Chapter 36. Dress and groom

Remesis' life at the Imperial Palace was going rather smoothly. The day before yesterday, the girl had attended the last meeting of the Small Council. After a lengthy discussion of the Empire's economy over the past few years, the heads of the families agreed to join forces to raise the Empire's standing on the world stage. As a result of the meeting, several treaties were signed that were to come into effect in the very near future.

And while the adults solved their affairs, Remesis, who had done almost nothing all these days, dreamed only of returning home as soon as possible. She had once dreamed of being here. But she hadn't expected it all to wear her down so quickly. Never in her life had she had to bow and scrape as much as she had at the Imperial Palace these past two weeks.

«It seems that only the Emperor and the princes and princesses live well here…» Though she would argue with that statement as well.

At any rate, it would all be over soon. In two days, a banquet would be held at the palace, attended by the council members and other invited guests. In addition to them, the emperor would also be attending the celebration. For that reason, Remesis couldn't miss the banquet even if she wanted to.

Nevertheless, spending a couple of hours in the high society was not that difficult. The girl thought that because of the grandiosity of the event, no one would pay attention to her. And already tomorrow she would be on her way back.

«This will finally be over…» Remesis sighed, counting down the days spent here on her calendar, «Honestly, I'm so tired…»

Despite the fact that this was a very important banquet, the girl had not prepared for it in any way. From the window of her palace she could see a lot of carts with jewelry and other utensils for noble guests passing by. But she herself did not see the need for it. «Even if I dressed up nicely, the amount of scornful stares would not be reduced.»

That's what she thought until early one morning, the day before the event, Hannes found a box on the doorstep of their palace, «Someone left this this morning.»

It was a beautiful flat box tied with a red ribbon.

— Your Highness, what is this? — The knight was a bit at a loss as he placed the box on the table, ''It looks like a gift for you…''

— A gift…?

Remesis frowned.

Who in the Imperial Palace would send gifts for her? More like someone might have gotten the wrong door.

Nevertheless…

— Let's open it first.

Remesis didn't stop him when Hannes pulled the silk ribbon. Lifting the lid, there was another roll inside. The knight unwrapped it, and Remesis saw what she least expected.

— Your Highness, it's a dress! — The knight marveled along with her.

It was a small beige colored dress. The interweaving of sequins and ruffles was so beautiful that it made her heart swoon at the mere sight of it. The sleeves of the dress were translucent and airy. Even a person who didn't know about clothes could realize that it was very expensive. Such fabric was only used in elite ateliers and was sewn to order.

The first to let out a delighted sigh was the knight. He was even afraid to touch this delicate and soft fabric.

— Your Highness, is this really for you? Who would give you such a thing?

Remesis tensed up somewhat. Considering the size of the dress, it was clearly meant for her. There weren't many girls her age in the Imperial Palace. Except she couldn't guess who would give her such an expensive gift. After all, she had no friends here.

Pondering this, Remesis began fumbling around in the box, hoping that there would be at least a note. And there was.

Between the folds of her dress, the girl found a thin strip of graphite paper. It read, «For Her Highness Princess Rania. I wish you to remain as charming as ever.»

When Remesis saw those lines, everything became clear. The plume of perfume that faintly emanated from the box was also familiar to her. Remesis pressed her lips together as she realized who the dress had come from. She clutched the note in her hands.

— Your Highness, someone must have sent you this dress especially for the banquet! — The knight no longer hesitated to take the dress in his hands, -Do you know who it could be?

«…»

Remesis frowned.

— I don't know.

— Then probably someone is secretly supporting you!

The knight was delighted, groping the gorgeous fabric and imagining how beautiful the princess would look in it. This dress was indeed perfect for her in every way. He thought about the fact that any man who saw her in this outfit would get an overdose of cuteness.

But the girl cut short his reverie with one sharp phrase:

— Send him back.

— What…?

Hannes stared at her in a stupor.

— I don't want to accept this gift, so send it back.

The knight opened and closed his mouth.

— But Your Highness, you don't even know who it's from… How can I return it…''

Remesis bit her lip.

Only now did she realize it. The dress really couldn't be returned. And it wasn't because she had lied to Hannes that she didn't know its owner. There were too many strangers around the Order's residence, and if someone spotted a knight from the palace of the Northern Princess, it would definitely cause a strong public reaction. There would be a lot of trouble afterward.

Liana Daehsin had clearly planned for this, making sure that the girl would never come to her palace in the middle of the day. Therefore, there would be nothing left for her but to keep the dress. Appreciating all the calculating nature of this girl, Remesis grew increasingly exasperated. «You have no choice but to accept my gift.» — As if those were the exact words that should have been stated in the note.

Meanwhile, noticing the tense expression on Remesis' face, the knight turned to her uncertainly:

— Your Highness, why do you want it back? This dress is so beautiful, why don't you.....

But the little lady's next words shocked the man even more:

— If we can't return it, then just throw it away.

The commander's mouth gaped open again.

— Throw it away?! — he protested, — Your Highness, but how can you throw away such a thing…!

He tried to object, but Remesis was adamant. To Hannes, as a lower class person, such a gesture was not reprehensible. Ordinary people exchanged gifts without any special intention, just to make each other feel good. So he thought that some kind person wanted to please a little girl. But the knight was mistaken when he thought that everything happens in high society in the same way.

Aristocrats were very complicated people. A single gesture or word could mean much more than it seemed at first glance. Especially if it was a gift. Aristocrats never gave each other gifts unless they had a motive. And in this case, the motive was quite obvious. She sighed. It was annoying, but she had to follow the rules. Otherwise she would be misunderstood.

— Whatever. Just throw that box away.

Remesis didn't even want to look at the box. It was as if it didn't contain a dress but a bomb.

The knight was surprised by this attitude of the princess, but he could hardly influence her decision. When the girl's sapphire eyes took on such an expression, all his efforts were useless. Right now, Remesis's gaze was colder than metal.

Hannes Wrightly sighed disappointedly. After taking one last look at the adorable dress, he closed the lid with obvious annoyance. «Sometimes it's really hard for me to understand what the princess is thinking…»

As the knight bowed and left, Remesis escorted him out with an impassive gaze. She didn't feel the slightest bit of regret. Then she closed her eyes and sighed.

«Lady Daehsin, I hope you will interpret my intentions correctly. You and I are truly better off having nothing to do with each other.»

After that evening, the girl had firmly decided that this dubious and rather risky relationship should be cut off at the root as soon as possible. Otherwise, what Remesis feared the most might happen.

A feeling that could not be controlled.

***

A reception at the Imperial Palace was always a very significant event. Many nobles prepared for it months in advance, carefully selecting accessories and outfits. For the nobility, every outing had a special meaning. Especially if it involved a princess.

This time, the banquet would be honored by the presence of all four pillars of the empire, including His Majesty the Emperor. Everything must be at the highest level.

The dress for Princess Aveline Nevita Ashelot has been in the works for six months. And today, the day before the event, the final fitting show was to take place. During this process, Empress Julia was present. She personally watched the four maids spinning around her daughter, carefully adjusting every fold and ruffle.

Since the dress was made especially for the Crown Princess, it was indeed magnificent. Except…

— What is this?

Julia's attentive gaze squinted when she saw the girl in the dress.

— Is something wrong, Your Majesty? — The maids were a little concerned.

— Is it just me, or are the sides sticking out a little? — The woman came closer and touched the area.

The dress fit the princess very tightly. It could be said that it really wasn't big enough for her. Julia didn't like this sight and curled her lips.

Many people were watching them, so the empress took her daughter's hands and addressed her affectionately:

— My dear, why does the dress fit you so well? Did it not fit two months ago?

The woman squeezed her palm very hard. Aveline's freckled face turned pale.

— M-mother…

One of the senior maids hurriedly intervened.

— Your Imperial Majesty, let me tell you. Children at this age grow up very fast. Therefore, it is not surprising if it might have become too small for the princess…

— Isn't it? — The empress continued to smile, — Then why does she continue to grow in width and not height?

«…»

To this, the maid didn't find anything to reply.

There was silence in the princess's dressing room for a while. She exhaled patiently, and an angelic smile appeared on the woman's face.

— It's alright. No need to get upset over such a small thing, right, Aveline? We'll just tighten your corset.

The princess's maid who was standing next to her became agitated.

— B-but, Your Majesty… It might make it hard for the princess to breathe. Then why don't you choose another dress…?

The maid shut up when the woman looked at her. The smile of the most beautiful woman of the imperial palace was as beautiful as a flower. But for some reason, the maid felt uneasy.

— It's alright,» she repeated in a more confident tone, «Only this dress is perfect for the imperial banquet. His Majesty will be very pleased to see you like this, won't he, my daughter?

Aveline stiffened and nodded weakly. The girl did not resist when the empress ordered the maids to tighten the corset.

Her breath came in short gasps, and her ribs felt as if they were in a vise and about to break. It was hard for Aveline to keep standing, but she kept quiet and didn't show the slightest discomfort. Because she knew it would be even worse.

— How are you, my daughter?

— I'm… I'm fine…

Julia stared at her again and was more or less satisfied. If such a word could be applied to her daughter at all.

— Well, we'll leave it at that, then.

She turned to the maids who lined up in a row in front of her. The woman said: «Tomorrow is an important day. You must do your best to make the princess look excellent. Do you understand?»

— Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!

Julia Ravelia Ashelot smiled.

— In that case, I'll be leaving now. I still have some work to do to organize the banquet.

— Have a good day, Mother! — Aveline said this, feeling dizzy from lack of air. But she continued to hold on until the last moment.

Only when the empress left did the crown princess finally give up and collapsed on wobbly legs. The maids immediately rushed to her aid.

— Your Highness!

They took off the girl's corseted dress and helped her put on another one. After that, she felt a little better.

— Your Highness, perhaps you need a physician? — The chambermaid was genuinely concerned about her well-being.

— Zoe, I'm fine…» Aveline sighed.

— This dress… Are you sure you can stay in it all evening?

The princess was silent for a moment.

— If Mother said so, then it must be so. Don't say anything more…

— But…» the maid hesitated.

— I want to rest, so you can go.

The maid was still flustered, but she nodded nonetheless. She slowly stepped back and left the room. Aveline was left alone in her palace.

The girl walked over to the mirror.

— Why am I so ugly? — Aveline had been asking herself this question since she was six years old, - Because I'm so ugly, Mother suffers so much…

Julia always said that she was the cause of all her troubles. Even if she got the title of empress as a result of her birth, what good is it if this child is otherwise completely useless? When she grows up, people will realize that there's nothing special about the Crown Princess and stop looking at her mouth like this. Julia's greatest fear: that one day their position would be jeopardized.

That hadn't happened so far because of the princess's happy birth. But how long would this insurance continue to work? Would it last until the end of days?

«Even a dung worm does more good than you.» — Julia had said those words to her when the little girl was five years old. She had memorized them ever since.

«Maybe it would be better if I really was just a worm…» — Aveline hoped that in her next life, she would lead a more down-to-earth existence. Even a worm had more freedom than a crown princess. Plus then her beautiful mother wouldn't have to worry about her.

In the afternoon, after a not-so-pleasant dress fitting, the princess and her maid went for a walk to the greenhouse. The garden adjacent to the Crown Princess's palace was simply enormous. To walk around it completely wouldn't even take a few hours.

Normally, Aveline would get tired quickly and could not walk for more than half an hour. But she forced herself, because, according to the healer, physical activity will help her lose weight.

So the girl tried to load herself with long walks every day.

Aveline and her maid wandered around the labyrinth garden for two hours. The princess was tired and very thirsty. That was when Zoe excused herself to bring the princess a refreshing drink.

— Your Highness, please sit here for a while!

The maid quickly rushed away. The girl sat down on the bench and waited for her.

Ten minutes passed. The princess heard rustling in the bushes and footsteps.

— Hello, Your Highness.

Aveline saw a grown man in front of her. His figure shaded her from the sun. He was a stable boy who worked in the palace stables. His clothes were dirty and green, and his tanned face was covered with red stubble. He, like her mother, was a redhead and also had many freckles on his face. His eyes were brown and glowed warmly.

— H-hello… — the girl was a little embarrassed in front of strange adults.

— Are you expecting someone?

— Y-yes, my maid…

The stable boy smiled.

— She seems to be delayed. Aren't you tired of sitting here?

The princess nodded uncertainly.

— Then let me take you back.

A large hand reached out to her, and after some hesitation, Aveline grasped it. The stableman led her back to the palace. Then, holding his calloused palm, the girl felt an unusual warmth.