In the guest area of the Queen's room, only a couple of candles on the furniture's surface cast a dim glow throughout the space.
The informant poured the contents from the silver pitcher into a glass. Upon filling it halfway to the brim, he placed it in front of Her Majesty, Queen Esteria.
Tension had been settling in the room, creeping into every corner as the Queen's loyal person came rushing late at night, to inform them of the verdict for the next royal assembly.
Elucina, the Queen's daughter who was present in the room, demanded, "What will happen then?"
The remnants of sleep were still clinging to her eyes. That was because her mother's call abruptly disturbed her from sleep, insisting she needed to come to the castle immediately.
Which was why Elucina was here. However, since she had arrived in the Queen's room, her mother and her loyal person had been awfully quiet.
She turned to the person sitting on the chair in front of her. The moonlight touched Queen Esteria's face, showing the worried expression plastered on her features.
Elucina exhaled, sensing that her patience was thinning by the second. "Everyone has been quiet for nearly an hour," she stated sharply. " I don't have the power to read minds. So, why can't you tell me what you need me for directly?"
Queen Esteria rose from her seat and walked herself a distance from the table. She just could not take it anymore. Gnawing at her nail, she paced back and forth as her apprehension was threatening to take over her mind and nerves. Much greater than any she had before.
Her devoted person, Marquess Heldan, adjusted his glasses, before he revealed the revelation to the only crowned princess he pledged his allegiance to.
"Your Royal Highness, Princess Elucina," he began, "during tonight's council meeting, the King revealed the existence of his other daughter from the late Queen Vittoria."
Elucina narrowed her eyes, gaze flickering to her mother and Marquess Heldan. "Queen Vittoria… Isn't she," her words faltered before she could finish. "A sibling? Mother, I… have a sister?"
How come she just appeared out of nowhere? This is unbelievable, where did this girl come from all of a sudden?
'I, I never knew I had a sister.'
Elucina's mind reeled as she processed the revelation. She stared blankly in the distance, her gaze fixed on thin air, while her thoughts were racing.
"I, I… thought Queen Vittoria had passed away. How can a dead person have a child, and specifically with the King?" Elucina questioned, tying up the pieces to understand the situation.
Queen Esteria shook her head slowly. The tears building up on her cascaded down her cheeks. Hands shaking, she tried to brush them away and regain her composure, but they kept falling.
"No, no…" Queen Esteria took a step back and retreated to find comfort. She headed into the adjacent bedroom, and the curtains closed behind her.
"Mother, what," Elucina called, her voice sounding unsteady as she stood up from her seat. She picked up her pace, crossing the room to follow her mother who sat on the edge of the bed.
The room was devoid of any light as usual. The heavy curtains were drawn tight to block the moonlight from leaking inside.
Despite the darkness, Elucina had memorized the furniture in her mother's bedroom. This allowed her to cross over the space with minimal effort. When she managed to find her bed, she sat beside her and tugged her mother's arm to draw her attention.
Gently, not wanting to stress her, Elucina asked, "Mom, what is... I, I suddenly... a sister really?"
Queen Esteria was a mess; her tears flowed without her will and her sobs filled the room. She tried to catch her breath to calm herself, but the emotions were drowning her. She could not hold it back.
"…Oh, my dear Elucina," Queen Esteria's voice faltered. Despite seeking comfort in her daughter's presence, burying her face on her shoulder, the pain was eating her.
Marquess hesitantly trailed behind them, pausing just before he could cross the boundary of her majesty's bed area.
"If I may interrupt," he cautiously spoke while standing before the thin curtains. "She's believed to be your older sister, Your Highness."
"Huh?" Elucina fluttered her lashes in disbelief. She stood, walked out of the room to confront her mother's loyal person, and saw his face clearly under the guest area's moonbeams.
"Ha-ha, enough with this joke, Marquess," she called out, her tone carrying a plea for affirmation that what he said was not true.
But rather than responding, he went silent, his gaze down to the ground and refusing to look at her.
"Why can't you look at me, my lord?" Elucina pressured, but his gaze moved somewhere else in the room.
"…You!" Elucina clenched the fabric of her dress. She turned on her heels, anxiety winning over her. She yelled, driven by her mounting emotions, "Mother! What is this guy saying Mom, please answer me!"
Her voice increasingly louder with each call. Her desperate pleas for answers echoed throughout the room, likely even reaching all the way to the corridor.
"No, no, no!" she cried out, her voice breaking. Elucina held Queen Esteria's shoulders, her hands shaking her. "Mom, I, I can't! Please, I can't have an older sibling!"
Elucina's eyes welled up with tears as the reality settled in, shattering the dream she had already built for her future in an instant. "Uuu, w, what about my crown?" she whispered, sinking to her knees in front of Queen Esteria.
This could not be real! No, Elucina refused to believe this!
"Uuu, mother." She felt herself slipping away from her grip on her mother's shoulders as if she were melting onto the ground beneath her.
Her sobs wrecked her body with each quaking breath. As her hands found their way to her mother's dress, Elucina dug her face into the fabric. She whispered again, "Mama… please…"
Her mother, Queen Esteria, gazed down at her, eyes also overflowing with tears. Her heart was just as heavy with the shared pain the news brought for them. She wanted to bring her dear daughter into her arms, but a sudden dizziness knocked her head, sending her vision into a spin. Within a moment, Queen Esteria faltered and her consciousness faded into darkness.
"Mama!" cried Elucina, catching her before she could fall to the floor. "Mama, wake up!"
She shook her gently, but to no avail, her mother remained unresponsive. Panicking, she flicked her head to notice Marquess Heldan running towards them, his face painted with concern.
"My lord, call the royal doctor!" implored Elucina, her voice quivering.