4 Who are you?

"Margarita Valni, do you care to elaborate to me why you have on a gown marking authority?" Edwin stalked his piercing blue eyes straight into Phaedra's brown ones. She tensed up just by his stares not knowing what to say to justify why she was wearing a luxurious dress. "Have you gone mute? Your options as to explaining yourself are slim. You are either a thief who stole this dress from one of the women in emperor Phon's harem given that all the concubines are accounted for. Or you are in fact the lost princess who has escaped her kingdom, and I presume you are her." An immense deal of tension engulfed the chamber as the two stared each other off. One awaiting to be answered and proven right, whereas the other hadn't known what to do in the situation in front of her. Phaedra's blood pressure rose as an unsettled feeling stirred her stomach into a knot. Perhaps I should release the tension by inventing a fabricated story as to where I found the dress. Phaedra deliberated a lengthy and thoughtful scheme.

A ding went off inside Phaedra's mind as a potential dilemma solution circulated through her brain. It was safe to assume that Phaedra's lie would somehow get her out of the confrontation. "How could you think such a lowly peasant like me be a princess? Your comparison is an insult towards the magnificent princess of Merrilan, sir." She stood there laughing, making a fool out of herself as Edwin sat on a chair maintaining a straight face. "Margarita Valni perhaps you are not taking this confrontation seriously with how loud you are laughing in front of me. This is an act of making a mockery out of the general of Zeldeb, punishable by public beating. Now will you explain precisely and truthfully as to why you are wearing clothing prepared for royalty?!" Edwin raised his voice getting carried away as he became to yell breaking Phaedra's awkward laughing noise. Frightened and paralyzed with fear, Phaedra's words began to trip over her tongue, speaking with difficulty. She hadn't been yelled at like that before since her father caught her dressing up with her maid months before his death. The traumatizing experiences with her father catastrophically swamped her mind, drifting her away from reality.

Flashback

"Princess Phaedra, I am not certain if this is adequate for a lowly maid like myself to wear something so lovely." A small young woman stood in the presence of her master, shuddering while wearing a light blue gown with diamonds embedded in it. The maid was a slender woman standing at the height of 4'10" tall, she was a fair-skinned lady with skin as delicate as blossoming flowers in the spring. Her face bore beautiful freckles, with rosy pink lips, a small nose and shoulder length black hair which was styled into a bun. "Aimi, you are beyond stunning, in fact I have never seen someone look as elegant as you are in that dress. You belong in it, you look as if you are worth so much." Phaedra towered over the maid whilst she held onto her small face. Although they shared the same age Phaedra was far more mature and looked more mature than Aimi. Phaedra brought her small face closer to hers causing the maid to breathe with difficulty. Her mains Aimi was the only person in her life that brought happiness into her life. Aimi was the first person Phaedra woke up to and the last person she fell asleep too. Naturally love would develop between the two.

"Madame this is not the proper thing to do during broad daylight." Caressing her hair gently, Phaedra shut her maid up by planting a kiss onto her lips. "You look extraordinarily beautiful, absolutely ravishing and especially in my dresses." Aimi's skin reddened before Phaedra's eyes. She dropped Aimi's face and spun her towards a mirror. "See for yourself," Aimi looked at herself in the long mirror in front of her admiring how beautiful she looked as Phaedra stood behind her, touching her shoulders while eyeballing her. For a brief moment everything was fine, the two women stared at each other lovingly in front of the mirror until a force of entry slammed open her chamber doors. There Phaedra's father, emperor Phon stood with one of his concubines to his side glaring at her. "Phaedra! Is this how you behave behind closed doors?!" The two young women jumped at the sound of the emperor's roaring tone of voice. "Father-" before she could say anything emperor Phon stomped over towards the maid and slapped her across the face.

"How dare a low, disgusting, slave girl turned maid have the audacity to wear sacred royalty attire!" Aimi trembled beside Phaedra violently shaking where she stood. "Father!" Phon's palm made its path across Phaedra's face catching her off guard. The princess held her face in her hand staring back up at her father at a loss for words. "Guards! Take this maid and imprison her! She will be executed publicly for disrespecting sacred attire under my palace." Three guards marched into Phaedra's chambers. They yanked Aimi from beside her and dragged her outside. "Father please! Aimi is innocent, I forced her to wear my clothing. She urged me not to, but I threatened her with punishment. All I wanted was to know was how my new clothing would look on me if she tried them on." Phaedra ran after Aimi, blocking the course of the guards. "Please father, she had no voice in anything, if you execute her now I will eternally make you regret it. If you do this, you will not have an heir to the throne anymore, I will hand over my title and never communicate with you again!"

Her eyes made their way towards Aimi in front of her who returned her master's glance, with tears in her eyes. So desperately pleading with her tearful eyes to not defend her and cause herself more misfortunes as a princess for a simple maid. Princess Phaedra shed a single tear before glaring up at her father. She had hatred written all over her face. Emperor Phon smirked at his daughter, offering her a round of applause. "I would have never expected in my old age that my dear daughter would raise her tone at me for a chambermaid. This is the first time you have ever proven yourself as worthy of having authority my dear child." A malicious smile made progress across his face. "Let the maid go," he added stepping over to his daughter. "Thank you father," Phaedra bowed sniffling loudly. "But, daughter, surly you know that I will banish this maid from ever stepping foot inside this kingdom as long as I remain alive. And if she disobeys this banishment, I will have her executed with you being the executioner." Phaedra froze in fear not able to react to her fathers deal. "Understood?" The atmosphere around the father and daughter thickened as she nodded her head repeatedly. "She shall be gone before nightfall." Emperor Phon and his men walked away, disappearing from the middle of the palace garden.

Standing silent in the area were Aimi, the concubine from earlier and a timid Phaedra. Concubine Lili patted Phaedra on the back uttering reassuring words to her before following in the same direction her husband went. "Aimi, I am sincerely apologetic for the torment I have caused you. If only I had took more consideration towards your pleading, thus you would not be in this disheartening position." Aimi stretched over towards her master and gripped her hand tight. "I understand it is unfortunate that I will not be capable to be your maid anymore, or rather your escape from reality anymore. But this is not the end, we are being tested right now by the gods, we'll meet again." With that every last sentence Phaedra could feel the presence of Aimi shrink until she knew she was gone forever.

Present

"Hello?? Miss have you perhaps gone deaf?" Phaedra glimpsed back at Edwin gradually arriving back to reality. In the light of the circumstances, Phaedra sighed having no stamina left to lie. "You were absolutely right on your suspicion Edwin. I am princess Phaedra of Merrilan. Now that you know where I am what will you do?" Powerless to caring anymore, Phaedra stood still blankly staring at the man in front of her. The room was silent, so silent that you could hear a pin drop to the ground. Without another word Edwin walked over towards her and opened her hands. He placed something into her palm and closed them. "I believe this is for you, your highness." He countered. Phaedra bat her eyes watching him perplexed. "Is that all? You aren't saying anything else?" Hardly believing how easy it was to just tell the truth, the princess scuffed. "You have no problem or want anything from me now that you know for certain I am the valuable empress of Merrilan?" There was a knock on the door, disrupting them in the middle of their discussion. "General, there is a man outside of the palace gates claiming to be the heir of the western Azern nation. He announces he would like to speak urgent business with you and the emperor."

"Hide now," Edwin ordered. This unexpected appearance of the heir of the western Azern nation out of nowhere made Phaedra's blood run cold through her veins. Swiftly, she dashed to a separate room in his chamber and hid under the large bed. She could hear in the distance the sound of men entering into Edwin's chamber. "General Edwin, emperor Chen Xue, what an honor it is to finally meet you both." An unfamiliar voice spoke, echoing through the room. Somehow even though Phaedra did not understand who the man was, nevertheless chills ran down her spine. "General Arif Huda, the pleasure is all mine." Edwin responded. The three men spoke about business and partnering, nothing being mentioned struck her until the general of western Azern nation brought up Merrilan. "I am confident news has circulated throughout all the kingdoms about emperor Phon's assassination. And the speculations around the identity of the assassin who slaughtered him."