Chapter 4

One day…

“Brother, is it true?” I asked my Brother when I went to his chamber when I heard a dangerous rumor flying around inside the Palace.

I have to confront him here and now. The current rumor was not good to take lightly.

“What is it?” Brother Maxillary was feigning innocence infront of me. Why? He had been straightforward eversince. Why did he only pretend now when his life was at risk?

“Brother! What are you doing?!” I asked impatiently when he could not look in my eyes. That would only confirm me that he was hiding something from us.

“Tone down your voice Maxine!” he reprimanded in a low yet pressured voice.

He looked around us before he finally focused his attention to me.

He held both of my shoulders and leveled his face to me.

“Listen, Maxine. Words cannot be spread from here, you hear me?” I could feel his worries and fear for me.

“Does Maxlein and Dad know what you are planning?” I asked in a whisper but he shook his head that made my heart thumped rapidly.

Again…?

Would something bad about to happen again…?

My chest tightened again and it made me bowed my head.

“Why now?” I asked disappointedly in a whisper.

“Ha?” he asked curiously.

I looked up to him and gave him a sad look.

“Why now Brother? You never cared for me since we were little. Why now? When I was finally used with you being cold. All I ever wanted was to see you happy. Why are you doing this just now that it costs you your life?! I never wanted you end up dead! I never wanted you to sacrifice for me!” I said painfully with every words I uttered.

I reached for my chest and clenched it because of the pain rushing in.

Yes, I wanted them to show me that at least, they love me, that they care for me but that was too long ago when the situation was not this chaotic. I even want to cut ties with them so they would not get involved in this problem of mine.

“How can we turn a blind eye? Our sole Princess Is not shedding tears but deep inside, you have already given up. That your heart is the one shedding blooded tears? How can we ignore you? Tell me Maxine?” he asked full of grief in his tone.

“How can we leave you in a difficult situation where you are struggling so much? We want you to share your pain with us but you always keep it to yourself. Can you for once, share your problem with us? Can you please put your head on our shoulder?”

“But Brother, conspiracing with the Belmonth Empire Is not a good choice.” I defended.

“I -we do not have a choice. They offered me your safety.”

“My safety but your death?” I asked in a weakened voice but he just smiled at me bitterly.

THE South granary’s plan failed and a lot of danger came in the granary. The epidemic was severe and lots of people perished. The land died. The water dried up. The trees and plants withered.

Now, people see no hope for the South Granary and the Empire have given up on the land, creating a border between us to stop the epidemic from spreading.

The Palace found out I created the plan for the South granary and so, the Imperialists Faction decided to lock me up under house arrest in Ardeley Palace. The Aristocratic Faction fell in chaos and decided to turn their backs to a failure like me. The Princes who also attended the meeting with me were also being blamed.

At the same time around, Her Majesty passed away first and His Majesty followed her the next day.

I was living discreetly under His Highness’ command until one day…

“The fourth son of the Levyne house committed treason.” The messenger read the news for me.

Brother… Not again… Not again…

No!

“-and Maxillary Deanshanger Gresford Levyne Zachrono will be exiled in the Land of the Dead.”

Land of the Dead a place for the exiles.

I should be the one to…!

That afternoon, my father and Brother Lein visited me on my chambers.

“Maxine… Dad and brothers are sorry for our lacking…” Dad apologize and for the fist time before all this happened, I cried.

I hugged him and Brother Lein who had a sad look on his face.

“Dad… I am sorry too. I never did anything good as a daughter and as a sister.”

“No, you alone is the best, my daughter.”

“You do not need to do anything from now on, let us do something for you.” Brother Lein said while caressing my back.

“Remember daughter, your brothers, your Mom and I love you so much.”

“You are the very precious gem to us, you are our angel, our one and only Princess, our hope and our lovely priced possession.” Brother Lein.

“We will do anything for you to be happy.”

“Do not worry our Princess, Dad and I will be back.” My Brother Lein smiled warmly at me and I nodded with tears in my eyes.

“We will fetch you here later and we will go home together after our business in the Capital.” Dad said assuringly while wiping the tears in my cheeks.

“Promise?”

“…We promise…” they both said in unison.

I hoped for our family to at last be peaceful but fate did got in my way.

“THE Crown Princess was ambushed!”

“What?!”

The news of assassination to the Crowned Princess flew on the entire land the next day.

I immediately went to the Palace to see His Highness.

“And I heard, the Ducal House of Zachrono are involved…”

“I heard, Lady Maxineirah is the person who poisoned the Emperor and Empress.”

“She is also allied with the Belmonth Empire and a conspiracy of her brother who was exiled.”

“And the person responsible for the fall of South granary.”

“She is also the mastermind of the Crowned Princess’ assassination.”

“Shh. She is coming…”

Everyone was talking about me and my family.

I am now facing the Crowned Prince.

“Your Highness! Please, spare my brother and my father!” I plead, kneeling under his throne.

“And what? Kill you in their stead? How can I do that to those people who put my woman in danger and killed our child that is not even born?” he sarcastically asked.

Huh? Princess Charminia was pregnant?

“They did not do it Your Highness! They were just framed!”

“Hah! Stop spouting nonsense! Many people saw your Knights, Duke Zachrono and the Vice Captain of the Palace Guards ambushed my Princess’ carriage!”

What…?

No… Dad and Brother Lein would never do it.

“I beg Your Highness! What should I do to make you spare their lives?” I begged really hard. He was now sitting on the throne where the late Emperor was sitting in power.

He smiled devilishly and laughed so hard like a madman.

“You will do anything to save their worthless lives, huh? Well, how about…” he smirked.

“… Kneel and kiss my shoe, I might change my mind.”

W-what?

Kneel…and kiss his shoe…?

Dad would not want me to lower my pride but right now, my pride did not matter anymore.

They matter. Dad and Brother Lein were the most important. I would do anything just to be with them.

I did not want them to be gone. They were the only ones left to me. I stood up and approached his throne.

I slowly lowered my head until my head was just ahead his shoe.

I ignored my pride and… kissed his shoe with a tear on my eye.

After seconds of meeting his shoe with my lips, I kneeled below him.

I looked up to him when he remained in silence.

“Your Highness?” when I saw him just blankly looking at me without saying anything.

He blinked.

“Oh, my bad. I forgot…” he paused in a pretend shock like he remembered something important.

My heart thumped and tightened before I could even hear what he would say.

“Thinking about it, they already lost their head last night. You are too late to beg.” He smiled cruelly that made the hair on my nape stood up. I felt like I was slapped by the sky and earth.

My bod felt cold. My heart stopped for a moment.

I trembled and tears started flowing from my eyes unconsciously.

No.

Dad.

Brother.

I thought you would fetch me here and we would come back home?

Why…?

I felt like I lost all the reasons to live and all I feel right now was pure hatred towards the man sitting above me. Everything I kept inside me exploded like a balloon in just a second and could not think straight.

His eyes widened and looked at me with surprised visible in his face.

“You…!”

Everything happened so fast and without a blink, I removed my pointed hairpin, my hair fell on my back and at the same time, I stabbed the wicked Prince with the hairpin I was holding.

“GUARDS!”

“THE EMPEROR WAS STABBED BY LADY MAXINEIRAH!”