist gripped tightly.

The elder with the monocle then suddenly raised his voice to trigger Lord Ferro, Veldroid and Penelope. 

"I guess, we do need someone new to replace the current head of Grimogrie since the one we have right now is...useless."

Lord Ferro then shouted from his seat.

"Lord Writhe! Watch your tongue!"

Lord Writhe, the one with the monocle, smirked, as he managed to make Lord Ferro angry. He looked satisfied with his accomplishment. 

Still, he ignored Lord Ferro's warning and continued to provoke.

"I'm sorry, but I think we all, here, agreed that Prince Veldroid isn't a good leader for this clan, but it's okay! We still acknowledged his title and his position in this castle and clan, but..."

Lord Writhe looked around, watching all the eyes that seemed to agree with him. Most of them smirked as they were already plotting this together behind Veldroid's back. Lord Writhe smirked, as he thought that he had the power inside that meeting room. 

"Right now, we need someone with wisdom and will, plus people's trust altogether, to be the head of our clan, and it seems, the prince itself may not fit for that role."

All of the elders in that room, except Lord Ferro, favoured him. He thought that he had the upper hand in that room since he was sick to be ruled by someone.

Lord Writhe's plan is to make Veldroid as his pawn, and he will become the head of Grimogrie clan, the one with the power, not the royal itself anymore.

Veldroid did not say anything and only lowered his head to the ground since he knew that no one will stand with him.

Lady Kenya then interrupted as she smiled smugly.

"Yes! We need someone new to lead us, though I acknowledged Veldroid's position, which he will be married my daughter later,"

Lady Kanye narrowed her eyes to Penelope, although she knew Penelope did not look at her.

"But I agree with Lord Writhe. Grimogrie needs a new, strong leader. We didn't want to be associated with the old one that...you know what I mean, so I don't have to tell it again."

Lord Writhe looked at Lady Kanye and nodded, with a smug smile on his face. Everyone in the room then murmured the same things as they also agreed with both of them.

"Lord Writhe will make such splendid leader for Grimogrie!"

"We can win Eren War without the Grand Warrior under Lord Writhe's leadership!"

"Lord Writhe! Lord Writhe! In Lord Writhe, we trust!"

Lord Writhe bowed as he appreciated the applause. He then turned to Lord Ferro, who still sat calmly, and smiled, as he is planning something.

"Lord Ferro, I'm sorry, but if you must, with your blessing, please think about this. Please think about Grimogrie's future, for the sake of Juridria Kingdom."

Lord Ferro remained silence, as he knew that he had no position to answer such a question. Lord Writhe smiled politely, and then he turned to Veldroid.

"Dear Prince Veldroid, since Lord Ferro can't give any final word for this matter, perhaps you have your own thoughts to share with all of us?"

Lord Writhe gave the spotlight to Veldroid on purpose, as he knew that Veldroid cannot say no in this matter, as his father had betrayed the clan before. His body started to shake when all the eyes were narrowed down at him, watching every move, waiting for him to respond.

Veldroid knew that when he said something against them, his position in the castle can be revoked, and nothing he can do to avoid it.

The only thing he can do to maintain his position as a prince in Grimogrie clan is simply by marrying Vanya. Lady Kanye has a distinguished reputation on the nobility, so with her words, people will believe in her. Her influence on people is quite horrifying to as people kept supporting her all way long.

Yet, Veldroid now did want to discuss marriage. 

If you asked him before, his marriage with Vanya was purely for maintaining his position, not for love.

But for some reason, right now, he wanted to be with someone that he cares, and it was not Vanya. 

He did not know why, but someone new, suddenly made him felt that way.

Veldroid turned to look for Penelope, who still stay silent.

Lord Writhe suddenly lost his temper since he did not get any response from Veldroid.

Hence, he decided to take a drastic measure.

"Prince Veldroid, please, all of us here are waiting for you, since you had brought, some unknown stranger here. You know, with that careless attitude of yours, you can harm our clan. Who knows that you might bring Dark Lord's subordinates?"

"Shut up..."

Penelope suddenly said under her breath.

Slowly, yet frighteningly.

Lord Writhe suddenly shifted his eyes, from Veldroid to Penelope as he heard that she said something. When he finally looked at Penelope, he gulped.

He felt a threatening aura emitting from Penelope's body!

Still wanted to remain his calm and ego, Lord Writhe slammed the table, to make Penelope learned her place in the room.

"Lowly creature! Know your place! If you think by saying like that can scare me, think again!"

Lord Writhe waited for Penelope's response, but she still remained silent, but somehow the room started to heat up.

Most of the elders there looked at each other, while Lord Ferro remained his calm. 

Veldroid noticed something was wrong, immediately turned to Penelope, and his eyes widened. 

Penelope did release powerful aura around her!

"P-Penelope..."

Abruptly, Penelope raised her head, and after that, all she can hear is people shocked.

Her eyes looked like a blazing flame dances in it.

Lord Writhe gulped, while Lady Kanye looked at Penelope disbelief. She started to feel afraid as she sat next to her.

Penelope's hands then burned in flames, as if she held them and then she put them on the tables, burned it down.

Everyone there now looked at her, scared.

"Now, where were we?"

A choice to be seen as a threat,

and a powerful force.