The Kings Mistress Chapter 103

[ … words ]

Sierra immediately shot her a glance. The glare was enough to send a shiver down Princess Agnes’ back. She did not give up either. Now that she had Sierra angered, she was going to do everything she can to ruin her chances of doing well in the performance too.

Myra began to play the piece. Though she was off to a slightly rocky start, she continued to play. She closed her eyes, allowing the music to guide her hands as she went.

“She won’t be able to make it past the hurdle in the first quarter,” Agnes scoffed with a grin, “Once she hits a blank, she will not be able to play any further than that.”

Sierra clenched her fist. Moments ago, she was standing in the wing of the backstage area. In the blink of an eye, she was right before Agnes with her hand up and ready to slap her across the face.

She moved so swiftly and silently, that everyone gasped in shock at what was unfolding. The anger within her was boiling over, threatening to spill over. Seeing Agnes in the dress Alistair had made for her was only fueling her anger even more.

Sierra’s hand was shaking. She recalled each and every time Agnes had done something to go against her. All the snide, pretentious remarks she had made in the past. At every turn, she was there to trouble for her.

Ida, who was watching Myra’s performance alongside Sierra, was stunned to see that her princess was now inches away from Agnes with her hand raised.

Agnes could feel her legs about to give way. But knowing that she had successfully triggered Sierra to take action, she was fueled by courage.

“Slap me across the face, Sierra of Cair. I dare you,” Agnes dared her, savoring every word.

“Princess Sierra!” Ida sensed something was amiss on stage.

Her attention was split between what was happening between Agnes and Sierra, while also watching over Myra. Something was amiss. She needed Sierra’s attention at once. When she did not respond the first time, Ida called out to Sierra again.

“’Princess Sierra!” Ida called out to her again.

But Sierra was so focused on her altercation with Agnes, that she had drowned out everything else. She was conflicted in her mind. She knew Agnes was purposefully daring her to do so, knowing the consequences all too well.

She knew she shouldn’t.

But she did not want to give Agnes the satisfaction of winning either. She also desperately wanted to wipe that smirk off her face.

“Your Highness! Princess Myra needs you!” Ida called out again.

This time, she grabbed onto Sierra’s wrist to get her attention and it worked. Ida successfully pulled Sierra out of her own thoughts and back into reality. Looking in the direction Ida pointed to her, Sierra saw Myra shaking on the piano bench.

There was no music in the air.

Her hands were off the keys.

She was shaking, paralyzed in fear.

In the background, Sierra could hear Agnes laughing. Under normal circumstances, Sierra would have turned around and slapped her across the face. But she didn’t. At that moment, she remembered her main focus.

Myra was her focus.

“She couldn’t keep playing. What should we do, princess?” Ida asked as she looked over at Sierra, hoping she would have the answer.

And she did. Sierra curled her hands into fists once more as she looked out onto the stage with determination. The gears in her mind turned and churned. She had a plan. It was not according to the rules but the situation called for it.

She promised Myra she would be there for her. She was going to keep her promise.

To everyone’s surprise, Sierra took a step forward. Then another.

Before anyone could question her decisions, she was already on stage. Audible gasps and whispers could be heard in the audience. Everyone wondered what had happened as Myra had simply stopped playing all of a sudden.

Queen Roxine and King Alistair had looked on worriedly. Nothing of this sort had ever happened before so they weren’t sure of how to react to it either. When both of them saw Sierra stepping out onto the stage, they were stunned.

They glanced at one another, then back on the stage.

’What are you going to do, Sierra?’ Roxine wondered to herself.

Alistair shared the same thoughts too.

He was also stunned for an additional reason. He had been confused earlier when Princess Agnes stepped out in the dress he had ordered to be made specifically for Sierra. He had painstakingly ensured that all the measurements were fitted to her figure.

Though it wasn’t obvious to others, it was clear to him that Princess Agnes had her maids haphazardly pinned to dress to fit her figure. At first, he wondered if perhaps the dress was not to Sierra’s liking.

But he was certain that it was. Something must have happened, he reasoned. From the look of things, his theory was being confirmed.

Sierra walked to Myra’s side. Her shadow loomed over the princess who was still shaking in fear, with tears ready to well up in her eyes. She looked up at Sierra, ready to break down on stage.

But before she could do so, Sierra placed her hand on Myra’s shoulder with a smile.

“Myra, do you trust me?” Sierra whispered.

Without hesitation, she nodded.

Sierra turned back to the audience. She kept the smile she had on her face as she faced the rows and rows of nobility and royals before her. She gulped as she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

All of their attention was now on her.

“Esteemed guests, there’s a change in plans. Due to unforeseen circumstances, Princess Myra is unable to play the original piece as intended. Instead, I hope you’ll all give us a chance to present you with a joint performance… a duet of sorts between Princess Myra and I.”

Sierra looked over to the balcony where Queen Roxine and King Alistair were seated. She curtsied, keeping her head low as she spoke, “That is if King Alistair and Queen Roxine would allow for this arrangement?”