The Romantic Trials Of A Transmigrated Empress
Chapter 155: Pregnancy announcement.

Chapter 155: Pregnancy announcement.

Sigrid wondered in the silence which had swept over everyone if Lettice York ever really knew Roland Maximus. This public tantrum, the silly declaration of her love which tarnished a duty he had been proud to accomplish served only to anger him. It seemed like the young woman was about to see a side of Roland most people did not like to see, the quick tempered one.

"Lettice York," Roland’s voice was sharp, cutting through the heavy stunned silence. "Of all the nonsensical notions you have conjured in your youth, this.....this is by far the worst. It is beyond comprehension. Why can’t you be my wife...because I don’t want you as my wife and I am already happily married. Even if I did not have Sigrid I would not look twice at you."

Lettice flinched at his tone but she held her ground, "You are lying, you cannot be happy. You never liked her, she tarnished your reputation by following you around. She has no talent, your highness, I have thought it throught__"

"Thought it through?" Roland interjected, his brow furrowing deeply. "Obviously you have not thought it through because if you had you would not be shouting such nonsense out loud. Have I not been like a father to you?"

Lettice’s body trembled, tears spilled from her eyes to the ground.

"How dare you call my wife talent-less? She is the most talented woman in the world." He snarled. "I have never once come to you to complain about Sigrid Thorin. If she gave me any trouble the one person I went to was Jesting and I know Jesting would not have gone to you."

"She has a habit of eavesdropping on the private conversations of others and a few maids have long been in the habit of treating her as a superior, the lady of the house. Anything that they hear, they say to her. They also report to her any servant that says or does something unfavorable to her and she finds a way of getting them fired from Stormwind in your name, your highness. More than a few have been sent away from the village completely." Mrs. Brum chimed in.

Jesting frowned, it was the first he was hearing of this. It was true that Lettice had suggested the termination of servants here and there over the years but she always had a good reason. Some were branded thieves, others harmed horses, one maid had been accused of seducing three stable boys. There was always a genuine reason to send such servants away but it seemed now that there was more to the story than what had been presented.

"It is the first I am hearing of this your highness." Jesting said slowly, regret in his tone.

"It’s a lie." Lettice cried out. "Roland, do not believe them, they are making up stories. It is the the crown princess, she must have bribed Mrs. Brum to say bad things about me."

Shooting Mrs. Brum a threatening glare, Lettice added a plea, "Roland, I would never do anything to ruin your name. You have been kind, noble and gentle towards me, I love you..."

"Shut up!" Roland barked.

"I won’t." Lettice screamed. "My feelings are real, my love is not wrong. You are not my father, so how can our love be wrong?"

"Because it is unnatural!" Roland’s voice softened only slightly, but the anger in his eyes burned on. "Do you think I could ever look at you___someone I raised, someone I promised to watch over__as anything other than a child that needed my care? You mistake my care for something it is not. You have moved your hand beyond where it should be."

"I...." Lettice croaked out.

Roland would not give her the chance to say more and he continued, "You are young and foolish and confused, but this all ends now. I will not entertain you or your foolish notions any further. Since you have refused to make a choice, I will make one for you. I will begin discussions for a suitable match for you--a proper match for the sake of your mother’s goodness to me. It is the last favor I will do her, we will never cross paths after it is done."

Lettice lost all her willpower and strength, she bowed her head as if in silent compliance. Her fists however remained clenched like she was unwilling to accept her fate. In the back of her mind she thought to herself that if Roland did not want to marry her it was fine but he did not have the right to hand her off to another man as if she was property on sale.

The crown princess would intervene surely and ensure that she ended up in a bad marriage to one of the servants or a common man. Lettice was unwilling to marry a commoner. If she could not have a prince, she wanted a noble lord.

Right on cue, as if Sigrid could read Lettice’s mind she made a suggestion. "There is a butcher in the village, I am told that he is one of the more successful villagers in this fief and he has two sons looking to marry. If not a butcher, there are other options as long as its not a knight. Miss Lettice does not like knights Roland, she has rejected so many ever since she came of age. Why! just this morning she rejected another one so you don’t need to force a husband on her that she will never accept."

"The butcher sounds like a great match." Lady Iryne consented. "We should start that tour now and forget all about this ugliness."

As they turned to leave, rage built up in Lettice, it was a storm overwhelmed her making it impossible to hold back her emotions. She pulled away from the maids that had loosened their hold on her, run quickly and shoved Sigrid into the ground.

"It is your fault, everything is your fault." She screamed.

Sigrid’s maids turned frantic, screaming as they rushed to their mistress like everyone else was doing. Roland shoved Lettice away, using so much strength that she flew in the air before falling to the ground.

Brolin and Sir Samuel restrained Lettice, Brolin was ready to kill her but Sir Samuel stopped him. Her life and death were in the hands of the crown princess, although after what she had done, death was the more likely outcome. It was the fate of anyone that attacked a member of the royal family.

"The crown princess is pregnant, hurry call for a doctor." Lanai screamed.