272

***

It was the peak of summer in Ortega, a time when the land brimmed with life. Oscar, the crown prince, and his new bride, Alicia Valenza Ortega de Salta, entered into the Sacrament of Marriage in a grand ceremony that was second only to the coronation of the emperor himself.

In keeping with the imperial family's tradition, the crown prince and his bride were to lead a procession through the city, even to the slums, tossing gold coins to the eager masses. Actors usually dressed as the newlyweds and rode in the chariot due to concerns about possible dangers, such as an assassination. However, Oscar decided to reject the practice and venture all the way to the slums with his bride, stating that it was important to be genuine on such a blessed day.

Now, the golden chariot rolled down the streets of Mendoza with the crown prince holding the reins and Alicia standing next to him in her extravagant wedding gown, gracefully casting gold coins to the cheering crowd. They wore their smiles like armor, undiminished and radiant even after hours of festivities. As the chariot made its way, the streets surged with life. Every corner bustled with commoners clamoring for a glimpse, their voices raising in a cacophony of sound.

"Your Highness!" the cries came cutting through the sea of bodies.

"Please spare me a glance, Your Highness!"

"Over here, Your Highness!"

The imperial family had expressed great concern over Oscar's stubborn desire to traverse the slums instead of stopping at the streets in front of the chapel. Fortunately, both Oscar and Alicia emerged unharmed from the procession. Perhaps this was due to a prominent section in the evening papers from the day before, which praised the crown prince's resolve to trust in the "kind and gentle people of Ortega". It would be much more realistic, however, to credit the keen eyes and swords of the knights positioned around the chariot for keeping chaos at bay.

Indeed, many of the "kind and gentle" citizens lunged to cling to the chariot or fought to step in front of the horses, completely blinded by the spectacle of gold raining from the crown princess's hands. The knights guarding the front and rear end of the chariot responded swiftly, delivering blunt strikes with their swords. After a few incidents, the scramble subsided as the people finally realized that no amount of gold was worth the price of life itself, and began fighting amongst themselves, far from the reach of Oscar and Alicia.

Once the newlyweds finished greeting the people of the capital, the procession wove its path to the slums that formed a long band around the outskirts of Mendoza, where they left a glittering trail of gold coins in their wake. An enormous crowd formed as a result of villagers-both from near and far-gathering in the slums for their share of imperial charity. Tragedy marred the day, as stampedes claimed dozens of lives, but the crown prince washed his hands of guilt. This was a day of blessing, after all, and the festivities extended throughout Ortega. The imperial palace generously provided potatoes, wheat, and various meats that had been stored throughout the winter to the poor peasants. A rumor began to spread that Oscar and the imperial family had used their private wealth for the sake of the impoverished in celebration of the joyous occasion. Oscar's reputation was higher than ever, especially since he had always maintained an impeccable public image.

The people hailed Oscar as a benevolent prince who did not abandon the darkest corners of the empire for the magnificent streets of the capital, even during such a great celebration. As for Alicia, she was lauded as the embodiment of virtue, an ever-faithful bride who had quietly supported her betrothed all her life.

The entirety of Mendoza sang their praises during the day of the ceremony, as well as the seven days of festivities that followed. A drawing of the grand procession appeared in all sorts of newspapers-ones that were meant for nobles and the upper class, and thin, raggedy ones that could be purchased with a single bronze coin. Many of the papers discussed the misfortunes Alicia had endured when she lost her parents before she received the imperial surname of Valenza, gushing about how she had managed to endure all of it with a set of clear morals, as well as the strong sense of loyalty she inherited from her parents. In fact, articles of this sort were often placed on the very front page. Every other publication praised the character of the current Marquess Barca, who had raised Alicia like his very own daughter. The reporters managed to find a thousand different ways to put a romantic spin on how Oscar had proved his loyalty by protecting his betrothed from being abandoned by the palace after she was orphaned.

The small, expensive tabloids that were consumed by younger nobles went a step further. They attempted to dispel the rumors about how Oscar had never been interested in his betrothed, and they claimed that Alicia was an honorable lady despite how she had been mocked for being a wallflower at every single banquet. According to them, Oscar had simply decided not to entertain himself with women due to his honest and moral nature.

As the press continued to distort Oscar and Alicia's past for the sake of their publications, they occasionally turned their attention to the newlyweds' "acquaintances" as well. Two of them provided more entertainment than the others-namely, Cárcel Escalante de Esposa and Inés Escalante de Perez, the man who had always outshone the crown prince and his wife, who became famous during one spring in Mendoza for her husband's overwhelming, unrequited love for her. In addition, many of the papers gossiped about the sons of the five dukes, Dolores, the only sister of the crown prince, as well as the young lords who were graced with her company during the seven days of festivities.

Now that Oscar had finally gotten married, Dolores was the only remaining member of the imperial family who had to find a good spouse for herself. Once upon a time, Dolores had been the hottest topic of tabloid magazines due to her immense beauty, despite her status as a love child who didn't have any real connections to the imperial family. This was mainly attributable to the empress, who had generously taken Dolores in to raise her like her own daughter. Although the high aristocrats of the Grandes de Ortega secretly rejected her, she was still the emperor's only daughter and the precious stepdaughter of the empress on the surface. In fact, most young nobles of Mendoza and minor noble houses-oblivious to the complex dynamics that existed within high society-regarded Dolores as the most exalted noble lady in all of Ortega. This view became even more prominent after Inés married into House Escalante, who was previously viewed as the lady with the most prestige and status.

Of course, Inés had never been painted in a positive light before her marriage. The fact that she rarely attended formal events led to many speculations and gossip, and tabloids had mercilessly labeled her as a witch or crow who had nothing but her noble bloodline and a betrothed who was much too good for her. Therefore, it was only natural that Dolores held the attention and admiration of the many unmarried noble ladies who frequented the palace and occupied a central place in their gossip. Now, countless mouths were whispering about the lucky man who would be chosen by Dolores. Word traveled fast-many nobles were already aware of the young lords from prestigious families who had rejected Dolores, and those names had been published in the tabloids for young nobles. Among the lords who remained, Miguel Escalante de Esposa happened to be in the spotlight. The popular opinion was that he was the perfect fit for Dolores since his engagement had been called off after the death of his betrothed, despite the tragic nature of the situation.

In her room, Dolores furrowed her brows in irritation as she looked up from the tabloid magazine. "They are already gossiping about an engagement between myself and Miguel?"

Regina, a lady-in-waiting of the empress, nodded. "Not only that, but-"

"This is ridiculous!" Dolores snapped, cutting off the rest of her sentence. "This is a matter that was only discussed between His Majesty and Mother, and I know for a fact that Lady Isabella and Lady Inés are above spreading such foolish rumors."

The difference in how she regarded the empress and emperor was clear as day-she referred to her biological father as "His Majesty" while she talked of Cayetana as if she were her true mother. Although her body had been given to her by an aloof father and some frivolous woman who happened to be his lover, she firmly believed she had inherited her mind and values from Cayetana, the great empress of Ortega.

"I thought you would be happy," Regina remarked. "After all, Lord Miguel is a much better option than the other men in the El Formosa who have already earned your disdain."

"Happy? Miguel Escalante will be exiled to the streets to live as a pauper if his brother does not pass away!" Dolores barked, angrily tossing a silk cushion at the lady-in-waiting. "This damn paper... it has to be Mother's doing. Not even the people of the palace knew of it beforehand! I can't believe it... the fool couldn't even sit up straight during the crown prince's marriage vows!"

Regina seemed entirely unaffected as she bent down to pick up the cushion. "You just said it yourself. If an unfortunate accident befalls Lord Cárcel, his brother will become the future head of Escalante."

Dolores scoffed mockingly. "An unfortunate accident? As if!" Truly, she felt that Cárcel was invincible whenever she saw him standing next to Oscar like some statue of a war god from the ancient myths. His appearance was so perfect that he cast a slight shadow on the authority of the crown prince himself. "Do you truly believe that I must be inferior to Inés Escalante? After all the humiliation I endured, watching the offspring of a duke act like she's so much better than the only daughter of the empress..."

"I believe all of your complaints will diminish once you become a member of the honorable House of Escalante. Lady Inés and Lord Cárcel will only be the duke and duchess, nothing more," Regina said calmly.

Dolores shook her head in despair. "Even then... Not Miguel. I do not wish to marry Miguel..."

Regina, a woman who was nearing the end of her thirties, had been caring for Dolores for quite some time under Cayetana's orders. Therefore, she was able to remain completely nonchalant even as Dolores lost all of her usual elegance and whined like a child.

A tense silence enveloped the room. Dolores began to chew on her lip as she ripped the tabloid apart until it lay in small pieces on the floor. Even then, she was unable to contain her anger. "That idiotic boy wanted to marry a fool like Viviana. I even heard he completely lost his mind and refused to let anybody close the lid of the casket!" she seethed.

"I do not find it too strange, personally. Not only was he in the privacy of the crypt of Castagnary, but he was probably in shock," Regina responded. "In fact, I believe it is only a demonstration of his outstanding character. Most nobles are forced into unwanted engagements, and it is rare to see someone mourning for their betrothed so sincerely."

However, it was like Dolores hadn't comprehended her words. "I'm going to be forced to live in Viviana's shadow until the day I die. Now, all of Mendoza has witnessed just how mad Miguel is. They all know that Viviana took his soul with him as she died! How could Mother do this to me? How?" she huffed.

"Still," Regina said in a consoling tone, "consider that he is an Escalante who will inherit a great deal of wealth and property, even though he is the younger son. If Lady Inés never gives birth to an heir, your son will be the one to inherit all of House Escalante."