19 Princess Nia Moonchester (2/2)

So while maintaining her position in the Royal Faction, she was collaborating with the Noble Faction. She did that because she needed the Noble Faction's support to put Winter on the throne. After all, the Royal Faction were too fanatics to allow a non-Moonchester like her son to be the next emperor.

In the end, her evil plan succeeded.

Thankfully, Tilly was stopped before she could further destroy the empire and her son.

”Tilly?” Princess Nia called her before she gently placed a hand on her forehead. Her face lit up as soon as she did that. ”Your fever has gone down,” she said while pulling her hand away. ”I'm relieved. I thought you were about to faint again because you're looking at me like you wanted to cry.”

Oh, was she?

”I apologize, Princess Nia,” Tilly said. Because the princess gave her permission to talk comfortably, she called her the way that she did in her previous life. ”Ah, how about Your Royal Highness? You weren't feeling good a while ago…”

The princess gently shook her head. ”I'm fine, Tilly. It was just a minor headache.”

”That's a relief, Princess Nia.”

Tilly was really relieved. After all, Princess Nia didn't have to confess her secret to her in this lifetime. She just wanted to focus on her family than get involved in a royal drama.

[Let me live a good life this time.]

”Tilly, are you not upset anymore?”

”Pardon?”

Princess Nia's hand reached for her cheek. She wasn't sure if it was the soft moonlight on her face or did the princess really look solemn when she spoke again. ”You wanted to be the empress, didn't you? Tilly, you were upset when my engagement with the emperor was officially announced.”

She was about to deny the princess' remarks but suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her head. The next things she knew, she was already hearing an unfamiliar yet commanding voice inside her mind.

[You want to be the empress so bad,] the voice inside her head said. She couldn't figure out if it was a male or a female. All she knew was she couldn't get the voice out of her mind even if she wanted to. [Matilda 'Tilly' Prescott, you're only purpose in life is to be an empress. And if you can't be one, then find a new way to seize the throne. Perhaps, the son you're supposed to give birth to can help you…]

At that moment, Winter's face painted with blood came into her mind.

Tilly snapped out of whatever spell she fell into when she remembered her son. She believed that she was given a chance to correct her mistakes to protect Winter and Kiho. And that purpose was stronger than any suppressed greed for power in her heart, if there was any.

”I don't want to be an empress, Princess Nia,” Tilly said in a firm voice that seemed to surprise the princess. ”I just want to have a normal life with Sir Kiho and our future son.”

Princess Nia pulled her hand away from her face with a shocked look on her face. But that expression was gone as soon as it appeared so she wasn't sure if she really saw that. ”Very well,” Her Royal Highness said with a smile. Then, she stood up and said her farewell. ”Good night, Lady Prescott.”

Tilly suddenly felt a chill by the way the princess called her this time. But before she could pinpoint what exactly was going on, she suddenly felt very sleepy. The next thing she knew, she was already plopped on the bed.

[Just what the hell happened?]

***

TILLY woke up feeling refreshed.

The maids gave her a bath and helped her get ready. The princess prepared a brand new dress for her. It was a peach long off-shoulder dress that reached her ankles. Her Royal Highness also gave her a new pair of shoes and a set of jewelries that went well with it.

After getting ready, she was ushered to the fancy dining hall to have breakfast.

The Princess Nia, apparently, wasn't able to join her because of her busy schedule.

Right now, the maids were showing her the way to the rose garden where Blake would pick her up.

[And my mind won't shut up.]

To be honest, her memory of last night was a little blurry. She couldn't decide if Princess Nia really visited her or she just had a nightmare.

[And was the voice I heard came from the greed in my heart?]

Tilly never wanted to be dumb as much as she did right now. But unfortunately, her head wasn't only for display. Gosh, why did she have to be smart?!

[If what I heard wasn't an illusion, then it can only mean that Princess Nia…]

She couldn't say it even to herself because fear started to creep in her heart.

[What will I do now? It looks like Princess Nia purposely revealed her secret to me. If she turns out to be involved with happened to me in my previous life, then I'm in trouble.]

But what would Her Royal Highness gain by getting herself exiled?

[What are you planning, Princess Nia?]

”Fancy meeting you here, Lady Prescott.”

Tilly flinched in surprise when she heard Emperor Aku's voice. When she realized that she was standing in front of the emperor, she immediately gave him a curtsy with a bow. ”Greetings to the one and only moon that embraces our empire.”

”Rise,” Emperor Aku said.

She thanked His Majesty before she raised her head to properly face him.

Only now did she notice that the emperor was being accompanied, naturally, by Sir Noel Sherwood– the captain of the Blue Dragon Knights and Emperor Aku's personal knight.

Captain Sherwood was Emperor Aku's official personal knight while the Blue Dragon Knights were the royal knights assigned to guard the whole palace. But whenever Captain Sherwood was out on a mission, the other remaining three captains of the Four Orders would take turns in protecting His Majesty,

Anyway, Captain Sherwood was also the handsome young duke of House Sherwood.

His hair was a mix of silver and light blue while his eyes were ash gray. He was tall and lean, and had a gentle face. Out of all the captains of the Four Orders, he was the one with the best reputation.

[And the citizens love Captain Sherwood.]

She greeted the captain and he returned it with a smile and a polite nod.

”Nia asked me to take care of you since she was busy for today while I have a little bit of free time this morning,” Emperor Aku said in his usual cheery voice. ”So, Lady Prescott. Do you miss Kiho?”

The question made Tilly blush but smile at the same time. ”I can't wait to be with Sir Kiho again, Your Majesty.”

”Then, lucky you because their ship is about to land in a few hours,” Emperor Aku asked in a playful tone. ”Lady Prescott, would you like to fetch Kiho yourself?”

***

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