Chapter 20 " At least you still know Selena's the only one fit to be your queen , " Ruth said , shooting her son a sharp look . " I'm well aware of that , " Frederick quickly replied . At the end of the day , someone like Freya could never rise to true nobility . Not only would the king refuse to consent to her becoming Frederick's princess consort , but the people of the realm would never accept her as the mother of the kingdom . The one who could truly support him was Selena , but he adored Freya and her fiery temper . The palace and all its duties could be left to the former , but the latter would be his most cherished concubine . Ruth snorted coldly . However , Frederick was right . Selena was only a woman . Affection was fine , but indulgence had its limits . Selena had started acting all high and mighty , just because she'd done a few things right . A bit of merit , and she thought she had the right to throw attitude at Frederick . Who did she think she was ? " A small punishment might do Lena some good . It'll keep her from getting too full of herself later on . But don't push things too far . Marrying her will bring you nothing but advantages , " said Ruth . Frederick nodded . " I understand . " Still , Ruth couldn't shake her unease . " This mess was her own doing . You're not allowed to go begging your father for reconciliation . I fear he might end up looking down on you for it . " She paused before adding , " Here's what you'll do . Let Lena go to the king herself and ask him to retract his edict so the wedding can proceed as planned . He'll surely be angry , but that will be her own fault . " You must stay out of it . If you don't get involved , your father won't fault you . On the contrary , he'll admire your restraint and consider you generous for not quibbling with a woman . " Frederick hurried to agree , " That's exactly what I intend . " Ruth thought for a moment , and at last , her anger eased somewhat . Yet , when she glanced toward the door , a trace of disdain still lingered in her eyes . " A vulgar girl who isn't even worthy of being compared to Selena . I truly don't understand what you see in her . " Frederick wondered about that more than once while he carried the unconscious Freya back to her chambers after her punishment . Her skin was already rough and uneven . After the beating , bruises and streaks of blood made it look even harsher and less appealing . Suddenly , he found himself thinking of Selena's hands , which were the most perfect he had ever seen . Her fingers were long and slender , with smooth , pale skin like porcelain . When her hands touched a harp's strings , it felt as though the sweetest music in the world was already filling the air , even before she played a single note . Staring at Freya's back after it had been cleaned , Frederick fell into a long , troubled silence . When she finally woke and saw him staring at her disheveled clothes , her face flushed with shame . However , her eyes were full of hurt . " Look at what you've done to me ! " she said , voice trembling with both embarrassment and accusation . Frederick snapped back to his senses . Seeing Freya's red - rimmed eyes and swollen nose , he couldn't help but recall the image of Lena standing silently on the battlefield , tears slipping down her cheeks for her fallen comrades . A breeze had stirred a stray lock of hair at her temple , and her glistening tears were carried away by the wind . It was an image so heartbreakingly beautiful that it was impossible to forget . 1/2 Chapter 20 +25 BONUS Frederick shook his head , bringing his thoughts back to the present . He looked at Freya and sighed helplessly . " From now on , don't try to act tough in front of my mother . If she wants to punish you , there's nothing I can do to protect you . Understand ? " This time , Freya truly understood . She could see clearly that Frederick wasn't unwilling to defend her - he simply didn't have the power to do so . " Are you really that afraid of your mother ? " she asked quietly , feeling deeply hurt . " I thought you were a strong , unstoppable man . That's what made me fall for you ." Frederick's heart softened , and he reached out to comfort her . " She is my mother . No matter how much I care for you , I can't openly defy her . Fey , I know you don't like the court rules , but- " " If you know I don't like them , why do you expect me to follow them ? " As Frederick's confidence wavered , Freya took the chance to speak her mind . " You " You said you love me for my honesty and true nature . Do you want me to become like Selena ? That kind of hypocrite ? " Frederick said nothing . Of course he didn't want that , but hearing it come from Freya's own lips felt strange , almost wrong . He couldn't shake the uncomfortable feeling in his chest . " Enough . You've been through a lot . Rest well . I won't bother you anymore . " He rose , ready to leave . But in his eyes , Freya caught a weariness she hadn't seen before , which made her even angrier . " What do you mean by that ? Don't you love me anymore ? If you don't , then why bring me back to the capital ? " " Of course I love you- " " Then , what's with this attitude you're showing now ? " Frederick looked at her , a mix of helplessness and frustration in his gaze . " What do you want me to say ? Should I tell you it's alright to keep acting wild and defy my mother whenever you please ? " He had meant to speak kindly and reason with her , but Freya's fierce temper sparked his own anger . " Fey , some things have limits . Cross them , and you only make yourself unbearable . "