Flashback part 2

"Are you sure you're okay? You can stay here as long as you want, you know that right Celie?" Ted said, insisting that Celestia stays a few more weeks or days before returning to the palace.

"No, I'm fine Ted, thank you for letting us, me, stay here. You've been so good to me," as she bid him goodbye, her floral luggage on her right hand. Her face still can't force a smile, it's like a thing that she's not worthy to do, to be happy.

After slightly recovering, Celestia went back to the palace, she did not bother to pass through her hidden passageway but instead on the gate.

The guards' eyes widened at the approaching figure, they bowed their heads as they greeted, "P-Princess Celestia, welcome back" the brown-haired man said, slightly stuttering.

The other one hurriedly ran off and shouted, "The princess has returned!"

The palace servants arrived and are stupefied at how the young lady that been missing for two and a half months has returned. Although they are shocked too at how the lady dresses, very far from the tradition of Thusha Kingdom.

A maid helped her carry the luggage but her eyes were elsewhere, searching for a specific person.

"Where is Anna?" she asks the maidservant who carries her luggage.

"She l-left your highness." the young servant said, careful of dropping the news. After all, it is no secret that Anna is the favorite servant of the first princess.

Celestia stopped in her tracks, her heart is numbing, she can't feel any kind of emotions she used to feel.

Before she could respond, her father, King Froilan, is on her sight. his strides were long and fast, not sure if he's mad or excited.

By reflex, the first-princess closed her eyes, ready to receive the incoming slap from her father.

However that slap never arrived, she was embraced in a warm hug, as if telling everything will be okay, as if implying that her father will stand by her side.

It's that one moment where she bursts into tears, her father is slightly crying too.

What has he done to his daughter? His own flesh and blood.

"I'm sorry daughter"

Celestia did not react rather, she can't, she's beyond shock at the approach of her father.

How long did she await to feel this warmth from her parents?

How long?

She guessed that there is one good thing that happened. A silver lining.

Marie joined the two and hugs Celestia too, Stella went also and joined the group. She never wanted her sister to go away in the first place.

Misunderstanding occurs once in a while but in the Thusha Kingdom, love conquers.

---

It took time before everything went well between the whole royal family, She learned that Marie had a miscarriage and it was Anna who did it...at first she refused to believe, but then, there was CCTV footage presented.

Her mind fogged at the moment, everything that she thought was the truth in her life crushed right before her eyes.

If Anna can go behind her back, what else can she do? What else did she do?

Looking at it now, Anna is also the one who gave her the information that Marie is the one who is responsible for her grandfather's death.

'Why Anna? I trusted you, why did you betrayed me?'