The Crown Princess

 

[The Imperial Palace of Avenor — Later — The Ballroom]

CREAKKKKK!!!!!!

The enormous doors leading into the Imperial Ballroom slowly opened, the sound echoed through the entire hall, and every conversation inside immediately began to fade.

Elly stood outside the entrance, staring at the ballroom before her.

It was enormous.

Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating the golden decorations that covered the walls. Long tables were arranged throughout the hall, filled with politicians, nobles, military officials, diplomats, and members of Avenor's most influential families.

These weren't ordinary people, these were the people who helped shape the nation, the people whose decisions could move markets, change policies, influence elections, and determine the direction of Avenor's future.

And now...every single one of them was waiting for her.

The announcer stepped forward and raised his voice.

“Make way for the Crown Princess of the Nation of Avenor, Her Imperial Highness, Princess Levara Avenor!”

Elly's heart nearly stopped, before she could process it, the ballroom lights fell directly across her face.

The sudden brightness stung her eyes. Elly instinctively clutched the side of her golden gown and muttered, “It feels real...”

Kaein, standing beside her, immediately turned his head. “Pardon, Your Highness?”

Elly blinked, she looked at him for a moment and then stepped into the ballroom saying, “Nothing.”

The moment she crossed the threshold, the entire hall fell silent, hundreds of people turned toward her, politicians, nobles, military officers, foreign representatives and business leaders. Every person in the ballroom placed a hand over their chest and bowed respectfully.

“Greetings to Her Imperial Highness, the Crown Princess of Avenor.”

Elly's heart thundered inside her chest, she almost forgot how to breathe.

This is insane.

She had never been surrounded by so many important people in her entire life. Yesterday, she had been an orphan standing alone in a church, now hundreds of people were bowing to her.

To Princess Levara.

To the woman whose funeral she had watched. Elly felt as though she were trapped inside someone else's life.

Maybe she was....maybe this was still a dream, a very elaborate, incredibly realistic dream from where, soner or later, she would wake up, she would open her eyes and find herself back on the cold marble floor of the church.

Perhaps she would laugh at how ridiculous this entire thing had been.

Yes...that had to be it.

She simply needed to get through it until she woke up. Elly straightened her back and without even thinking about it, her chin lifted slightly, her shoulders relaxed, and her steps became measured and graceful.

She didn't know how to behave like a Crown Princess, yet her body did, every step was elegant and every movement controlled. She could almost feel the years of royal training buried somewhere inside her muscles.

Kaein walked a short distance behind her, his eyes continuously scanning the ballroom, after a few moments, he leaned slightly closer.

“Your Highness...are you feeling alright?”

Elly didn't answer immediately, she couldn't, her eyes were still moving across the ballroom, so many people and so many unfamiliar faces, yet every single one of them knew her.

They probably knew things about her that Elly herself didn't even know and somehow, she was expected to stand among them as though nothing had changed.

Elly finally stopped near the center of the ballroom, she turned toward the guests and gave them a soft smile.

“Thank you all for attending my father's fifty-fifth birthday celebration.” Her voice was surprisingly steady.

“I know everyone here has a busy schedule, particularly those of you who have travelled from outside the capital to attend tonight. I truly appreciate your presence.”

She paused briefly.

“I hope you enjoy the evening.”

The room remained silent for half a second, then the guests bowed again. “Thank you, Your Imperial Highness.”

Elly smiled politely.

Inside, however, she was screaming.

Why am I doing this so naturally? Why does everyone know me? Why does this feel so real?

Kaein stepped closer. “Your Highness...His Majesty.”

Elly followed his gaze and at the far end of the ballroom stood an elevated platform and upon it sat the Emperor of Avenor.

Emperor Arvellan Avenor.

He sat upon an imposing golden throne, dressed in a formal black imperial uniform decorated with gold embroidery and medals.

He didn't need to speak, he didn't need to stand. His presence alone commanded the entire ballroom.

Politicians who could dominate Parliament lowered their voices around him. Military commanders stood straighter. Nobles bowed deeper, even the Prime Minister of Avenor stood several steps below the Imperial throne because regardless of how powerful the government was...this was the Emperor.

The Head of State.

The man who sat at the top of Avenor's political hierarchy.

Elly stared at him and her breath caught.

Golden-brown hair, crimson eyes, the same sharp, unmistakable features. Princess Levara looked almost exactly like him. It was as if someone had taken Emperor Arvellan's face and created a beautiful female version of him.

For the first time since waking up, Elly felt something inside her chest shift because she had seen this man before on television.

She had watched him standing beside Levara during national ceremonies, she had watched him address the nation and she had watched him stand beside his daughter's coffin after her death.

The grief on his face had been impossible to miss.

Arvellan's crimson eyes were already fixed on her. For a moment, father and daughter simply stared at each other from across the ballroom, surrounded by politicians, nobles, military officials, and members of the Imperial Court.

Elly didn't know what she was supposed to do, she had never met this man, not as Elly but somewhere inside her, she knew exactly who he was, her father.

She slowly walked toward the Emperor.

The sound of her heels echoed against the polished marble floor as she approached the imperial throne. When she reached him, she stopped and bowed slightly, placing one hand over her chest in the traditional gesture of the Imperial Family.

“Greetings, Your Majesty. I wish the Emperor of Avenor a happy fifty-fifth birthday. May Your Majesty continue to guide our nation, and me, for many more years to come.”

The ballroom became quiet.

Elly raised her head. Arvellan stared at her, his expression was cold and unreadable, the kind of expression expected from a man who had ruled Avenor for decades.

Then, without any warning, he asked,

“Did you bring me a present?”

Elly blinked.

“...What?”

The Emperor's expression remained perfectly serious and for a moment, Elly simply stared at him. She had been expecting something grand but the Emperor was asking whether his daughter had brought him a birthday present.

Around them, several people smiled quietly. Elly looked completely confused and she quickly composed herself and gave him a small smile.

“Yes...of course.” She paused for half a second. “How could I possibly forget my father's birthday present?”

The emperor's eyes widened slightly...i was barely noticeable only for a brief moment but Elly saw it. And judging by the subtle change in Kaein's expression as if...this is the first time Princess as talked to her father.

Why? Why had the Emperor reacted like that? Why Kaein reacted like this?

Elly didn't understand. Arvellan looked at her for another moment before finally saying, “Alright. Take your seat.”

Elly nodded.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

She turned and walked toward the throne beside him, the moment she sat down, Kaein took his position behind her.

Elly looked around the ballroom again, everyone had returned to their conversations, music played softly in the background.

Waiters moved between tables carrying champagne and expensive dishes. Politicians discussed matters of state. Nobles exchanged quiet gossip, everything continued as though nothing strange had happened but Elly sat there completely overwhelmed.

She lowered her voice and muttered to herself, “Why am I starting to feel like this is actually real?”

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her gown, maybe she really had died, maybe the pain in her chest had killed her and maybe, in her final moments, her mind had created this entire world.

She was imagining herself as Princess Levara...that had to be it.

It was the only explanation that made sense.

I need to wake up.

Elly looked around nervously.

This is getting dangerous.

If this really was some kind of hallucination, the longer she remained inside it, the more difficult it would become to distinguish reality from whatever her mind had created.

She needed to wake up...now.

Elly looked down at her arm, then she took a breath and pinched herself as hard as she could.

PINCH!

“Ow!”

Her eyes widened as she immediately released her arm. For several seconds, she simply stared at the spot she had pinched.

It was already turning red and it hurt.

It actually hurt.

“Your Highness?” Kaein immediately stepped forward, his usually calm expression had changed. “What's wrong?”

Elly didn't answer, she continued staring at her arm, the pain was still there...real and her eyes widened with shock as she begun trembling.

She lifted her eyes toward Kaein, her crimson eyes widened.

“This...”

Her voice trembled, as she looked around the ballroom, the people, the music, the Emperor sitting beside her and the throne beneath her.

“This is all real?”

Kaein stared at her. Elly's voice dropped to a whisper. “I'm really here?”

For the first time since she had opened her eyes Elly realized something terrifying, she hadn't entered a dream, she hadn't imagined Princess Levara and she hadn't died and begun hallucinating.

Somehow...she had become Princess Levara.