Anthonette ran her fingers through the hairs of the little boy who craddled in her arms.
He's been crying ever since she woke up. Calling her mother.
If the child didn't possess the same violet colored eyes and hair kissed by the sun she could have yeeted him. She didn't want anything to do with the child anyways, though he had her features he still looked like his father.
That's another thing Anthonette couldn't understand. How in the world did she bear a child for Eden ?
The last thing she recalled was drinking tea with Agatha.
"How old are you ?" She asked the boy. "Seven." He muttered under a quiet breath.
Her face fell into a small smile. "How long has it been since I was asleep ?" Anthonette asked.
"Ten years." Eden leaned on the frames of the room's door. He shined brightly in his royal attire. Although Anthonette had questions she did suddenly find her husband attractive.
Right off the bat she tossed in a question. "How is Anthony seven when I've been asleep for ten years." Eden looked heartbroken, he knew what she was insisting, that he raped her in her sleep and somehow she safely gave birth in her vegetative state.
Although he was hurt he didn't want to make her feel terrible than she actually was. "It's not what you think Anthonette." Anthonette found it weird that they were now on first name basis.
"Then explain to me how ?" Anthonette begged, her son tugged on to her even tighter like he was afraid she was going to sleep for another 10 years.
"What's the last thing you remember ?"
"Being poisoned by your father with the help of Agatha and I wake up to all this ?" Anthonette didn't understand the pain on Eden's face. "Are you serious ? Is that all you remember ?" Eden urged her he wanted to come close to her and hug her but she was visibly confused with her current situation.
She didn't even remember when they got married.
"Anthonette you woke up from that two weeks after I fought to get you back. The poison you took had side effects, the doctor said it would affect you in the future but I didn't think a year later you would sleep for 10 years." Anthonette patiently tried to absorb this information.
She still didn't understand how she and Eden became a thing. His explanation didn't even cover how Anthony was born in her vegetative state. Without being told Eden understood the look on Anthonette's face.
"Before you went on your decade of slumber you gave me permission to sleep with you if one day you didn't wake up again. I didn't want to but you begged me saying that you wanted to give me a child.
You gave birth to Anthony with the help of the best medical practitioners in the entire continent" Eden went on his knees, his face kissing the floor moaning loudly. "Anthonette please forgive me, I just wanted to fulfill your only wish at the time."
Anthonette questioned if she ever said such, her head ached thinking about it but she couldn't help but doubt. Eden was full of regret and she already grew sick of watching him beg. Anthony even cried in her arms helping his father beg for forgiveness.
"I-i forgive you." She looked down at Anthony and smiled at him while trying to get him to stop sobbing.
"If it's something I wanted and consented in advance I don't think I should hold you to it." Eden slowly raised his head studying his wife's expression. "But I need some time alone, can I get that from you and Anthony ?" Anthony nodded along with his father. They both exit her room giving her time alone.
Puddles of tears wells up her sockets, they wouldn't fall but they were there. Anthonette saw the coma as a blessing and a curse.
She managed to live 10 years with getting regressed but she missed 10 years just like that. She thought it must have been a price to pay and all it took was just to court Prince Eden.
Though she didn't remember a lot of things she felt she had forgotten something, maybe someone.
•••••
A month passed and still Anthonette found it difficult to perform her duties. She was now the Empress after all. She had two weeks off to recover her coma but the two weeks that followed were hell. Her feelings towards the people were also unsure.
The previous Empress was murdered by Eden since she was the reason she fell into a coma for 10 years. Eden overthrew his father and took the throne for himself after his father refuse to make Anthonette his bride. He did so much for her but still she felt uncomfortable.
She hears the gossips of how everyone thought she didn't deserve him. The reason gossip spread was because she was constantly avoiding him. Although she told him she forgave him for sleeping with her, she lied.
She didn't remember anything to help with the closure. She didn't see him as someone who fulfilled his wife's wish, she saw him as someone who took advantage of her.
Anthony seemed to notice so he asked one day when they were both out taking a stroll in the palace grounds. "Do you hate Daddy ?" Of course a 7 year old wouldn't be dumb to all these things. "No." She hastened with her reply in hopes it sounded true.
"Good. At least you like Daddy." Anthonette found it cute. She came to a stop and squats as her eyes meets his. "I appreciate Daddy too but Mommy is new to everything after 10 years, I don't even know anything about you."
"But why are you treating me different from Daddy ? You know him." Anthonette was stuck, how was she going to explain that she basically saw Eden as a stranger too, she just knew him by formality.
Before she could answer she spots an eerie building just feets away from them. "What's that ?" She stretched out her hand to the building asking the guard that followed her and Anthony. "That used to be the your quarters, the previous emperor didn't approve that you live in the palace." Anthonette stared down the building. Under her breath she muttered "that's the concubines quarter."
"Mother." Anthony tugged to his mother's sleeve. "Let's have lunch together." He tugged on to her till she didn't have any other choice than to follow him.
Anthonette looked up to the sky and pouted. Although she was given an explanation she still couldn't get used to a purple sky.
The moment she looked away following behind Anthony she missed a slight tear in the purple sky.