Her Graceful War Song

As Carissa listened to Florence’s words, the rage inside her nearly consumed her.

It was the details of everything that had happened that truly shattered one’s heart.

Carissa fought to keep her anger in check and not let it show. She pretended to be unaffected as she listened calmly and rationally. The more Florence revealed, the more Carissa would have to use as evidence. When the time came to interrogate Eleanor, be it for the charge of treason or the crimes against those women, all of this would seal the grand princess‘ fate.

“I know there’s no way Grand Princess Eleanor can escape what’s coming now.” Florence sighed. “But she used to be such a lively, cheerful girl. She was so noble, and she had the world at her feet. She could’ve had any man in the kingdom, so many of them would’ve lined up for her.

“And yet, she fell in love at first sight with General Sinclair, a mere military man. Of all people, it had to be him, who didn’t even care for her… At first, all I wanted was to make her happy.”

Lost in her memories, Florence no longer cared whom she was speaking to. She had kept these feelings bottled up for so long. Now that she was old, her heart had softened. The things she had once done without hesitation now chilled her to the bone when she thought back on them.

Her words were disjointed and came out in no particular order. It was as if she were merely voicing

whatever came to mind.

“As long as she was happy, nothing else mattered. She was a princess–she could do whatever she wanted. She cursed King Augustus and blamed him for destroying her chance at happiness. He had once adored her more than anything, but the year she begged him for a royal edict to marry General Sinclair, he refused. She knelt before him from dawn until dusk, and from dusk until dawn the next day, but still, he

wouldn’t relent. He was so cruel.

“When Lady Chloe was still alive, King Augustus would give Grand Princess Eleanor anything she wanted. And what was General Sinclair compared to that? There are so many men in the world who are skilled in martial arts, not just him.

“Even if she insisted it had to be him, why couldn’t he remain a general after becoming a prince consort? If tradition states a prince consort can’t hold power, then change the tradition! For Grand Princess Eleanor, why not make an exception?”

Florence looked up at Carissa, her eyes filled with deep resentment, though her expression was conflicted and torn.

“The person I hate most in this life is General Sinclair, she admitted. “I’ve never seen someone so ungrateful. Grand Princess Eleanor couldn’t get her dad’s approval, so she went to General Sinclair directly. And what did he do? He avoided her like the plague whenever he saw her coming.

“She sent him gifts, so he ordered his servants to bar the gates and refused to let her people in. Worse yet, he quickly got engaged to someone else, and before long, he was married. He did it to crush her hopes entirely. In doing so, he broke her heart.”

Florence sneered, her voice hoarse and aged yet filled with a frenzied hatred as she continued ranting, Everyone says he’s a man of great stature, but he shattered the grand princess‘ heart and ruined her life. You fight for the rights of those women and concubines, saying they deserve their own lives–what about

Grand Princess Eleanor? Why should she be destroyed? I cherish her above all else! What gave General Sinclair the right to hurt her like that?”

Wiping her tears with the back of her hand, she revealed a desolate smile. “Yes, I hate General Sinclair so much, yet deep down, I can’t help but admire him. Isn’t that contradictory? The grand princess feels the same way. Hate, love, and respect–it can all be wrapped up in a single person. It’s both ridiculous and tragic. Every move General Sinclair made, every report of victory or defeat from the battlefield… it all pulled at Grand Princess Eleanor’s heart.”

Suddenly, Florence placed her hands on the table. She leaned forward as tears streamed down her face.” When the news of his death reached us, I thought that whether it was love or hate, Grand Princess Eleanor would finally let go now that he was gone.

“But she didn’t. She cried for him until she nearly fainted. Afterward, she held me and said, ‘Florence, my heart feels so empty. It’s as if there’s nothing left. But why does it still hurt so much? It hurts to the point where I can barely breathe“.”

Florence sighed deeply, gradually retreating into herself. “I know Grand Princess Eleanor will never let go of General Sinclair in this lifetime. Even if he’s dead or turned to ashes, he still lives on in her heart. Life… it’s all fate, isn’t it?” Text © by N0ve/lDrama.Org.

With that, she fainted, collapsing to the ground.