Mrs Luther

Edwards Manor.

The whimpering sounds were heard as a slap landed on Marceline's face, forcing her to lose balance.

She staggered, clutching her cheek, her eyes wide with shock and pain. The room fell silent, the weight of the moment hanging in the air like a thick fog.

The servants began to murmur and gossip among themselves.

"The high and mighty princess' tantrums have begun."

"Is Marceline pretending to be nice, or is she that dense?"

"I detest Juniper so much!"

"She's always so jealous of Marceline; that's why she's bitter."

"It's your fault! You ruined my only chance of getting admitted into the seniors' crew!" Juniper's eyes flickered with fury and hatred.

Marceline got up from the ground, cleaning the dirt off her dress with a smirk lingering on her face.

Today Juniper was the victim, with every act and display exaggerated.

She chuckled mockingly, clutching her belly in a pretense of uncontrollable laughter. "Never show your enemy how weak you are," she reminded herself, the amusement fading from her eyes.

Marceline retorted, her voice laced with sarcasm, "Obviously, you've overestimated yourself, setting your standards too high. The position wasn't yours in the first place."

Juniper's eyes flashed with embarrassment, pointing at Marceline, she said sharply, "That position is for a 'nobody' like you!"

Marceline smiled insincerely, "And yet you're almost crying for losing it to me?"

Juniper's gaze was like sharp arrows, staring at Marceline, giving off a dangerous aura, "Who knows what you did with Coach Travis, to wheedle that position out of him?"

Marceline crossed her arms confidently, her tone cold, "Only dirty people would think everyone is like them. Accept it Juniper, you lost to me."

Juniper subtly puffed out her chest, carrying herself with an unmistakable aura of pride, "Just like you lost your man to me. Heh! I beat you to it."

Marceline chuckled softly to herself, "You can keep feeding off my scrap, you can damage me, dent me. But I assure you, you're never going to beat me."

Juniper clenched her fists tightly, her chest heaving with anger. Staring at the sly smile on Marceline's face, she wished she could wipe it all off at once.

The door to the grand living room opened with a creak, Lady Hazel stepped in, her presence commanding attention. Draped in an elegant dress, she scrutinized the situation with her chin held high.

Her voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy atmosphere, "What's going on here?"

The servants fell silent, their whispers dying down as they sensed the tension escalating.

Juniper turned to her mother, her eyes welled up in tears. "Mother, Marceline humiliated me again. She took the position of being the leader of the senior's crew that should have been mine."

Hazel's expression hardened. She threw her bag on a servant, focusing her gaze on Marceline. "As expected," she said icily. "Marceline, always striving to outshine my daughter. It seems you'll do anything to bring her down."

Marceline felt a wave of panic wash over her. Her voice trembled slightly as she replied, "Mum! I don't have to apologize for getting what I deserve, do I? Moreover, she needs no help in bringing herself down."

Hazel's lips curled up in a sinister smile, veins bulging on her forehead. "Let's see what more you have to say when that position goes to Juniper."

Marceline's heart trembled vigorously as she dropped to her knees, clutching the hem of her mother's dress. With a desperate plea, she begged for the position that would secure her place at the Lyrica Institute of Music.

A school well known for grooming exceptional talents and producing top-tier singers.

Her voice wobbly as her eyes turned misty, on the verge of tears, "Mother! That position means a lot to me."

"That's my point. You don't deserve it and never will."

A stunned silence filled the room. She felt a sharp pain in her chest as if her mother's words had physically struck her. Her lip trembled, and a single tear slid down her cheek. She wanted to argue, to scream, but all she could manage was a choked whisper. "Why...why would you say that?"

A servant approached Lady Hazel, holding her mobile phone. She disregarded Marceline's pitiful expression, angrily tapping her phone in search of a specific line.

At that moment, the door screeched open, and an elderly woman in a wheelchair was wheeled in by another servant. Lady Hazel's mother-in-law, Mia, a figure of grace and authority despite her age, looked around the room, her eyes settling on Hazel.

"Hazel," she said softly but firmly, her voice carrying the weight of understanding. "Don't call anyone. Let the children be. This matter can be resolved within the family."

Hazel glared hardly at Mia, her voice stern and indifferent. "Stay out of this old woman."

Mia replied, her tone sharp but measured. "Do not forget, Hazel, that I still hold an important place in this household. You should be careful how you speak to me."

Hazel's eyes narrowed, a hint of a smirk playing on her lips. "Important place? You can't even stand on your own, 'mother'. What power do you think you have here?"

Mia's face fell as a heavy sigh escaped her lips. She gestured to the servant beside her to take her back to her room.

Hazel stared at her disappearing figure, a victorious glint flashing in her eyes. She had waited for this moment, and the satisfaction was undeniable.

Those who had the misfortune of offending her learned that she wasn't to be underestimated or trifled with.

As the phone rang, everyone in the room went silent, their curiosity piqued, waiting to hear the outcome.

"Good day, Mrs Lan-"

Hazel's tone was sharp. "Travis, save your greetings," she snapped before he could say a word. "Replace Marceline with juniper immediately. If anything goes wrong this time, you're out of a job."

"It's too late madam."

Hazel's face turned pale and cold as she clutched the phone tightly. Her voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "What did you just say, Travis?"

"The Royal Family requested the finest and most special Unique Voice Collective, and she was selected among others for the ball party," Travis' hoarse voice spoke over the phone.

Hazel pressed her lips together in a firm line, "Nothing can be done to reverse the case?"

"I'm sorry ma'am, there's nothing I can do about it," He said and a rhythmic beep was heard at the other end of the line.

He had ended the call.

"Argh!" Hazel screamed out in frustration, throwing the phone to the other side of the living room, which shattered helplessly.

"Mum, what did he say?" Juniper took a long step in the direction of her mother, breathing shakily.

"This Red-haired witch won again," Hazel said, dragging her feet towards Marceline, suddenly she sprang on her like a fierce cat, clutching her hair with force.

Marceline struggled to remove her hair from her mother's grasp. "I'm sorry Mum, I didn't mean to.....pls..it hurts...sob...sob."

Edward sighed, hitting his head with both hands lightly in frustration, "What's going on here?!"

Edward, after attending a conference meeting with the Royal secretary, appeared so weary and tired only to be greeted by his family drama.

"My Lord! You're back!" Hazel ran in her husband's direction smiling sweetly, collected his bag, and gave him a light peck on his left cheek.

"You haven't answered my question, Hazel!" Edward requested coldly, loosening his tie.

"Oh! I was helping Marceline take care of her hair lice. She complained and cried bitterly and I decided to check just now, lots of lice on her scalp."

Marceline rubbed her eyes, and stared at her mother, completely dumbfounded.

Juniper twitched the corner of her mouth, completely forgetting that her mother was a great liar.

Hazel held a deep fear and respect toward her husband, Lord Duke Ethan Landon, who was amongst the top ten wealthiest individuals in country A, she wouldn't dare miss out on his wealth and affluence.

His strong connection with the Royal family made her who she is today, Dutchess Hazel.

A maid strode towards the couple and bowed slightly, receiving the bag from Hazel, "Your Grace!"

Edward peered closely at Marceline, his gaze shifting from the three women in his life. "My little one, Dad is here. Come!"

Marceline feigned a smile, taking long steps in her father's direction, she walked into his arms that gracefully awaited her.

Hazel's eyes turned red, and she forcefully turned her face to the other direction, mumbling words in pain.

Juniper ran towards her father, slightly pushing Marceline from his arms, "Hello, father."

"My sweet little pea!" Edward said, returning her hugs.

"I've got good news, Dad! I got an invitation to sing at the royal banquet." She said with a big smile complimenting her perfect pair of chestnut brown eyes, her long lashes glistening from tears.

Ethan, happy about his daughter's news, unintentionally pushed Juniper, and held Juniper tightly, showering her with praises, "I'm so proud of you, my little one!"

Juniper's face darkened, and a gleam of jealousy flashed in her eyes.

He was a father who truly cared about his first child, Marceline. Ever since her mother whom he dearly loved died, he promised to always care for her on her deathbed.

However, Marceline was kept under wraps and never knew the mystery concerning her birth.

Edward realized Marceline needed motherly love and support as a growing child, so he decided to get married to Hazel who promised to take Marceline as her own with a condition never to tell her about her mother's lineage for her good, although he only disclosed to his wife half of the truth.

The abrupt ring of the doorbell interrupted the family, drawing their attention as they turned their heads in unison leaving them filled with curiosity.

The head maid hurried to the door as she received an envelope from the royal messenger, with each stride she closed the distance to Duke Edward exuding an aura of nobility as she bowed slightly to deliver the envelope.

Hazel looked at the envelope arousing her curiosity, with a raised eyebrow moved closer to her husband, "What's in it, honey?"

The envelope is elegant and elaborately ornamented with gold flowery archaic graphics, made of high-quality luxurious handmade paper and silk fine couture, and engraved with a royal seal.

Edward broke the seal and read the contents of it with a huge smile plastered on his face, turning his face to his wife, "We have a wedding to prepare for! One of our daughters will be getting married to the heir."

Hazel gave a tight-lipped smile while she snatched the envelope from her husband to confirm what was written on it.

Seeing it wasn't what she expected, she swallowed hard, controlling herself from squeezing the frail envelope in her hands.

"Servants! Prepare the finest expensive wines and delicate sumptuous meals as we await our prominent royal family." He instructed, pacing towards his Chambers.

She threw a disgusting look at Juniper who moved her body to imaginary beats, giggling. Hazel couldn't help but wonder how she ended up with a daft child like her.

_ _ _

In the Manor Gardens of the Edward family's residence, Haze paced back and forth, biting her lip, her breath quickening as she opened the envelope to read its contents:

It is with great pleasure that we extend our most remarkable invitation to you and your wonderful household to join us in celebrating the joyous union of our beloved Prince Luther, the heir to the throne of our esteemed nation and one of your priceless jewels.........

Upon reading this, Hazel tore the envelope into pieces and her eyes gleamed with fury and disappointment, "This wasn't what Queen Catherine promised, Juniper was promised to the Prince not this stupid write-up," she thought to herself loudly.

She recalled attending one of the royal parties she and her husband were invited to years back, heavily pregnant with Juniper.

After expressing their gratitude to the queen and bidding farewell, her water suddenly broke, leaving them unable to reach the hospital in time.

Fortunately, the Queen made her labor room available for the family. Queen Catherine fell in love with her baby girl and promised her to Luther who was 5 years old at that time.

But as Hazel reminisced, she couldn't help but wonder had the queen forgotten so quickly what had led them to make such a solemn agreement? She hoped Marceline wasn't setting her expectations too high.

She made a mental note to visit the Queen before the ceremony, completely forgetting about Marceline's victory.

Grover's Chateau.

The palace was a stunning sight to behold, its vast stairway had grand architectural features, making the entrance to the palace look grand and majestic.

The royal ball party is an exaggerated magnificence show of opulence and wealth for the royal family.

The radiant glow in the faces of the spoilt wives, adorned with luxury fabrics and dazzling jewelry shimmering in the light, accompanied by their husbands showing off their sleek expensive rides, added to the regal atmosphere of the event.

Edward's family's graceful appearance wasn't left out. Every move Hazel made exuded a dignified aura, showing off her expensive qualities.

All heads turned in her direction which made her lips curve up lightly, while some of the guests showered praises on her, others threw her a scornful and jealous look.

Hazel caught the sight of the Queen attending to her guests, she hurriedly went to meet her, and bowed lightly, "Your Majesty!"

Queen Catherine smiled warmly, inviting Hazel for a hug, "Hazel! How lovely to see you again. I hope you received our invitation?"

Hazel quickly cleared her throat, "We did your Highness! But I'd like to talk about a few things if you don't mind."

Catherine's lip thinned into a straight line, failing to hide her irritated look, "Sure! Let's add interrupting important conversations to your list of duties."

Hazel didn't expect the Queen to say that,she went silent for a moment before she finally found her voice. "Oh, then let me go try out some drinks."

With what she said, she scurried into the crowd with a flushed face, feeling embarrassed.

Hopefully, she'll think twice before doing that again!

ーーー

Kayla carefully made her way to the space where the group of girls selected to sing at the ball stood, all dressed in white summer gowns anxiously getting ready for their performance.

Juniper stood out, as usual, her lips painted with a bright red lip gloss that screamed attention.

When she saw Marceline approach the girls she threw her a glare causing Kayla to squirm and discomfort. She didn't feel at ease amid all these elites, this wasn't her usual crowd. She fumbled with the fabric of her gown with her glove-clad hands.

She couldn't wait to leave here!

Vienna suddenly caught the moves Kayla made and decided to ask, "Don't tell me you feel intimidated by her?"

As the Prime Minister's daughter, Vienna was the figure everyone respected and she made it her duty to always care for people, with Marceline, her secret friend, being a part of it.

Taking a deep breath, Marceline responded," Can we leave her out of this, please!?

Vienna rolled her eyes, feeling irritated by Juniper's attitude, "Sure, i'd like nothing better."

Thirty minutes into the Party, Coach Joan stepped onto the stage and announced that Marceline would be leading the Unique Academy Choirs, leaving her fellow students speechless.

Marceline was taken aback, her dreamy eyes widening in surprise. She never expected to be given such responsibility and opportunity, yet excitement surged through her.

She held her head high as the spotlight followed her every step, enhancing her presence with an aura of elegance and confidence.

Juniper coldly looked at Kayla as she walked upstage, a hint of hatred and anger flashed in her eyes. She truly looked forward to taking everything from Marceline when she finally got married to Prince Luther.

What's stopping her from starting now?

A cunning smile crept on her lips as she thought about ruining her chances, suddenly she spotted a red stain on Marceline's white dress.

A period stain!

A perfect chance to ruin her moment and embarrass her.

Juniper turned to Patricia, the loudest and lousy one among the girls, and whispered into her ears, "Oh! Would you just look at our elegant leader? She came here dressed prepared."

A loud laughter erupted from the crowd, turning every head to where the noise was coming from.

Marceline stood there, with a sweet smile on her face, calmly gazing at the guests in front of her. She noticed that her fellow students were staring, some tried to hide their amusement while the likes of Juniper and Patricia openly laughed.

Juniper moved closer to her, a sneer look on her face, "Did you sit on ketchup, sis?

Marceline quickly glanced down at the stain of her dress, turning her body slightly to take a better look.

She broke out in a cold sweat as she tried to put on a brave face, aware that some gazes were still directed her way.

Juniper smirked, deciding not to give up since her plan seemed to be working, "Oh, look at you attempting greatness! I'll advise you not to set your standards too high and kindly hop off the stage."

Marceline's face went pale when she reached out to hold her sister's hand, but her sister pulled away with a look of disgust.

Her lips trembled like a leaf quivering in a stormy wind. Life doesn't have to treat her this way!

Her mind was in turmoil, she tried avoiding eye contact with everyone including Coach Travis's inquisitive eyes, as she lowered her eyes holding her feeble dress tightly.

She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

Marceline smiled weakly, she turned her head slightly about handing over the wireless microphone to Juniper when she caught deep cold blue eyes staring intensely at her.

Her breath shuddered, only her 'oohed' and 'aahed' breathing was heard as she felt everything coming to a halt. A profound silence!

The masculine figure stared at her misty eyes, feeling a strange sadness welling up his heart.

She felt an odd warmth embracing her insides, her eyes drawn towards him as if pulled by a magnetic force, unable to tear her gaze away.

A cold grip snatched her out of her reverie.

Juniper's eyes held no warmth as she snatched the wireless microphone from her, "You're the perfect example of how nature experiments with errors. Get lost!"

Every tiny robe of bravery Marceline was trying to put on left her the moment she heard what Juniper said to her.

"I can't do this." With that, she ran out of the hall.

A pair of strong long legs followed suit.