Deception

Bianca's Dilemma

Bianca's stance.

I stood before my mother, my heart heavy with frustration and longing.

"Mother, why is nothing going well for me?" I cried, my voice trembling with emotion. Why wasn't Finn interested in me? Why couldn't he see the good in me? "Do you think I am not beautiful enough to be his wife?"

My mother gazed at me with compassion, drawing me close and enveloping me in a comforting embrace.

"My dear daughter, never doubt your beauty," she began, her voice soft and reassuring. "You are stunning, but the king is blind not to recognize your beauty."

"Really? You think I'm beautiful, mother?" I whispered,...