Chapter 361: Hurt (1)
"Milady, your water," Ines said, setting the glass down before her lady.
"Oh, what am I to do about my family?" Tabitha asked herself, rubbing her temple. "None of them are listening, and my son has exiled me to this mansion. I cannot bear it any longer."
Tabitha belonged in the palace. It was her home far longer than it was Tyrion’s or Hazel’s.
"I knew that if I let him marry that girl, she would make him rebel. Her sister was so much easier to use at first, but then she followed Hazel. I should have meddled more," Tabitha said, annoyed that Hazel caught Tyrion’s eyes.
"The maids all speak of the queen doing everything in her power to silence you," said Ines.
"Others who are wise have noticed it. I only wanted the best for my son, and she was not strong enough to stand beside him. Then she kept Tyrion from me when he was born, like I would harm him," Tabitha said.
Tabitha had never been so insulted in her life. She dealt with men in the court, but it was never like this.
"Tyrion should be our king. He is the oldest, and we have all been preparing him for this moment, yet they allow him to walk away from it. For what? So he could be with Penelope? He could be from her in the palace."
Tabitha was yet to calm her anger with Tobias and Tyrion. Their need to get away from the palace was going to ruin the Castros.
"We are so fortunate to have a second prince to take his place, but Teo was not the one meant to be king. He is only a spare. Tyrion reminds me so much of my husband," Tabitha said, missing the late king. "He could have achieved so much."
Tabitha wasn’t ready to give up just yet. The crown wasn’t on Teo’s head yet, so it presented a chance for Tyrion to take back his rightful place.
"How are the people I have employed doing? Have you heard anything from the guards?" Tabitha asked, yearning for good news.
"I have. They continue to go before the palace and the prince’s home. The prince has threatened them to leave, but they push forward with your plans. They have all been paid well, and no one knows who employed them," Ines shared.
"Good, but I need this to go along faster since time draws close. Once that crown sits on Teos’ head, it will all be over unless he passes," Tabitha said, nervous she wouldn’t be able to fix it in time.
"Rather than go after Tyrion, it might be better to target her. Make it so the only safe place for her is inside the palace. I can speak to the ladies who owe me favours and have them turn their granddaughters against her," Tabitha plotted.
Tabitha hated that it would need to come to this, but everything needed to go back to the way it belonged.
"That child is stubborn, but her family would be of great use to the palace. The duke has all the power needed to back Tyrion, but I fear his daughter acts just as Hazel once did. She will need proper guidance," Tabitha said, determined to be the one to help Penelope.
The guidance Penelope needed couldn’t come from Alessandra or Hazel, since neither knew how to act as a lady.
Tabitha rubbed her temple. "I have one who came from a notable family, and another who once had a baron for a father, but they both disappoint me. What did I do to deserve this?"
Tabitha did her best with her children, only to be faced with the current problems later in her life.
"When I was queen, Tobias knew better than to think of leaving the palace. Hazel turned me away, so she didn’t learn to act as a queen before she acted as a mother. Unfortunately, I cannot return to the palace," Tabitha said, pained by the state of her life.
It pained Tabitha that Tobias threatened her. Her own son, whom she birthed, threatened her.
"Milady, I have a good feeling that you will be back in the palace soon, and all will be well. Soon, they will realise that you are the voice of reason," Ines showered Tabitha with compliments.
"Don’t flatter me. I don’t need you to tell me that it will all go well because I will make it go well. It is up to me to bring order back to the palace before it all falls apart. Send for the guard. I must give him new instructions," Tabitha said, a new plan coming to mind.
Since targeting Tyrion didn’t work, she would go through with the plan to target Penelope. The only challenge Tabitha knew lay ahead of her was Edgar and her family finding out, but this didn’t scare her.
Tabitha was at the age when she didn’t fear death. She gave her life to the palace, and she had long done her part, so should death await her, she would welcome it with open arms. She was ready to be reunited with her late husband, Joffrey.
"I must do this for him and to make up for my mistakes," Tabitha spoke softly.
The coronation already went wrong once, so it couldn’t happen again.
"I must write," Tabitha said, wishing she hadn’t sent off Ines.
Tabitha had another secret weapon. A weapon that wasn’t meant to drive Penelope to the palace, but simply to hurt her.
Tabitha couldn’t let Penelope get away with how she spoke the last time they saw each other. How Penelope ran to Priscilla to get her to fight battles.
It was insulting for Tabitha to be spoken to as Priscilla did and then for Penelope to leave the gathering when it was just getting started.
"There you are," Tabitha said, spotting Ines.
"Forgive me, Milady. I was searching for the guard," said Ines.
"That can wait. There is something else I wish for you to do. I must write to a young lady who is the prettiest flower I have seen in a while. She is lovely, well-respected, and most of all, she knows how to respect me. She was suited for Tyrion," said Tabitha.
Had Tobias not ended the selection for the next queen, Tabitha would have pushed forward the young lady to marry Tyrion.
"She was so in love with him. I imagine she must be broken-hearted, but I shall let her enjoy her feelings for a moment. Penelope only has her grandmother to blame," Tabitha said, thinking of what Priscilla said to her.
Priscilla made it seem like Joffrey could have been with her. Priscilla said it to hurt Tabitha, and for it, Tabitha was going to hurt what Priscilla cared for most.