THE CELEBRATION went on until it was time for it to end, with the nobles bidding their farewell to each other while some are staying behind to see if they can talk to the emperor in which they absolutely have no chance in the first place.
Meanwhile, Alesteria was sleeping soundly in Xerxes' arms as her little fingers formed into a fist, her lips pouting a little bit and her eyelashes kissing her cheeks.
She looks so lovely right now that Aimilios and Aldrich are thinking of plans to get Xerxes to hand over Ales.
Aldrich was the first to go as he cleared his throat in order to get Xerxes' attention.
"Your majesty," He called as he smiled innocently.
Xerxes raised an eyebrow at his son, already knowing his intentions.
Aldrich continued with a fake smile on his lips.
"You seem to be tired from carrying Ales all day, so if you may--"
"No."
Aldrich smiled even more, even after Xerxes' strong disapproval, but
ALESTERIA WAS staring almost glaringly at Saxon and Morgaine as Bella tenses up beside her; a strong aura enveloping the room making it harder for normal people to breathe which causes the maids to be dismissed.Alesteria woke up that day and was finally relieved that the banquet is finally over, which means that she gets to sleep all day long without anyone interrupting her.But then, these two had to come the day after the celebration.She would've been accepting if it was 2 days after or more but no, they had to come the next day which ruins her plans of sleeping in.'I have no choice but to allow them, not that I actually have a say in this matter.' She thought bitterly as she sighs.'I can't wait for the day I can finally talk.'She looked at the two adults glaring whilst holding their presents, both are stunning humans but they clearly don't like one another.One had a fake smile on his face an
SAXON LEFT not soon after he gave the gift, leaving Morgaine alone with Alesteria.It is now her turn to give her a gift."It is not as grand as what Duke Versomer gave you so I don't know if you'll like this." Morgaine said as she presents her gift.By the tone of her voice, Alesteria knew that it was a personal gift and unlike the gift that she has received from other people, this one is sincere.And she likes sincerity the most.Alesteria smiled widely at Morgaine and made grabby hands towards her, excited to open the gift which made Morgaine smile in relief.She gave Alesteria the box and helped her open it, revealing a locket with a picture of Alana from when she was young.This was the first time Alesteria saw Alana because every portrait of hers was kept somewhere by Xerxes order, probably in a special room only he knows.She knew Alana by name, but not her face. So, when she saw the small picture in the
"MY! YOU are beginning to walk on your own now, princess!" Alesteria huffed proudly at Bella's words as she balanced herself without holding onto a chair, multiple maids all have their arms stretched out as they wait for her in case, she loses her balance. 'Hmph! I skipped the whole crawling part and it is a good thing none of them seem to question it.' She thought as she smiled smugly. 'At this rate, I could walk by myself without wobbling by the next month or so.’ 'Still, I have been improving.' Three months ago, Bella witnessed Alesteria's first time standing up, which at first made her panic as she called for the emperor, and she has been very attentive to her more than ever. Of course, the emperor, Xerxes, was delighted by this that he even postponed all his work that day just so he could watch Alesteria. She can even recall what happened that day. And let's just say…
'AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! WHY DID I BITE MY TONGUE AT ALL TIMES?! I WAS TRYING TO LOOK COOL BUT I MESSED UP!' Alesteria closed her mouth instantly and put two hands in front of her lips, cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she stared at Xerxes wide-eyed. Xerxes, too, looked at her wide-eyed as his mouth slowly agape. 'Don't look at me like that! It makes me even more embarrassed!!' Alesteria was still embarrassed and was hiding it behind her hands but Xerxes was too shocked to even notice her embarrassment. The long silence seemed to make her even shyer. 'Huhuhu. My dignity, my pride…' While Alesteria is being gloomy mentally upon being reminded of her mistake, Xerxes snapped out of it as he turned his head to his two sons, who were both just as shocked as him. "She said… father, right?" Aldrich slowly nodded. "She did… Our Alesteria is a genius!" He state
"ALESTERIA~! OUR baby sister!!""!"Aldrich loudly opened the door and ran towards the crib where he saw a blonde girl sitting as she held a book in her hands, her doe blue eyes staring at him with annoyance and confusion.Annoyance because he startled her and confusion due to his shouting voice breaking her serene concentration.It has been a month since Alesteria first called the emperor 'Dada' and the mark of many firsts that she had done, which was almost made into a national holiday if it wasn't thanks to Tristan stopping it every time.Now the 9-month-old baby can sit properly, read, and speak; even though her pronunciation and words are not whole.'Bella isn't here today so Aldrich could barge into the room without knocking since no one will scold him.'Alesteria knew that today is Bella's day off and even if she doesn't want to leave her for even a second, Tristan persuaded Bella to take her day off f
"I FEEL like I'm dying. I'm on my last breath." "It would've been better if it was." Aldrich glared at Aimilios because of his comment but the latter was just ignoring him, writing something down on a piece of paper like that day was normal. They both knew that it was not. "Father just hogged Ales to himself!" Aldrich complained as he kicked the table, causing it to shake. Aimilios angrily glared at Aldrich for causing the table to shake, which made his handwriting crooked. He picked the pen up and threw it in Aldrich's direction. "Quit it!" Aldrich effortlessly dodged it but he glared back. "Aren't you supposed to be dying inside because you can't see Ales? Why do you act like you don't? Is that how shallow your love for our little sister is?" Aimilios stopped writing as he looked Aldrich dead in the eye before showing him the paper that he had been writing on. It was full of Aleste
THE WORLD is filled with powers and mysteries that are waiting to be uncovered. May it be the scenery, a structure, lore, or its roots; all of it is a source of mystery that one can be defined through their worth in one's perception. Of course, many mysteries are yet to be unveiled in the eyes of the people; mysteries that are eye-catching and thrilling, some may even feel a sense of rush. However, one of the greatest mysteries in the world occurred in an eastern land far from the Vlatka empire. It is where the fields are green, the crops luscious, and the air was clear. The trees were full of life and the soil was fertile, while the fruits they bore were treated as a sacred offering to the Gods. The Gods, who were pleased with everything, lived in peace amongst the citizens and granted their every heed. Everything was once a bountiful and prosperous land, that was until a change happened that eventually turned into a mystery.
TENSION SURROUNDS the room as Xerxes looked at his children coldly; his eyes narrowing at Aldrich, who is carrying Alesteria, and Aimilios, who is glaring at him in the same manner."I will ask again, where are you planning to take your sister?"Aldrich and Aimilios avoided their gazes at him as Xerxes still waited for their answer, but a few minutes passed by and they still kept their mouths shut.Alesteria sighed at the stubbornness between them and just decided to take matters into her own hands.'If this stretches out any longer, brothers will be punished again.' She thought as her eyes traveled to the two boys.'Although, they could've just said that we are going to the lake.'What Alesteria fails to understand in Aldrich and Aimilios' part is that they want to have her all for themselves; no Xerxes, Nicholae, or anyone else but her alone.It seems that Morgaine's past lecture about 'monopolizin