Chapter 1 "Blissful days"

"Tara!"

...

"Tara!"

I had woken up from her deep slumber right under our family's ancestral tree. I found my dear younger sibling, weighing me down.

"Meli? You shouldn't be here you know, or mother might scold you again"

She pouted in anger and hid her reddened face that resembled of a tomato on my chest.

I patted her head with a sigh.

"What am I going to do with you, Meli..." I smiled like the worrying big sister I am. Meli snuggled her face to my chest, holding as I was going to disappear anytime.

'What a nice feeling'

"Perhaps we can stay like this a little bit longer..." I agreed to let Meli sleep with me as I always do. Huh, how peaceful in a moment I was in. Only the wind conjured melodies of silence and the waving of the ancestral tree that made it feel like an instrument.

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"Tara! There you are!"

Another voice calling out for my name but a much deeper one.

It was big brother Alexard.

"Your head is too heavy for my weak and fragile body. I won't have it. Meli is an exception"

Big brother Alexard was handsome that half of the capital's young maidens dreamt of one day being asked to dance with him. We had the same features with dark brown hair and the Lanyrelle eyes of gray that looked like shiny copper except of course, he was a lot taller.

"I miss you too Tara" he smiled like the kind boy he had grown into. I wonder what can drive his temper off.

I looked at him with tired eyes and shifted my sight away from him to ignore whatever reason he's going to drag me out from my blissful peace.

"Tell mother that Meli is here with me, tired and so am I...

I'll later carry Meli to mother when I feel like getting up" I don't want to get up but even knowing I have to, I also know I'm too stubborn to. (I have the time of the world why should I get up?)

Alexard squatted with eyes gazing at Meli.

"The crown prince plans to visit tomorrow at noon to play with me, isn't it an honor?"

he announced while getting Meli's hair away from her mouth.

He knew I didn't like hearing the same conversation over and over again. but felt like he needed to say it. Did the crown prince force him to say it? If he did then he is no good that the rest who just wants to be with big brother because of that status shenanigan.

"He's the crown prince, Tara, you can't really think of pushing him away too" Big brother's voice was soothing that it made me deaf of the context he was saying.

"Tara, I heard the crown prince is quite playful and fun to play swords with!" he tried with a convincing tone. What a close one tho... no matter how fun he is, I know what the people think who he is. Even swords won't make me say yes.

"I heard that he's a trouble maker who brings the family he comes to into downfall!" The maids speak of the prince as someone who gets away with everything since he is the next emperor. A status he can flaunt!

"Hush, dear sister!" he worriedly said.

"What? He's not here nor anyone to hear us!"

Sometimes big brother is hard to read. He smiles all the time and exactly knows what we want but I never know what he wants since he just accepts everything. Mother says it's his duty as future duke. Mother says that we should be careful of what we are saying as we grow older.

"You'll like him, Tara" he stood as I saw mother walk towards us.

"After all, the two of you can hang out easily with the same attitude!" he smiled and ran away.

I gasp in disbelief! How could he compare me to a troublemaker-

That's not true! But why is there that feeling that it is...

LIES!HMPH!

Meli woke up and as she looked at me in confusion to why I looked like red tomato. I stood up while carefully letting Meli sit. I ran to him wanting to say it's not. Wanting to confirm I'm not a trouble maker.

Mother was there with a bright smile, looking towards me. Big brother hid his big body on mother's back as if it's going to save him.

"Tarvyra, stop running before you're going to fall!" mother said with a worried expression. I still continued and even after almost falling, I still pursued him. Meli ran with wanting to follow but mother grabbed her by the ear.

"You still haven't finish your lessons, young lady" of course, mother would scold her. It might be the reason she came here.

How times were simpler back at that time. I wanted to grow fast to grow beautiful like mother and yet here I wished that I didn't grow at all. Dreams don't run forever, they too stop.

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~Three years since the emperor's illness~

"Your majesty...."

A voice called to me. I opened my eyes to see my bedchambers and a huge window in front of me.

"Forgive me for waking your sleep but the emperor seeks your presence, empress..."

Marelyn, one of the ladies in waiting I had, bowed her head. She was cheerful as always and the youngest of the four I had.

He seems to be anxious of his work... even I am also new of this since it has only been two months that we've been emperor and empress, I also miss him but what has he need me of?

"I shall heed the emperor's call" I stood from my chair as I agreed.

I walked with Marelyn who was behind me in the enormous halls of the imperial palace. I still get lost even if it's surroundings are quite similar to the main hall.

1 visited the imperial palace a fair amount of times when spending time with his majesty, the emperor who was once crown prince at the time. But never have I ever seen the empress' palace which was also called the "Silver Garden". Even after being introduced to it, everything still feels foreign and new.

"Y-your majesty... I'm afraid the door is this way"

'Ah, I still don't know my way around'

"Apologies, Marelyn..."

She turned. "Your majesty! There is no need to apologize! It's only normal since it has been a few months since you started! I'm sure you'll eventually know your way around!"

"Still... With all this confusion, I'm afraid I might be taking his time with him waiting for me" I continued to walk with her.

"Your majesty? If I may ask? Will you be alright being alone with the emperor? I-I- mean sure you are the empress indeed! but, you seem to be familiar with the emperor's habits and what he does"

I smiled.

"The emperor and I are very close since we were children and after all, I did became crown princess because we fell in love at a young age"