Chapter 320: The runaway princess.
By the time Sienna and Elias reached their home, the compound was already stirring with life. Elias seemed to have grown addicted to carrying her around because he did so, striding as if she weighed so little.
The green house in the backyard was bustling--family members and servants in and out with baskets, laughter, and the earthy scent of ripe fruit was heavy in the air. Another harvest was in full swing.
Timothy stepped before them and bowed. Elias put her down and followed his assistant for a hushed conversation. Sienna decided to pay a visit to the greenhouse and join the harvest. She barely made it halfway before a small blur of fur and energy launched itself at her.
"Mama!" her daughter squealed., the little fox cub clinging tightly to her shoulder.
Sharp teeth nipped playfully into her skin. Sienna winced, half laughing half scolding. "You’ve gained weight, our little princess," she teased, adjusting the cub in her arms. "Please put those teeth away before you pierce mama like a melon."
The cub giggled, burying her face against Sienna’s neck, her tail swishing happily. Sienna carried her inside, the warmth of the child’s affection softening the fatigue of the previous night. She had gone to punish her mother-in-law, but in the end, she had not slept as well.
"Mama, do you love Ali?" The little one asked.
Sienna rolled her eyes. "You ask mama this question everyday, and everyday, mama tells you the same thing. She loves you more than honey."
Ali giggled and Sienna laughed. But the moment she stepped into the greenhouse, her laughter froze.
There, in the middle of the rows of fruit-bearing vines, stood Princess Lina-her black fur cape brushing against the soil, her chin lifted imperiously. She was barking orders at the servants, directing them as though the greenhouse were her personal estate.
"You there, pick faster! And you--don’t bruise the fruit! I told you to be gentle with those strawberries. They are royal tribute worthy. Honestly, must I oversee everything myself?"
Sienna’s brows knitted. She set her daughter down gently and approached her aunt Linera. "Aunt, why is she here?"
Linera shook her head, exhaling tiredly. "How am I supposed to know? She is your friend, not mine."
Sienna snorted. "Friend is a stretch." Rather than question her aunt, she went directly to the princess. "Why are you here? If this is about the bridesmaid idea, I am not going to change my mind. If you are here to apologize for the behavior of your friends, don’t bother. If your mother sent you to start trouble, I will set her bed on fire." She declared all this calmly, but her voice was edged with steel.
Lina turned, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "I have run away from home," she declared proudly. "I’ve moved in with you. And I am not getting married anymore."
The activity in the green house was paused for a moment. All eyes were turned to them.
Sienna put her hand over her heart, feeling some strange palpitations. She said in dismay, "How old are you? Do you think you should be running away from home at your age like a teenager? And why run to my home? This empire is big, you could have gone anywhere else. Why come to my small home to stir trouble?"
Lina blinked, smiling innocently, "Because mother won’t dare to come here. And my brother won’t make a fuss because I am safe here. I will return to the palace after clearing my mind."
Sienna groaned. "This is not a hotel. You can’t vacation here."
"Mija vacations here." Lina crossed her arms on her chest. "Her family pays the bills and everything. I already paid too. Your mama accepted my money."
Sienna turned to her mother, eyes shooting questions and glares. Her mother shrugged. "She is royalty, what was I supposed to do?" Not everyone was like her daughter, boldly insulting royals and talking to them as she pleased. The rest of them had to behave like ordinary subjects.
"Oh, if my brother asks whose idea calling off the wedding was, tell him it was you." Lina pitched with a smile. "I may have said that in anger before running away."
Sienna’s knees nearly buckled. She could already see royals descending on her small compound like a swarm of angry locusts. This was the last thing she needed. She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling faint. Was the universe getting back at her for punishing Cadelaria? Had it sent Lina in retaliation?
Lina went back to work, shouting at someone for picking unripe fruit and threatening to fire them.
"She knows she can’t actually fire anyone here, right?" Linera whispered to Sienna.
Sienna maoned softly. "She is a lunatic. I thought she was loud, I didn’t know she was crazy. I hope her relatives come and take her back quickly." Her eyes darted around. "Where is Numia? Is she aware that there is an unmarried princess here?"
Linera snorted. "We managed to hide it for a night. As soon as Numia found out in the morning, she took junior out for a walk that turned out to be a haircut. They have not yet come back. According to the guards who followed them, she has taken him for grooming. I guess she wants him looking his best."
Sienna cursed softly. "That fucking power hungry idiot! Junior is not an adult, he does not need to look his best for Lina. What is she thinking? I am going to take custody of Junior away from them if they can’t act like proper parents. Uncle Christo acts like he disagrees with her but he doesn’t do anything to actually stop her from setting Junior up with daughters of nobles. They know he hates it and act blind. Sooner or later, that boy is going to leave home and return once or twice a year."
Linera sighed. "Numia was not this desperate until we moved here. Access to royalty had made her greedy."
Sienna rolled her sleeves and sighed. "Aunt, let’s work. After harvesting, I will take a nap and leave tomorrows problems to tomorrow."
Ali brushed past her, chewing on a strawberry. Nearby, her grandfather Corven argued with Geo about which vines to use as fertilizer.
Lina screamed at someone for piling the fruits too high and insisting every fruit be polished before being placed in a basket.
Sienna bit back a retort. Let her play queen of the greenhouse for now. I’ll deal with her later.