Chapter 4

Even though two weeks passed since Annabel awoken, she didn't really do much. She normally laid around her chambers, she didn't care about anything and only left her room for meals with the Emperor. If he was unable to come Annabel had the meal in her chamber, which was mostly breakfast since she would wake up past ten o'clock. Around that time he would be in the middle of his work. After eating she would go for a walk in one of the four imperial gardens. Each of the gardens possessed magic to keep the temperatures just right for each plant and animal that was located in them—much like a green house. There were four gardens on all, each representing the four seasons, summer, autumn, winter and spring and they were each located on the four corners of the imperial palace, south, west north and east where there was one small palace place in the centre of each one of them for some reason.

After lunch Annabel was walking around the garden with the personal maid, Rose Shellford and a guardian Knight, Kent Ashton. He was one of the most trusted Knight of the Emperor and would later become the commander of the imperial knights. He was the perfect knight in both abilities and personality. Not to mention he was extremely handsome with pink, flowing hair gently hangs over a sculpted, frowning face. Round bright yellow eyes, set appealingly within their sockets, watch gratefully over Annabel they protected.

A few time Annabel spotted Rose stealing glances at the man when he wasn't looking. Although the girl doubt that he didn't notice since he was most likely using a Mana dome to surround them. The dome allowed the creator to sense any movement inside it. The larger the dome was large the mana one had to use to maintain it. But since Kent posed one of the brightest pair of yellows in the empire he had not shortest of mana. 

Just as she was thinking this, the knight had reached for his sword as someone fell from the bushes on the ground in front of them. Kent had probably noticed them before but didn't think of them as a threat. It made sense as what fell in front of them was a blonde, dreadlocks braided to reveal a bony belonging to a little girl no older then six years older. Shuttered dark yellow eyes, set narrowly within their sockets, energetically within them.

"Diane!" Someone ran out of the bushes following the child and was in between the trio and girl. This time, the one that stepped forwards had been a boy who looked around ten with black, straight hair gently hangs over a strong, charming face. Lidded medium yellow eyes, set a-symmetrically within their sockets, looking terrified. "Please forgive my younger sister, your imperial Highness!" A second later the young boy slammed his head down onto the ground before them. He sounded completely panicked and fearful. "My sister had heard that her imperial highness had finally awoken! She only wish to see the face belonging to her imperial highness!" He was desperate in explaining the truth behind the little girl's snooping. "Please, I beg you to forgive her, your imperial highness!"

"Enough." Annabel, unable to listen to the boy calling her 'Imperial Highness' over and over again, spoken up. But because it held no emotion behind it the boy flinched. "Sir Kent, lower your sword." However, hearing this seemed to cause him to relax. Especially as he glanced up to see that Kent was no longer holding his sword. "Who are you and why are you here?" Annabel asked this to the pair of siblings before her.

"W-We're—"

"I'm Dia!" But his sister had spoken up, not showing a hint of respect. "Mommy brought us here to see daddy at work!"

"Diana!" But she only got shouted at by her brother for being rude.

"You're father?" Getting a better look at the two of them, there was a strong resemblance to the man who was always beside the Emperor. Annebel later on remembered and told the man was Duke Stephen Hillington, the Prime Minister. Who despite having weaker blood compared to his brothers and treated poorly, caught the attention of both the emperor and the Previous Duke because of his vast intellect. He defeated his brothers and became to current Duke. "Are you perhaps related to the Prime Minister?"

"T-That is right. I am the eldest son of Duke Hillington, Charlie Hillington and this is my younger sister, Diana Hillington." The eldest spoken in fear as he answered her. "As my sister spoke, normally only my mother would have come to the palace, however, due to our father asking her to bring us with her today as well." It was very clear that this ten year old had already been study noble etiquette since unlike his sister.

"They do speak truth, your highness." Rose spoken up to clarify the children's story. "The Prime Minister and his wife are well known for being lovely-dove and often have little dates on break. The Minister is also very attached to his children." This had been explained by her, although Annebel had a hard time believing such a thing since the man was always cold looking. Not that she had room to talk.

"Alright." The girl took it at truth since Rose hasn't lied to her yet. "You said that you came because you wanted to see me?" Her sights fell upon Diana as this was ask.

"Yeah!" And being so young she got all excited. "Mommy and daddy said they were happy for his majesty now that the princess is awake!" Annabel noted that Charlie was sweating in nervousness as his sister spoke so disrespectful to royalty. However, he clearly didn't want to speak up as the princess had asked the little girl the question.

"I apologise!" Charlie seemed to have managed to gathered the courage to speak up, grabbing onto the back of his sister's head to lower it.

"Why?" But the little girl didn't understand why her brother was acting this way. "I was only telling the truth!" Wow, Annabel looked at the girl, she as amazed how naive and innocent she was. If she had been a spoiled child or something Annabel would have throw a fit about how rude Diana was being. It's a good thing that despite her child appearance she was actually an adult. "Mommy also told us to be friends with her highness!" Annabel glanced towards the brother, Charlie that turned pale as it was clear that this was something that shouldn't have been said in front of her. The boy began sweating and looked at Diana like she was some sort of monster. Although, Annebel could see why. It was in that moment that a joke came to her mind, 'your child is an angel? So was Lucifer, be more pacific'. That seemed to fit the small girl at this moment. "I want to be her highness's friend!"

"P-Please…" Charlie looked like he was about to cry because of his sister.

"Sure." Suddenly all those presented bodies had shifted upon hearing this. Their eyes had all shifted towards Annebel that spoken. "Let's be friends." Although, there was more to this then being friends. If Annebel had to guess she would say that the Emperor asked for the children to be brought to the palace for this very purpose. But there was a reason while Annebel accepted and that due to Charlie Hillington. One of the allies that would support Tylra as the next Prime Minister.