His Highness's Second Wife
His Highness’s Second Wife Chapter 68

“Welcome, ladies!” Raena greeted them with her brightest smile as she stood on the landing of her mansion, looking down at the women at the bottom of the stairs. There were eight of them in front of her, which meant all came apart from Lara.

That was excellent. “Come on, join me in the garden. Today we are going to have some fun!” She waited for them to raise their heads, then walked through the wide-open doors of the mansion. The main hallway seemed even more sparkly than usual and as she instructed, most of the servants who didn’t have an urgent task had lined up by the wall, their uniforms and even hair in impeccable condition.

She had little time to coddle the harem, so she had to win them over in one or two meetings tops.

She couldn’t afford to have them scheming behind her back at the only safe place for her. This gathering was as much for the concubines as for everyone else in the third prince’s residence. With the first wife’s condition worsening by the day, everyone had to be wondering who was going to take control of the harem. She needed them to think she was reaching for all that power, reaffirming her position as the person to replace Sarea when she was gone – this way, nobody would suspect that Raena Magrath was going to disappear from the face of this earth soon.

Lara not being here sure helped a lot. She expected the favorite concubine to try convincing Kassian to let her go, but she either grew some pride or Kassian had said no. Raena hoped it was the latter.

She heard the ladies whisper among themselves as they walked behind her, their words too quiet to hear, but the awe and excitement in their voices were hard to miss. Only the three who had visited her along with Lara seemed to be holding back their praises and looking around cautiously, as if expecting a trap. She wasn’t particularly worried about them – if the information her servants gave her was true, Kassian hadn’t visited or talked to those three in years, so they probably followed Lara because they were out of options. Sarea wasn’t really into socializing with her husband’s lovers and most of the other concubines kept to themselves.

Raena stepped through the back entrance, glancing at the guards stationed in the yard. Even they seemed somehow dapper and more impressive-looking in their uniforms. Kara really went over the top for someone on sick leave.

Raena was the first to reach the table set up under the shade of one of the old trees, so she waited for them to catch up. She allowed them a minute to gawk at the carefully arranged food and exotic drinks on the table, then invited them to sit.

As they all settled down, a few of the servants moved to attend to them, offering the assortment of cocktails she had stayed up until past midnight to create. It had been quite hard to replace the right liquor in this place and she almost got herself drunk tasting her own failures.

“We should have done this a long time ago!” Raena said after a few minutes of idle chatter, praises for the food and drinks, and asking for more. “It’s my fault, of course. With all the renovations and the accidents, it was hard to replace the time. But I am happy to finally meet you all!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, Your Highness!” one of them said quickly, giving a warm smile. Raena returned the smile, trying to recall the name. Lady Vega – the only other blonde woman in the mix.

She was one of the older ones and while she was still charming and pleasant, she couldn’t hold a candle to the likes of Lara.

“Please call me Raena. This is just a friendly visit.” Raena insisted.

“As you wish, Raena,” she said awkwardly.

“This drink is delicious! Is it alcohol l am tasting? It’s so sweet, you can barely tell!”

“Yes, it is, so be careful. It will hit you hard before you know it.” Raena laughed. They continued to talk about the drinks and the food, bringing Madam Lydia’s name into the mix. When Raena said she knew her personally and most of the food and drinks were from her recipes, the mood changed almost in an instant. Most of the other concubines joined actively as they started discussing the mysterious veiled woman and food they so wanted to taste but couldn’t go. Raena leaned back, letting them do the talking while she joined in only if the question was addressed to her directiy.

Kela, Aria, and Myla, if she remembered their names correctly, seemed to relax a bit too, but their voices were quieter and they looked at each other often as if checking if the other one was giving in to the atmosphere.

Raena’s eyes stopped on the girl sitting on her right- the only one she hadn’t heard speak. She didn’t even look like Kassian’s type. She was young, no more than fifteen, with ginger hair and freckles covering most of her face. It wasn’t that she was ugly, but in comparison with the others, she was definitely fading into the background. She was very skinny to0 and her clothes were not nearly as expensive-looking as those of the other women.

She was also the only one that was drinking just water, looking around awkwardly.

A few drinks later, Raena’s plan was in full swing with most of the concubines laughing and chatting excitedly, like they were friends who hadn’t seen each other in ages. The servants kept refilling the cups until Raena gave them a sign to stop. She wanted them to have a good time, not to puke their guts out. One of the first things she learned at the university was that nothing bonded people quicker than alcohol.

Lady Vega and the red-headed concubine sitting next to her had turned into the center of attention as their conversation grew into a comparison between their first night experiences with Kassian. Raena watched them with amusement behind her glass of a non-alcoholic cocktail, while most of the other ladies blushed heavily or nodded in agreement as Vega described in detail every sensation she felt while in Kassian’s embrace.

Raena glanced toward the young girl next to her, only to replace her looking at her hands, her face with embarrassment. Nobody had spoken to her the whole time and apart from a few short answers to Raena’s questions, she hadn’t participated in any of the other conversations.

“So how was your first night with His Highness, Hatti?” Raena asked her and the girl jumped, looking at her with wide eyes.

“It w-w-was good, great!” she replied quickly.

“He was very good!”

“Ha.” Raena chuckled. “I haven’t slept with him either, don’t worry.”

“No, I.” she said quickly, but in the end just sighed in defeat. When she composed herself, she looked back at Raena with wide eyes. “But you.. you’re so beautiful! How can he not…?”

“It’s complicated.” Raena scoffed. “But women can say no if they don’t want to.” The girl nodded, looking back at her hands. “Why did he make you his concubine if not to sleep with you?” The girl shifted in her seat, her hands squeezing and releasing the skirts of her dress. “It’s alright. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I…” Hatti said, licking her lips. “He saved me from Craidal insurgents that killed my parents. They were about to rape and kill me, but his unit passed by our village and killed them. I was twelve then and I… I had no one, so he said that if I agree to become his concubine, he’ll give me a place to stay. He had never touched me though, I swear!” She added almost desperately.

“Quite the hero, eh?” Raena murmured, taking a sip out of her drink. He could have made her a maid or just given her money, she thought, but he kept her in his residence and kept providing for her. He really was a great guy underneath all that pride and terrible manners, damn him.

“He is. He really is a hero!” Hatti said, her eyes filling with excitement for the first time. “He risks his life for his soldiers and even for others like me that are strangers to him. He is a good and honest man. You must know that already, Your Highness. If I can ever repay his kindness one day, I will! Even if it means dying!”

“Don’t talk about death so eagerly.” Raena grimaced. “Dying is not pleasant, you know.”

“l don’t have a family or friends. His Highness is the closest person I have, even if I only get to watch him from afar” Hatti said quietly, looking at her hands again. “He is like a big brother to me. I want him to be happy and safe. So please, Your Highness, as his wife you have a power I do not.

Make sure he is happy and safe and I promise I’ll serve you until my dying breath!” Raena stared at her with shock, unable to replace the right words to reply. She hadn’t expected such a request, nor such an honest confession. The girl’s face was beet red again and she was shaking slightly. Raena was just about to tell her to calm down when somebody cleared their throat.

Raena looked up to replace Zen standing beside holding a small wooden box. The table quieted as the Women noticed him.

“A servant brought this with a message. Concubine Lara sends this present as an apology for not being able to attend today.” he said while Raena got to her feet. “She says it’s a bag of the tea His Highness likes, so when he visits you, you can make it for him and make him feel at home.”

“Right,” Raena mumbled, trying not to roll her eyes. “How thoughtful of her.”

“ls this the rumored Amrod tea?” Vega asked excitedly. “I’ve always wanted to try it!”

“What are you saying, Vega?” the red-haired concubine next to her exclaimed. “This tea is so expensive and rare, how can you drink it? It’s for His Highness!”

“Well, he’s not here now, is he?” Raena shrugged, motioning for Elene. “Make tea for everyone.”

Elene gave her a hard look, pursing her lips as if she was about to object. Raena raised an eyebrow, but the other woman just picked up the bag and went to make the tea. A few minutes later, she and another servant returned with a steaming kettle and a cup for everyone. Elene set a cup in front of Raena, who reached out for the sugar. She could still remember how bitter that thing was, but not drinking from it when the others were so eager, it could put them on the fence or make them refuse theirs too. She had just set the right mood, she didn’t want to ruin it.

“Don’t drink it” Elene whispered while she fussed over the table. Raena froze, glancing up at her.

“And why not?” she asked just as quietly.

“Because the Amrod root is poisonous.” Raena dropped the sugar box and it spilled over the table, her eyes moving to the other women who were already happily drinking it. She opened her mouth to tell them to stop when Elene spoke again. “Don’t. They will be fine.”

“How can they be fine if this tea is poisonous?” Raena hissed, glancing around to make nobody was looking at them. “And how can you be sure it’s poisonous? I drank Amrod tea once and I didn’t die!”

“It’s a slow-acting poison,” Elene replied calmly. “lf you drink it a few times, it will not affect you. It becomes poisonous when it accumulates inside your body. First, you get weaker. Then you get sick more easily. Finally, you start coughing b***d. It slowly damages your internal organs. This bag won’t kill you, but it can make you barren.”

Raena’s eyes widened as she stared at her servant.

“Where did you learn…?” she started when Vega’s voice interrupted their hushed conversation.

“Your H.. Raena, may I ask you something?” Raena turned to look at her and Elene swiftly stepped back, circling the table to pour the others more tea. “The silver-haired man from before – is he from Craidal?”

Raena blinked in surprise, her mind going blank. The question was so random and specific, it sent an alarm ringing in her head. The rest of the table grew quiet, a few of them repeating Craidal’s name like it was some kind of curse.

“Yes. Why do you ask?” she asked, trying to look unconcerned.

“From the Northern Region?”

“Yes,” Raena said again, barely holding back her frown. She had expected her to say something about him being dangerous or not trusting him or even ask if Kassian knew about it, but her expression was not one of fear, but of curiosity.

“I’m from Northern Craidal too. When I still lived there, I once saw a noble lady with the same silver hair. It’s a very odd color for a young person so it… Aaah!” Lady Vega screamed in pain, jumping in her seat and almost falling down as she hugged her arm.

“I’m so, so, so sorry!” Elene whispered with a terrified expression. “You moved your hand so quickly I didn’t have time to react! I’m so sorry! Please, forgive me!” Raena stared between the two – Elene’s face which suddenly expressed such a strong emotion – and Vega, who gritted her teeth as if to stop back another scream or maybe a curse. When the latter finally opened her eyes, she forced a smile.

“I’m fine, l’m fine. Just a little burn!” she said, waving her hand. “I have a concoction at home that will help.”

“We have one at the pool. It’s almost time, anyway. Don’t you think, Your Highness?” Elene asked, turning to her with her eyebrows raised.

Raena licked her lips, forcing a smile on her face as she got to her feet.

“Yes, yes, thank you for reminding me,” she said, turning toward the ladies. “We ate, we drank, now let’s go enjoy a good swim, shall we? I’ve prepared swimsuits for all of you.”

She continued to smile despite the confused looks she received from everyone, motioning for Elene to lead the way. The others followed the servant, whispering curiously, while Raena took her time, her eyes locked on Lady Vega’s back while she was just assuring the red-headed concubine that she was fine.