"Seriously! Could you not find one thing about her outfit?" Lady Gabriele was going on the rant since she saw the empress at the ceremony. She sent Maria to find out how the empress's dress will look like but she was not able to find a single thing, what the maids have told Maria is that they don't know, that nobody knows, the court ladies pick the gowns personally so only the three of them and the empress know what she is going to wear.
One of the maids Maria spoke to told her to try and speak with her majesty's personal maid but she was not able to find her anywhere.
In the end Gabrielle ended up dressing up completely opposite of the empress. She wore a long heavy blue suede gown with golden beading along the square neck line, her hair was down in curls but the empress wore lavender wide skirt gown, heavy on the lace and embroidery all over the skirt that went al least few feet in wight, it was closed all the way up to her neck, her hair was up and filled with pins in shape of crystal jasmines. And out of all that jewelry Gabrielle's eyes only went on one that nobody could see, hidden underneath the lace glows, the gold wedding bend.
Gabrielle knew where it was, she remembered it well, from that night. The moment they walked past her she noticed it shining in the moonlight, that ring that made them so different, she wanted it more than ever.
And when she finally gets the chance to wear it, she won't hide it like that woman, she will show it off to the world, along with the engagement ring that she will also get, the one that woman doesn't have.
What a defeat it will be.
"Gabrielle!" Father called her. "We shall greet the emperor." He said and turned around expecting her to follow him, ever since that night he has been avoiding her, like he is embarrassed and he probably is, he also probably hasn't seen the emperor since then.
Now they were all here, she, her sisters, mother and father. The whole family.
The Emperor was sitting on his throne, alone without his children by his side, Gabrielle was on the lookout for them the whole time since the Imperial family arrived at the ball, the crown prince she had seen in the crowd but the princess she had not. The princess she must avoid at any cost, if the emperor sees how his daughter acts in front of he will never respect her. Besides, who knows what that girl has told her father about her that day. Gabrielle knew it was the emperor's office princess entered.
That girl is the biggest danger for Gabrielle.
The unboarded emperor got up when they approached him, Marquise was first, he introduced them and they bowed one by one. The emperor simply glanced over their faces before coming down from the throne stand and started talking to Gabrielle's father. They were close enough for her to listen to the conversation but she didn't, instead she looked at his face. At those eyes that stared at her with curiosity, did he dream of her that night she wanders.
Next he spoke to her mother and sisters, standard words of small talk he did not need to grant them with, her mother and sisters were very flattered by them.
Then just as her turn came he told her, "Lady Gabrielle," and turned away to continue the conversation with her father.
"Your Majesty!" Gabrielle shouted before she could think, he turned around looking confused. "Do you dance?" She asked since it was the first thing that came to her mind.
Gabrielle's question was followed with her father's angry look. But the emperor answered.
"No." Then turned around once again.
"Why?"
He turned around again, even more confused than before, Marquise's eyes kept growing angrier.
"I don't."
Before she could ask him some other stupid question Marquise spoke, "Excuse my daughter, Your Majesty, she is just excited to spend time in the palace."
"I see."
There was an awkward silence between them, Gabrielle kept looking at her father and trying to signal him to say something else about her. Annoyed Marquise had no choice but to obey.
"She was just telling me how she would like to apologize for causing a disagreement between you and Her Majesty." The Maruquise said. "She would like to owe it up to you by staying in the palace for some time to learn from the Empress about the Holy books."
Gabrielle froze in place. Her own father just sold her to the devil.
The Emperor thought for a moment, then on his face appeared something like a smile, "I could give you three more days in the palace, but you only if your daughter moves from the Queen's palace to some other room. I do not like strangers there."
"Of course Your Majesty! Thank you!"
With that The emperor returned to his throne and Gabrielle smiled to the smell of sweet victory.
*
"Come with me! Quick!" Neftali yelled while dragging her brother out of the ballroom. Iyan was just talking to his mother when she flew by and snatched him.
The Empress stood there stunned but she just laughed instead of going after them. Children always have some business of their own to attend.
"Trouble! Always trouble with those two!" An old lady, very tiny and very short because of the hump on her back, was approaching. Her cane clicked with every step, it was a ritam along with the thumps of her shoes. You didn't need to see her in order to know who she was, the sound of her walking was enough. It was Duchess Silvia of Vendrig, now Matron of Vendrig because her grandson has officially taken over his fathers position alongside his wife.
Matron Silvia is the principal of Royal academy, the school Empress's children attend, well now only one of them attends.
"Good day Lady Silvia." The Empress greeted her with a smile, she always liked seeing her. Despite her grumpy personality.
"Lady? I haven't been a lady in a long time! Ha, good day to you, Your Majesty." She stopped in front of the empress and nodded her head, her knees were too weak for a curtsy so that is all she could give and it was a lot since she didn't even nod her head to the emperor.
"They may look like you but they behave like their father."
"Would you like to sit with me?" The Empress moved her dress to make space on the sofa she was sitting on. Her court ladies were long lost in the crowd of people so she was sitting there alone, having company is relaxing, it keeps her mind going to the places she does not wish to visit.
"Well if Your Majesty insists." Lady Silvia sat down next to her, resting her hands on her cane, looking at the crown with a piercing look. "I don't know if it is a blessing or a curse that that boy won't be coming back to the academy. Sometimes I believe she alone is more work than the two of them."
"I will tell her not to cause too much trouble, Lady Silvia."
"Lady, ah, nevermind, you can't do nothing about it, it is his genes that ran through that girl's blood," she pointed her crooked finger at the emperor sitting in his throne, "I had my hands full with him too. That royal blood doesn't crack easily, all of them are like that! I remember his father, the late king, god bless his soul, we grew up together, a real trouble maker! He even pulled me down with him a few times!"
"It really does run in the family, but I try my best to teach them how to behave." The Empress smiled, they probably didn't know, but she could see them talking in the hallway, the door of the ballroom was wide open. Neftali was explaining something to her brother and pointing to all kinds of directions and he was just nodding his head.
"I wish they were like you, Your Majesty, why couldn't I teach you, my life would be much better if I had that opportunity. Instead that old man had all the fun." She referred to the High priest, she calls him an old man but he is much younger than her, even if it doesn't look like it. "At least he did a good job." Lady Silvia sighted.
She saw him before the Empress did.
"Grandmother! There she is, I found her." The man who was approaching them was the new grand duke of Vendrig, her first grandson William, a tall man with dark hair and brown eyes, he was the eldest son of late grand duke Peter who passed away four years ago. For a tall man with shoulders wide as a door he is really kind and caring. Especially to his wife. She was there with him, significantly smaller than him, still a little chubby from pregnancy, Heidi, grand duchess Heidi, with a baby in her hands.
"Sometimes I really wish you were my grandchild." Lady Silvia whispered to Her Majesty before the two of them approached.
"Good day Your Majesty." The Grand Duke bowed to the empress, "Congratulations on your son's coronation."
"Good day Sir Peter, thank you. Congratulations on your marriage, I am sorry I couldn't attend."
"Thank you Your Majesty, there is no need to apologize, it was wonderful seeing prince Iyan there, well crown prince Iyan." His grandmother glared at him intensely, she was trying to get away from the two of them. "May I present to you my wife, Grand duchess Heidi."
She got into a small curtsy with a soft smile on her face. "Good day Your Majesty."
"Good day Lady Heidi." A wide smile appeared on the empress's face, "Is there someone else you would like to introduce to me?"
Lady Heidi smiled, "Your Majesty, this is Sofia. Would you like to hold her?"
Children excited Katherine like candy excited children, she adored them to the fullest, spending time with them is the most precious to her, it keeps her heart warm when she is around them. She got up and carefully took the baby out of Lady Heidi's hands.
"Oh what a wonder you are!" She said right away, the baby was small, wrapped in a white blanket and dressed in a white outfit, on her tiny head she had a baby cap with a jasmine flower embroidered in silver tread. Her eyes are blue, she is too young to have any teeth, so there is only that baby smile on her face.
The empress let her grab her finger, "She is beautiful," The empress said to the child's parents.
That touch the two of them exchanged was enough for it to show itself to her. Still strong in its form, easily spotted and hard to keep eyes off, she saw him in the corner of her eye. He is standing behind her, the child also sees him, she is smiling and waving her hand at him.
The Empress took a deep breath and whispered to the baby, "You got a good one." Before returning her to her mother.
"I see that you love children, Your Majesty." Lady Heidi said.
"I do, they are adorable, the purest form of life that exists." The baby was still waving in her direction, he was still standing behind her.
"Do you plan on having more children?"
That question almost left her stunned. "My husband is happy with the two we have," She sat down beside Lady Silvia again, "Besides Lady Silvia already has her hands full with them, I couldn't give her more work."
"Perhaps the third one will turn out like you." Lady Silvia commented.
"Grandma!" Her grandson scolded her right away.
"What? Where is your brother? Why are you standing there and not looking for him?" She stood up and started threatening him with her cane, Lady Silvia may be small and old, but many are certain that she can beat a grown man.
"He is here, somewhere." Sir Peter scratched the back of his head.
"Well go find him!"
"I will! I will! Do not hit me!"
"Such a butt kisser!"
They went together, leaving the empress alone, in the hands of other noble hands who are waiting to speak to her.
Children, Katherine thought, I do miss children.