The Princess was about to fall face first on the ground but Tristan caught her midway and lifted her off her feet.
The man didn't wait for order before carrying the Princess back to the Empress's palace with Poppy running behind them both.
Three days later, Cecilia is lying lifeless in her bedroom back in the Empress's palace.
"My Princess please wake up. It's been days now, wake up." Poppy said as tears began pooling in her eyes.
The Princess had gotten paler because in the past three days she hadn't eating a morsel of food nor had she drank a single drop of water.
She would just throw everything up if she was force feed. The Emperor hadn't cared to ask after the Princess health after her birthday celebration.
Poppy decided to continue her daily routine of preparing the Princess's bath and standing beside her with a bowl of water with a towel in hopes that she'd wake up but she only ended up cleaning her in bed.
And the most frustrating part was that every physician that was called to look into the Princess's health, ran out screaming like mad dogs.
Poppy stood beside her comatose Princess. She finally decided to give up and go help the chefs in the kitchen.
Poppy walked out of the room glancing back to the Cecilia one last time before leaving the Princess alone in the room.
***
Cecilia slowly opened her eyes. She was dressed in a white night dress and was thoroughly cleaned.
She tried to sit up but her waist failed her and she slumped back into the bed.
"Oh dear goddess, my head is killing me." Cecilia groaned grabbing her head as though she intended to pull off her hair.
Cecilia looked around realising she was alone in the room, Poppy had left her alone in the room.
"That's odd. Poppy's always beside me every morning. Hey, it's the night after my birthday. I don't deserve this!" Cecilia whined and tried to get up again.
She successfully got off the bed and was closing in on the room's exit, but unfortunately her legs gave out.
She tripped over and was about to fall, when Tristan caught her just in time.
"That's the second time this week, my lady." Tristan said with amusement and relief dancing in his eyes.
"What?" Cecilia asked confused. She never remembered falling into the arms of the leader of the Imperial Knights this week, or even ever.
"You fainted after receiving the goddess's blessings in the party three days ago." The man said calmly as he carried her back to the bed.
"Three days! I've been asleep for three days?!" Cecilia yelled in disbelief as Sir Tristan nodded in the affirmative.
She looked down at her now frail figure and her almost see through skin.
After looked around again if she would see poppy anywhere, she finally decided to ask Sir Tristan about it.
"Sir Tristan, do you perhaps have know where my lady in waiting could be?!" Cecilia asked as she slowly got off the bed.
"Lady Poppy went to assist the chefs in the kitchen downstairs. The poor girl had stood by your side during these three days in hopes you would wake up sooner." Sir Tristan said and a sudden pang of guilt washed over Cecilia heart.
Not wanting to continue the conversation, Cecilia changed the topic. Asking another question that had been also concerned her.
"No offence intended Sir Tristan but, what brought you here?" Cecilia asked and the man hesitated a bit before answering.
"No offence taken... The Emperor had ordered me to frequently fill him in on the update of your health. Hence my presence her." Sir Tristan said looking away from the Princess.
The knight spoke the truth but hoarded the most important part. He actually came to see the Princess because he worried for her wellbeing.
"That's right. Same old story, always busy. Even too busy for his own blood!" Cecilia said seething in anger but did well not to let it show. Cecilia stood in front of the full length mirror and realised she was still wearing the mask from her birthday celebration night.
She had gotten a lot thinner than before and her skin was as pale as paper. Her hair had gotten white and her lashes reddish blonde.
It had always been like this. When she would get hurt or sick as a child, she would either help herself or get attended to by a nanny.
She was all alone and she'd gotten used to it. The few times she got to see her father was when he had 'important' guests he needed her for and on her birthdays and her mother's anniversaries.
And in all of those events, she was ordered to keep her face hidden from the public. Only her father and Poppy had seen what she looked like without a mask on.
A few minutes later, a sweaty pink haired girl ran into the room shouting at the top of her lungs.
"Princess!!!" She literally jumped on Cecilia in pure joy and happiness. Cecilia smiled at the girl who was squeezing the breath out of her.
"Where did you go, Poppy! I was looking for you when I woke up, you were the first person I expected to see!" Cecilia chided the girl who happily accepted the scolding.
"Yes my lady, I'm at fault. You can scold me, hit me or punish me however you like but please never leave me alone again!" Poppy said as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks.
"Silly girl, you haven't still answered my question. Where did you go?" Cecilia said not wanting to look at the weeping girl.
Poppy wiped her tears and said, "I went to the kitchen to help the chefs prepare your breakfast incase you woke up. I couldn't sit idle."
Cecilia finally gave the little maid an honest smile and Poppy felt unimaginable relief seeing that smile after four long days.
"At least she isn't angry with me anymore." She sighed inwardly and outwardly in relief.
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's palace.
The Emperor is seated in his study. Flipping the pages of the file a new case that had been recently brought to his attention.
"Knock knock!" The sound came from the study's old wooden entrance door and the Emperor's head shut up immediately.
"Come in, Sir Tristan!" The Emperor permitted knowing fully well who was standing behind the door.
"Greetings, Sire!" the young Knight bowed in acknowledgement of the Emperor who simply waved his hand to permit the Knight's elevation.
"The Princess has finally woken up." The man when straight to the point successfully gaining his Emperor's attention.
--To be continued...