The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 47: Punishment (1)

"Don’t turn stiff again, Hazel. I am not going to scold you though I wish to know why you would turn down a dance from the prince. You were aware that you had one duty at the ball. Should the prince ask for your hand, you dance," said Tabitha.

She felt insulted that Hazel turned down Tobias, but she couldn’t allow her anger to get the best of her. Not when she was trying to take Hazel under her wing.

It might be best to put all her attention on Hazel and abandon Helena who was failing to catch Tobias’s eyes. It seemed that Helena was never special now that it was revealed Hazel also got asked for a dance. Hazel was the one to be picked over and over again while Helena was not. There was more to the story from the night of the ball.

"I was aware," Hazel answered, continuing to be honest.

"And yet you denied him a dance. The prince, the future king of this land. How do you think I feel at this moment?" Tabitha asked, admiring Hazel’s composure. Now that she watched carefully, Tabitha saw why the older sister was often praised.

There was something about Helena that Tabitha saw herself in the young woman. If only Helena was a bit more like her sister. It was disappointing that her favourite was turning out this way.

"You must feel insulted. A slap in the face after having added me to the list of women in the selection. I apologise once more. I was not trying to insult you or the prince," Hazel answered.

"Then explain," Tabitha said, giving Hazel the chance to save herself. "Why didn’t you dance with my son, but now you entertain him? Was it a game to get his attention?"

"It was not a game. He asked for a dance right after sharing one with my sister. We are already compared to each other, but I knew what would come from me dancing right after her. It was just to save us being put against each other so early on," Hazel explained, hoping the queen would believe her because this was the truth.

Hazel could have never predicted that Tobias would seek her out after. That he would take delight in her turning him down and become so comfortable with her that he always wanted to see her. How was she supposed to know the prince was so backward?

She kicked him and he seemed to enjoy it. Edgar Collins would bully him and the prince looked happy. The queen should be questioning what was wrong with her son.

"I see. You were being a protective older sister. Tell me honestly, do you think your sister would have given up that chance for you to be the only one dancing with the prince? Do you know what is being said? The younger sister is surpassing the older one. Hazel must feel jealous while knowing her younger sister will wed before her. Helena will be offering you marriage advice," Tabitha said, repeating the gossip that reached her.

"I didn’t think about whether-"

"That is not what I asked. See," Tabitha paused, tapping her fingers on the table as she thought about something. What she liked about Helena was her drive to become queen. You could see it in Helena’s eyes. Hazel, on the other hand, appeared to be here because her parents sent her.

Tabitha would confidently place a bet that Helena would do whatever was needed to reach the throne. That was what everyone had to do. Being perfect would not get you to be the next queen alone. Sometimes you have to do things to get ahead.

Tabitha would turn a blind eye to little dirty tricks because she also had to do them in the past though she had the previous queen’s favour. It was easier to do to women you didn’t mind ending friendships with, but Hazel and Helena were sisters.

Tabitha wished to know what led Renee to think one daughter wouldn’t stab the other in the back.

"I am uncertain about if she would do it for me," Hazel answered, refusing to let the queen know what she thought of Helena recently.

Helena was incredibly childish and too hellbent on becoming queen so Hazel knew that Helena wouldn’t have thought about Hazel and taken the dance.

Hazel knew her sister well. She knew how it was for Helena to be compared to the older sister so she tried her best to make things easier for Helena so their relationship would not be soured. No matter how Helena made her frustrated, they were sisters, and the last thing Hazel wanted to lose her sister over was a man.

Becoming queen also wasn’t worth arguing with her sister. Call her a fool, but her family was always first. In this crazy world, there was no one she could lean on other than her family.

There would come a time when this selection would be over and Hazel wanted to look back with a clean heart knowing she never did something dirty to make Helena stumble.

"I admire your determination to not speak ill of your sister. I am starting to see why my son likes you. It upsets me that you didn’t dance with the prince, but it is not something to make me dislike you. Still, it’s going to be passed around by Jasmine that you turned down an invitation to dance from the prince, so I have no choice but to give you a little punishment," said Tabitha, already having one in mind.

Hazel expected that something would come from this being found out. She could only hope that it was not something that would have her family worrying should they find out.

"It pains me to do this, but as you said, you were aware of your duty at the ball. Later when all the young women gather to spend time with the prince, you are to stay in your room. It shall teach you a good lesson about what you can miss out on when you don’t take your opportunities with the prince. Should you try to leave your room, I will extend how long you must stay when you return," said Tabitha.

With this, she was getting Hazel out of the way and giving Helena one final chance to get Tobias’s attention. If she failed, Tabitha had no choice but to move on to Hazel. Jasmine and Linda would still be the others she looked to should Hazel fail her.

Hazel felt relieved after hearing that her punishment was to stay in her room. That was something she would gladly do so she would avoid questions from those wanting to know why she didn’t dance with Tobias. She was tired of having to explain it.

"You may go," Tabitha dismissed Hazel.

Hazel stood up from her chair and stepped off to the side to curtsy as she bid the queen goodbye. As Hazel turned and walked toward the door, she was stopped by Tabitha.

"And Hazel, if the prince is out there, please be a dear and tell him that I am no longer taking audience with anyone," Tabitha said, knowing he would try to get her to change her order for Hazel. That was not going to happen.