Ravi is an intelligent, beautiful and very endearing girl. Since she was a kid she was taught of things that is suitable for her position.
She is the Crowned Princess, and she is the first born of the Emperor and the Empress of the Westria Empire.
Ravi is a kid carrying a heavy responsibility on her back. The Empress, her mother, wanted her to be the heir of the throne but because of her gender, the Emperor didn't allow it.
The Emperor and Empress did everything to produce more child for them to have a son, but there was no hope for them. They didn't get any as the Empress is infertile after giving birth to Ravi.
The Emperor had no other choice but to have a mistress that is capable of producing a child, but due to the status, the mistress' child cannot be a prince nor princess, they don't belong in the royalty.
Due to this phenomenon, the Emperor was torn between divorcing the Empress and make his mistress the new Empress for their child to be the heir before it was born.
But the Emperor loved Her Majesty so dearly that it makes his heart throbbed whenever he thinks of it.
Rather than replacing Ravi as the heir, he keeps her and teach her every ounce of rulership.
Ravi surprisingly was able to follow his father's guidance and teachings at a mere age. The Emperor didn't expect his daughter would be so great at everything.
He didn't expect Ravi would exceed his expectations, but after witnessing Ravi's compassion and intelligence, he was glad.
"Ravi is exceedingly amazing, Your Majesty. She gives satisfaction to me whenever I teach her."
I listened to my father and my etiquette mentor's conversation. My class has just ended and my father came to visit me for the mentor's review.
"I am glad to hear that, Laurel. I knew she would ace your class, after all she's my daughter."
My father said proudly. I smiled to him when he turned her eyes to me. He pat my head and smiled back.
Ever since I was three, I can already understand everything. I concluded that I'm an intelligent child, and I am no compared to other kids my age.
I was taught everything by my mother. She keeps telling me that I should be the one sitting on the throne when the time comes. And I just keep on listening to her but she never knew that I understood her that time.
I was four when I adapted the skills of a royalty. I was able to act with class, and I was able to ace my tests when it come to rulership.
My father would always smile whenever he hears the reviews of my mentors. And he will keep praising me, then.
I am now five and all that has been taught to me were already on my mind. My mentors keep saying that there will be nothing to teach to me now as I already know everything that needs to be learnt.
My mother and father were happy to hear that, of course, but they still keep on insisting that I should know more.
Now, the only thing that I should keep on learning is how to be a ruler, how to manage the empire's money, how to keep the empire stable and how to be an Emperor or an Empress.
"I am really sure that when the time comes, Ravi will reign the empire with pure success."
I bear that in mind. Father and mother's expectations to me are very high, that I will be the future of our land.
Not that our empire is low, but we are still not at the top of the most successful empire in the whole world. And my father is at stake of making our empire the number one.
"I believe in that, too, Your Majesty."
We went out, and as I walked, I keep my head held high and step my feet with class.
The palace is very wide, it is divided into four dimensions. The north, east, west and south palace.
The south palace is where my mother and I resides, while my father is staying on the west, where his mistress and their child are also in.
My half-brother, Frankel, was just a year younger than me. But even we are still on the same age, we never get along, minding the fact that we are related by blood.
I wanted to get close to him, but my mother keep saying that I should not, and I bet that even my half-brother's mother also said to him that he should not be close to me.
Whenever we both see each other, I can feel his coldness and hatred towards me. But I keep my emotions check that I showed nothing to him but my expressionless eyes.
My mother don't want to meet my father's mistress so she keep on avoiding every situations and circumstances that they could possibly meet. But I am not like that, every time I am with my father, his mistress will also come to him, with his child on her side.
From afar, I can feel Frankel's hatred, how much more when we're up close?
"Your Majesty! Would you like to eat lunch with us?"
Lady Telia, the mistress, didn't even glance at me when she approached us.
My eyes turned to Frankel, who is in her side, and I can say that his eyes were burning with hatred.
"Telia, why are you here?"
"I wanted to invite you to eat with us. You didn't eat with us for a while now so..."
The only words I can't understand is hers. She will say my father didn't eat with them when in fact my father almost spend all of his life time with them.
"I ate with you two yesterday. What are you saying?"
Even my father can't understand him.
It seems like Lady Telia just wanted my father to be on her side forever.
I hate her for taking away my father. My mother smiles every time when she's with me. She will keep on telling me to behave well and do my best, and that she loves me so much.
I'm very much happy to hear it from her that it makes my heart lighter. But whenever she's alone I can hear her sobs, and that makes me sad.
But whatever Lady Telia is up to for pursuing my father still even after they had a child, I cannot wish her to be away from us. I don't hold that power and if I could just tell my father about it, I still can't, thinking of what might happen to them when it they'll be kicked out of the palace.
"Frankel is very sad because he misses his father. He wants to dine with me and you. So maybe if you dine with us, he can now be happy, right?"
She uses her own son for my father to eat with them. Not that it bothers me so much. I can eat without my father.
"Alright. I'll eat with you two today."
I can see Frankel's eyes turned darker. It seems like he doesn't want my father to eat with them but he's just staying silent for his mother's sake.
"Ravi, you go to your mother and eat your lunch. I will be back later to check on you. Please take care of your mother for me today."
I nodded. "I will keep that in mind, Father."
He smiled and patted my head again. Then he turned to one of my royal guards and nodded to him.
"Take her to Her Majesty's."
***
My mother and I already ate. She asked with how I was doing in my class earlier with her happy face on. But despite showing me her bright side, I can still feel her longing for my father's presence.
"Miss Meltia, can you get me fresh flowers on the garden?"
Miss Meltia is one of my ladies-in-waiting. I am a princess yet I have already acquired a lady-in-waiting. This is the Emperor's doing.
"Yes, Your Highness. What would you like to do with it, by the way?"
"I want to give it to my mother."
Miss Meltia smiled and said, "You're a sweet child."
I arranged the flowers Miss Meltia picked for me. It was beautiful and very lovely. I'm hoping for my mother to like it.
As I was arranging the flowers in the terrace, I heard a joyful sound of laughters from little kids voice. I stood up and looked down where I think I heard those voices.
And there, I found little kids around my age playing and laughing together. I believed they are the childs of the guests in the palace.
I was busy watching them when I felt my heart suddenly ache. And soon as I realized where that feeling came, I smiled bitterly. I was envy.
The sight of them strucks a chord of my heart, which is pain. I wish I was with them.
Smiling bitterly while watching them, I noticed something from afar. I narrowed my eyes to see what it is and I was a bit shock when it was Frankel.
He is hiding in a bunch of plants that is just fit for his height, and not to be seen clearly from the ground.
He is also watching the kids who are playing and having fun. He has the same emotion in his eyes, like mine. He seems lonely.
I was about to go back to what I was doing when our eyes met. The shock is evident on his face as soon as our eyes met. He didn't expect me to seem him that way so maybe he was surprised.
I observed his expression, and noticed that his eyes grew darker when he saw me. I sighed and looked away.
I understand the hatred he feel towards me. He is not an official child of the Emperor and don't belong to the Imperial Royalty.
While in my case, I am the Crown Princess, an official child, and even the heir of the throne, despite the fact that I am not a boy.
I was just listening to the laughters of the children as I arranged the flowers when someone came into the terrace. I looked at it and saw that it was one of the royal guards.
"Your Highness, Her Majesty wanted to see you."
My mother? Why?
I nodded and stood up in an elegant way. I brought the bouquet of flowers that I finished arranging.
The royal guard lead the way and I followed behind him. As we were walking along the halls, the royal guard stopped that confused me. There are no rooms in this corner so why did he stop?
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Wait here for me, Your Highness. I advice you not to move an inch."
I did as he said. He advanced and turned to the pillar. He, then, came back to where I was, but this time he is holding a kid in his hand. Judging by the hair and appearance, I knew it was Frankel.
"Why are you hiding behind a pillar, Mister Frankel?"
The royal guard asked but he didn't reply. The royal guard put him down and inspect him.
The royal guard must've conclude that Frankel was about to attack me so he inspected Frankel.
"It is suspicious to see you act that way. Are you planning on assassinating Her Highness?"
Frankel glared at him. I knew Frankel can't hide his emotions as I often see him expressing his emotions every time we see each other. But all the emotions I saw on his eyes were just anger, resentment, and hatred.
"Sir Dalton, you must not think that way as Frankel would not do that."
"You never know a person's personality, Your Highness."
"I must say I don't but Frankel is my brother."
As soon as I addressed Frankel as my brother, he turned his eyes to me. There was no hatred nor anger on his eyes now. There was something else, and I couldn't point it out.