Chapter 15

The doll house was more of a doll castle, It's size bigger than a servant's dorm room. It's so large, small stairs were built in front of it so the girls could reach the top floor. It had two towers and three floors in a hexagon shape missing a side so she could enter.

Aside from its shape, it looked like a cupboard without doors or drawers. Each other side had three floors, or three rooms. Each room had different wooden objects as furniture.

The bathroom had a small bathtub and sink, the bedrooms had beds, sheets, tables, and chairs. The kitchen had a stove, cookware, and tiny plates and culinary. There was also a closet, a shoe closet, a music room, a painting hall, a sun room, a training hall with swords and bows, a dance room, and a guest room.

Some of the furniture were carved by Edward, but most of the other objects were made by her and her apprentice maids on their spare time.

"this...is princess cherry. Edward* carved it for me! " Amourora picked a small wooden figurine trying to remember it's name. " he named it, that's why the name is weird. He says it's because her red hair is in two buns, so it looks like cherries."

*Edward is the first prince (he didn't make an appearance yet).

"and what's this one called?" Avyanna picked another figurine, but this one is a tall chubby man.

"oh, that's... Her father... king Pearson." she laughed. "pfft, hahaha. Get it? Because he has a pear-shaped belly? Haha."

Avyanna laughed and picked another one. "let me guess, this is her mother, queen Strawberry?"

"yes! How did you know?" she looked at the little figurine's red hair raised in a weird strawberry-shaped bun and colored with yellow dots as golden ornaments.

"hehe. her hair!"Avyanna took two other wooden figurines, two boys, the one with orange hair shorter than the one with black curly hair." prince Orange and prince Grapes?"

"close enough. Prince Tobit and prince Nightwing; I named them." she said proudly.

"oh, that makes sense."

"oh, let me show you the swing! " she grabbed her hand and ran outside of the doll house.

"weeee!"

"go faster!"

They both sat on the big swing hand in hand and giggled as Luna and Lina pushed them. Avyanna wasn't used to playing with another child, so she just followed Amourora's lead.

If she wanted to play with dolls, Avyanna would play with her, if she wanted to swing, so did Avyanna.

"your highness, his majesty summons you for lunch!" Mal entered with a gentle smile.

"let's go!" Amourora took Avyanna's hand.

"um, I think it's better if you go, his majesty didn't call me." Avyanna took back her hand.

"lady Avyanna is right—" Mal tried to stop them.

"it's fine." Amourora took her hand again.

"but—"

"I already said it's fine." she tightened her grip and dragged the poor little girl to the dining hall with her.

One of the things she wanted to change in this life was to bring her family closer together. It would be harder for Victoria to tear them apart.

Last time, Avyanna was an outcast in her own home, she didn't feel like she belongs, and that further influenced her introverted personality. Perhaps if she spends more time around other people, it would boost her self-confidence and self-esteem.

Since yesterday was a celebration, they ate in the imperial garden, but meals are meant to be eaten at the dining hall, although the imperial family does not do it often.

The founding emperor made a rule for imperial family members to eat all meals in the dining hall. But throughout the years, especially in times of trouble, the emperors wouldn't be able to attend due to their work, so the rule was altered to dinners and lunches, then just dinners.

Up until the last emperor, that rule was taken lightly, but after he ascended the throne, all three meals were eaten in the dining hall. But after his death, the empress dowger found it difficult to attend because it reminded her of her late husband.

The emperor and second prince were too busy settling things in court and the boarders and couldn't attend, and the third prince ate breakfast in his room and stayed out of the palace for most of the day.

As for the youngest princess, she was too young to understand, and still coping with her father's death and spent all her time with her mourning mother. The empress was overwhelmed with her new responsibilities and has given birth just recently, so she couldn't afford to attend because it would only exhaust her more.

From then on, they rarely gathered for meals.

"gre—this...princess greets the imperial family." Avyanna stammered while curtsying nervously.

"Hello, imperial father, mother." unlike the nervous Avyanna, Amourora walked straight to her seat and only waved.

Although what she did was rude, no one commented. Even the emperor who seemed a little dissatisfied kept quiet.

"greetings to you too." he replied half-sarcastically. "dinner shall now begin."

At the emperor's words, the servants stepped forward and pulled out the seats for the imperial family and pushed them closer to the table after they all sat down. The butler announced the first course of the meal, and servants with trays rushed in orderly fashion and set up the dishes on the table.