I stared at the mirror, my expression void of life, just a pale, porcelain face reflected back at me with hollow eyes. My mind was a storm of unanswered questions, tangled thoughts, and endless what ifs. The silence was deafening, and yet the sound of my heartbeat echoed like thunder in my ears.
Amy worked quietly behind me, her gentle fingers adjusting the fold of the extravagant gown she had helped me into. It was a dress that could bankrupt an entire town just for a mere family dinner. Gold thread wove intricate pattern across the fabric like the veins of some ancient treasure, and diamonds, real, glittering diamonds, were embedded in its every curves. They shimmered under the candlelight, catching the glint of the fire like stars clinging to dying light.
Even my hair had not escaped the royal treatment. It had been swept up into a bun and tied with a delicate silk bow that bore a single, gleaming diamond, in its center. I could barely move. The weight of the dress was suffocating. Every step, every shift, was calculated. Any wrong movement might tear the gown, and Gods forbid I do that, this gown was probably worth more than my entire life.
My fingers twitched slightly against the vanity table, clutching it for invisible support.
"Did they tell you why he wants to see me?" I asked finally, my voice low and sharp, like a blade pressed beneath the skin. I did not turn my gaze away from the mirror, but watched her through it, observing her reflection as she finished adjusting the last of my hair ornaments.
Amy's eyes briefly met mine in the glass before looking down again. She was silent for a moment too long before answering, and I could tell she was choosing her words carefully.
"I apologize, your highness," she said softly, bowing her head slightly as she stepped back. "But no. His butler simply said his majesty requested your presence during dinner to dine together."
Her face looked worried, genuinely so. I did not like that look on her. It only added to the sinking feeling in my chest. She wasn't helping at all!!
I scoffed bitterly under my breath. Dinner, they said. But this was not just dinner. No one invited you to dine like this unless they wanted to use your head as a centerpiece. Everything about tonight was wrong. I didn't feel like I was preparing for a meal. I felt like I was walking towards my own funeral!!
This was absurd. If I refused to attend, they'd kill me. if I ran away, they'd hunt me down and kill me. and if I agreed to go? Well, they might still kill me. a poisoned milk. A cursed fork. Or worse, my favorite strawberry cake laced with a slow, silent poison!
The audacity, I thought grimly, to use my most beloved dessert as the instrument of my death.
"Your older brother will also be there," Amy added quietly.
My fingers clenched slightly.
I didn't respond at first. The mention of him didn't stir the same emotions it once did. Not hatred. Not fear. Not even resentment. Just… nothing. What was the point anymore?
"I see," I said finally, my tone devoid of anything human. The words floated into the room, empty and cold,
Amy stepped back and bowed. "Your highness, it's done."
Slowly, I rose from the velvet-cushioned chair, the gown groaning softly beneath its own weight as I did. I stood straight, at least I looked the part of a princess, even if I felt more like a lamb being led to the slaughter.
I turned and gazed at my reflection once more. The little girl staring back at me looked like royalty carved from glass and gold, fragile and brilliant.
Soon the imperial guard stood tall and firm at the door, his voice steady and formal. "Greetings, your highness. Its time for us to go."
I nodded silently offering him no words in return and began to follow. My hands folded neatly in front of me, just as I had been seen in movies in my previous life. my back remained straight. I took each step with controlled elegance, my small doll shoes clicking softly against the palace floor.
My thoughts were in chaos. Why now? why tonight? I haven't had the time to prepare myself yet for this.
The hallway was long, lined with flickering chandeliers and cold stares from oil-painted ancestors. I could feel their eyes judging me, or I am just being paranoid. But despite my nervousness, I did my best to remained stoic, and stood up with head held high.
Whatever tonight held, I knew it would not end in peace. My heart screamed at me louder than ever before.
But what choice do I have? All I could do is sit still and pray there is no poison of the foods I will eat.
Around me, the servants paused in their duties, their gazes drawn to me and bowed respectfully. Some looked surprised, others almost in awe. A few exchanged whispers, their eyes wide with something between admiration. It was probably their first time seeing the princess walks towards the dining room.
Luckily, they seem not to notice what I was hiding.
The trembling hands, the tension in my jaw. They didn't see the way my teeth bit into the inside of my cheek. They didn't hear the frantic rhythm of my heart as it pounded against my chest like a caged bird. I was barely holding it together.
Because who wouldn't be terrified?
Who would not shake at the thought of standing before the tyrant emperor, my father?
The man whose very name invoked fear across the empire. The man responsible for more executions than festivals. The man whose cruelty echoed in the bones of those who served him.
And the man who will kill me in the future…
I considered fainting. Maybe I could pretend to be sick. Collapse from the sudden illness. At least that would buy me time!!
My small smile of hope immediately drops. That won't work!
Step by step, until I stood before an impossibly tall pair of golden doors, towering like the gates of judgment. Ornate cravings of dragons and flames adorned the surface, glowing under the flickering torchlight. I took a deep breath, my hands now clenched so tightly in front of me that I could feel my nails digging into my palms.
The guard soon announced my presence.
"The imperial highness, Lyunette del Castillo, has arrived!"
The sounds echoed, loud and commanding. Calling my full name felt strange. As the doors creaked open, the blinding light from the room spilled into the corridor, swallowing me whole.
I stepped into the emperor's dining hall for the first time in my life.
The room was enormous, so large that it could fit an entire ballroom within its walls. I felt like a doll placed into a grand diorama. The ceilings stretched high above, adorned with painted frescos of battles long past. At the center hung a monstrous chandelier made of crystal and gold, glittering like stars trapped in ice. its weight alone could kill a dozen men if it fell.
And then there was the table.
It stretched almost the full length of the room, with dozens of silver plates, porcelain dishes, and crystal glasses were arranged in maddening precision, each holding some luxurious delicacy I did not recognize. Meat, fruit, pastries, and desserts more than an entire village could eat in a week. It felt… excessive.
They were throwing a feast like it was a national holiday. As if something to celebrate was about to occur. Yet I was certain, deep in my heart, that tonight would not end in joy.
And then I saw him. At the far end of the table, seated as if he owned the world, because, technically, he did, was the emperor.
My father.
I froze.
He was exactly as I remembered from the portrait hanging in the west wing and the last time I had seen him in person, I had been just a few months old, barely able to hold my head up, let alone look him in the eyes.
But now…
Now I could see him clearly.
And it felt like staring into a mirror. The resemblance was terrifying. Our eyes were the same piercing shade of blue and hint of purple below. Our hair, white like the very cold winter. Even our skin, pale and smooth like polished marble, bore the same undertone. The same blood ran through our veins.
I felt like I'm staring into a mirror.
I wanted to look away. I wanted to deny it. but the truth stared back at me in silence.
I hate this. I thought. I hate this resemblance, that I look like him.
It felt like mockery.
He had not spoken a word yet. He just sat there, his chin resting on one hand. He watched me with unreadable eyes, cold and sharp like glass. As if he were analyzing a piece of art that didn't quite fit the gallery.
I'm overthinking again.
Then suddenly…
"Come," he said, voice low but heavy with power. "Sit. We have much to talk about."
I took another breath. I felt like I'm about to die in nervousness!! My legs are very shaky, it almost feels like a jelly.
A butler, one who looked to be in his seventies with graying hair swept back and posture still dignified despite age, came to my side and gently helped me up onto the chair.
To my dismay, he layered three silk pillows onto the seat just so I could properly reach the table. I sat in silence, cheeks burning. How humiliating, and as if that wasn't bad enough, the chair was right next to his.
The emperor!!
He could easily reach over and strangle me if he wanted to!! With one hand, even. My body tensed at the thought. The idea of being tucked to death, or worse, by the infamous tyrant was enough to make my toes curl in fear.
No, no, stop thinking about it! I mentally screamed at myself. Think of something else! Puppies, kittens, strawberry cake…
Before I could finish comforting myself with thoughts of sweets, a voice cut through the fog in my head.
A familiar one.
"it's been a long time, my dear sister."
My gaze snapped up across the table. My heart skipped a beat.
There he was.
The prince.
His voice had changed, it had grown deeper, more grounded, but there was a softness to it that did not match the stories whispered in palace halls. His long dark hair was tied into a loose ponytail behind his back, a few strands falling gently over his shoulder. His eyes… those eyes held warmth.
And he smiled.
"You probably don't remember me," he continued gently. "You were so young when we first met. I've been waiting to talk to you again. Theres so much I want to catch up on, especially the palace garden." His tone was so cheerful, so sincere.
But my heart didn't stir.
No matter how kind he looked, how warm his words were, or how soft his smile appeared, I felt nothing.
Nothing at all…
Just a hollow echo where emotions should be.
Still, I knew what to say. I knew what kind of face I should wear.
I tilted my head, beamed a wide, innocent smile, and replied with the sweetest voice I could muster.
"Yes! I can't wait to spend time with big brother too! Id love to see the garden with you!"
The words left my lips like petals carried by the wind. Bright, pure, completely innocent.
Across the table, the prince's face softened even more. He seemed pleased.
Meanwhile, the emperor remained quiet. He hadn't spoken since I entered, just ate with slow, precise movements that screamed elegance and control. Not a sound escaped him as he cut his meat and took small bites. He ate with the grace of someone who ruled nations and expected the world to wait in silence while he dined.
And then… he set his utensils down with a soft clink. I immediately straightened in my chair as he wiped his mouth with a clothe napkin, slowly, methodically, before I finally turning toward me.
"I suppose its time for a proper introduction," he said in that cold, composed voice. "You may not remember either of us, so let me remind you." he looked directly into my eyes.
"I am the emperor, your father, Alderic del Castillo. And this is the crown prince, your big brother, Laurent del Castillo."
I lowered my head in polite bow.
"Nice to meet you, your majesty… and your highness," I said sweetly, voice clear and respectful. "The maids who cared for me have shown me your portraits many times. But now, I'm truly happy to meet his majesty and the prince in real life. I am very honored."
I looked up again with another practiced smile, childlike gleam in my eyes.
The emperor nodded; expression still unreadable.
"We are glad to hear that, Lyunette," he said. "We owe you an apology…" for our absence as your family."
His voice was deeper now, a touch gentler, but it did not make my chest feel any lighter. It still carried the weight of command, of danger.
"But I believe you are still too young to understand everything just yet, "he continued, "when the time is right, when you are older, I will tell you everything. This is a promise."
I bowed my head again, hiding the chill that crawled down my spine. "Thank you, your majesty." I spoke.
"I would also promise, "the emperor said, his deep voice steady yet distant, "that starting from now on, I will do my best to spend more time with you... and make up for the years I was away.
The prince, still smiling so softly. Pricked up a pair of silver tongs and gently placed food on my plate. Small slices of tender meat, roasted vegetables cut into perfect little flowers, and soft bread that looked freshly baked.
"Please eat up," he said warmly. "Your favorite dessert will come right after you finish eating."
My favorite? I blinked, startled. How would he know that?
We never spend time together for him to know my favorites. Or perhaps he thought all kids likes sweet.
I smiled bright and gleaming like a sunbeam. I happily said "thank you! I am excited to eat desserts!" and picked up my fork with my small fingers.
The rest of the evening passed in a haze of chatter and feigned joy. Most of the conversation was carried by the prince. He spoke with ease, asking me gentle questions about the garden, my favorite flowers, what stories I like to read, and what I wanted to do now that I lived in the palace.
I answered them all perfectly. Sweetly, just like a well-trained little princess would. He was kind as I remembered from that brief, forgotten encounter years ago.
The dinner finally ended, and I was escorted back to my quarters by two quiet maids and an imperial guard who walked a few steps behind.
They bowed their heads, respectful, and maids helped me out of the heavy dress. I stood still as they loosened the layers, carefully unpinned the diamond bow from my bun, and place it on a tray. They dressed me in a soft white nightgown trimmed with lace and gently combed through my tangled hair.
"you looked lovely tonight, your highness," one of the maids said with a smile.
I gave her a small, innocent smile in return. "Good night too"
The moment they bowed and left the room, and door closed softly behind them. My smile shattered. Gone in an instant.
I turned my back to the door and let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding in all night. My feet moved on their own, dragging me to my bed where I collapsed face-first onto the mattress.
And just lay there. so many emotions bubbled up at once. Confusion, bitterness, anger, doubt. But above all else… relief.
They didn't kill me.
They didn't poison the food, didn't strangle me, or toss me out the window.