Hi ForeverPupa here! Before we start the story, I will give you the character list, their starting age when they enter the story and status! Don't worry, this volume will be short one, probably around 15-20 chapters! Hehe~
*Cold Palace*
Celine Camellia, (20)
Maiden name: Celine Hessel Signe, Celine of Great Arctyr
Illegitimate first wife of Golden Camellia Emperor, Great Princess of Arctyr (EX)
--
Camille Anna Camellia, (Birth)
Illegitimate Golden Princess of Golden Camellia, Illegitimate Princess of Great Arctyr
--
Jain Tellah, (5)
Boy servant of Cold Palace
*Golden Palace*
Golden Camellia Emperor (Title: Emperor Audric III)
--
Eva Camellia (22)
Maiden name: Eva Stonewalk, Eva the maid
Legitimate second wife of Golden Camellia Emperor, Empress of Golden Camellia (Title: Empress Eva)
--
Ludwig Audric Camellia, (Birth)
Crown Prince of Golden Camellia
*Other*
Young Duke of Duchy Stormhill
--
Beatrice Wildbrush
Miss Wildbrush from House Wildbrush
--
Taron Hessel Signe
Great Prince of Arctyr (Crowned: King of Great Arctyr)
***
The last autumn leaves finally fell and the cold winter has just started. It was such a cold day for winter.
"Miss, are you okay?" one of her maid asked her. Celine nodded and smiled. She was breathing heavily, because this month should be the time when her baby will be born. There was no one in this cold place, only her and two maids she brought from Great Arctyr.
Celine c.a.r.e.s.sed his belly, this was the baby she had been waiting for, and she hoped that this baby would live healthy. Celine looked outside and the winter rain had started again.
Golden Camellia was slightly different from the Great Arctyr, especially the weather.
'There is no such winter rain in Arctyr, it's just instantly snowing when the time comes…'
The winter rain would happen in Golden Camellia a few days when the winter started and then snow fall would follow. It was almost like a torture for her body, because it was extremely cold, especially in this Cold Palace.
Celine shivered, the maid realized that and instantly took a blanket to cover Celine's feet and body, "Miss, you shouldn't push yourself too far. You are in your late stage of pregnancy! How come the Emperor didn't even let you stay in the main palace until you deliver the baby! He is so cruel!"
"Ssh! Don't say that!" Celine rebuked. "The guards outside might hear us, I don't want you to die unnecessarily here."
"But…" the maid's eyes turned red. She had been following this gentle princess for almost her entire life. Seeing her lady like this, sitting in an old bed with a tattered dress, she was thinner and paler than before, although she didn't lose her l.u.s.trous beauty, she was physically weak.
Especially now that she was nine months pregnant.
"Miss, winter is about to come, you are going to deliver your baby soon, but this Cold Palace doesn't have any heating. This place is unsuitable for you!"
Celine smiled bitterly, of course she knew this place was not suited for a pregnant woman. But she had nowhere to go. And she couldn't return back to Great Arctyr anyway.
Celine tried to ignore the maids and wrote in her diary about good things in life. She wanted to show her children that the world wasn't evil, there was always light whenever they lived.
'Although, maybe the light is not here…'
The night came and cold seeped to her bone. Celine was sleeping soundly, and then woken up instantly when she felt something was trickling down on her t.h.i.g.h. She checked it and saw yellow fluid trickling down.
"Jane! Tia!" The maids whose room was beside their princess woke up instantly, they knew that Princess Celine was going to deliver her baby. They rushed to the room, Celine was gripping the hem of her dress while she held the pain. She couldn't make any loud noise because she would be punished if she did.
The older maid spread out the blanket and checked on her princess. The water already broke, "Go bring me warm water!" she said to the younger maid.
"Princess, take a deep breath and push," the maid said. Celine nodded and she took a deep breath once and pushed as hard as she could. The pain was almost unbearable, especially because she must hold her voice.
Celine breathed and pushed again and again that her tears were already dried out. She could pass out anytime, until she was on the verge of passing out, there was the sound of a crying baby echoing around the room.
Celine closed her eyes in relief, she wanted to take a rest until she realized that the baby was making too much noise.
"G—Give me the baby!" Celine said panickily. The maid gave her the baby and Celine immediately tapped the baby's back gently a few times. Then she took the Winter Camellia and put the flower near the baby's nose.
The baby magically stopped crying, only whimpering slightly.
"M—Miss, how could the baby…"
Celine smiled, "I got this from my queen mother, she said, when I was a baby, I would cry until the whole palace heard my cries. Then she found out that I was instantly pacified when my back was tapped and there was a camellia scent around me."
The maid looked at each other, then they observed their princess.
Princess Celine was still trembling from the cold and tiredness, and her body was already thin, so it looked really pitiful. But she tried to stay strong and pacified the baby. Their tears finally fell to the floor.
Celine gazed at her baby, the baby had full hair and it was golden colored, just like his father. Her facial features were similar to Celine's, but it looked somehow more sculpted, like a baby painting.
Celine kissed the baby's forehead and said, "My baby, my cute princess, I'm sorry I can't bring you to a warmer place for now. But you look so beautiful even though you were just born. Camille, your name is Camille Camellia. A perfection, a beauty."
The baby finally opened her eyes and her first sight was her thin mother, and then she looked around, her eyes finally darted on the window. Celine noticed that Camille's eyes were bright blue with an obvious golden circle around the pupil and iris. The trait of Golden Camellia royal bloodline.
'She is really our daughter… me and him…'
Celine followed her baby's line of sight and when her eyes darted on the window, Celine said enthusiastically, "Camille, look, that's snowfall! Do you like snowfall? Because mom does!"
Baby Camille did not only saw the snowfall outside, she also saw the thin figure of her mother in the reflection on the window.
***
There was a loud m.o.a.n inside the lavishly decorated room. The room was spacious and hot, so did the activity inside the room.
Empress Eva m.o.a.n.e.d loudly, followed with Emperor Leopold's grunt and he finally planted his seed inside his new empress. They were breathing heavily on the bed with the Emperor's body pressed on Empress.
"Leo, you are heavy~" Empress Eva said coquettishly.
"You want to start again?" Emperor asked, his manhood was still inside her. Empress Eva chuckled and said, "No, we've been doing this for the whole day! I might break!"
Emperor Leopold looked disappointed, but he nodded and rested beside the Empress. They looked like a couple living together, like a fairy tale, happily ever after.
Empress Eva was just a maid that started working on the Golden Palace, until Emperor Audric III or Emperor Leopold noticed her so suddenly after he returned from Great Arctyr with Princess Celine, they were going to marry in few months after their marriage in Great Arctyr few months before.
Emperor's eyes suddenly turned golden and shone bright, he ignored her supposed Empress and proposed to Eva in front of everyone, including Celine. He didn't listen to anyone and cancelled his marriage with Celine and married Eva instead in Golden Camellia. Although, Emperor Leopold and Princess Celine were already married in Great Arctyr.
Like a fairy tale, Eva suddenly became an empress and Celine was banished to the cold palace, of course because of the request of Empress Eva.
"Leo, honey, your wife Celine is still in Cold Palace, do you want to help her?" Empress Eva asked. Emperor Leopold ignored her, because his wife often did this to test his fidelity.
But Empress Eva didn't seem to be satisfied with his silent answer and continued, "Maybe someday, you're going to take her back to the Golden Palace. I will be sad…"
Emperor Leopold frowned, his golden eyes shone brightly, "You know that you are my true love, she doesn't matter."
"You are so cruel, she is bearing your baby. Who knows she may be giving birth to your first child right now~" Empress Eva teased. She grinned mischievously.
"Who cares." Emperor Leopold replied short, "Anyway, we still got some time, the ministers are resting with their families now, because of winter. Do you want to spend the winter doing it every day?"
Empress Eva giggled and kissed the Emperor, "I'd love to."
Empress Eva looked at the window and she said excitedly, "Honey, the first snowfall is here!"
Emperor Leopold looked at the window and nodded, "It must be really cold outside, I am glad that we have each other for warmth."
"I'm glad too," Empress Eva grinned. There was a trace of maliciousness on her face.
'This is a perfect life, a perfect fairy tale for me. She will not ruin it!'