{DISCONTINUED}Abandoned Empress- The Queen of Castia [Fanfic]

Chap:7- Dining

Keiran's POV:-
[AN- am not too sure, as not much of Keiran's pov was shown in original manhwa.]

That child, she was always quiet and respectful. Maybe because after her mother died she didn't want to trouble me. But I never stopped her from anything, she should have just asked me...

Needless to say, it was also my fault for bonding with that child coldly. She went to that horrible palace as if she just was accepting her fate and almost losing to life. I knew I should have never sent her....  9 months since she got married to the Emperor, she is just barely 16 and would soon turn 17, still she has to endure so much.

If only I would have spoken up when the former Emperor asked to make Aristia the Queen and that 'real' god's child the Empress...

"And I don't want to hear anything from a man who gave up on his and his daughter's self respect in the name of loyalty! I am breaking all of my relationships with you..."

I felt like I had hit a wall... Just if I would have tried to know her since childhood, nothing like this....

I was very sad that day...but Not to mention, she had been getting strong constantly... She had started to fight against everything that was happening wrong to her...

A woman, who was made a concubine, who had her child stolen, and one who had bad relationship with her father... Had started to fight for herself now, she even asked for things like poison... What would happen... I was scared. From the day she started to yell about everything wrong with imperialists, I have been scared... Considering Emperor's temper, with every fight of hers, his ego seemed to grew... She merely escaped death as the Emperor didn't have any proof against her... Some weeks ago I heard from chancellor that she her herself I wonder if she would be fine...

Should I ask her? But wouldn't it be awkward? Such thoughts came into my mind... If only I had a chance to mend our relationship, I would willingly take it...

And sometime later the chance did come... Empress felt intimidated by Queen so Queen was sent to the Monique mansion for a few months until the Empress gives birth... That means, she would be here for 5 months...

This is a second chance fate has given me... I absolutely won't let it go...

I made sure everything for my daughter's arrival was perfect, from food to setting. And then the day when she would arrive here, soon came. Emperor was partial, but I was grateful to him for the first time ever. Is it just me being too desperate?

The Queen arrived, she had a cold look on her face. Almost sad. I wanted to interact with her, but as usual there seems to be a wall between us...

"I hope the Queen would not have encountered any difficulties while reaching here?"
"Its just a 20 mins walk on feet what difficulty would I encounter?"
"I understand." I think she is still mad at what happened earlier...
"I am hungry, let's eat first."
"As you wish, Queen."

******
I especially had her favourite dishes prepared for her, hope she likes it...
But then I heard her say,
"Why for doust Father?" What is 'doust'? Is she liking the food or does she not like it? Does this not suit her taste? Is salt not proper?

[100s of questions passing through his head...]

I was just about to ask her what was she thinking about when...

*Sigh* Is  she sick? Should I call for a healer? "Fate is really too cruel" What, did something happen at the palace perhaps?

I was just observing her and seeing thinking something so seriously, made me feel very sad, like some one stole a piece of my heart away...

"Seriously... "  She is dissapointed at something, why what is it? Should I ask her? Again, why am I so scared to do so? Why is there a big wall between me and my daughter? Why?

No this won't do I should talk with her, may be I can help her with something...
"T-" *gasp* I can't call her by that name again... Ever... She is the Queen afterall now.

"The hell" What is it? Why is there a wall that is always separating us? Whenever I try to converse with you, it always seems that you will push me away...

"Grass is greener on the other side." May be something must have happened at the palace... Its all because of me that you had to go through all this... I am so ashamed of myself for not speaking to you at the right time. I am very sorry my daughter. And then I heard it...

"Why... Am I... never.... Loved?" It made my heart stop. To think that she would be facing such sadness in palace. I am such a...

I was looking down all this while, but when I raised my head up to see her...
I was shocked. She... Was crying... My daughter... My precious daughter... Whom I had seen grow up... Was crying... She was crying like someone who was tormented all her life...

"Tia!" I felt my heart break in pieces. "Is-" before I could say anything, she just got up and dashed out of the room leaving me alone on table, that was filled with all kinds of food...

I have lost my chance to converse. But when I saw tears in my child's eyes, it felt like they were blaming me for her condition. At that  time I came to a realisation, about the wall that seperated us- I had never truly tried to understand her. I always thought she was happy just because I provided her with food, clothing, shelter and education. I neved tried to know weather she was happy or not... Even this food today, I just prepared it because we ats it the most of times when we ate together, and that was barely ever...

I didn't even try to know weather she liked it or not... WHY? WHY? Am I like that? "Why did I do it like that?" Why did I not pay attention to her when she was a child? Why?