The Marked Lady

The royal decree had drawn attention from the moment it left the palace gates, and with Aldric deliberately stirring the rumors, House Ashveil quickly became the talk of the Royal City overnight. For years, it had been the legitimate eldest daughter, Lady Leanora, who was seen accompanying Prince Aldric, yet the girl given the royal betrothal was the illegitimate-born daughter, Rosalind.

Just like that, I became the laughingstock of the city.

“Do you suppose Lady Leanora was throwing herself at His Highness all along?”

“The Lord Chancellor always seemed so principled. How did he raise a daughter like this? With the legitimate young lady’s courtesan behavior, no wonder Prince Aldric never favored her.”

Early the next morning, Aldric sent ten carriages of lavish gifts to our residence. It only further confirmed how much he favored Rosalind.

Father looked at me with concern as I practiced my painting. He said, “Nora, I don’t know what happened between you and His Highness, but the rumors aren’t in your favor right now. Would you like to leave the Royal City for a while? Get some air, perhaps?”

I set my brush down.

“I did consider hiding away at the Convent of St. Mary before, but this situation isn’t something I can hide from.”

Father sighed. “What a mistake… I should never have brought Rosalind back in the first place–”

Before he could finish speaking, Rosalind strode in.

“You sent me away to live with distant relations in the borderlands when I was a child. Now that Prince Aldric favors me, you want to take that away from me and give him to her?”

Father looked at her, speechless.

Rosalind's voice rose with conviction. “You’ll see one day. Even if I’m not as noble as Leanora, I’m the daughter you should be most proud of!”

After that, she stormed out in anger. Worried something might happen, Father sent a servant after her, only to hear that she had gone straight into Prince Aldric’s residence.

I gently reassured him. “There’s something far more important right now, Father. A major earthquake will strike the eastern region. You should start preparing now.”

Father’s body stiffened.

“I’ll head to the palace immediately.”

I stopped him.

“Prince Aldric will move first. You can rest assured. You only need to prepare for the aftermath.”

He looked doubtful, but in the end, he chose to trust me.

If Aldric still wanted the throne, he would never miss such a perfect opportunity to win the people’s hearts. What I hadn’t expected, however, was that he would hand the credit over to Rosalind.

Soon enough, rumors spread everywhere, claiming that Rosalind could foresee the future and that she was the Chosen One. Seer Corvyn’s old prophecy resurfaced as well. With her wedding approaching, she became the center of attention.

Whenever people spoke about me now, they simply shook their heads.

“Lady Leanora… What a waste of her title as the Royal City’s finest noble lady.”

“Exactly. She’s beautiful, elegant, educated, and skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. However, with a sister like that beside her, what can she offer?”

One day, Rosalind cornered me in the study and pressed her hand down on my brush.

“Leonora, it’s my turn to be Queen now. So what if you’re the true Chosen One? As long as I remember everything, I can be the Chosen One too. Honestly, you have such a great talent, but since you insist on hiding it, I’ll gladly take it for you.”

I looked at her with mild amusement. “You think I became Queen because Aldric was King? Have you ever considered that you might have it backward?”

She raised her hand to strike me, saying, “That mouth and that face of yours are both so irritating.”

I caught her wrist and flung it aside. However, at that moment, Aldric stepped inside and saw everything. He immediately pulled Rosalind into his arms protectively.

“Leanora! I’m warning you. Lay a hand on Rosalind again, and I’ll make sure you have no standing in my house!”