Chapter 152: Punishment: Part Two
"And how.. did you learn how to blackmail someone?" Queen Eleanor looked down at Princess Evanna like she was nothing but a speck of mud on her luxurious shoes. "With your lowly blood, I daresay you learnt such wicked things from your mother." Queen Eleanor smirked and looked across the hall.
Conrad followed her blazing gaze to a stunning figure standing to the side elegantly in a dark blue dress, her raven hair pulled back with tendrils of curls falling over her sharp features and startling hazel eyes. He knew immediately that she was Princess Evanna’s mother, he could see the likeness in their features, and he couldn’t help but look back at the young princess and wonder if she would grow into someone so radiant.
As his gaze settled on Princess Evanna’s face again, he narrowed his eyes subtly as he saw a slight smirk on her lips while continuing to watch Queen Eleanor. It was as though her insult bounced right off her. But that small expression left her face, and she looked at the Queen with big, wide doe-like eyes, tilting her head to the side. "Why.. I learnt it from you, of course, your majesty." She replied in an innocent and almost too sweet voice.
"How dare you!? I would never teach a child such a wretched thing!" Queen Eleanor stepped forward, clutching her dress, her face going red at the sudden attention. "You dare lie! Maybe fifty lashes would serve you better and soap to rinse out that tongue of yours!"
"Oh, please be merciful, your majesty. I didn’t mean to say you purposely taught me such a thing.." Princess Evanna slowly looked away from the Queen and to King Osian. "I was passing by as I heard you yell the term at one of your servants. Hmm.." She tapped her finger against her lips in thought. "If I recall correctly, you wanted to blackmail Marquess Rodgers about a vote on the council.." The young princess trailed off purposely, holding back the obvious information that could easily leave her tongue.
Her feigned innocence was not innocent at all, and Conrad couldn’t help but be impressed at how a young child verbally took down the Queen and left her flabbergasted.
"I didn’t know what the term meant, but I looked it up after, and here we are.." Princess Evanna looked back at his father and King Osian, bowing her head and waiting for their answer. But King Osian looked at her disapprovingly, and his father looked at her impressed. Conrad could already see the cogs turning in his head as he stared down at the young princess. He felt a shiver run through his spine at what his father might be thinking.
"They do say children pick up on habits from adults near them," King Horik smirked and looked in Queen Eleanor’s direction. "But I do think fifty lashes will be too much for someone so young. How about ten lashes each?"
"King Horik, I believe there is a better punishment that would suit this occasion where both prince and princess may reflect on their actions more than a simple whipping to their backs," King Osian began, looking between the pair with a small smile on his face. "If you agree, Horik, I think Prince Conrad should teach Evanna the Hythen language of the North."