Happy 1st Anniversary to TSE! 🎂🐍

12 - 26 - 2020

(Italics are for flashbacks.)

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Angletonia, February 1926

Cal smirked as he scanned down the gloss-coated paper in his hand. It was a message from Olivia informing him that she was about to do a final fitting at the bridal boutique this week for her ceremony and reception gowns, and she would love to spend some time together after.

Yes, Olivia. He had triumphantly mended the relationship with his fiancee last weekend, by sending huge bouquets of flowers to her townhouse, filling her front room out to her porch, complete with an apology letter.

When he came over to check on her the next day, Olivia showed up with a huge beaming smile, pinning him with a heartfelt kiss in her flower-filled room. It was quite the drama, really, to kiss and make up surrounded by the scents of flowery fields. He only needed to release some butterflies into the room.

Speaking from experience, Cal knew no woman could ever refuse such a grand gesture. A big chunk of flowers, complete with a sincere apology of a man admitting how wrong they were. It's almost like presenting himself to her on his hands and knees.

"These are so beautiful, my love. I am sorry too about my reaction at the banquet, it was probably too much," she sighed before drawing him into another kiss. "But you've been loyal to me, haven't you? You're not seeing that tramp again, are you?"

If his past affairs were tramps, what would that make him? A manwhore?

"Darling, haven't I told you? I am bound to you now," He cooed, hiding his inner turmoil behind a gracious smile, holding her chin between his forefinger and thumb.

Nevertheless, he was relieved that all their problems had been cleared up, especially when he'd been trying so hard to prove his father wrong about Olivia. He tried to set them up for tea today, hoping that they could finally reconcile their differences, but his father declined, citing that he had 'more pressing matters to attend to'. Obviously, he was still upset about her leaving the banquet early before their arrival. He no doubt saw it as a blatant display of disrespect to him and his mother; both as the Emperor and Empress and her future in-laws.

In conclusion, any more drama should wait until they finally said their vows, so his father could no longer step in to push any other alternative candidates onto the table. Especially one like Isleen Corodi.

"Maman, what are you reading?" he looked over to his mother with curiosity as Estelle sat down with a thick, square book sitting in her palms. "Are those holy texts?"

"Oui. Some of my longtime friends from Venanzio lent it to me. It's very interesting."

"So you have religion now?" asked Cal, amused. Unlike some countries in the western continent which have strong ties to religion, Angletonia was a secular state. Emilian I, the founder of the Leroy dynasty, had been the first to abandon the practice as the religious leaders tried to undermine her legitimacy as a female ruler. Freedom of individual faith was still of course allowed, however.

"You needn't have to have religion to have faith. I personally find the practice to be calming and peaceful. You should try it too, sometimes."

Cal raised a brow. Honestly, he had never been interested in investing his faith in something that couldn't be empirically proven. His mother, however, was always captivated by things with a strong emotional aspect.

Well, at least the religion in the continent still made sense. Unlike those heathens in the South...

"His Majesty the Emperor and Lady Isleen," announced a footman, causing Cal to flinch on his seat. Right as he turned his head to the entrance, he saw the woman walked into the salon, in another nineteenth-century dress with his father by her side.

So, this was the 'pressing matter' he was referring to.

In the two weeks of their stay in Angletonia, his father had invited Isleen to private events, taken her on a hunt, and now she must also set foot in their private dining room? All those activities had bigger time slots in total compared to how much time Callisto had ever cared to spend with Olivia, his soon-to-be daughter in law. His father had never even taken his fiancee on a hunt!

If he wasn't sure about how devoted his father was to his mother, he would've thought that he intended to take her as his own mistress.

"Beinvenue! Come join us, Isleen, dear," Estelle welcomed her, receiving her curtsy. This was one of the few times when Cal wished his mother wasn't so kind.

"Je vous remercie de votre accueil," Isleen replied, deepening Cal's frown. She's speaking in Mireilles now?

"Wow, you're very fluent in Mireilles." Estelle's smile widened.

"The Emperor told me to learn it, so I did," Isleen blinked flatly.

"That's right. She's so intelligent, easily grasps everything I taught her," Callisto boasted with pride.

"I wasn't aware that we're having company," Cal said, turning around in his chair and giving them a sour smile. He wouldn't have bothered to stand if his father wasn't in the room, now she would think that he was receiving her. "And I thought you were too busy to join us for lunch, Father?"

"As I mentioned before, I have engagements," Callisto replied calmly, and Cal clenched his fist.

The four of them sat together in the dining room and Cal relished in the fact that he wasn't sitting next to Isleen. After last time, he wouldn't want any more drama with Olivia. Soon, the conversation started to flow swimmingly.

"So, are you enjoying your stay in Angletonia, dear?" Estelle asked over an onion soup.

"I am. I've never been to any other places besides the Islands, it is quite an adventure here."

"But the Islands are also quite a beautiful place to live in, aren't they?"

"They are. Although we struggle with accessibilities, my father has always managed."

"That's right, that's why it's really wise of your father to sign the agreement about the building of infrastructure," Callisto crowed.

"Don't you ever miss home?" Cal blurted as he grabbed a glass of water, hoping that it would somehow make her feel homesick and demand an immediate return. She did sound like she'd never gone out of her house from her explanations.

Isleen's steel blue gaze fixed on him. "I do, my Prince, but at this point in my life I've learned that there are better things to look forward to."

"You're right, Isleen," Callisto chimed in. "One should be able to give up the things that hinder them, no matter how enticing they may be."

Cal glared down on his lap; he was sure that his father was referring to his fiancee. Under the table, he felt a gentle squeeze on his leg and he caught his mother's hand.

"While I know how humans are weak against beauty—" Callisto started again but was cut off as Estelle lightly smacked his hand that was reaching for a kidney pie.

"Your blood pressure, Doudou," she scolded lightly, making him look taken aback and embarrassed. Due to short notice, the servants weren't able to prepare the usual food he ought to eat for the sake of his health.

Cal snickered at the display of affection. That was what happened if you brought a stranger into your inner domain, expect to get some exposure.

"Since you're having fun, I'd like to invite your other family members to Angletonia over the holidays," Estelle announced, despite her act of sympathy toward her son, but only after the sentence that had followed that Cal finally understood her intention. "I heard you have an older brother?"

Isleen froze, suddenly looking uncomfortable. "He is... unwell. After my mother passed away I was the one who helped Father with his position. He trusts me. I am his second in command."

"It's getting rare to find a youth so respectful of their elders." Callisto nodded ardently as if he'd just heard a winning speech. "Goodness, you remind me of how much I once wanted a daughter!"

The remaining courses were spent talking about how good Isleen was with some curative and how she used her exceptional skills to aid his father's minor injuries when he was out hunting. How very important and entertaining.

As soon as the lunch was over Cal rushed off to head to see Olivia. As he was reaching the carport he overheard Isleen arguing with someone who sounded to be her father. So daddy's good girl was secretly a rebel? Wait till his father found out about this.

Quietly, he snuck behind the walls, wondering if there was some information that he could use to his advantage. Even if he couldn't see them at least he could hear them.

"...No, you go home! I like it here. I don't want to go."

"You don't know what you're talking about," came Velius's voice.

"But I do!" Isleen argued. "Angletonia is where I'm meant to be, and I will never return to that sad wreck of a castle!"

So all the flowers and rainbows in Southern Islands was a lie then.

"You need to remember what we came here for. Remember your destiny!"

"My future is not some piece of clay that you can mould! I've spent my entire life listening to your grand plans, Father! Guess what? I'm through with it. The prophecy thing? I've put it behind me. Now I've found something that's actually worth my while."

"Do you really think that after everything we worked for, I'm going to let you throw it all away for a Leroy? No, you're going to go home and focus on your sole purpose; wielding the godshard of Megis!"

"The Emperor likes me, he's gonna make me their princess!" she howled, and Cal felt a serious urge to butt into their conversation and debunk her claim.

"You're not serious, are you? Do you really believe that you're going to be a Leroy— that they're actually going to make you one of them?" There was a prolonged silence, and the last thing he heard was Velius seething, "Not for the life of me."

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

Last year, exactly on this date, December 26th; I posted a story about a Princess who's arranged to marry a mysterious, ridiculously handsome Emperor who preferred the company of his seven-year-old son instead of his own bride. 😅

I started this book in the middle of a final year project as an escape 🤣 Turning it into a serious project was a lot of risks, seeing how my graduation could be at stake. But well, I made it 😏

I graduated with Honor, and I couldn't express enough gratitude for the enthusiasm and support that my readers continued to show for TSE (Well, mostly for Junior. Oh, well.) Now that it's been a year. there's nothing I wanted more than to finish this book 🙂🙃🙂🙃

I really need that energy boost.

I wish I could tag every single reader who'd supported TSE along this journey! Thank you!!