A Truce (1)

I was walking on the hallways towards the throne room. It was eerily quite, as if it was a calm before the storm. My heart was thumping heart inside my chest because of nervousness.

"That man will not call all of us in the throne room if it is not important." I whispered to myself.

After my mother died and I knew the true colors of my father the emperor, my thirst for his love started to fade away until it was replaced with hatred.

What I feel now for him is nothing more but hatred for how he treated my mother and how he still treats me and my younger brother.

The door to the throne room was in sight. I saw two knights standing guard by the door. The two knights bowed their heads when they saw me approach and opened the doors.

"Princess Almera Ashelet Constantine has arrived." One knight announced my presence.

I carefully walked inside the throne room. When I looked at the throne area, I saw my father seating on his throne looking at me intently. I felt his stare so intensely as if it can bore a whole right through my body.

Not only him but his ministers were also looking at me.

'Had I done anything wrong?' I thought and dug through my memory of the past days and cannot think of anything.

I saw that my brother had already arrived before me and was looking at me worriedly.

Once I was just below the throne area, I stopped and curtsied gracefully as a princess who has learned etiquette would do.

"Greetings, your majesty." I greeted with respect. "I, Almera Ahselet Constantine, had arrived by your summons."

"Very well." Emperor Reginald replied. "We will just wait for your other siblings to arrive. Stand beside your brother while we wait."

"As you wish." I curtsied once more and walked towards the direction of where my brother was standing.

I walked passed the emperor's ministers and saw Duke Arthur as well. He was a good friend of mine since childhood. His family had been good supporters of me and my brother and I owe the late duke a great amount of debt for looking after us after my mother the empress died.

Arthur, Alexus, and I had been close since we were young. We have been playmates since childhood and good friends in our teens. But once Arthur took the seat of duke after his father passed away and Alexus started to be serious in his princely duties, we haven't gotten to meet each other to seat down and talk because of their busy schedules.

'I miss those days when we were still young and to not have problems as adults.' I sighed internally.

I passed by Arthur and gave him a smile. He smiled back and nodded his head as a reply. I cannot but help notice that his smile was sad.

I took the space beside my brother Alexus and stand by diligently.

"Do you have any idea what is happening?" I asked Alexus in a whisper.

"I also do not have a clue." Alexus replied. "I was nervous that it has something to do with you."

"Me?" I said in disbelief. "But I do not remember doing anything in particular to have father call such a meeting here in the throne room. With all the ministers in full attendance as well."

"Did you get caught sneaking out of the palace again?" Alexus asked me with one eyebrow up. "How many time have I told you to stop sneaking out to town incognito? It is not safe for a young lady such as you walking around alone."

"Oh come on Alexus. You are not my mother. And should it not be the other way around and me as the older sister be the one worried about you, my little brother." I gave him a sideways smile. "And of course I was not caught sneaking out. I am always careful to hide my tracks. And I am a master of disguise." I giggled.

"Disguise? You call wearing a wig and those baggy clothes a disguise?" Alexus rolled his eyes in frustration. "Big sister, when will you start listening to me and stop your little escapades?"

"There is nothing to do here inside the palace." I replied. "And besides, they do not even notice if I have been gone the whole day. They do not care about a shut in princess."

I have my reasons why I maintain my facade as a shut in princess, and that is to let the people inside the palace think that I am just a weak and neglected princess. That image is also to mislead our enemies who has their eyes always watching us siblings. Those enemies are none other than the Aberfort family.

Noel Aberfort has his eyes on the throne for quite sometime now and he plans to put his grandson Jonas take that seat. There were quite a few attempts on me and my younger brother's life, but thankfully with my powers we were able to survive them every time.

I cannot rely on my powers of prophetic dreams because I still do not have the means to fully control them, so few years back I founded a merchant company with another identity. The company was also an information guild underneath. It was called the White Rose Merchant Company in front and the Black Rose Information Guild underneath.

This company not only flourished in trade but also in buying and selling information and it had become a multi million company in no time. It had been also beneficial for me because of the information network. Everything that goes through the information guild, I also know and that includes the assassination plots against us as well. And not to mention, it made me filthy rich as well. I am supporting Alexus in his goal for the throne secretly. With our enemies watching my brother's every move, I must also stay vigilant and be always one step ahead of them.

"Prince Jonas Constantine and Princess Quinevere Constantine have arrived." The knight announced.

'Well speak of the devils.' I thought.

Jonas and Quinevere came inside and walked towards the throne area. The two of them had father's blonde hair and light blue eyes, while me and my brother got our mother's raven black hair and indigo eyes.

"Greetings, your majesty." My step siblings greeted.

"At ease." Emperor Reginald said. "Now that all are here, I will state the agenda we need to discuss. A temporary cease fire has been declared between our empire and the empire of Alessandria. A treaty has been talked about and the terms had just came in."

I have breathed a sigh of relief that it was nothing about me that has to be discussed in this meeting. I have already known of the temporary cease fire beforehand because of the Black Rose Information Guild. I also know that Alessandria has the upper hand in this truce.

'I am curious as to what the terms the emperor of Alessandria had asked for.' I wondered.