<h4>Chapter 59: I have a popr back.</h4> Sigrid regarded the princess slowly as she wondered what the woman wanted with or from her. Nobody in the royal family was what they seemed.


    The king had four siblings that were still alive, the others had died in childhood, or met their death at Raff’s hand in the struggle for the throne.


    After he took the throne, he had all of his sisters and brothers that were still alive removed from the capital. They were practically imprisoned in castles in other cities far apart from each other.


    They were also forbidden from ever stepping foot out of those cities, the result of attempting to do so was death. Only their dead bodies would ever be allowed to enter the capital to be buried in the royal tombs.


    Romilda however was the only one of king Raff’s siblings that was allowed to live in the capital. She visited the royal castle frequently and her rtionship with the king was very strong.


    "I am nobody’s opponent." Sigrid answered casually. "I am just a crown princess that is doing her best to navigate theplicated twists of being royalty."


    Princess Romilda raised the crystal ss to her lips and and took a sip of wine, a soft smile was ying at the edges of said lips when she put it down. "Complicated you say, might you care to share some of thoseplications with me?" she replied, her toneyered, each word chosen with deliberate care.


    Sigrid shrugged, her expression one of innocence. "You are royalty princess Romilda, you have been here far longer than I have. I am sure that you understand better than me."


    "You are quite the good speaker, every time you open your mouth someone almost loses a head." Romilda tilted her head slightly, her eyes were filled with curiosity as she looked at Sigrid.


    "And yet nobody has lost a head so far, I guess I am not that great at speaking, not like some others. With a few tears, red knights can bemanded to take the life of a crown princess. There is nothing wrong with self preservation, unless you think it’s wrong. Do you?" Sigrid replied, equally curious.


    "Of course not, but one must tread carefully," Romilda replied, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "I prefer to be strategic because it always leads to remarkable oues. You seem to prefer the direct method of grabbing the bull by the horn.


    My dear, in a family where every smile can be a snare, and favor a gambit, it is often best to look out for no one but you, not even the man whose headys next to yours on the bed on asion.


    Hell, sometimes, not even the child you give birth to. You find in due time that is often the subtleties that wield the greatest power."


    Sigrid’s mouth stretched into arge smile as she nodded continuously. "Ah, subtleties, I see however I make no promises, the battles we fight are different. One cannot always rely on subtleties to get results."


    Romilda raised an eyebrow, her gaze locking onto Sigrid with an amused smile on her face. "Indeed, different battles and yet we all want the same result. I look forward to further discussions___perhaps in a more private setting where we might speak more freely. I have been angling for a visit to The Vale for quite sometime, I have heard that the environment there is suitable for one that seeks serenity."


    Sigrid stood up and curtsied, "I will send you and invitation within a week."


    "Until then, you should watch your back." Romilda said.


    As Romilda retreated to the main table where the king was sitting Sigrid couldn’t help digging into their conversation. Princess Romilda was basically warning her to be careful, that her disys of power or strength would not necessarily buy for her influence in the court.


    Her words were also telling her not to trust a soul in the royal family, not the king, queen, Rnd or even a child that she would give birth to.


    At the end of the conversation, she insinuated that they have simr interests, however, the irony was Romilda herself was royalty. If she was telling Sigrid not to trust other royals, then what about her?


    Someone else slid into the chair Romilda had been upying, it was a young woman with sparkling blue eyes, wavy chestnut hair and slightly chubby cheeks.


    "Hmph, crown princess you should watch your back with that one, there is a reason why they call her the spider. Not everyone calls her that, only my father and out of the hearing of other nobles." She gasped and covered her mouth.


    Sigrid looked to the side andughed, as expected of the ever bubbly Mauve Rosewood. She was often found of saying what was on her mind, which most people found annoying and embarrassing but not Sigrid, she found it charming and refreshing.


    In a society were everyone was double faced, meeting a young woman that acted her age and was free of schemes was nice.


    She had bumped into the woman twice, and always spared a response to her greetings.


    "Forgive me, my tongue moved faster than my head, mama says that I should think things through before blurting them out but I never remember it. It is why I justnded myself in trouble, I just told Cathy Evergreen that she had toilet wipes stuck to the bottom of her dress. She fainted and my mama and hers red at me so I am hiding out here." Mauve said, chattering on and on nonstop.


    Sigrid guffawed and sheughed even louder than before, she stopped herself quickly as there was still something on her mind, the first words Mauve had said. It seemed her back was quite popr today as it was the second time she had been advised to watch it.


    "Tell me Mauve, why does your father call princess Romilda a spider?"


    Mauve looked around like a thief and drew closer to Sigrid answering the question in a whisper, "Papa says that she is maniptive and cunning. He says she has the patience of a spider waiting in its web for the perfect moment to catch its prey. She is secretive, calcting and observant, but most of all, she is cold even to her family.


    I heard him whisper to Lord Felton that she is the king’s strategist and he would not be on the throne if she had not been working behind the scenes." Again, Mauve looked around and put a finger to her lips. "Don’t tell anyone I told you or else papa will marry me off to that dastardly Lord Neville Temple."


    She pulled her upper lips back and made a disgusted face, "Have you ever seen Lord Neville eating?"


    Sigrid shook her head. "I do not believe that I have."


    "You should thank the lord then because is the loudest eater I have ever met, he munches loudly like a squirrel." Mauve said.


    She put her hands to her mouth and made nibbling gestures and munching sounds which made Sigrid burst intoughter that made more than a few people curious and most annoyed.


    Sigrid was like the annoying person in the theater than answered a phone call when everyone was attentively watching a movie.


    "By the way, crown princess, why are you sitting here and your husband is way over there next to miss I am so fragile that I need two princes to support me, one on the left and one on the right. Oh, let’s not forget Lysander at her back, is she collecting suitors like cloth to make a dress?"