The Slave Queen - Chapter 48: Chapter 48

Four years ago, Raelynn had been a girl who loved beautiful things.
But after four years in servitude, Raelynn had grown used to hiding—used to dressing in dull, lifeless clothes and making herself look just as plain.
Because in her first two months at the palace, her beauty had nearly ruined her.
She'd been punished harshly by the noble consort for standing out too much—mocked, slandered, and beaten, not just by nobles, but even by the lowest-ranking maids.
They'd whispered that her pitiful demeanor was all an act—that she was trying to seduce the king.
When that rumor reached the noble consort, things only got worse. More than once, she'd narrowly avoided having her face disfigured.
The beatings escalated, the punishments crueler.
Eventually, her fair skin lost its glow, her cheeks hollowed from hunger, and she faded into the background like a shadow.
Only then, when she was no longer beautiful, did the torment stop. The noble consort, finally satisfied, no longer saw her as a threat.
Now, whenever she saw herself looking beautiful again, those memories came flooding back.
Without thinking, she shut her eyes and yanked the red coral hairpin from her hair.
Nina gasped. "Lady Raelynn!"
When Raelynn opened her eyes again, the fear was already gone—tucked away where no one could see.
"It's nothing," she said lightly. "It's just... for an engagement, this feels a bit much. I look like I'm walking into a wedding. People might laugh."
Her tone was half-joking, half self-deprecating.
Nina thought it over and nodded seriously.
"You're right. A young lady should carry herself with a little restraint. If you show up in bright red, it might make Lord Shawn think you're desperate to marry him. That'd only give the Lindsay family something to sneer at."
She studied Raelynn from head to toe, carefully considering how to tone things down.
In the end, Raelynn replaced the red coral with a white jewel hairpin carved in the shape of drifting clouds. She changed into a pale blue palace gown and threw a snow mink cloak over her shoulders before heading to the front hall.
But dressed like this, standing in the snow, she didn't look underdressed at all—she looked ethereal, almost divine, like a goddess descended to earth.
Front Hall
Margot had already settled the wedding date with the Lindsay family.
Shawn had come today to formalize the engagement. The match between the Lennox and Lindsay families had been arranged by the elders long ago and though the groom had changed, both sides seemed even more pleased with the new pairing.
Shawn stood off to the side the entire time, expression unreadable, silently listening to the arrangements being made.
Hugo had intended to decline, gently and respectfully, but with Shawn personally present, he didn't have the authority to say no.
And so, with a strange mix of formality and inevitability, the engagement between Raelynn and Shawn was finalized.
Hugo stood silently to the side, fuming in frustration. His son, Gabriel, wasn't in much better shape.
On one hand, he was relieved that even after four years of being a palace maid, Raelynn had found such a good match.
But on the other hand, he couldn't help but feel for Julia.
She was the sister he'd spoiled since they were children. And even if guilt now tugged at him over Raelynn, deep down, he was still weighing the two girls—still deciding which one mattered more.
As for Julia, she was on the verge of breaking. Her teeth clenched so tightly it was a wonder they didn't shatter.
Eyes red with rage, she looked from Hugo to Gabriel.
Seeing neither of them speak up, she cursed them both silently for being cowards.
She was just about to step forward and wreck the whole thing herself when a voice called out from the doorway.
"Lady Raelynn has arrived."
Everyone turned instinctively toward the door.
Whatever venom Julia had been ready to spit was caught in her throat.
Because standing there was a vision—pure, poised, otherworldly.
No makeup, no jewelry beyond a simple hairpin. And yet Raelynn's beauty was unmistakable. Her features were luminous and striking, her skin not porcelain pale but full of life.
Those dark eyes held something deeper—quiet, calm, composed.
Compared to the girl they'd seen just days ago, dressed in gray, hair dull and spirit dimmed, this Raelynn looked like a pearl that had finally been polished—her true self revealed at last.
"Apologies for keeping everyone waiting," Raelynn said, stepping into the hall and bowing with perfect grace.
Margot's face lit up the moment she saw her.
She reached out, beaming with pride. "Raelynn, come here. Stand beside me."
"Yes, Grandmother."
Raelynn approached Margot, the smile in her eyes soft and sincere.
Margot took her hand, then turned toward Shawn with barely concealed triumph.
"Look at her," she said. "This is my noble-born granddaughter. Wouldn't you say she's more than worthy of Shawn?"
At that, Raelynn instinctively turned her eyes to Malcolm Lindsay, Shawn's grandfather.