Chapter 2

I was successfully able to escape from the mansion and have been running through the forests for awhile now. I'm pretty sure by now they have noticed that me and mother have been missing…hopefully nothing unfortunate happens to mother. I need to get to the Imperial palace quickly! I keep pushing myself even when I feel like I'm reaching my limit.

"I need to save mother!" Was all I could think about while running through this huge forest…but it only seemed like I was going deeper into the forest instead of getting out of it. I was becoming more terrified as I heard noises of animals and suddenly I winced in pain.

"Ow my foot!" I want to stop so badly and rest but the thought of anything bad happening to my mother brings chills down my body. I quickly but with ease take the tiny piece of rock out from the bottom of my foot and continued running. The pain in my body and especially in my heart was excruciating.

As I watched the direction of the moon—it lead me out the forest. And finally, I could get help soon. But the trip back to the Imperial Palace wasn't short instead it took all my strength and the rest of the night to arrive in front of the palace. Before I could even step foot in the palace—I collapsed and fainted in front of gate. The only thought going through my head is "Please save mother…"

Luckily, the Imperial guards noticed me and immediately took me inside and informed my father. Father was so relieved to hear that I am found but suddenly it struck him that mother wasn't anywhere to be found.

"Where's the Empress?" The Emperor asked his knights with pure anger all over his face.

"We're so sorry, Your Majesty. But Her Majesty wasn't anywhere where the Princess fainted. We're on the search right now and when the Princess wakes up we'll ask her for details." The Head Captain informed with an anxious face.

"Find the Empress as quickly as you can! That's an order!"

The Emperor makes his way towards to my room with his knights, where I'm being treated on my wounds. The Priests were urgently ordered by father to come treat my injuries with healing magic. In the empire, only the royals and the church are able to use magic. Since I'm young, my magic hasn't flourished and will have to wait until I'm at least 10 years old to finally gain the ability to use my magic. For now, the Priests are here to heal me and provide me with therapy.

"His Majesty, the Emperor, is here to meet the Princess." Lily announced to everyone in the room since I was still unconscious.

Everyone noticed the broken-hearted expression on The Emperors face, making their spirits go down even lower. This incident was something no one expected—the Priests, the maids and the knights were standing silently witnessing the family break, something they couldn't wrap their heads around. The royal family was always happy so how could something like this happen.

"Father…" a tear stained face comes in the view from the side of the door.

"Isaiah… what are you doing here?" Father asked him.

"I wanted to look after sister…can I?" Not knowing how to refuse his little son so he gives in and agrees while his heart broke watching his daughter lie in bed with multiple bruises. Suddenly, I slowly start to open my eyes but what happened next was something even more unexpected for father and everyone present in the room.

"GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I yelled with tears forming as I looked at every man present in the room.

"Honey, everything is fine. See, I'm here!" Immediately running into my fathers arms and slowly mumbling.

"Please have them get out my room…I don't want to be near those men…please…please" tears flowing out of my eyes as father orders everyone to get out.

I hear a small voice, "Can I please stay…?" As Isaiah came into my view with his tears flowing out.

"Yes…" I said while opening my arms for him to come into a big hug. I don't know why but I can only bear the sight of my brother and father but not any other man. It's making me feel abnormal, I feel as if I can't fit into the society anymore but I'm the Princess so I need to fit into the society. Then why? Why am I feeling so gross at the sight of other men? But most importantly, where's mother?

"Irene, I know you are not feeling well but can you please tell me where mother is?" Father asked with all his courage, even if it's breaking his heart.

"Can Isaiah go out…? I don't want him to hear this…" It seemed that father had forgot that Isaiah was also in his lap hugging him and he immediately agreed to my request as he got the sense that something horrible must have happened.

"Father no, I don't want to leave!" Isaiah started crying and throwing a tantrum.

"Listen to father…right now your sister needs me the most and I need to find out where your mother is." Father explained to Isaiah with a soothing voice and Isaiah understood that finding mother was important at the moment, making his way out of my room. As he left the room, I start telling father about what happened.

"In the forest…where the abandoned mansion is at. Duke Klaus had us kidnapped and…and he…he did something bad to mother. Mother was bleeding a- and…crying, screaming when that horrible Duke Klaus was with mother and I was in…a different room being hurt by other men…" I looked up at father after finishing and he looked as if someone shattered his whole world into pieces as his eyes filled with rage—tears start flowing down his face, in frustration. Instantly, I wipe my fathers tears and hug him.

"You'll find mother, right? I know she's waiting."

In a reassuring voice, he says "Yes I will."

By the end of the day, The Priests had informed The Emperor that the Princess was heavily traumatized from the unfortunate incident and this caused her to fear men due to the assault that The Empress and the Princess went through but luckily she's fine around His Majesty and the Prince.

"Is there no way to help her get rid of the fear of men?"

"Not that we know of right now but it'd be best for her to surround herself with men…which we only would recommend when she's older and has more of a stronger mental strength since right now she's only 5 years old and it'll only cause the situation to get worse." As the head Priest suggests.

Father never felt as helpless as he did as this moment—on one side his daughter is suffering such psychological effects and on the other side his wife was still missing. At this moment, the Captain of the knights shows his appearance to the Emperor while the Priest is dismissed.

"Any news about the Empress?" Father quickly asks in a panicked voice, the urgency vastly apparent.

With an anxious expression the Captain informs the Emperor, "We have captured Duke Klaus and The Empress was found…"

"Great! Is the Empress getting treated?" Asking in a relieved expression.

"But…we were too late…The Empress had passed away when we arrived to the abandoned mansion." The Captain informed the Emperor while looking down. "Forgive me, Your Majesty."

That statement shook father to the core, he wanted to believe that it was all a lie but he couldn't manage to utter any word. The only thing he could do was ask where the Empress was.

"Where…Where is the Empress?"

"In Her Majesty's room…" informing the Emperor with pain in his voice. The Captain felt like a failure…not being able to save the Empress…the royal family.

I heard the maids talking to each other while I was walking to Isaiahs room. I didn't quite catch what they were talking about but I heard "The Empress."

I thought to myself getting happy, "Is mother back?!" Immediately running towards my parents bedroom to only be greeted with a lifeless body—father sitting next to mother with her hand in his hands as tears go down his face and landing on my mothers hand. I couldn't move at all…my world had seemed to stop at that sight. I saw my world go from having everything in it—to nothing at all; everything shattered right before me and the guilt of me coming back alone started to haunt me but then I remembered mothers words…"It's not my fault" but those words started to seem like a lie…. In my peripheral vision, I could see Isaiahs small figure approaching me.

"I heard mother is back, sis!" He told me with his sweetest smile in his face. I didn't have the heart to tell him or even let him see the sight I saw. I want to protect him from any hurt…I want him to be someone who doesn't get to experience what I went through. At that moment, I was glad that I was the one who got kidnapped. I'll do anything to have him stay as the sweet little boy he is…with no pain and only happiness. From this moment on, I'll protect him at whatever cost…since that's the only motivate I have to keep living.

"Mother is back…but she left to heaven. The angels took mother since she's so pretty and kind to people!" I lied.

"But mother told us she'll be with us till we are all grown up and old…" tears start forming in his cute eyes and I wanted to keep lying but it seems like it'd break his heart more when he finds out later that mother died.

"Why don't we go to mother's garden? I'll explain to you everything…ok?" His face brightened up a little. I don't know if he knows what death is but I know he will understand if I explained to him properly.

We arrive at the gorgeous garden that mother personally made, instantly it helped brighten my saddened heart. It felt as if mother was with me in the presences of these flowers…as if her soul lives in these flowers which comforted me. Me and Isaiah walking hand in hand as I lead us to the patio which was surrounded by hydrangeas and vines of plants wrapped around the fences. We make our way to the bench as I make Isaiah sit beside me. Who would've thought I would have to explain to a 3 year old kid that his mother has passed away…I was experiencing so much pain but pulling the courage out of nowhere, I start talking.

"Isaiah, you know how I told you mother is taken by the angels…well not exactly." His face clearly expressing the confusion. "uhm mother won't ever be coming back, she went to heaven after saving me from those bad people…you know how the Priests are trying to heal me…just like that mother is being healed in heaven."

"Will we able to see mother again?" He asked with a hopeful expression which just broke my heart even more. I couldn't tell him that mother died because of me…he'll most definitely blame me…or not but I'm not taking the chances.

"No…we'll be saying goodbye to mother at the funeral ceremony so she can peacefully heal in heaven…isn't that what you want to?"

"Yes!" he said while faintly smiling.

"Isaiah…mother wanted you to know that she'll love you forever and ever even when she isn't present with us, ok?" I recalled the last words my mother said to which shattered my heart in million pieces.

"I'll always love mother too and you too sister!" It felt as if he knew I needed to hear those words, I felt comforted as we both smiled and hugged each other.

While hugging, I assure him "I will always be there for you and protect you from anything and everything. I'll be your best friend and your sister…ok?"

"Yes sister!"

I was glad that he didn't try to protest or throw a tantrum and understood everything I said. While we are both hugging, I feel something furry on my leg and when I look down, I'm surprised to see Tulip. All the memories of mother related to Tulip starts flooding back into my head. I remembered the first time I saw Tulip, our royal dog, he was so tiny and had brown with white patches with these pretty blueish purplish eyes which immediately made me love him more. Mother had especially gotten him for me and Isaiah on Isaiahs birthday, he had turned 2 years old that day. We were all so happy to include another family member into our family and named him Tulip which meant royalty and perfect love.

I realized one thing that despite mother not being here with us in person; there was the garden, Tulip and my heart—that will always hold the memories of my beloved mother.