The Hostage Princess (1)

There was a huge continent was home of many people and different kingdoms. A time came when war was evident in the continent. Kingdom after kingdom were engaging in conflict to gain each other's territories.

After so many wars, two huge empires were the ones with the most territories, the empire of Constantine in the west and the empire of Alessandria in the east. They were deemed to be the strongest empires with great armies trying to conquer the whole continent. The time came when these two empires started to clash.

A war between these two powerful empires had gone many years. Because of this crops and livestock began to dwindle, famine and sickness started to spread. Death had spread throughout the continent. The two empires knew that if this goes on, when a victor emerges there will be nothing left. Victory would be meaningless. Thus, the two empires had formed a truce.

In this war between the two powerful empires, Constantine was the one at a disadvantageous position because of the might of Alessandria. Being that Alessandria is the dominant one of the two, Constantine was forced to give away some of their territory together with sending a princess as a hostage and as an addition to the many wives in the harem of the tyrant emperor of Alessandria, Romulus Alessander.

In the Constantine royal family, there are two princesses that are two years apart. One is the daughter of the departed empress, the eldest of all the siblings. The other is a daughter born from a mistress, the youngest sibling.

With this kind of set up, anyone would think that the illegitimate daughter of the emperor would be the one to be sent as a hostage, but it was not the case. The emperor decided the eldest be the one to be sent to Alessandria.

The eldest daughter in the Constantine royal family, Almera Ashelet Constantine was chosen to become the hostage princess.

**

"Your majesty…" One of the ministers called out.

In the hallway of the Constantine palace, the emperor Reginald Constantine III was walking hastily with his ministers following from behind.

"Please reconsider your decision." The minister said. "If you send the eldest princess in Alessandria, I am afraid that the Church of Light would make a protest. Having conflict with the church is not a good thing your majesty." He said looking worried.

"She is not the saintess, is she?" Emperor Reginald refuted.

"N-No. She is not, your majesty." The minister wiped a stray sweat from his forehead. He looked quite terrified with the face the emperor was making.

"Then it will not be a problem with the church." Emperor Reginald looked quite irritated. "Just by hearing the church makes my blood boil." He groaned.

"Y-Your majesty, please refrain from bad mouthing the church." Another minister advised. "The Church of Light's influence is massive in this continent."

"Do not forget that with the Church of Light's influence that you secured your seat on top, your majesty." One man said without batting an eyelash. He looked quite confident at the presence of the emperor.

"Even that is so, I am still the emperor of the Constantine empire." Emperor Reginald grunted. "Our empire reached such heights because of my achievements. Do you have any issues with my achievements, Duke Clerivan?"

"No, your majesty?" Duke Clerivan bowed his head solemnly.

Arthur Clerivan is the current duke of one of the two most powerful duke families in the empire of Constantine. He is just a little older from the eldest princess of the Constantine royal family. He took his duke's seat early due to the sudden death of his father from a hunting accident.

"His majesty is correct." Duke Aberfort said. "If not for his majesty, our empire will not grow as it is. It has grown in such a huge size in his majesty, emperor Reginald's reign."

Noel Aberfort is an old man that is still clinging to life. He has been always on Emperor Reginald's side. His family is the other powerful duke family in the Constantine Empire.

These two duke families are the Clerivan family and the Aberfort family are like two sides of a coin. They were like night and day, light and dark. The Aberfort family has always been the one to side of the emperor, while on the other hand the Clerivan family is the one that usually opposes to decisions that they think is not for the good of the empire. One is siding and the other opposing.

"I am not doubting his majesty's abilities Noel." Duke Arthur replied. "I am just siting the fact that he will not have gotten this far if he had not married the empress who is also hailed as a saintess by the Church of Light."

All the ministers were silenced with the fact that Duke Arthur sited. Empress Althea, Emperor Reginald's deceased wife, was hailed as saintess by the Church of Light. She was gifted with healing abilities that was known all over the continent. Because of that she was revered by the people.

Emperor Reginald was able to gain the seat of emperor, besting his other brothers because of marrying the saintess. It is said that their love was something of a fairy tale because the empress was just a commoner without any noble blood. The people were surprised when the emperor took a mistress, Duke Noel Aberfort's only daughter, Rosalind Aberfort.

"Enough of this!" Emperor Reginald yelled. The ministers together with the two dukes became silent. "Has the princess been informed to head to the throne room?" He asked.

"Yes, your majesty." A minister replied. "The other princes and princess have been called as well."

"Good." The emperor replied. "Let us head there and be done with this."

**

(From here on will be Almera's POV)

I was seating by the window reading my book inside my room as always. Who would believe that the eldest princess of the Constantine Empire is a shut in?

I am the eldest child of the royal family of Constantine. Me and my brother, Alexus Ashford Constantine, are the children of Emperor Reginald Constantine III with Empress Althea. Many believe that my parents had a fairy tale love story, being that my father who was once a prince fell in love with the saintess who was a commoner. But that was not the case.