THE Knight's Hidden Princess
Chapter 86: Father’s Sin

Chapter 86: Father’s Sin

Everyone’s attention immediately fell on me. I shifted nervously on my feet, not willing to believe that someone had recognized me but the way the girl was staring at me made my heart hammer in my chest.

Her eyes were open wide in recognition, and her lips parted as if she was about to say something. I tried to keep my face expressionless, but I could feel my heart racing.

The girl stepped forward, "Your highness, wha...what are you doing here?"

"I’m sorry I think you have her confused." Heather suddenly said stepping forward, "I think you have her confused with someone else."

The girl’s gaze cut to Heather before they widened, "Heather!"

I heard Heather mumble a curse under her breath as she walked backwards towards me. When the girl spoke her name using a combination of familiarity and surprise she created an uncomfortable sensation that passed through my body. At that moment I noticed Heather grow pale while her self-assurance suddenly weakened for the first time since our arrival.

"You know her don’t you?" I whispered to Heather while keeping my eyes on the girl.

Heather responded without looking at me. "She worked at the manor alongside me." She responded and I hummed in understanding as various pieces of the puzzle started to fit together. That must have been how the maid recognized me. She must have sighted me on one of those rare occasions where I walked without an escort.

"Dang it!" Heather cursed under her breath, "I knew we shouldn’t have come."

Eddie moved close by my side while I noticed his tension as his body appeared as tight as a spring prepared to strike instantly. His eyes continuously scanned toward the approaching gathering of people like he expected they would cause problems.

"I take it this means we are in trouble?" He asked.

My eyes scanned the camp only to realize that few of the men were already getting up.

"Is it true Heather?" One of the men asked stepping forward, "Is she really the princess?"

Heather raised an arm out as if to protect me, "I think there has been some kind of misunderstanding here and..."

"Giselda!" The man called out loud interrupting us. "Is she really the princess?"

The girl called Giselda shifted on her feet not quite sure how to answer it, "Yeah, she’s the wife of sir Reagan."

"Wife of the hellhound then!" The man said and a loud murmur arose from the crowd which caused the man to scoff. "You’ve got a lot of nerve showing up here!" He said advancing towards me with two other men!

Heather stepped forward, "Stay back!"

The man snorted, "And you think that single command is going to make us listen to you? You have no idea how long we’ve waited for this opportunity!"

"Do you even have any idea who she is?" Heather tried again.

The man smiled slowly, one that was laced with threat. "Who doesn’t know who she is? Wife of the king’s enforcer, the famous hellhound and daughter of a mad king!" He said and then spat to the side, "She’s a representative of the same royal family that’s bleed us dry, burned our villages, and called it justice!"

Heather took a protective stance, her arms stretched out slightly as if to shield me. "Shut your mouth Hansel or I’ll do well to shut it for ya!"

"Fiercely protective of the princess whose father killed your husband Heather, I wonder why!" Hansel suddenly said and my gaze snapped to Heather whose posture suddenly turned rigid, "Did they start paying you off to keep your mouth shut?"

I turned to look at Heather who still didn’t meet my eyes but glared at Hansel with anger on her face.

"Heather," I called, "What? What is he talking about? You told me your husband died of an illness!"

"And who do you think made him that way, princess?" Hansel snarled at me.

"Hansel don’t!" Heather yelled and I still didn’t understand why she was trying to stop him.

Hansel’s smile deepened as he stared at me no doubt taking pleasure in it. "Your father had him poisoned and you know the silly thing about what his crime was?" Hansel asked as he moved closer, his tone laced with venom. "His offense was simply walking in the path the king walked. Heather’s husband worked in the gardens at the king’s palace. He got out of the way one day too slowly. That was it. Your father called it an ’insult’ to the throne and decided he had to be taught a lesson. A painful, slow death from poisoning.".

I saw the world turn beneath me, my breath trapped in my throat. "No," I panted, shaking my head in horror. "That’s not possible. My father wouldn’t..."

Hansel chuckled in disbelief, "Oh you think so? This is the same man who had villages burned for harboring rebels? The same king who called our suffering ’the price of loyalty’? Wake up, princess. Your father’s brutality has no measure."

"And you don’t think I know that?" I snarled at him, starting to feel angry, " "You have no idea how much I’ve seen, how much I’ve endured because of him! Do you think I carry his name with pride? Do you think I look at his legacy and feel anything but disgust?"

Hansel narrowed his eyes at me, "So what? You think we should feel bad for you too?"

"I am not asking for your pity and I do not have anything else to say to you!" I said before I turned to look at Heather, "Did my father really did that to your husband?"

Heather looked down at her feet but I saw the subtle nod. My eyes got misty with tears and no matter how hard I tried to blink them away they still spilled over.

"So when you said he was sick? You...you lied to me?" I asked her, "Why didn’t you tell me?"

"Because it wasn’t your fault!" Heather whispered. "I didn’t want to put such a burden on you, you already carry so much and have been through so much. Your father’s sins are not yours to bear." Heather informed me and more tears flowed from my face.

"Well ain’t this sweet?!" Hansel jeered, "Your tears won’t work here girl, I’ll finally get my revenge and I’m getting it now!" Hansel said and it was then I noticed the dagger in his hand.

Hansel rushed towards me, dagger in hand but just before he could reach me, Giselda stepped in front of me and grabbed his hand.

"And what do you think you are doing?" Hansel snarled at her.

Giselda stood her ground while we all stared at her, wondering the same thing too.

"Heather’s right!" Giselda said, her voice ringing out loud as she glanced at me, "Her father’s sins aren’t hers to hear and besides, she has proved herself. She saved my life!"

I did? I thought to myself but didn’t say anything.

Giselda smiled knowingly. "I knew you wouldn’t remember." She said, "I had broken the lady Marina’s favorite vase when cleaning. She would have brought me out and whipped me but you took the blame for me and she humiliated you in front of the other servants." She said and I frowned as the memory of that day hit me.

I remember the vase being broken. It was one of the weeks I first moved to the manor after my wedding. I had been focusing on my embroidery when suddenly one of the maids cleaning broke a vase.

Marina had been so angry, she had ordered the maid to be beaten. I remember thinking it was excessive for just a vase so I decided to take the blame instead. I didn’t know what happened to the maid afterwards but I heard she eventually got sent away and the other maids too will lose their jobs if they were associated with me.

"That was you?" I asked and Giselda nodded her head at me.

"I’ve been looking for a way to repay the favor and I guess that time is now!" Giselda shot me a smile before she turned back to look at Hansel, "You can’t hurt her, she saved my life!"

Hansel snorted, "Saving one life isn’t much compared to the hundreds that were killed by her father!"

"You dumb brute!" Heather stepped forward, "Do you even know who she is? She was the one that brought_"

"Heather!" I stopped her before she could utter the words I knew she was going to say.

I came here as the princess, not as the black knight! I chose to become the black knight because I thought it would be retribution for all the people my father has wronged. With each life I saved I thought it would make up with the destruction he has caused.

But I haven’t done anything has the princess! I watched in the shadows as my people suffer beneath my father’s iron ruling. Then maybe, just maybe I can do something about it.

With that, I lowered myself down slowly to my knees ignoring the loud murmurs and the whispers going around.

"I’m sorry!" I said, "I know my words alone won’t ever be enough for all the pains, but I’m here now asking for your forgiveness and willing to do whatever it takes to earn it and prove myself to you!"

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