Chapter 3

Anne watched the festivities from her room window. She was right; no one noticed her absence at her own party. She hummed to the music coming from the stringed instruments. She tapped her feet, reminding herself of the dance she had been taught as a young child for such music. She propped her hands up and straightened her back. She was no longer dressed in the finely embellished robes but was now in a free-flowing chiffon dress that kept her warm through the cool summer nights. One step at a time, she twirled under the candlelight, humming to the tune from the ballroom.

"Anne" Her eyes opened to see Lilian watching her with an amused smirk on her face. She offered her hand as if asking to join the fun. Anne smiled and curtsied like a shy maiden before taking Lilian's hand. Their bodies came together under the candlelight as they spun around with occasional bursts of laughter like they were children again, dancing under her mother's gaze as she played the harpsichord and sang for them.

The lady would have worn a beautiful dress with bead ornaments she had custom-made; she said it reminded her of the places she had visited, one of which had been inspired by Lilian's home country. All those dresses were locked away in her bedroom after her death.

The two girls collapsed on the bed in fits of giggles Lilian turned to Anne, who had her eyes fixed on the ceiling, and she immediately understood she was thinking about her late mother.

"When will you go and meet them? They have been waiting for you." Lilian spoke quietly as she was reminded of her duty as her right-hand man.

"The day after tomorrow"

"Alright," she said quietly before taking her eyes off of Anne and propping herself up from the soft mattress.

The next morning was the start of another busy day. The servants walked quietly through the halls, drawing baths, cooking breakfast, preparing carriages, and attending to the envoys that were staying in the palace. Anne opted to sleep in and miss breakfast; she felt that her family would prefer not to see her at the dining table anyway.

"Anne, you have to wake up; it's not proper for you to sleep for so long!" Lillian was stressed. Anne's sleeping habits had always been awful, but sleeping for this long would gander criticism from the other members of the imperial family.

"Just one more hour..."

"Adanne!"

Anne jolted up. "Alright! Draw me a bath!" She felt annoyed at the need to wake her up early for no reason; why did she have to go for a meal when she wasn't wanted? That would just attract a lot of trouble. She sat down in the hot water and felt her consciousness slipping; it felt so warm and comfortable that she could stay there forever. She felt her hair braids being taken down, the red extensions were disregarded, and her natural hair was left. Was washed and oiled before being brushed out. She got out of the bath and stood, dressed in beautiful blue and gold silk robes. Her dress was secured at the waist by a white sash.

She sat down on her bed as her legs and arms were oiled and her hair was sectioned out. Finally, she was moved to the vanity, where her make-up was done and her hair was straightened.

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She was escorted through the bright halls, her skin glistening in the sun, which made Lucia, who watched her walk into the dining hall, feel bitter.

"Imperial father, brother, sister," she said, bowing and turning a blind eye to the Imperial concubine sitting on the other end of the table. She sat next to the youngest, who had a head of long gold like the Queen. He had a bright smile on his face as he tried to feed himself. Anne felt a sudden rush of baby fever as she imagined having a young son as she recalled her upcoming marriage.

"I trust you slept well, Anne?" Her father's voice drew her attention away from the young boy. She smiled and nodded, showing her appreciation.

"Yes, Imperial father." Anne mused about the situation, as they were probably curious as to how her hair had changed forms again and was now straight and pinned up with diamond hairpins.

"That is good to know; I believe the little King Aiden is coming here this afternoon."

"Yes, Imperial Father, once he joins hands with you, he will gain more influence and reputation on the continent," Anne said spitefully, not appreciating his belittling.

"Not just any man is worthy of such privilege." He replied with nonchalance as he continued his meal, which angered Anne. What was he trying to do—break up the marriage?

Is he actually trying to break up this marriage? But why? It benefits him and Lucia in every way.

She turned down to look at the food on her plate and felt her appetite spoil, especially after Lucia let out an obvious chuckle.

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The afternoon was beautiful, and since she wasn't allowed to leave the premises, she spent some time in the greenhouse with a canvas set up for her. Anne had never thought about art, but she figured it wouldn't hurt to paint some flowers recreationally.

Ice blocks were strategically placed around her, with a servant holding a long fan to make sure the air didn't get too hot and unbearable. She looked at the flowers in front of her—a large cluster of small, light blue flowers. Despite its small size, she felt it was the most beautiful flower in the greenhouse.

"Your Highness, his Majesty King Aiden of Veinna," Anne stood up straight from her slouching position and turned to look at the man walking towards her wearing what seemed like a white gold-decorated bodysuit under large, loose gold robes. His long blonde hair was just over his shoulders, and she watched him lean against the divan with his lips pursed in a serious expression. She watched him, waiting for him to say something, but after a while, she just carried on with painting. The birds chirping and the occasional sound of teacups clinking made her feel relaxed and free.

After some time had passed, she heard him put his cup of tea away. "Why are you painting weeds?" She looked back in confusion.

"Weeds? Those flowers are too beautiful to be weeds," she replied, suspicious of him.

"I see, my apologies; I mistook them for weeds," he said again. He sat up from the divan and walked up to her, looking over her shoulder. "Then what do you call these flowers?" he asked curiously, as if he weren't aware.

She looked at the painting and brought the blunt end of her paintbrush to her lips. "They're called forget-me-nots; I think they're really charming." She said it with a whimsical expression on her face, like she was recalling a fun memory.

"Hmm," he peered closer to the canvas, his body pressed against her back as his hair fell forward, flowing down her shoulders. "It does look charming." Her heart beat widely against her chest, and she kept her face looking forward.

"Did you want to tell me something?" She asked quietly, too quiet for anyone else to hear but him.

"I yearn for it," he said slowly, in a whisper. "I want this marriage to work out; I just hope you won't despise me." He straightened his back and clapped his hands. A servant ran up with two glasses of wine, handed one over to her, and raised his glass. "From today, you are my fiancé, and I am yours; anything I have is yours."

She felt a smile bloom on her face. She wanted to keep calm, but she felt happy. After all, isn't this for the best? He didn't have to love her, as she didn't love him but as long as he was willing to try… She raised her glass to his and took a sip, feeling that this wine was exceptionally sweet.

Once she was done, he took her glass and left it next to her tea cup.

"I will come and visit you again to discuss our union further," he said, turning to her once more, taking her hand, and bending to kiss her. "I will tie up any loose ends. I wish you a peaceful night."

Anne watched him walk away, star-struck. She looked at Lilian, who looked at her with wide, excited eyes. She held back every urge to squeal and jump like a little girl. Aiden was handsome and elegant, and now he actually wanted to be her husband. She felt excited; she had always dreamed of her own wedding, and now it was actually a tangible future. She looked at her amateur picture of forget-me-nots and decided to finish the painting and hang it in her quarters. A stupid smile graced her lips for the rest of the afternoon.

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Anne spent the rest of the day getting ready for tomorrow. Aiden would be coming with an official proposal, and to set a date, she had to look unbelievable. Lilian quickly prepared a list of things to prepare: An engagement dress was going to be made through the night to be ready for tomorrow; in the meantime, Anne was taken to get her skin and body ready for tomorrow; a back massage was in order; her hands and feet needed to be meticulously taken care of; and her hair was braided once more into long red braids as she would have to appear in public.

She spent the night excitedly looking at the jewels and talking about hairstyle options; her mood was the opposite of that of the second princess.

Lucia screamed, throwing the basin of water on the floor, followed by smashing her bottles of perfume on her table. A letter was left open on her bed that she did not want to ever look at. Her face was red and stained with tears that her messy hair clung to. She burst out into sobs, throwing herself on her bed. Her outburst was cut short as Vivian burst through her doors. Lucia flinched, pushing herself back quickly as fear filled her face. Vivian looked perfect—her dress, jewellery, hair—nothing was out of place, and she wasn't going to put up with her daughter's tantrum.

"Imperial mother, I"

"Close your mouth, Lucia." Lucia stopped talking and silently cried as she looked at her mother with pleading eyes. In her hands, she held a long black cane that Lucia was well acquainted with.

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The next day arrived with great fanfare. Everyone had heard that the King of Veinna was going to propose to the first princess; naturally, they were all ready to watch a joke.

Anne looked at herself in the mirror of her vanity; her excitement was palpable, and her servants were all excited for her too. Lilian stood behind her, fixing what seemed like pearls in her hair; each braid was lined neatly, and a beautiful formal tiara was placed on her head.

She was dressed in a formal gown, a beautiful deep emerald long dress that hung freely from her body; her off-shoulder bishop sleeves made her feel like a fairy floating through the halls. Her gold sandals tapped through the empty halls as her well-oiled feet glistened in the sunbeams coming through the large open windows. She looked out at the blue sky, seeing the birds flying past, and at that moment, her smile felt ambiguous.

The royal family of Celestia stood in a line beside the king's throne as King Aiden approached with a line of boxes filled with precious stones, fabric, and gold coins. Some carried precious furniture and décor, while others carried sedans for her to sit on.

King Alexander watched with a bland expression on his face; his eyes turned to Anne, who watched Aiden with tender eyes and felt the situation was for the better. A barbarian cannot remain in his family line.

He couldn't help but remember her mother and felt conflicted. After all, she was a woman he loved deeply.

"I will give you her hand." He finally said this to the young man kneeling in front of him.