“The palace? You should have just said you were going there,” Old Lady Steinhouse said cautiously.

“Old Lady Steinhouse, you may have once been duchess of Steinhouse and travelled the entire ins of society and can still do so, because of your relation to me; yet you forget we are not the same,” Lady Steinhouse answered after the carriage stopped at the gate. “Don't move this carriage!” she instructed the driver.

“Step down,” she instructed the mother and daughter pair.

“What? Are you going to leave us at the gate? I'm your mother-in-law!” Old Lady Steinhouse protested.

“Guards!” Lady Steinhouse called and royal guards arrived. Old Lady Steinhouse could already feel the shame awaiting her when she steps down.

“Old Lady Steinhouse, step down!” she instructed.

“You still don't call me mother, yet I do nothing. Have you lost all your etiquette? I'm still your mother-in-law! What would society say about you?!” Old Lady Steinhouse fumed.

“I have worn the title Lady Steinhouse for so long, people seem to forget that this is a title beneath my visage. You addressed me with scorn, you dare to scold my person, you have the courage to call me shameless, and curse at me and my upbringing! Mother of my late husband or not, I am still Princess Helen, daughter of Princess Lithe and niece to the king, conferred the official title Princess Ja Ahn by His Majesty, King Larken of Juhntt! You should bow every time you are graced with my presence, yet you dare to curse at me?! A curse at me is a curse at the royal family, and indirectly, the king! You dare sneer at my Upbringing? Are you saying that you are unaware that as my parents died young, and I was raised by the king for a while and before then by the grand protector of the Ligrel clan?! Which do you sneer at? Your disrespect is worth being torn to pieces by thirty grown horses,” Lady Steinhouse bellowed, her anger had a reached breaking point.

The two shivered; this was not her usual look of scorn and relaxed sneer. They regretted their words. She was right and it didn't help that they were right before the palace gates. They may be related to her by marriage, but they were obligated to bow to her. Having her marry into their family is seen as heavenly grace. Even her husband, though did not need to bow, needed to accord her respect.

She had introduced herself to the society as Lady Steinhouse so long ago, people who had later heard of her background, slowly forgot. Not to talk of the Ligrel clan; everybody knew who her father was. Ligrel Clan? They Gulped at the thought. A woman with this much backing may be a blessing to her children, but a curse on the family that welcomes her into their lives; as her husband as well as his parents needed to bow to her on occasions. No one wanted to bow to their daughter-in-law.

“As a lady who holds great respect for her husband's family, I dare not disrespect my in-laws by letting them face the death penalty. You will be imprisoned for two days, when you return I hope you will learn your place,” Lady Steinhouse said. As the two ladies heard her words; 'holds great respect for her husband's family', they almost fell out of the carriage. How could she utter such words with a straight face?

“Take them to the outer prisons. They will be there till I say otherwise. You heard their crime. As a good daughter-in-law, I must punish them myself, in hopes that they will be spared the capital punishment. Anyone but the king releasing them is not doing them good. This little punishment is so I might appease the public; so one may not say that I pamper my in-laws so much so, they forget their place,” Lady Steinhouse said and the head guard stumbled in his steps at her words. He, as well as the entire capital, never thought a day would come when they would hear the words Lady Steinhouse and Pampering her in-laws in the same sentence.

He was assigned today to cover for a sick friend, yet he was greeted with a complicated scene. He regretted being too good to his friend. How was he supposed to deal with this? Everybody knew the queen was in the habit of

releasing those Lady Steinhouse punished, in an excuse of teaching her niece restraint.

After the king punished them again for his niece, the queen would say, the king does not think she has the qualifications to teach her niece. With this, the king had to take his hands off; so that the cabinet does not accuse him of over-petting his niece, to the point that she forgets that the queen is the mother of the kingdom. If the queen acts on her habit and releases the Steinhouse ladies, it would be saying that she agreed with their insult to the royal family. Even if that could be overlooked, what about the Ligrel clan?

He could feel his life become more uncomfortable. As the one who arrests them, he would need to act as warden till he was asked to release them.

He ordered his men to take the two ladies away. The ladies did not protest and were cooperative.

“If anyone asks for their release, you must inform me immediately. This is an order from the king,” Lady Steinhouse said, as she dropped the curtain and the carriage wheeled away and the guard swore he would never cover for anyone again.

Before Lady Steinhouse arrived before the king, news of her actions at the gate had reached him. Seeing her smiling face, he sighed.

“Did you have to go that far?” he asked her as she curtsied.

“I’m in a good mood, so I went that far,” she smiled.

“What?” he asked her.

“Everything is prepared. The moment you give the order, we will execute,” Lady Steinhouse said and the king sat up straight on his chair.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes, Lady Wickshire sent someone to help us out. He made sure while we take down the queen, we also take down some of her helpers. Most of them are officials in your cabinet,” she said.

“How many?” the king could not hold in his excitement.

“Six. It is full proof,” she said and the king laughed out loud.

“When do you intend to start?” she asked.

“The next council meeting I call, we will act. Be ready then,” he told her and she nodded in response.

“We can only execute. How this will all turn out, will be up to you,” she said then turned to leave but was stopped.

“I heard you have a lover,” he seemed to have remembered. Lady Steinhouse paused with her hand on the door handle.

“You should know better than to listen to rumours, Uncle,” she said without turning around.

“He got you a token at Madame D'huile. I thought you said you didn't want it when I wanted to request one for you? You said that they look down on your person, so they are not worthy to dress you; yet, you actually went and had a fitting when he got you one?” the king asked. She turned around to see his blank expression. Her face went a deep shade of red at his words.

“Uncle, that was in the past. As my taste has changed, I wanted something appropriate,” she said.

“Yes, your taste started to change; you suddenly wear less make-up and your dresses are much simpler. I remember when I asked for someone to teach you, but you said that if people think less of you because of your attire, they are not worthy of your time. So, you wore those dresses and thick make-up with head high, saying everyone was going to have to accept you that way,” he said.

“People change, Uncle, I suddenly like these. Shouldn't you, who has been trying to get me to change, feel happy? Why do I feel as though you are complaining?” she asked and his expression remained the same.

“You must really have a lover,” he said.

“Why are you so sure? Shouldn't my words hold more water than those of rumours?” she asked.

“You have called me uncle three times now,” he said and she paused.

“You never call me uncle. No matter how I try, you refuse to break etiquette with me,” he said.

“Just worry about the problems at hand, Your Majesty, I'll handle my problems,” she said and turn around.

“Don't forget your background, Helen. You may escape with this as a widowed duchess and even as a princess, but as the daughter of Jin Ke, this can never work. Who you choose must be worthy,” he said and her expression became solemn.

“I never said I have a lover. I have no intention of recognizing that side of my blood. Who I choose will be who I want,” she said solemnly before leaving.

Only after his niece left did the king look toward the shelves.

“You must meet her one day; she would love you and you, her,” he said.

“I like her already,” a voice said and came out from behind the shelves; it was Lady Raine.