After the party, the tension in the empire only grew. The sudden decisions of Emperor Luis did not sit well with the nobles who had been loyal to the late Empress Elena. Among them, Duke Perez, a man with stern features and a silver-streaked beard, led the opposition.
In a council meeting held in the grand hall, the air was thick with unease. Duke Perez stood, his voice steady but filled with restrained anger. "Your Majesty, we implore you to reconsider this decision. The sudden appointment of Lady Eveline and the planned marriage of Princess Anastasha to Prince Aldric has caused unrest among the nobles and the people alike. Should we not prioritize the empire's pressing issues?"
Emperor Luis, seated on his ornate throne, regarded Perez with cold indifference. "Duke Perez, the decisions made are for the stability and future of this empire. Your concerns, while noted, are secondary to the grander plan."
A murmur of dissent rippled through the room. Other nobles of the empress's faction voiced their discontent. "We must address the famine in the eastern provinces," one shouted. "The military needs reinforcements, not distractions," cried another.
The emperor's supporters, however, remained steadfast. "The emperor's wisdom is beyond question," declared Lord Balthazar, his eyes gleaming with fervor. "These unions will strengthen our alliances and secure our dominance."
The meeting descended into chaos, voices raised in argument, the room filled with a cacophony of competing demands. Emperor Luis remained unmoved, his gaze fixed and unyielding, as if the discord only solidified his resolve.
---
Meanwhile, life within the palace began to change rapidly. Lady Eveline, with her sleek blonde hair and sharp, calculating eyes, adjusted seamlessly. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment her entire life. Though her official coronation was four years away, she had already taken on the duties of an empress with the authority of a royal concubine. She moved through the palace with a sense of ownership, her every action calculated and poised.
Her children, Leon and Alice, also adapted quickly. Leon, kept a low profile. Anastasha rarely encountered him, and he seemed content to stay out of the spotlight.
Alice, however, was another story. With her blonde hair and unnervingly pink eyes, she slithered through the palace like a sly fox. She was always at the center of attention, often invited to tea parties by the other nobles. There, she spread insidious rumors about Anastasha. "It's such a shame," she would say in a sweet, pitying tone. "Poor Tasha insisted her father proceed with the birthday celebration, even though her mother just died. It's so hard for her to think of anyone but herself."
Despite her facade of kindness, Alice's true nature was manipulative and cruel. She played the part of the devoted step-sister perfectly when in Anastasha's presence. "Sister, if there's anything you need, please let me know," she would say with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. But behind Anastasha's back, she would twist stories, making the other nobles believe that Anastasha disliked her.
Alice's charm even extended to Aldric. She approached him one day in the gardens, her voice soft and inviting. "Prince Aldric, I worry about Anastasha. She seems so distant lately. I only want to help her, but she pushes me away."
Aldric looked concerned. "I hadn't noticed. Perhaps she's still mourning her mother."
"Perhaps," Alice agreed, her pink eyes shimmering with feigned sincerity. "But I do hope she finds peace. I only wish to see her happy."
Alice's influence over Aldric grew, and every time the royal family of Austral visited the empire, she made sure to be at his side. She subtly planted seeds of doubt in Anastasha's mind. One day, she approached Anastasha with a seemingly innocent smile. "Sister, you know, Prince Aldric speaks so highly of you. But sometimes, I wonder if he sees me more as a confidante. It's so hard to tell with him."
Anastasha, already insecure and grieving, felt her heart tighten. "What do you mean, Alice?"
"Oh, nothing," Alice replied, her voice dripping with false innocence. "It's just, he spends so much time with me. I fear he may develop feelings. I would hate for that to cause any complications for you."
Anastasha's eyes filled with doubt and fear. She felt as if everything she held dear was slipping away. The looming marriage, the loss of her mother, and now the fear that Aldric might prefer Alice over her. She felt like a stranger in her own life, her future being taken from her piece by piece.
Desperation clawed at her. She felt trapped, surrounded by people who seemed intent on stripping her of her identity and her rightful place. As she watched Alice and Aldric from a distance, her heart ached with a sense of impending loss. She knew she had to find a way to reclaim her strength and her rightful place, but the path ahead seemed shrouded in darkness and deceit.
One afternoon, Anastasha found Cassius alone in the palace library. Determined to find a way to win Aldric's favor, she approached him cautiously. Cassius, known for his mischievous nature, looked up from the book he was reading, a playful glint in his red eyes.
"Prince Cassius, may I ask you something?" she began, her voice hesitant.
Cassius closed his book, a smirk forming on his lips. "Of course, Princess. What can I do for you? And please call me Cass"
Anastasha took a deep breath, her blue eyes meeting his. "Please call me Tasha…What does Prince Aldric like? I mean, what can I do to make him like me more?"
Cassius leaned back, feigning thoughtfulness. "Aldric, hmm? Well, he has very specific tastes."
As Anastasha looked at him, she couldn't help but notice how much he resembled Aldric. Their grey hair, like the moon's glow, and those ruby eyes that seemed to peer into her soul. But it was the tiny freckle below Cassius's left eye that set him apart, making him more striking than Aldric. And he was taller, more imposing, despite being just two years older. Anastasha felt a flutter in her chest and quickly shook her head, telling herself, "Stop."
Cassius noticed her discomfort and grinned. "Aldric loves a good chase. He enjoys when people are persistent, never giving up."
"Really?" Anastasha's face lit up with hope. "So I should... chase him?"
"Absolutely," Cassius replied, barely suppressing a laugh. "He also has a thing for unexpected gifts. The stranger, the better."
Anastasha nodded eagerly. "Thank you, Cass. I appreciate your help."
---
Over the next few days, Anastasha followed Cassius's advice. She pursued Aldric relentlessly, trying to engage him in conversations and even running after him through the palace gardens. Aldric, with his eyes flickering with annoyance, tried to remain polite but was clearly irritated.
"Princess Anastasha," he said one afternoon, breathless from evading her, "why do you keep following me?"
"I just thought... you might enjoy the chase, and please call me Tasha" she replied, her face flushed from exertion.
Aldric sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not a fan of being chased, Princess Anastasha. It's quite exhausting."
Her heart sank. "But... Prince Cassius said you liked it."
Aldric's eyes narrowed. "Did he now?"
The gifts she gave him, each more bizarre than the last, only seemed to further alienate him. "Ric, I brought you this... uh, rare beetle," she said, presenting him with a small, wriggling insect.
Aldric stared at the beetle in disbelief. "Thank you, but... I really don't know what to do with this."
Each failed attempt made her more suspicious of Cassius.
Finally, she decided to confront him. Sitting by the lake, she watched the water's gentle ripples and waited for him. When he arrived, she turned to him, her eyes filled with determination.
"Cass, I need to know the truth," she said. "None of your advice has worked. Ric seems more annoyed with me than ever."
Cassius studied her for a moment, his expression softening. He saw the desperation in her blue eyes, the way her shoulders sagged under the weight of her efforts. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of her brown hair behind her ear, feeling a strange pang in his chest. He told himself it was just guilt.
"Tasha, I... I may have misled you," he admitted, his voice quieter than usual.
Her eyes widened in shock. "You lied to me? Why would you do that?"
Cassius looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "I thought it would be funny at first. But seeing you so desperate... I realized it wasn't fair."
Anastasha stood abruptly, tears welling up in her eyes. "I trusted you, Cass. I thought you were helping me."
He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. "I'm sorry, Tasha. Truly, I am."
She shook her head, stepping back. "I don't want to spend time with you anymore. I can't believe you would be so cruel."
Cassius watched her walk away, a deep sense of regret settling in his chest.