Frances Leonardo Delvaux

As I opened the window of my room, I immediately felt the kiss of the wind beginning to take over my body. The wind's scent was all over the palace that to my surprise, I want to stay here longer.

"Your highness, His Majesty is calling for you."

My lady in waiting, Kera shyly smiled at me before showing me an elegant dress. My favorite color, violet is what I want to wear. Kera knows what she should and shouldn't do. I began trusting her because of Mother. Father knows that I'm not a morning person but to let him feel happy, I decided to go to the Delvaux Palace.

As the hidden princess of Delvaux, His Majesty made me my very own palace so that Nobles in the empire can't see me or harm me. Both the Emperor and the Empress said that I am their weakness that's why I was completely hidden from the naked eyes of everybody. It may be high nobles, commoners, royal subjects, etc.

"Her Highnesses, Millenia and Misteria Kersamin have arrived at the Palace of Delvaux, Your Highness..." Kera nervously said while she saw my face with no reaction coming from me.

If my side of the story was told and was heard by His Majesty, those two commoners shouldn't have been here in the first place. But I guess that Millenia seduced His Majesty enough for him to have a second commoner with half royal blood to be born. From what I heard, I am 3 years older than the so-called half-blooded princess.

Considering the law, she is still to be called a princess because she had half the blood and flesh of the Delvaux's. Kera came with me to accompany me to the private audience room in one of the hidden gardens here in Delvaux. I kept my face reactionless when I saw a glimpse of a petite brunette wearing a yellow and sunny dress.

Misteria Kersamin.

"Sister-"

Kera was fast to block her from getting near me. A faint smirk was hidden behind my dramatic fan while Kera took care of the half-blood in front of me.

"How dare you call Her Highness such names? Sister? Let me remind you that you're not pure royal blooded."

Kera can be sometimes scary. I went straight to the small yet cozy tea place in the center of the garden. This is where His Majesty is holding the private meeting? With these commoners?

"And how dare you speak such accusations to the princess? Don't you remember your position? A lady in waiting speaking ill things to the second princess? Isn't that interesting?"

Dillion Aven, His Majesty's loyal knight. I knew him since we were kids, we were the same age when we met. He's older by months but what I see right now is betrayal, he didn't want to continue our small friendship? Then so be it.

"Come on, Dillie, why would you protect a commoner like her in such a grandiose place?" anger and betrayal can be heard in my line of tone. His face soften when he saw me behind him and regrets it.

"Francie-"

"How dare you call me with such ridiculous names? Care to explain why you betrayed me by being a royal guard to a half-blooded commoner?"

"She's still your sister-"

"A commoner will still be a commoner."

Then I walked my way out of the situation. I love Dillie dearly because he was the only friend that I made and was always true to his words and actions. But this picture made me realize that he is still His Majesty's loyal and royal guard.

Making him so easy to betray me. As his friend.

I know of authority better than everyone, even Dillie, because I spent my 18 years in my palace, studying to be a knowledgeable and efficient Empress but I know father. He would pull strings to take everything away from me, his daughter, who has been hidden for 18 years.

I should plan ahead of time.

But I need someone worthy to help me take the throne.

I need someone, who has more knowledgeable thinking and has known the Empire for years, more than me. Someone outside who needs the power to make himself my slave and so I give him the position to do whatever he wants.

He.

Yes.

"There is also Frances's grand coming of age ceremony and a month long banquet."

The Coming of Age Ceremony is held if a royal is to turn 19 years of age. I quietly sipped on my tea as I kept thinking about the words to say to father. I noticed that even if I'm a princess, I needed a knight beside me and shall protect me all the time. Misteria has a knight.

But how can I do not have one?

"Father, as the coming of age ceremony is just around the corner, maybe I should finally have a public appearance along with the grand banquet? It is nice to let the subjects and nobles of the Empire know who is the first in line to the throne, royal blood, to be the next Empress that would definitely make this Empire a more powerful?"

Father was too stunned to speak. So as the two commoners in front of me. As I sipped my tea, I released a smirk and went back to having a sweet smile in front of them. I caress my necklace to calm myself when I saw how my father's eyes became dark.

"How can you use such vulgar words, Frances?" the disappointment in his voice is very visible.

I know that you're planning to give the throne to this wench in front of me. I kept on touching my necklace to give him a clue and when he caught what I was doing, his face turned pale when the realization hit his body.

"I would like my gift to be from you." I smiled while he just stared right back at me as if I was a complete stranger to him. "Will you give me permission and a request form to go to Knight Academy to select my very own knight? Don't worry Your Majesty, I'm a wise and careful girl, I know what I'll do for my future."

I bowed as I uttered the words...

"May the Delvaux Empire would be blessed by the great Gods."

That's where my journey to finding a loyal knight begins.

To be continued...