Old friendship

Sigh! The palace is finally gone quiet. I haven't seen that child's face in a while and already feel refreshed. No immature brat walking around to challenge my patient. Everything is going according to plan with Jonathan when he took matters into his own hands and won the spotlight. He deserves it and no one is here to say otherwise. But why do I feel so uneasy?

"Queen Beatrice, what have you done all this time? You have neglected your duties and now one of our members is nowhere to be found. This kingdom needs us as a whole to prosper. With one of our most important assets rebelling and fleeing somewhere beyond our reach, he can put a bad example or even worse. We cannot guarantee how the mass is going to react when words come out."

Why should I have to take care of everything around here? I take the responsibility for this whole kingdom, while he and the empress have to keep their place and observe in silence even when their son is nowhere to be found. Useless witch. She is good for nothing selfless being.

It's been some time since the first prince has gone without any notice or coming back to the palace. If this happened to Jonathan, I would have scoured the whole kingdom to find him, but the first prince better stays where he is for the rest of his life. Yet, I also have to hear everyone making me responsible.

"I am well aware that the first prince has gone missing your majesty. However, Jonathan is doing his best to close that gap and assure us that his highness's tasks will be finished on time. Still, I will take this time to think about my mistake and search for his highness as your majesty commands."

"Then we are done for today's meeting. Queen Beatrice, I expect good news by tomorrow, or I will have to do it my way. This is not about losing an heir, but what would society think? And if words go out and other kingdoms hear that the first prince of Roan has run away and neglected his duties, I will be ridiculed. You and all this kingdom will be the laugh of the world. So do your best to find him, tie him up if he resists. Bring him here at all costs."

*Sigh* "As you wish your majesty!"

I cannot believe the day I have to act like a nanny to that crazy prince has come. I have other problems I have to take care of and above all, my efforts to show them what he really is have all gone to waste. I have proof that he did something fishy at the last coming-of-age ceremony. Two girls were assassinated and no one had no idea where they went, even their families. I just needed to put him on the spot in front of everyone and he would have probably said something useful, but it all went downhill when he changed it into a confection of a fight between him and the young duke of Akriste.

Now I have to see him every day pretending as if nothing happened and doing this worthless job in place of his own mother. That proud expression always hunts me, but the more I think about it, the more certain I am that he didn't take part in the assassination, otherwise, Jonathan would have seen him. I am afraid that the girl who raised her hand in agreement with his proposal is the one I have to keep my eye on as well. I have read about them but I have not seen a rapha in real life. Leaving it to grow inside the society is a crazy thing to imagine, and an absolute change of events. Anyhoo, this doesn't mean I am giving up on the fact that he has done something that I need to bring to light.

…What a headache, I need to collect my thought and start doing my work, but first-

"Maid, go and bring me the head of the concubines right now! I have to talk with her."

"Pardon? You mean…HER, your majesty? I am afraid she is not available at the moment. She is on her way to receive her punishment for today."

Again? It is the third time this week. And the emperor has gone too far with his punishments lately.

"What it is this time?"

"…They are going to burn her legs. That's the emperor's order."

W-w-what did she just…!? He has lost it. The emperor has lost his mind for her. She will die at this rate, and for what? For a sick ego. If she just gave what he wanted until he became satisfied nothing like this would have happened to her in the first place.

"Bring her here."

"But your majesty, what about the emperor-…"

"I don't care what he says, she has been through enough already. And if they go through this punishment, the emperor first will be furious, so I am doing you all a favor. Bring her here right now, no questions asked!"

Sigh! This woman is going to kill me one day from worrying too much about her well-being. Such a stubborn and complicated person. I don't get it, why doesn't she accept the emperor's love for her? So many years have passed and she still stays indifferent to his feelings. What am I even saying? He is wrong here. She was happy until the day he laid his eyes on her.

"My queen, you called for me?"

"Yes. Come in!" I can't…it makes me so angry to see you like this. I still remember those days when you were the most beautiful girl I have seen. Nothing has changed, but you have. A victim of love, that's what is written all over your face. That child is all you can think of. But that child has been dead for over fifteen years.

"Estella, god damn it. Why are you so stubborn?"

"Lower your voice, my queen, someone might hear you. Still, I don't understand what you mean by being stubborn, but I am not trying to act as such."

"Grrr…but you are!" I cannot bring myself to scold her when she looks at me like that. So indifferent. She doesn't care about what tortures they put her through, and yet she still doesn't give the emperor a proper answer. She is the definition of stubbornness.

"Sigh! For how long are you going to think about that man, Estella? Look how low you have fallen. He is not worth it, non-of of them are. Think about yourself first!"

"…! I am sorry, but I can't do that. My queen…they are the only thing that keeps me still going. The moment I spent with the two of them was so short, but I can not forget how happy and complete they made me feel. And I will not keep them away from my son as well, he at least has to know that he is not alone."

Oh, Estella! You have to let it go already. It is not healthy for you to keep bargaining yourself with dead people. When I first met Estella when I was in the academy, she was so young and full of life back then. Thinking about it now, I was always jealous of her in my preteen years. I don't know why, but she scared me. Such a pure and outgoing person, with a face that didn't know about trouble or pain, I was sure that she had another side that wanted no one to see. And I was almost right about it.

"Estella~! You are feeling rather down lately. Shall we go on a walk together? It's such nice weather outside."

"As you wish, my queen"

She was always an outgoing person when we were in the academy, and I don't remember myself being such. Therefore, she was the one who made the first move and we eventually become friends after she came to me at a party I didn't want to go and said, "Lady Beatrice, why are you standing here frowning when everybody else is having such a good time? If you want, I can stay here to make you company." Her beauty was the talk of the town, even I couldn't take my eyes off her when we were together. But what's funny is all the pickup lines the boys told her. Some of them were like this, "Did it hurt when you fall from heaven?". One, because of how pretty she was, and two, because her hair is so similar to white wings in form and color.

"I am curious about something, Estella. Do you still remember, back in the days when we were going to the festival before the hunting competition? Of course, you do. After all, it was a special event. However, what's happened there left a huge impression on me."

"Do you mean the accident with the priest and marquess of Dormer?"

"Precisely that moment when they both came to you. Hahaha…I couldn't stop laughing at how the priests used those words to compliment you. We all were like: "Did he just described her as the evil?", and then Verona was so confused and disguised, that he couldn't stand silent anymore, "How can you represent god with that dirty mouth of yours? Go there and pacify yourself", he said and pointed at the fountain, addressing it as holy water."

"Really?! I never heard him say that though."

Well, that's because you had only one man on your mind the whole time. She described him as the voice of truth. The one who showed her the beauty and hope within the lust and cruelty of her fate. The men gave her the right to choose and create her own path even if it meant defying the rules of society. But, she was for a small noble family, so she had to marry another noble from a bigger one, and I also had an arranged marriage with his majesty. So, whatever we did, fail or pass, our fate was already sealed. If it wasn't for HIM, she would have actually been happier.

Her family found a wealthy suitor for her and the wedding was going to be in the capital. It was surprisingly a really big event at the time to which I as a queen was invited as well. On that day she walked down the aisle with a long red dress and a black veil covering her face, then I knew she was going down a road of no return. All the guests understood her motive as well since the look she was going for said it all. A bride who wanted to make a statement about a passionate and sinful desire, holding the whole time onto another men's arm in front of her groom.

"You can keep holding onto your title and wealth, yet, I won't continue with this marriage ceremony. If you are still doubting I am going to make it clear to you. This is the man I am going to marry and spent my whole life with. No money, no noble title, and no one who is here today can convince me otherwise." Those were her last words before the groom panicked and called out the guards. Sadly, for him, the man she chose to run with was cocky and absolutely not a fan of regular and proper fighting. So long story short, the guard's life didn't end well and so was their love story. She has been closed to herself and in her own thoughts since then. I don't like to see her so down and depressed over someone who left her and the one who was never there, to begin with. A dead child and partner, those two have bugged her enough.

"Anyway, how is your son doing, lately? Does he still have that letter listing the reasons for how much he wants to go out and explore the world?"

"Yes, he does! I guess he is going through the rebellion stage and doesn't like it when I tell him that we don't have another choice. But rather than that, he is happy and a smart child."

"Hmm. How about I find him a friend? Will do you something for me then?"

She looks confused as expected, but I have thought about this for a while now. Since the emperor want Estella to be his and torturing her for fifteen years didn't have any effect. Then finding out that she had secretly two children with the man she run with will be taken as a blow to his ego. So, to make her happy again and light up her life a little bit by making her son's wish a reality, the friend should be someone who can define the emperor's power.

"My queen, this is a bizarre question coming from you. And even though I want my son to have a normal life, there is no way that there will be someone who won't tell about it."

"Worry not my dear Estella~! I have someone who is perfect for this duty. I will send Jonathan there right away since he can definitely convince them immediately. Not to mention, he knows it as a cold-hearted and even-tempered person, which is the pure opposite of your son. They will definitely get along pretty well, believe me."

"If you say so, my queen! I will say my answer after I see what he says first… If I may know my queen, what do I have to do if he agrees?"

"Huh? Oh, I will tell you after I get your answer. No need to rush things."

He will agree for sure. With this, I will kill two birds with one stone. I will have that girl under surveillance and find the first prince's motive behind the assassination of those two girls. And also, this way, Estella will have more time to spend with me.

"You are in good humor, my queen."

"Mhm~! Of course, I am now. Sadly, I have to take care of some confidential business after this, which is going to take me a lot of time to figure out."

"You can do this! Just hang in there and eventually, you will find a solution."

*Gasp* Estella~! I am sure I saw a little smile just now. That means that I am walking on the 'right' path. "Kya!!! You are just so cute!"