Chapter 1

"The recital will happen during the Hundred Lights Festival. As you know, it's one of the most celebrated festival in Empire where we thank the Solar Guardian, Ionna, for her blessings." Crown Prince Dylan Akamerti placed his tea cup back on the saucer and gave me a glare, "Dress appropriately. Do not embarrass me, Mira."

"I will wear only the finest clothes for His Highness." I smiled lovely.

Prince Dylan touched my cheeks almost affectionately, "As you should."

The Prince rarely visits me for tea. In fact, he only visits me whenever it was necessary. I am his fiance in name only as he proceeds to play around other noble ladies that captures his interest, prancing like a dog in a rut.

His disrespectful behaviour towards me hurt me more than he can possible imagine. It made me feel unwanted—which I am as our engagement is pure political arrangement without an ounce of love. But I taught myself to be blind. It's not the first time a royal had taken mistresses or had an affair. See, a queen's duty is to be a saintess. A loyal wife who harbors only love for her Emperor and children, and thus her heart must be free from jealousy or ambition.

Besides, if the prince ever conceived a bastard with his mistress, I am responsible to adopt that child as his wife so it can be a legitimate heir to the throne.

Breathing slowly, I reached for my tea cup. However, one can only get used to the pain. I'll never be able to make myself numb from the humiliation and frustration I suffer everytime Prince Dylan brings a whore—a lady—and flirt with her in my face. Thank Ysovia he did not do it this time.

"How're your studies, Mira?" Prince Dylan inquired, looking bored. He probably asked that to avoid an awkward atmosphere between us.

I smiled, "It's alright. We've already moved on from etiquette to arithmetics, see. It's really hard to memorize different numerical formulas but Sir Gale is a good teacher."

His brows furrowed.

"Arithmetic? Why are studying that?"

"Its part of the Crown Princess lessons I had to take, Your Highness."

"What, do they find me incompetent?" The Prince clicked his tongue. He was seething.

"Your Highness...?" What is wrong now?

"Stop learning those kind of lessons. It's a waste of time. As my wife, your only duty is to stay by my side and bear children. You have no need for extensive lessons." He ordered firmly.

I bit my lip and bowed my head. Prince Dylan, who grew up as the seventh son of the Emperor and was only able to be Crown Prince because of our engagement, always felt inferior compared to other people. The stress of competing with his competent siblings caused him to have an inferiority complex. He's bipolar and cranky, to put it bluntly

I bowed my head to hide my displeasure. I wanted to smart at least. If I cannot be brave, I wanted to be known as an intelligent queen. But with the way the Prince is, it doesn't matter how much I study. He will not give me a voice.

"I understand, Your Highness.",

He nodded his head, his mood quickly changing. Ah, his highness has always been like a drizzle to me. His temper comes and goes. Sometimes, he will lash but most the time, he's just a reminder of all the etiquette lessons I've learned in the past. Like how drizzle pitter-pattering during rainy days as warning for upcoming storms.

"Great devotion.* I remember the Empress Dowager's advice, "Love your family more than you love yourself. That is the only way you can show them your never-ending devotion."

"Bullshit—" I immediately tried to cover my mouth. What the hell did I just said? I cursed infront of the Prince!

Thankfully, he was too busy staring at the tulips from the garden.

The attendants heard me for sure, though. Because they started to give me weird looks. I gritted my teeth before reaching for the cup. What the heck?

I am not the type of person who curses easily. In fact, the only time I ever cursed out loud was when bandits ambushed my entourage and tried to kidnap me. I cursed them until I was hoarse. I was so mortified that they will kill me or worse, do something inappropriate.

Bullshit, huh?

I touched my forehead. I felt like someone else said that just now. Not me. As if I was in a haze and someone else controlled my body for a time.

Ugh...what...

"Are you alright, Miss?" Butler Jay, one of the few attendants allowed to look over the crown prince and I noticed my upcoming headache

"No, I am fine." I breathed.

The prince finally averted his focus on me. He raised his eyebrows in question. I tried to look fine but the throb in my head kept growing. Like a migraine that came from nowhere.

"Miranda?" Prince Dylan's voice started to sound faraway. "What...? Call the Duke!"

My surroundings started to look blurry. I couldn't hear anyone either. Did I suddenly dived underwater?

It hurts...

Images and sceneries started to flash before my eyes. Someone else's life. A woman in green, a joust tournament, a beautiful boy with grey eyes. My mind is processing so many memories at once.

*Lady Sigrid—daughter of a traitor."

"The Emperor has taken a liking to her. He must've lost his mind."

"Why did you burned us alive?"

"You're all liars. Sly little foxes trying to match the flow of power."

"The slave boy is dead."

I was standing in front of a familiar woman I only saw in paintings. Her black hair was tied in a loose bun with a few strands sticking up. Her usual beauty was marred with dirt and dried blood. She's not wearing anything else other than her white dress.

Sigrid Rue Aveyard-Wagner. The former Empress and the worst villainess in history.

I covered my mouth. How-how is she infront of me I am having tea with the Prince?

Wait, no... where is the Prince? How did I get here? My head still throbs but it was bearable now. As if it matters. I am infront of this repulsive woman!

I watched her draw something in the sand. Her eyes were focused and almost oblivious to her surroundings. Not that there are much to notice inside her room. Or prison, I realized. I've seen this room before, the dungeon under the Imperial Palace. The Cage of Exile. That's what the Emperor called it.

It's an enclosed space with one exit. A metal door barred from the outside and locked thrice to avoid escape. This the ultimate cage for horrible criminals. In my time, it was only ever used once——for a serial murderer who mutilated children and sold their body parts.

What did Lady Sigrid do yo earn her place here?

I need to figure things out quickly.

"Lady Sigrid? Excuse me?" I called out but no voice came out.

I tried to approach her and placed my hand on her shoulder. However, to my surprise, I wasn't able to touch her at all. I was unable to contact.

This is a dream. I murmured as I pinched myself. My conversations with Sir Gale was stuck in my head for days. It must've triggered this dream. But what happened to me? Did I fainted infront of Prince Dylan?

"His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor Nicolas Zion Akamerti, will enter." An announcement made me jump.

The Emperor?

The metal door creaked as it was pushed open. A man entered, wearing the traditional Vauxhalli Imperial clothes. A three piece suit and the ceremonial black cape embroidered with the two headed dark phoenix. I bit my self to stop a blush from covering my face. Dylan wore this clothes before but not as good as this man did.

His light silver hair was tied in under his nape with a dark green ribbon and was nestled on his broad shoulders. His blue eyes, similar to Prince Dylan's, looked cold and wistful as he stared at the woman on the ground.

Sigrid didn't bothered looking up. She was still busy with her drawing. He signaled his men to leave them alone.

"How are you, Riri?" His voice was soft, almost kind. Is that something you asked from someone you imprisoned?

Sigrid did not answer.

"You..." The Emperor's voice cracked, "You hate me, I know. But you came back to me empty and broken. How else can I keep you other than imprisoning you here?"

Sigrid stopped. She gave him a look of ridicule. I almost gasped. Never have I ever saw someone glare like that towards the Imperial Family. Without any ounce of fear or second thought, just pure, unadulterated wrath.

"I never came back."

"Riri-"

"When you killed him while I was busy fighting for your damned throne, I ceased to be your subject. You no longer have me."

The Emperor gritted his teeth, "You...I don't understand why you're acting like this for a damned slave. You loved me first! You were mine first!"

Sigrid's eyes widened in bloodshot.

"You know why!" She flung her hands and stood up, "You remember full well why!"

"But I love you, too! And I loved you first!"

"Damn your love." The wooden branch she was using to draw broke. Sigrid's hands were clenched so hard.

The Emperor looked afraid. No, not afraid of Sigrid but of whatever he knew. Of the things he couldn't change. He looked at her in mourning. For what they had and lost, for the stranger now standing infront of him.

"You shouldn't have remembered." He, then, turned his back and left. "Don't let her out. Until Lady Sigrid agrees to my marriage proposal, she shall never leave this cage."

Sigrid shaked her head, "Nicolas!"

She stood up and banged the door. I stared at the drawing Sigrid left behind. I couldn't follow their conversation but I understand as much——Lady Sigrid fell in love with someone else and the Emperor murdered that person while Lady Sigrid was fighting for His Majesty's name.

I almost felt pity for Lady Sigrid.

"Curse you! Curse all of you!" Sigrid kept banging the door, "I would kill you all! I will kill your family and laugh as you held their cold bodies as I held mine! I will burn your existence until my anger is satistied!"

She slid down as she sobbed.

"I will drag you all to hell for a reprieve."

I had shivers when I heard that. There was a passage in history books before. A line so famous, even children knew of them.

"After she lost her sanity, the villainess brought hell upon the Empire."

I know for sure that her promise will happen. Her cruel deeds, like burning people alive or destroying their homes, are what made her famous after all. That made hearing her declaration even more horrifying.

I gasped when she raised her eyes and our eyes met. Oh my goodness. My heart started to beat fast. Her eyes alone are scary. How did the Emperor stood without shaking?

"Make them pay."

I must've fainted. Because when I opened my eyes, I am down with a fever.