The cry of a baby in Bozao royal Palace brought the Palace into a joyful, sad atmosphere. Joyful because Queen Agatha finally gave birth to a beautiful princess after many years of miscarriages. Sad because the Queen suffered complications while given birth to the princess and was dying with each passing minute.

King George did everything within his power to save his beloved wife. Inviting physicians from neighboring kingdom to help save his wife, but the Queen remains at the door of death and no one was able to do anything to improve her condition.

When Queen Agatha realized she will not survive her childbirth. She made her husband promise to marry her best friend. Yes, she and the king might have been in love from their childhood. The reason why he never took another wife, even after years of marriage without children. The royal council has been on his neck to take another wife all those years but he refused. But everything was different when She was going to die. She might have given birth to a child but a son is what the king needs. He needed an heir to his throne.

She was certain that there was going to be a lot of pressure on him to take a new wife. She did not want to put him in a tight corner and she wanted him to be happy.

She also wanted him to marry someone she could trust to take good care of her princess. So her best friend Regina was her perfect option.

"Promise me," she asked with a weak voice while the king was holding her hand's tears rolling down his cheeks. He looked nothing like the imposing king of Bozos, He was just a husband that was about to lose his precious wife, the only woman he has ever loved.

He was not ready to lose her but at this point, there was nothing he could do. "I promise" he replied between his sob. Queen Agatha smiled weakly after she heard her husband.

She took a deep breath, feeling that she could die in peace knowing her daughter will be well taken care of. The king held on tight to his wife's hands and watch her take her last breath.

He never had imagined that their love story will come to such a sad end. After crying for a little longer. He wiped his tears and walked out of her chamber and walk straight into the room of the newborn baby.

He looked at his daughter who was sleeping peacefully and smiled.

"Ellen" he called the sleeping baby the name his late wife has chosen. He saw the baby as the gift of the love he shared with his late Queen. Just about the same time the arena of the bell was heard all over the kingdom to announce the death of the Queen.

...

"Your majesty you must think of taking a new queen," Lord Boston one of the royal council members said while they were deliberately in the king's court. It's been a month already since the death of Queen Agatha and like she predicted the royal council was already on his neck.

King George nodded his head in agreement. "I will take a wife but my late wife just died. How about we wait till the princess is two years old." King George said.

The members of the royal council were pleased with his answer. They were expecting him to throw a fist once they brought up the issue of marriage but to their surprise, he has welcomed the idea. Two years for them was a long time but since the king shared a special bond with his Queen they understood he needed time to mourn her.

So it was set, king George was ready to marry Lady Regina of the house of Tyler. In those two years, Regina stayed in the Palace as the king's betrothed taking care of the little princess.

During that period the king set his eyes and ears open in the watch of lady Regina. He wanted to fulfill the promise he made to his wife but he needed to be certain that lady Regina will love princess Ellen as if she was her own.

Two years went by in a flash and lady Regina was a sweet mother to Princess Ellen, so the king fulfills his promise to his wife and married lady Regina.

He hoped to have a peaceful family without siblings rivalry. He believes that if all the children were brought up in love and unity they could love each other and protect each other. He understands the scheme that goes on in a royal family and he did not want that among his children.

This was also part of the reason he did not take in any concubine. He was never close to his siblings and as soon as his father the king died he was forced to exit his brothers to ensure peace in Palace and secure his throne. He did not want to create the same fate for his children.

Queen Regina gave birth to a set of twins a year after her marriage to the king. It was a celebration period in the Palace and the entire kingdom, as they welcomed the little prince William and princess Ema.

This marked the beginning of a new era in the Palace. Queen Regina looked for reasons to scold Ellen. She granted her over little mistakes that could be overlooked. Of course, she only acted this way when the king was away.

Princess Ellen never took all Regina's behavior to heart. After all, she has been the only mother she knew. She concluded that her mother only corrected her because she did not want her to make mistakes. So she tried her best to be better.

The irony was that the more she tried to be good, the more Regina became vicious. Queen Regina felt her position in the Palace was secured since she successfully gave birth to an heir to the throne. So she did not have to pretend anymore.

"I am sorry mother," Ellen apologized to Queen Regina when she bumps into her by accident. Ellen was in a hurry to catch up with her class that morning and she did not notice the Queen's chamber door opening which leads them to bump into each other.

"I am not your mother" Regina snapped looking at her with hatred. She was very upset and it annoyed her anytime she heard Ellen referred to her as a mother. But she pauses when she realized that Ellen was frozen in place.

"stupid" she cursed under her breath when she realized that she has said those words out loud. Not that she regretted saying it but should the king find out, she might lose the favor he showered her. After all, she agreed with the king not to tell Ellen about her mother until she turned sixteen but Ellen was currently fourteen. what just happened was what should never get into the king's ears.

Once this incident is reported, the king will find out all about her bias treatment. So she immediately poses gracefully and patted Ellen on the head.

"My dear you need to move carefully. Look you almost hurt yourself and your mother. Mother is in a bad mood forget what I just said" Regina patted Ellen as if she doted on her.

Ellen simply nodded her head and acted casual before excusing herself. She was not stupid she knew the Queen meant every word that came out of her mouth.

Ellen wondered about the queen's words as she joined the other noble ladies in the lesson room.