The next morning, after making sure that Chlorophylle's godfather had left, one of the maids opened the bedroom door violently and pulled back the drapes so that the second princess had a rude awakening.
"HURRY UP!!! THE EMPEROR DOES NOT WAIT!!! If YOU ARE STILL LATE, YOU WILL STILL BE CONFINED IN THE SMALL ROOM... besides that is where you should be. I'm not going to clean up this suite for someone who will just be sold to another kingdom.
She didn't even notice the monster lying on the bed, between the princess' arms, and then left the room, clicking her heels on the marbled floor.
The princess began to remember her mother, whom she had known only through portraits now hidden or burned.
She had the same eyes and hair as her as she stood, she felt as if her mother was holding her.
She was also holding Mir, the little wyvern who only wanted to snuggle in her arms, as if she were being held.
An emotional bond was instantly transmitted because they were both in need of affection.
Then Mir sat up, irritated by the good villainess and swore to himself that he would bite her the next time Chlorophylle was made to suffer.
Chlorophyll was slowly but surely being pushed aside in favour of her half sister, the first princess.
Without her mother, her palace and her "home" were losing influence until they had no value at all.
She soon found herself wearing work and servant's clothes and carrying buckets of water all day long so that the cottage, the little palace, could accommodate the emperor at all times.
The maids laughed and jeered at her to put pressure on her.
I, Mir, watched her with sadness.
This had to change.
She was summoned to the "family" breakfast, which was really just a test of her nerves.
The emperor sat at the end of a very long table. To his right was the Queen Empress, and opposite her was the First Princess.
Chlrorophylla was seated next to her, but one seat apart.
Servants were stationed at the four corners of the room, and behind double arches revealing windows overlooking the park, one floor below, there was a gallery of mirrors meant to increase the lighting of the room, but mostly to keep hidden powerful imperial guards and assassins of the empire.
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I had made myself very small, no bigger than a kitten, and had taken refuge in one of the princess's flaccid sleeves. From time to time her breast touched me, which really didn't bother me. The princess was like a protective mother figure to me.
Lunch was served and then Emperor Felicius started and gestured that the family could begin.
I sniffed through the shirt with my long neck and smelled a light poison.
I scratched the princess lightly, and when the fork reached her mouth, I pinched her lightly and she put her spoon down
She wanted to whisper something to me but the emperor spoke up.
"Second Princess.."
These words, coming from the emperor but also her father, could not stop her from crying. No compassion. Cruel and wicked. He wasn't like that at first, She doesn't remember her mommy really, but her daddy was kind and she was precious then everything changed when the empress took her mommy's place and her daddy became dry and mean as soon as her sister, the first princess, who in the end should have been the second, was born.
"I have been told that your godfather, the Vicompt Romas of Fortd'Hiver, has come to visit you.
She dared not interrupt him, even to answer a question, which was a sign of either madness or utter contempt.
The First Princess crossed her cutlery as if to signify that the meal was abject, or simply to provoke a superstition causing a fight or argument.
Empress: "First Princess, please hold your cutlery properly!"
At this point, the First Princess realised that she was not favoured for herself but for the position. Her mother must have had a stone for a heart. It would not surprise her if she had a golem.
She looked at Chlorophyll then and sketched a smile to support her.
Emperor:"¨First Princess, please cease these familiarities when I speak."
She sobbed, crushed by her mother's murderous, angry stare and could only keep her eyes downcast.
"It has been reported to me that they have made the discovery of a variety of winged creatures, wyvern dragons of a particular kind that are extremely dangerous but also intelligent.
Groups of bandits and rebels have been slaughtered. Could you tell me more?"
Obviously the emperor knew, but he wanted to hear it from his own daughter, as if to examine her psychologically and perhaps find a new way to torment her.
"The Duke of the North, Vigile, brought wyverns back to Castle Winter Fort and as dragonslayer, he felt that the wyverns should be protected. They submitted unconditionally, and obeyed him. He trains them as mercenaries and soldiers for the empire."
He swallowed another morsel of his meal and then continued.
"I have been told that one of these creatures is roaming around the castle. To be exact, in your palace...(Said in a sarcastic way to call a shack a palace).
"Your magesty. (She hesitated, terrified...) Uh... I was able to meet... my familiar, necessary in the study of basic magic, knowledge of magic being required to maintain noble status."
The emperor wiped his mouth, closing his eyes.
"I understand. So you've awakened the magic within you..."
I look forward to seeing your progress in the end-of-year tests.
This meant that she would have to have a rank at the academy to keep her title of nobility or be driven out of the castle.
Which she wanted, in fact, but she feared the "shadows" No one left the family "Safe and sound".
"In two days, the first princess will use her powers to summon a hero to defeat the enchantress."
This was normally a ritual to summon "heroes" to defeat the demon lord but there was no demon lord left and only the Enchantress remained the enemy to be defeated. but she was not a demon but a witch and also an elected "President" for life who protected the Republic and its citizens.
Yet it was a fight to the death between the Republic and the Empire.