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It was clear that their King had put in great thought before he had sent those invites out to the nobles of his land.

By stating that he wished to meet the women and daughters of their families, he displayed his interest in getting to know them better which was contrary to how they had spent this day in the past.

He had already been vocal about his intentions of improving the status of women in their Kingdom by gaining their insights and assistance in matters of great significance which had never been done before.

Therefore, this new statement only strengthened their prior doubts about the purpose of tonight’s event.

While most of the men had already warmed up to the idea of having either their wives or daughters letting their thoughts be known, many others continued to remain adamant about following the ideals that had been prevalent in their previous generations.

However, even if they weren’t too pleased with what the King had just said, none of them had the courage to disclose the dissatisfaction they had toward the man with the highest status and authority in their land.

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Therefore, just like the rest, they could only bow their heads before him once he had completed his greeting.

After the King had said his piece, it was the Queen who spoke up next when silence overshadowed the entire hall.

“I look forward to meeting the noble ladies and hope to gain a better understanding of everyone.” She added to what her husband had mentioned earlier.

Her words implied that she supported the King’s endeavors and was a willing partner in what he was planning to achieve.

Just like the rest, Yvonne also was surprised upon hearing this unexpected statement coming from the Queen.

Having read the script, she knew better than anyone else just how much the Queen preferred boys over girls.

Queen Zena never disguised her affection for the Prince just as she never concealed her displeasure that was often aimed toward the Princess.

She openly favored her firstborn and neglected the second child, making it obvious that she was discriminating against her children based on their gender.

Thus when Yvonne heard the Queen’s diplomatic statement which hinted at her acquiescence to what the King was trying to accomplish, it was understandable that she was now confused.

‘Didn’t she dislike Felicia because she thought lowly of girls?’ The young girl recollected what had been written in the script which now seemed to differ from reality.

One of the reasons for Princess Felicia to seek attention elsewhere was because she received no love from her mother who disliked the very thought of spending time with her.

This allowed her bond with Glennise, who experienced something similar to her father, to grow stronger.

However, right now, the Queen was uttering words of acceptance and support for what the King had said, making Yvonne wonder if she had missed something.

‘Or is she speaking against her will because the King had commanded her to?’ An alternative theory soon popped up in the child’s mind which made perfect sense to her.

It wasn’t that the Queen had changed her ways and stopped looking down on her daughter but her obedience towards the King was making her say those words though she thought otherwise.

Having reached this conclusion, Yvonne shook her head at the King and focused on what was being said next.

The Royal Chamberlain stepped forward to announce that the celebration would follow the same order which took place each year.

The Fief Lords could come forward according to their position in the noblesse hierarchy and present the gift they had prepared for the King.

The King would next converse with those who approached him before the next Fief Lord could come forward.

This was the part where the Lords would try to elevate their impression in the sights of their King while also introducing and making a name for their future heirs as well.

However, things would not entirely be the same this year as many heirs were not present here today.

They were at the Royal Academy so the Lords would have to bring their wives and their remaining children before the King instead.

This was what many of them had been worried about but now that the Royal Chamberlain had announced what they were supposed to do, they had no choice but to follow the instructions they had received.

Hence they waited with trepidation for their name to be announced while watching those who were called before them.

The first to be called over would be at the top of their hierarchy so either of the Ducal Lords would always be the first to wish the King for his birthday.

This year, it was Duke Maldock Brodie who was summoned first.

Usually, he would appear alone as he had no male heir but this time, he brought forward his wife and only daughter as they headed towards where the Royal family was seated.

It was a new experience for both Queen Zena and Princess Felicia so they were curious and even excited to see how the King celebrated his birthday each year.

The Brodie family stopped a few steps away from the elevated and bowed before the members of the Royal family.

The King nodded before asking them to raise their heads following which he began conversing with his good friend, Maldock about the condition of his fief.

As they spoke, Queen Zena observed the mother and child who stood in silence next to the head of their family.

The Queen was a Princess from a foreign land so she had no acquaintances in this Kingdom.

Even after she married the then Crown Prince and later became the Queen, she did not have anyone she could call her friend in this place.

The ladies who met her either looked at her with ambition peeking through their subservient eyes or there was a distance in their approach, implying that the difference in their status made it difficult for them to have a closer relationship.

Queen Zena knew the weight of her position and hence had never taken these matters to heart.

However, each time she saw the Duchess of the Brodie family, there was always a sense of annoyance that bubbled up within her.

Their husbands had a good relationship so oftentimes, the King would invite the Ducal couple to dine with them at the Main Palace.

With or without the presence of their children, the Duchess always had a pleasant smile on her face whenever she spoke about her only daughter, Glennise.

Queen Zena had met the child so she knew that the Duchess’ words weren’t excessive as Miss Glennise indeed was a smart and sensible child.

However, she could not decipher why the Duchess was so fond of her daughter.

After all, didn’t the two of them go through the same struggle so many years ago?

There was a reason why the Brodie family did not have a second child even though the Duke desperately yearned for a son who could succeed him in the future.

Just as the Queen had suffered during childbirth with Princess Felicia, Duchess Brodie had also gone through a similar experience when she gave birth to Glennise.

Their circumstances were similar but different at the same time.

The Queen had already given birth to a son so no one could point fingers at her as the King could name the first Prince his heir without any hesitation.

Her dismay rose when she realized that she could no longer give her husband the large family that he had always yearned for.

However, the Duchess’s situation varied from hers as Glennise was her first child yet she had gone through numerous complications which made it impossible for her to conceive and give birth again.

The Duke whose wish was to have a son as his heir had thus been disappointed when he learned of his wife’s inability to give birth a second time.

The two ladies had given birth to girls after which their route to become a mother again had been cut off.

However, unlike the Queen who began to despise her child, the Duchess had taken a different approach.

Instead of blaming Glennise and neglecting her as the Queen had done to Princess Felicia, the Duchess cherished her only child more than anyone else.

Watching the Duchess pampering the one who had snatched away her means to give birth again, the Queen had always found it odd.

This made her question the Duchess about the same and the response she had received had made her scoff back then.

‘If I can only have one child in this life, shouldn’t I love and cherish her even more?’

The Duchess had no regret or pain visible in her clear eyes as she expressed her thoughts.

Back then, Queen Zena could not discern why the Duchess did not take the same route as her.

She should have despised Glennise but it was evident that she did not.

However, now thinking back to whatever she had done and experienced, the Queen realized that she was wrong to have held her child responsible for what fate had decided for her.

Therefore, as she gazed at the Duchess who stood beside her daughter, the Queen felt that the other woman had made the right decision which she had failed to do in the past.

‘But I’ve decided to correct my mistakes.’ She added in her heart as she glanced sideways at the young girl who was seated close to her.

Princess Felicia was busy smiling at her friend who was now standing before her when she felt another gaze landing on her.

Finding that it was her mother who was also watching her, the little princess widened her eyes wondering if she had done something wrong.

‘I was only greeting my friend!’ She panicked and hurriedly lowered her head to avoid getting reprimanded before so many people here today.