The Abandoned Empress

There were no more visitors after the High Priest left. In fact, there weren’t many who could visit the bride’s house the day before the wedding. My father was also busy with checking the final preparations, so I thought I would probably see him right before the ceremony.

Lina insisted I should go to sleep early, saying that I need a good sleep for the ceremony tomorrow, but I couldn’t sleep at all because my mind was wandering with excitement.

After all, I removed the blanket and got up. Then I approached the window, and I was surprised while opening the curtains. The whole world was white with heavy snow.

“Wow…”

I uttered exclamations in spite of myself. I opened the window and stuck out my hands. Frozen water dropped on my open palms. The snow piled up under the moonlight was so beautiful as it was a shimmering silver white, mysterious yet dreamy.

When I was carried away with that amazing scene for a long time, I heard someone knocking at the door, breaking the silence.

Who is knocking at this hour?

When I tilted my head and asked the stranger to come in, a woman who appeared to be a maid with the Central Palace stepped in. When I received a memo from her and opened it, I saw a few sentences written in the imposing handwriting style of the imperial family.

<Tonight when the whole world is blanketed with snow, I miss you very much.

Tia, can you come out to the garden of Ver Palace for a moment? I want to reminisce for a while, watching the silvery flowers with you.>

A smile came to my lips naturally.

After answering yes to the maid, I hurriedly changed my clothes.

Was it because I was thrilled? After adjusting my clothes several times, I put on my coat and left the room. I was ready to wrestle with the royal knights, expecting them to stop me from going out at night, but they just followed me silently because they knew the imperial maid delivered the emperor’s message to me.

Under the bright moonlight, it was snow white everywhere. Snowflakes were on the bare branches, and white breath came out of my chilled lips. There was no wind and a serene peace was all around me.

I began to walk, breaking the cozy silence. I broke into a smile when the snow crunched beneath my feet with every step.

There was nobody at the entrance to the Ver Palace. It seemed that he hadn’t yet arrived.

I smiled at the royal knights who stepped back silently, then stepped carefully into the garden. Unlike the promenade where there remained others’ footsteps, there was a pure snow field without any human footsteps. Somehow, my heart was pounding.

I made the first footsteps on the snow that scrunched underfoot. There was a trail of my footsteps from the entrance of the garden full of snowflakes to the silvery flower tree in the middle of the garden. I arrived in front of the tree, tightened the collar of my coat with excitement and threw back my head. Did they bloom during my absence? The buds were half open when I saw them last time.

I sighed, looking here and there, standing on tiptoes. I could not confirm whether they bloomed or not because of snow-capped branches.

“Tia!”

While agonizing over how to dust off the snow on the tree, I was surprised when someone called me from behind. The young man with blue hair stood there with a smile.

I smiled bashfully at him, calming my pounding heart. I said in a cheerful tone, “You surprised me! Nice to see you, Your Majesty!”

“Um? Why were you so surprised?”

“Because you came here without making any sound at all. How come you came here so silently? I didn’t hear your footsteps.”

“Ah. Since there were only your footprints on the white snow field, I walked up here, stepping on them. That’s why you didn’t hear my footsteps.”

‘You just followed my footprints? Really?’

When I stuck my head out and looked behind him, I could see only one trail out there behind him. When I smiled shyly in an excited mood, he took a step closer with a smile and asked, wrapping my shoulder with his arms, “Were you asleep when I sent the messenger? I hesitated to send the maid because I might disturb your sleep.”

“Well, I can’t sleep well …”

“Really? I’m glad to hear that. In fact, I have something to tell you. ”

“Pardon? Something to tell me?”

Although I asked curiously, he didn’t reply. I just felt him touching my long hair.

He seemed to be pondering over something, then he opened his mouth after a long silence, “Finally, we will have a wedding ceremony tomorrow.”

“Yes, we do. Time flies so fast!”

“Well, a minute is like three years to me. I’ve been waiting for this day everyday. Looking at the way you speak, it looks like you didn’t wait as earnestly as me.”

“Why are you teasing me again? You know I didn’t mean that, right?”

When I squinted at him slightly, he said with a gentle smile, “It’s a joke. Actually, I felt strange when I realized that our wedding would happen tomorrow. I came to recall the late emperor and your mother… I couldn’t go to sleep.”

“…”

“So, I came out for a walk, but the snowflakes reflected in the moonlight shone brightly like your hair. At that moment, I recalled that flower. And something I have yet to tell you. That’s why I had the maid convey my message to you.”

When he was done speaking, he took a deep breath.

What was it that he didn’t tell me about?

When I looked at him curiously, suddenly the wind blew over him and me lightly.

As a result, white snow fell from the branches of the snow-covered tree.

His blue eyes suddenly turned upward. I was curious, so I looked back, tilting my head.

“Wow…”

I was just amazed at the wonderful scenery before my eyes. Silver buds were finally shooting forth above the branch from where the snowflake fell. I saw some petals about to bloom bashfully.

Can I finally see the flowers? Those silvery flowers I had never seen before?

“… Beautiful. ”

“Yes, indeed.”

“As I told you in the past, the flower really resembles you. Despite all kinds of difficulties, the tree has overcome and stood tall, just like you. Besides, just like you, the tree kept me on tenterhooks, making me wonder when the buds would bloom.”

Suddenly, my heart was full because I recalled him telling me the tree was really like me, watching it withering without ever blooming flowers.

If I really resembled that flower, can I expect only happy days with him in the future, just like the tree waiting for its buds to fully bloom?

The moment I looked back at him, blinking in great thrill, I saw a fantastic scene unfolding before my eyes. My eyes popped open. I felt like I was frozen on the spot because I was so surprised.

“Your Majesty…”

He smiled gently at me when I just looked up at him without even saying a word. Just like the knight in the old story told his woman, he raised my hand as if he was honoring me, and put his lips on the back of it.

I came to my senses when his warm breathing melted my frozen heart.

“Your Majesty, what are you doing …”

“Tia, I would like to tell you something.”

“Oh, please stand up. How can the ruler of the empire kneel before me? Please stand up.”

However, he would not move. Besides, he stopped me when I tried to kneel like him, at a loss about what to do.

Why is he doing this to me? What if somebody sees him?

I instinctively turned my gaze to the entrance of the garden. When I saw the royal knights watching us as if they were shocked, I became more and more nervous.

What should I do? It would be difficult to have each of them keep it secret.

Right at that moment I heard him whispering, while I was agonizing over how to cope with the situation.

“Swearing on the blood flowing through my body…”

I stiffened at that moment. What did he say a moment ago?

When I slowly turned my head, my eyes met his navy blue eyes. He stared at me when I looked at him curiously, and opened his mouth.

“And my pounding heart…” Only

I opened my eyes wide. Didn’t I hear him wrong?

In other words, he’s now swearing it now? The oath of blood , the ancient covenant between the Monique family and the imperial royal family?

“With all my life and heart…”

I put my hands on my pounding heart, breathing out roughly. My trembling eyes reflected his navy blue eyes full of his strong resolve.

Suddenly, I was choked up with emotions.

“I want to devote my whole life to you.”

“…Your Majesty.”