One day…
“Brother, is it true?” I asked my Brother when I went to his chamber when I heard a dangerous rumor flying around inside the Palace.
I have to confront him here and now. The current rumor isn’t good to take lightly.
“What is it?” Brother Maxillary is feigning innocence infront of me. Why? He’s been straightforward ever since. Why does he only pretend now when his life is at risk?
“Brother! What are you doing?!” I asked impatiently when he can’t look in my eyes. That’ll only confirm me that he’s hiding something from us.
“Tone down your voice Maxine!” he reprimanded in a low yet pressured voice.
He looked around us before he finally focused his attention to me.
He held both of my shoulders and leveled his face to me.
“Listen, Maxine. Words cannot be spread from here, you hear me?” I can feel his worries and fear for me.
“Does Maxlein and Dad know what you’re planning?” I asked in a whisper but he shook his head that made my heart thumped rapidly.
Again…?
Will something bad will happen again…?
My chest tightened again and it made me bowed my head.
“Why now?” I asked disappointedly in a whisper.
“Ha?” he asked curiously.
I looked up to him and gave him a sad look.
“Why now Brother? You never cared for me since we were little. Why now? When I am finally used with you being cold. All I ever wanted was to see you happy. Why are you doing this just now that it costs you your life?! I never wanted you end up dead! I never wanted you to sacrifice for me!” I said painfully with every words I uttered.
I reached for my chest and clenched it because of the pain rushing in.
Yes, I wanted them to show me that at least, they love me, that they care for me but that was too long ago when the situation wasn’t this chaotic. I even want to cut ties with them so they won’t get involved in this problem of mine.
“How can we turn a blind eye? Our sole Princess isn’t shedding tears but deep inside, you’ve already given up. That your heart is the one shedding blooded tears? How can we ignore you? Tell me Maxine?” he asked full of grief in his tone.
“How can we leave you in a difficult situation where you’re struggling so much? We want you to share your pain with us but you always keep it to yourself. Can you for once, share your problem with us? Can you please put your head on our shoulder?”
“But Brother, conspiring with the Belmonth Empire isn’t a good choice.” I defended.
“I -we don’t have a choice. They offered me your safety.”
“My safety but your death?” I asked in a weakened voice but he just smiled at me bitterly.
THE South granary’s plan failed and a lot of danger came in the granary. The epidemic was severe and lots of people perished. The land died. The water dried up. The trees and plants withered.
Now, people see no hope for the South Granary and the Empire have given up on the land, creating a border between us to stop the epidemic from spreading.
The Palace found out I created the plan for the South granary and so, the Imperialists Faction decided to lock me up under house arrest in Ardeley Palace. The Aristocratic Faction fell in chaos and decided to turn their backs to a failure like me. The Princes who also attended the meeting with me were also being blamed.
At the same time around, Her Majesty passed away first and His Majesty followed her the next day.
I am living discreetly under His Highness’ command until one day…
“The fourth son of the Levyne house committed treason.” The messenger read the news for me.
Brother… Not again… Not again…
No!
“-and Maxillary Deanshanger Gresford Levyne Zachrono will be exiled in the Land of the Dead.”
Land of the Dead a place for the exiles.
I should be the one to…!
That afternoon, my father and Brother Lein visited me on my chambers.
“Maxine… Dad and brothers are sorry for our lacking…” Dad apologize and for the fist time before all this happened, I cried.
I hugged him and Brother Lein who had a sad look on his face.
“Dad… I’m sorry too. I never did anything good as a daughter and as a sister.”
“No, you alone is the best, my daughter.”
“You don’t need to do anything from now on, let us do something for you.” Brother Lein said while caressing my back.
“Remember daughter, your brothers, your Mom and I love you so much.”
“You’re the very precious gem to us, you’re our angel, our one and only Princess, our hope and our lovely priced possession.” Brother Lein.
“We’ll do anything for you to be happy.”
“Don’t worry our Princess, Dad and I will be back.” My Brother Lein smiled warmly at me and I nodded with tears in my eyes.
“We’ll fetch you here later and we’ll go home together after our business in the Capital.” Dad said assuring while wiping the tears in my cheeks.
“Promise?”
“…We promise…” they both said in unison.
I hoped for our family to at last be peaceful but fate did got in my way.
“THE Crown Princess was ambushed!”
“What?!”
The news of assassination to the Crowned Princess flew on the entire land the next day.
I immediately went to the Palace to see His Highness.
“And I heard, the Ducal House of Zachrono are involved…”
“I heard, Lady Maxineirah is the person who poisoned the Emperor and Empress.”
“She’s also allied with the Belmonth Empire and a conspiracy of her brother who was exiled.”
“And the person responsible for the fall of South granary.”
“She’s also the mastermind of the Crowned Princess’ assassination.”
“Shh. She’s coming…”
Everyone’s talking about me and my family.
I am now facing the Crowned Prince.
“Your Highness! Please, spare my brother and my father!” I plead, kneeling under his throne.
“And what? Kill you in their stead? How can I do that to those people who put my woman in danger and killed our child that’s not even born?” he sarcastically asked.
Huh? Princess Charminia’s pregnant?
“They didn’t do it Your Highness! They were just framed!”
“Hah! Stop spouting nonsense! Many people saw your Knights, Duke Zachrono and the Vice Captain of the Palace Guards ambushed my Princess’ carriage!”
What…?
No… Dad and Brother Lein would never do it.
“I beg Your Highness! What should I do to make you spare their lives?” I begged really hard. He’s now sitting on the throne where the late Emperor was sitting in power.
He smiled devilishly and laughed so hard like a madman.
“You’ll do anything to save their worthless lives, huh? Well, how about…” he smirked.
“… Kneel and kiss my shoe, I might change my mind.”
W-what?
Kneel…and kiss his shoe…?
Dad wouldn’t want me to lower my pride but right now, my pride doesn’t matter anymore.
They matter. Dad and Brother Lein are the most important. I will do anything just to be with them.
I don’t want them to be gone. They’re the only ones left to me. I stood up and approached his throne.
I slowly lowered my head until my head was just ahead his shoe.
I ignored my pride and… kissed his shoe with a tear on my eye.
After seconds of meeting his shoe with my lips, I kneeled below him.
I looked up to him when he remained in silence.
“Your Highness?” when I saw him just blankly looking at me without saying anything.
He blinked.
“Oh, my bad. I forgot…” he paused in a pretend shock like he remembered something important.
My heart thumped and tightened before I could even hear what he’ll say.
“Thinking about it, they already lost their head last night. You’re too late to beg.” He smiled cruelly that made the hair on my nape stood up. I felt like I was slapped by the sky and earth.
My bod felt cold. My heart stopped for a moment.
I trembled and tears started flowing from my eyes unconsciously.
No.
Dad.
Brother.
I thought you’ll fetch me here and we’ll come back home?
Why…?
I felt like I lost all the reasons to live and all I feel right now was pure hatred towards the man sitting above me. Everything I kept inside me exploded like a balloon in just a second and couldn’t think straight.
His eyes widened and looked at me with surprised visible in his face.
“You…!”
Everything happened so fast and without a blink, I removed my pointed hairpin, my hair fell on my back and at the same time, I stabbed the wicked Prince with the hairpin I was holding.
“GUARDS!”
“THE EMPEROR WAS STABBED BY LADY MAXINEIRAH!”