1 Chapter 1- Prologue
It wasn't that long since the whole empire was engulfed by war...
Many lives were lost and a lot was so traumatized by it but, a lot of people are still happy for no one has ever thought if a world of peace would ever come again.
I was a childhood friend of the Empire's crown prince, Prince Harkeste Moiviller. My name is Rigelle Fesinaea. The daughter of one of the core founder who's legacy traces back before the very foundation of the empire, the daughter of that very empire's grand duke, Princess Rigelle Fasinaea.
Velvet sunset shade of long silky hair with minty blue-like shade of glowing jewel eyes. Fair skinned, a fairy-like feature... like a beautiful nymph that could possibly capture the interest of a mighty god. The very crown prince was no excemption.
"Rigelle, I love you. When i return from the battlefield alive, will you please become my empress?" Harkeste said before he went to battlefield back then...
I found no reason to reject at all...
A soft shade of gold, like the golden clouds before dusk devours the sky, honey dripped eyes that reflects my very reflection. I could see love in my own eyes reflected by his own. My mother and father did said to me once that they want to trust me with someone who is nice and and good to me...
Someone to love me, that's all that matters.
And so, I decided to agree for I thought that maybe, I will eventually fall in love for him like how my parents was.
With a smile on every corner of my lips, I placed my faith to that man as I reach out to his hand and answered with a nod. The empire rang the bells of glorified union on that very day...
Right now, I am married to Harkeste who will soon be the emperor of the entire empire and I am the empress of the empire.
The Vishner Empire, My beloved home. Composed of six kingdoms including ours. The one that rules over everything is the royal family of Moiviller...
"My!... Dear, You look beautiful" My mother said as she stared at me in my wedding dress...
"I never thought that you will grow big and have to leave us soon...sob sob..." My father said as he cried in his sleeves...
"Ahahaha...Darling, you're being a drama king..." My mother said to my father as she rub his back, trying to cheer him up.
A few moments later and Harkeste arrived to see me.
"Your Highness...Please take care of our daughter..." My mother said towards Harkeste
I can not blame them for being dramatic... in fact, i am the only child of the Fesinaea Dukedom family...
"Yes...I will treasure her with all my heart." Harkeste promised to my parents as he held my hands...
The two of us went to the venue afterwards...
Everyone was so focused at me as i slowly walk slowly while carrying my bouquet...
Harkeste was over there, waiting for me with a smile... He then reached out his hand and we both went to the altar to take our pledge...
"Do you, Harkeste Moiviller, take Rigelle Fesinaea as your beloved wife?From this day on forward, For better or for worst? through suffering and happiness? Through health and sickness, until death do you two apart?" The priest asked Harkeste
"I do and will love Rigelle Fesinaea forever until death do us apart." Harkeste said as he put the ring in my finger.
"Do you, Rigelle Fesinaea, take Harkeste Moiviller as your beloved Husband?From this day on forward, For better or for worst? through suffering and happiness? Through health and sickness, until death do you two apart?" The priest asked me
"I do and will love Harkeste Moiviller forever until death do us apart." I said as i put the ring in Harkeste's finger
"I now, announce the two of you as husband and wife... Blessings to the new rulers of the empire!!!" The priest announced and everyone stood up and bowed to honor the new ruler who will lead them all from now on.
The two of us were crowned as the new emperor and empress at that day on, my life was never the same from there on.
At the night after the wedding, the newly joint couples are expected to retreat to their own chambers and possibly consumate an heir for the throne. Our role is exactly that, specially mine.
I laid down in bed to wait for my husband, in my sleep wear...
"Mom said that this is a tradition that is being done at the night after the wedding... but, i'm still scared!!! mom said that baby making would hurt... I don't want to experience pain!..." Is what I thought to myself.
I closed my eyes as Harkeste comes towards me... I was trembling all over because of fear...
Harkeste felt that as he touched me... He just caressed my head and gave me a kiss in the forehead...
"I don't want to force you Rigelle, to something you might not like. So, I will wait until you are ready." Harkeste said as he smiled towards me, gently...
Harkeste really is kind... He put consideration for me when making conditions...
He was like that even when we were still just kids... His figure was like a brother to me... Always kind and caring to me.
A knock was suddenly heard from the door and a maid was trying to hand a wine...
"This was a gift from King Marish, 'This is a special wine that was fermented for one hundred years, Sorry I was too busy and was only able to have a peak but, I hope that you two would enjoy it' The king has said."
Marish was also our childhood friend and the best friend of Harkeste. He said that he was too busy and has a lot to do since he become a king, I didn't expect that he would attend... I better thank him whenever i have the chance
"Want some?" Harkeste kindly asked me
"Sorry...I don't drink wines..." I said
Harkeste took a few sip and then went to bed afterwards... The two of just laid down and talked about the past... The war still haven't began when we were eight years old... We were able to see the beautiful kingdom before it was destroyed...When we turned nine, the war broke out and many lives had suffered because of it...
I could still remember it clearly when air crafts were still flying and dropping bombs all over the land... Ships were firing with their canons... Missiles...Blown up bodies of our servant when one of it landed in our mansion...
just by imagining it, makes me tremble...
The horses that were running around... Carrying a head of a man... The war has continued for ten years...and now, we are nine teen years old... We really have come this far...I can't help but cry as I remember all of these frightful memories...
Harkeste wiped away my tears and lead me to the balcony as he said unto me:
"My dream has finally come true! Rigelle." He said as he looks down at the cityscape visible above the palace walls. Nightlights glimmering as people dance and immersed themselves with festivities.
"Indeed..."
(A few weeks later)
Harkeste begun to feel ill... and he keeps on getting weaker every day that passes by...
No one knows the reason why and if what kind of illness it is... He keeps on looking more paler as i see him every time...
"Rigelle... cough... cough... I... cough... want you... cough ... to... cough... attend... the... cough... meeting... in... cough... my place... cough..." Harkeste said as he painfully tried to talk to me...
He started to cough blood by this day...
I did as what Harkeste asked me to, I now am on my way to the meeting when I heard them talking about something... I decided to stand behind the door and eavesdrop...
"I bought a beautiful prostitute from my pal that runs a slavery business. And guess what? all of the women he got are all beautiful!!!" King Rashvi said
Prostitution? Slavery?... Aren't those banded?...
"Ohh! That guy! he is nice in this business! ya know what? I raised my taxes to buy things for my concubines and there were families who were unable to pay for it Ahahaha... that's when I sold those peasants to that guy and then got a lot of different merchandise from different places for my wives ahahaha..." King Harlock said
Illegal tax raising... that's corruption...
"I'm glad that, that Brat is finally getting sick! But what took long for the Hemlock poison to work? That bastard seems to have a good immune system...Right King Marish?" King Jhex said as he smirked at Marish
Marish?... B...But!!!... why would he be part of this???
Poison...Harkeste started to become ill after taking the wine...!!!
"//Creak//" The sound made by the door as it it slightly opens...
I didn't know that it was open!...
The door opened and i was found out!
"Dear Empress, we think that you heard too much for what you needed to know." King Yvas said
"What should we do?" King Jhex asked
"You selfish rulers! wait till I tell Harkeste find about this!!!" I said and decided to run away
But when I tried to run away, One servant appeared in front of me and blocked my way.
He held me up and placed a knife in my neck and tried to threaten me...
"One wrong move, I'll cut your neck."
I decided not to move and not to do anything...
"Hmm... How about we have a little fun? Will King Marish have the honor of leaving a hickey on her highness?" One of the kings said and Marish started to approach me...
"I'm sorry, Rigelle..." He whispered to my ears and started to suck on my neck...
I can't help but cry as I felt betrayed by one of my trusted friend...
"Marish...Sob...Why?..." I said unto him...
"I've always loved you Rigelle... and I will always love you... I'll do anything (for you), even if that means that you will despise me." He said...
King Yvas stepped forward and said:
"Shall we start the show?"
"THE EMPRESS WAS CAUGHT HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH KING MARISH!!!" he shouted
"BASTARDS!!! YOU DARE BETRAY ME???" Marish shouted angrilly to them...
the news were spread around so fast that it made through Harkeste
We were immediately summoned to Harkeste's room... He was sitting and looking at us
"Just because I'm sick!!! Cough! Cough! You two!!! Cough!! Having an Adul-Cough! Cough! -tery behind my back! Cough! The punishment is...Cough!! Cough!! Cough!!" Harkeste tried to talk even tho he is in a state where he should not be talking... his sheets were half-dyed to crimson by his very own blood.
"Harkeste!!! Please!!! Don't talk anymore! I can't bear to see you cough up blood again!... And!... This is not what you think this is!!! I would never do that to you!" I said
"There is proof your Highness! Look at the Empress's neck!" King Jhex said as he shows them the hickey that was made by Marish...
"The punishment...Cough! is death! " Harkeste still continued to talk
Marish stood up and said:
"I'll take the punishment! Rigelle didn't do anything wrong! I forced myself unto her!" Marish said as he beg for me to be forgiven...
Harkeste was furious as he heard his best friend confess... He stood up and took a sword... He be headed Marish in front of me...
Blood was splashing around, completely covering the king's bed sheets and Marish's head hass flown in the air...
I just stared there blankly... I don't know how to react when my dearest friend's head has been cut off, in front of me...
Later on, I was banished from the palace... This was the only thing that Harkeste could do for me to avoid death penalty...
I was being thrown in the middle of the forest... All I have with me is a few golds and a pack of bread...
Such a desolated area, it's no different than a graveyard, these gold coins are nothing but a toll as I cross the underworld.
Later on, The carriage that brought me has left me all alone in that dark forest...
After the carriage has left, I heard footsteps from behind... I'm scared...but, i also lost all my will to run away... in exact...i don't know anymore if i still want to live after what has happened to me...
My friend was killed in front of me... My husband won't trust me at all... and now, They banished me into a forest in the middle of night...
I could here a gun that is being filled with a bullet...
(Stupid kings... Are you sending a stupid assassin to get me?) I thought as I laugh a bit...
In front of me, an arrow was suddenly fired...Aiming to the assassin in my back...
The assassin screamed out of the pain and has fallen out... He is dead...
"Are you okay?" The person who saved me was a boy and he is asking me now, if i'm alright...
I ran towards the boy and hugged him tightly... I cried and cried helplessly for the truth was...I was actually afraid... I've lost enough people, I am nothing without them after all, I lived nothing but a princess in name.
The boy lead me to his home and I was surprised by a lot of people... They gave me warm food to eat and clothes to change to...
After that, they all surrounded me... The boy introduced himself and made a proposal...
"I am Kaishin. Leader of this group. Empress, Rigelle, May I ask if you would like to be part of our revolt?"
