To You Who Was Abandoned

Chapter 1: Different From Before

"Greetings to the new moon of the Castina Empire. Empress Aristia Pioneer Castina from the Monique family!" The Head Priest bowed respectfully to the lady.

All the nobles in the hall bowed down and greeted the lady with enchanting silvery-white hair and alluring golden eyes.

She was now the Empress of the great Castina Empire.

Aristia smiled and gestured for everyone to look up. The knights of the imperial family all knelt down in union, along with the 1st and 2nd knight division.

Her gaze was on the solid gold throne adorned with diamonds in which a handsome man with locks of blue hair and deep blue eyes looked at her with all the love in the world.

She confidently walked up the stairs with a happy heart. Passing the knights with respect and peaking at two knights. One with fiery red hair and the other with the same silver hair she had.

She reached the the throne and received the warmth of the blue haired man through his sudden hug. 

"It all feels like a dream" The man whispered lovingly into her ears. He released her from the hug and turned to the crowd "I, Emperor Ruvelius Kamaludin Shana Castina, look forward to your service to your Empress"

Everyone could feel the threat behind his words. 'Obey the Empress or else'. His eyes said it all.

The coronation ceremony continued with the banquet as Aristia left for a while to the terrace.

She felt giddy about her new title. Empress. Well it wasn't all too new. But things were different from before.

In this life she had met so many friends who stood by her side. Along with equally formidable enemies. But she had overcome it all. And here she was, the Empress Aristia who was loved by the emperor and many.

It was so different from the first time. Different from her first life when she was the Abandoned Empress.

****
"Queen Aristia Pioneer from the Monique family is sentenced to death by the guillotine"

She was locked in a room of the imperial palace for a month before the announcement was made.

Her once shiny silvery-white hair had become dirty and unkept. Her fair white skin, scarred with many calluses on her hands. Her golden eyes which once held confidence and grace were dull as if they had no life.

The image of the once perfect Empress was gone. It had all started when her status was demoted from Empress to Queen.

No, it had all started long before that. But she had just failed to realize it.

One day, a child was born for Marquis Keiran La Monique. Sadly, the mother of the child died while she was only three years old.

The Marquis was heart broken and raised the daughter alone without ever getting remarried.

This daughter was named Aristia. When she became nine years old she was part of a prophecy from the temple and thus the middle name 'Pioneer' was bestowed upon her.

According to the prophecy she was the destined child of god. The one who was meant to be the mother of the Empire.

And thus, her training to be Empress began. She trained everyday putting in blood and sweat to every task. From embroidery to running empire affairs.

Among nobles she was praised as the 'perfect Empress'. After her coming of age ceremony, she was given a new nickname.

The 'ice Empress'  She was known for her cold demeanour and formal aura. The text book example of an Empress.

Eventually she was crowned Empress, but the Emperor never loved her. In fact, he had loathed her since the time she was young. The reason? She had not been aware.

Aristua ruled as the almighty Empress despite the bad relationship she had with her husband, Emperor Ruvelius.

But, one day, all of it changed. The day a girl with black hair which was not found anywhere in the Empire and purple jewel like eyes.

The temple then announced a new prophecy of the true moon of the empire. The lady who appeared from the waters of a lake supposedly. The prophecy proclaimed that the lady – named Jieun, who had also been given blessed the name 'Graspe', was the chosen empress by god.

Without much delay and with the support of nobles opposing the Monique family, along with the backing of Duke Jenna, Jieun was made Empress and Aristia demoted to Queen.

That was when Aristia's world slowly fell apart.

The love she had always wished to receive was given to Jieun. Her rank as 'Empress' was given to Jieun, though all the work was done by her.

People adored and loved Jieun. Those very people who didn't want to be close to her because she was 'up-tight'

But she didn't care much about what they said. No, she didn't even care at all.

She only cared about the way Emperor Ruvelius looked at Jieun. She wanted to be looked at the same way.

But everything she had worked for came crashing down the moment her father was accused for an assassination attempt on Empress Jieun.

Her father was killed and eventually she too was executed.

"Queen Aristia Pioneer from the Monique family has been stripped of her title as 'Queen' and is sentenced to death by the guillotine for the assassination attempt on the Empress' life"

She gazed up at Emperor Ruvelius praying to see him telling the executioner to stop, but all she saw was his cold eyes looking down on her with contempt.

One emotion was clearly evident on his face. Hate.

"Hurry up with the execution. Being in the presence of a sinner is getting tiring"

The guillotine's blade came down separating her head from her body.

***
That was how her miserable life ended. But she was given a second chance to live.

This was her second life. A life that was so different from before. Emperor Ruvelius now loved her dearly. She had many people who were close to her heart and stood by her side faithfully.

"I guess now the kid has finally grown up a bit" Aristia turned around to the familiar voice. "Oh, greetings to the moon of the Empire"

Her eyes met with the young man with remarkable red hair,  round blue eyes and a well built physique. He was one of the people who had stood by her side faithfully.

"Sein"