Witch!
Witch!
Witch!
Pagan, heartless whore!
The countess was a true heathen down to the specs of her bones. The people of the palace hated her. Everyone may not have said an upfront word to her, but their eyes were keenly on her every move.
Just a few moons after she entered the picture, church funds were decreased, and even Queen Isadora's prayer room and chapel were closed, bolted with the keys hidden away to be forgotten. Holy images of the saints, the Virgin Mary, and Christ were gone and placed in a cold, dark room on the tallest tower of the palace. Little Maria Blanca was sad, for she told her two nursemaids, Olga and Winifred, "How can I pray when my saints and my heavenly family's portrait are no longer here?" Tears then flowed down her pale cheeks.
The two nursemaids soothed her sorrows and told her that, no matter what, God would still hear her prayer.
Sadly, a Jezebel the countess was, even the queen's portrait was not spared from being locked away from everyone's sight. With everyone's frustration, King Arnulf had not given an eye on the matter as he drowned his head with more work, his hauntings, and countless political travels away from the palace—away from his little Maria Blanca.
Poor little princess, indeed, was now a puppet to her wicked aunt.
Loathing against Countess Gertrude was looming on the palace ceiling, yet she cared less. It is better to be feared than to be admired through goodness, the countess always said this in her head, for kindness is such a weak virtue. These servants' grapevines are just dust in the wind. These folks are mere low-born compared to her. She even admitted to herself that she loved those sharp eyes darted on her, those bending heads filled with rage as she passed before them—Countess Gertrude knew, or she thought, it was only a brewing envy that made these less fortunate come to hate her.
"I, truly, am the incomparable beauty. A beauty amongst all beauty!" She declared always in front of her beloved looking glass.
Indeed, the countess was vain and never liked to be compared or be cast down to the unprettiest of them all. She was truly a beauty—a fine woman in many men's eyes—but she was the ruthlessness of all heartless.
However, no matter how high her pride stood and how regal she might feel about herself, rotten rumours still crawled behind her like leeches ready to sip every drop of her blood. They were not very good rumours at all. Heinous to be exact.
Those tittle-tattle grew ghastly when one little maid witnessed a sinful act that sparked under the thick darkness. This maid was hiding away from little Maria Blanca, for they were playing hide-and-seek. Inside a large yet dark winery, the maid hid behind the rows of wine barrels as she waited for the little princess to find her. While she crouched and stayed invisible, she heard strange whimpering and scuffles from a distance. The maid was as curious as the cat, and immediately followed the noise.
As soon as she discovered what the fuss was about, she immediately regretted discovering it.
She felt nauseous and would have liked to faint there and then. On a very dark corner of the winery, behind taller wine barrels, there she saw Countess Gertrude doing sexual acts with one of the king's advisers.
Countess Gertrude was drowning in lust, naked from the upper part and thrusting herself on top of the adviser, who was equally blinded by his arousal and desire for her. Her moans were like the howls of a hungry wolf, and the sounds of the unceasing sex had traumatised the poor maid.
Almost in tears, she quietly moved away, out on her feet, and exited the room. Midway, she saw the innocent, smiling little princess. The frantic maid grabbed her and ran to the farthest part of the palace where little Maria Blanca could never see such a display of lasciviousness.
Within the servants' quarters, the maid wept and told everyone. Everyone was flabbergasted by such an act, and few then came with negative sentiments about the countess. Some expressed that they had suspected her of being in many clandestine relations, and the others found it expected of such a character as hers, for they heard the same seduction she did upon the king when one night she entered his study with a sheer and loose nightgown. The king's secretary, unseen behind the tall bookshelves, saw how mindlessly Countess Gertrude took off her clothes and tried to force herself upon the blank-eyed king. But King Arnulf threw her off and rejected her advances as he snarled, "You are nothing compared to Isadora!" And that cut the countess's ego as she bolted out, humiliated.
Because of shame, Countess Gertrude vowed on top of her lungs to make King Arnulf pay for what he had done. "No one dares to reject me!" She grunted between gritted teeth.