Maids and other palace workers were busy carrying the princess' deliveries up to her room, meanwhile Avione had her eyes glued to a book about the origins of the Helione Empire. The stress she had been under ever since that unfortunate meeting with her destined killer, Avione had been dedicating herself to knowledge she deemed would be useful on the day chaos arrives in the palace. And one of those has been a book telling the stories of the founding mothers of the Empire.
Even as the crown princess for 17 long years, Avione had never been interested in knowing anything about the kingdom. The blatant hatred and disrespect for a member of the Imperial family was pardoned even in the royal court because, they too, believe that she brings nothing but disaster to their country. What a laughingstock she had been for enduring all of those when she clearly had the power to shut them all up.
"Keep it together, Ava." she whispered to herself, getting angered by another episode of her reminiscing. Getting her head back in what she was reading, Avione finally arrived at the page where the Aurron family tree was drawn, along with the Empire's famous history.
The family depicted in the book started with the daughters of a simple land lord in the town of Caile, the former name of the capital of the Empire. Auverine and Avanna Aurron. Two girls who lead the town to safety and survival. According to the legend that has been going around the empire, a portal from the demon realm opened and devastated the lands.
Lots of people died but Auverine and Avanna believed that a miracle would be possible in the face of danger and continued to fight for Caile. At the moment where all hope was lost, the God of the glorious Sun and victory bestowed powers upon the two. Powers that will prove useful to eradicate the demons.
After humanity's triumph against the demons, the citizens from countless cities and kingdoms united to form the Helione Empire and made Auverine their 1st Empress while Avanna led the church as the Saintess. Auverine then birthed female twins, where one succeeded to the throne and the other went to serve the church. Since then, every empress until Avery, Avione's mother, birthed a pair of heirs. Pillars of the empire. Helione continued to have a matrilineal monarchy up until now.
"The people had a very good version of this story huh." said the princess to herself, earning a raised brow from Rowena who was arranging the items coming in and out of the room.
According to the official records, the choices of who would be Empress and who would be Saintess are decided by the powers vested in the twins. It also said that the powers started manifesting for her ancestors at the ages of 15 to 17.
"The same age as me?" Avione hummed.
To know which power was granted to each twin, a special ceremony is performed, with the royal court as a witness. The ce—
A frown formed on the princess' face seeing the dirty part of the page covering the most important information she needed. "Rowena is this the only copy of the Aurron family hsitory?"
"I'm afraid so, milady. Why? Is there something wrong with it?"
"No, but I would like it if you'd prepare a light blue dress for me today." Avione said, closing the book shut and hiding it inside the drawer near her bed. Avoiding any suspisions from the latter.
Rowena perked up from her slumped position on the ground and dusted herself off, "Are you going out again today, milady?" she asked, piling up the boxes of the princess' dresses.
"No." Avione said, "I need an audience with my mother, the Empress."
__
Her hair was tied in an elegant bun, decorated with pins made of diamond matching with her jewelries. Wearing a simple blue dress partnered with diamond accessories, the maids and knights inside the Sun palace turned heads towards the beauty of their princess. The Imperial Palace has been divided between the Moon Palace and the Empress' Chambers. Since her birth, she had been staying at the rear mansion in the Moon Palace and no one beside the maids and guards there had a chance to see her.
Passing through the pair of knights guarding the palace doors, Avione was suddenly stopped by the sound of two blade clanging on one another. "Please state your identity and your business." Rowena who had just been offended of how the guards had blocked her princess was about to voice out when Avione raised her hand, signaling for her to back down.
"I request an audience with the Empress." she said in the calmest way possible.
"Please state your identity."
Before Avione had the chance to introduce herself in front of the guards, a familiar figure descended from the stairs, hair shining bright as the rays of the sun hit, eyes the same color of Avione's. Tall and shoulders broad, wearing a body fitted coat and pants in the colors of beige and gold. "Avione? Is that you?" he asked.
Unsure of how to react, Avione bowed her head, "Good day your highness, it's a pleasure to see you." she put on her usual business smile, as her father walked towards her.
Tristan Mir Silvestre. 20 years ago, when Empress Avery first came into power, the search for her spouse was conducted. Tristan, the first son of the Silvestre Ducal family was a man deemed the most eligible candidate for the role. Like a match made in heaven, Avery officially chooses him and had the largest wedding banquet held in the Imperial Palace. Now the Silvestre Dukedom's 2nd second was the one who will be inheriting the title, while Tristan became the Prince consort.
Avione didn't have much to remember about the man. The last time she had been able to see him was 8 years ago, during the first public parade of the Imperial Family. An unpleasant memory that remained in her.
"It is wonderful to see you, you have grown so much!" he exclaimed, and engulfed the princess in a tight hug. "It's been so long, Ava." he whispered.
Unable to process why exactly is her father acting this way. 'Why is he suddenly hugging? For almost 8 years of not showing himself in front of me, why is he acting as if he misses me so much?' Avione questioned and pulled herself away from the man she refuses to call father. "I am here to see the her majesty the Empress, your highness." she said, avoiding eye contact.
The vibrant smile on Tristan's face disappeared from how his own daughter kept her distance from him. The way Avione addressed him as 'his highness' and not 'father' pained him more, however, it was the consequences of their actions. "Is that so?" he smiled bitterly, knowing full well that it's their fault.
Avione found it weird, seeing the expression that lingered on her father's face for second. For someone who suddenly stopped caring for her, how can he look so hurt by her actions? 'I don't need to care about that' Avione decided that it's best to not involve herself in such trivial matters.
"Come," he spun his heel, "I'll take you to your mother."
"Thank you, your highness." she replied, before she walked just a few steps behind him.
"We apologize for being disrespectful towards the princess. Greetings to the star of the empire, Princess Avione Silvaine Aurron." The guards who had blocked her way before hung their heads low, embarrassed of being unable to recognize their own princess.
Instead of taking notice of them, Avione walked past them in a rather cold manner. Before long, they arrived at a room with royal blue wallpapers and furniture in the same shade. "You can stay here while I go call your mother, I promise it won't take long. I'll send a servant to bring you some refreshments." says the prince consort before closing the door behind him.
Avione settled down on a couch, which turned out to be softer than the ones in her chambers, and relaxed. The main reason she wanted to meet her mother was that she wanted to know, what powers manifest in the Imperial heirs and how do they classify which would succeed the throne and which would run the church.
There was nothing written in other history books and the part where it was discussed looked like it was dirtied on purpose, which drove her to a conclusion that those details were not something anyone can know. The princess closed her eyes and drowned herself in deep thoughts.
'If I fail to know about my powers, I'd still be walking to my death.'
The first sign of her downfall would be happening at her crowning ceremony which was 3 weeks from now. The prime minister and the current Saintess, her aunt, insisted that the crowning ceremony should take place earlier. In order to know whether she will be Empress or she will be Saintess, she would be dipped in the Holy Lake at the crack of dawn.
Along with that, what she worried about the most is the uproar that will be taking place during her celebration ball. The introduction of the illegitimate child of the prince consort, and the newest addition to Imperial Family.
'Margaret. That horrible woman who turned out to be my half-sister.' Avione crumpled a part of her dress in anger and disgust of how her existence ruined her life even more. She was cut off when the door to the room opened, revealing her mother in an elegant ballgown and sitting on top of her head was her crown adorned in diamonds.
Avione stood up, "Greetings to the sun and mother of the Empire."
Avery sat down across her daughter, a servant and an imperial knight stationed just behind, "I heard from Tristan that you were waiting for me here. What is it that you wanted to speak to me about, Avione?" she asked, looking directly at Avione. "I'd prefer it if you would go straight to the point."
The princess cleared her throat, "Then I would have to ask the others in the room to leave, would that be possible, your majesty?"
"Go," the Empress signaled, "This won't take long."
Avione took a deep breath before starting, "I would like to know about the powers bestowed on every Imperial heirs, your majesty."
"I see, you have been reading." the Empress sighed, "I don't know much about that as I was never able to weild my powers even up to this date."
'What?'