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THE IMPERIAL PRINCESS OF THE FIRST RANK ── that was the long title bestowed to astrid vict, the eldest and only daughter of the late emperor. she grew up as a treasured pearl in osis's hand, being taught by the best, wearing the best silks, eating the best foods, and being doted on by everyone around her. but after his death ─ things changed, struck by grief, she stepped down as crown princess ── leaving sovieshu as emperor. astrid had traveled around the world, learning from other nations and establishing political alignments with other kingdoms ── and she had found herself in a questionable friendship with the infamous prince of the western kingdom.
she sat in the tea room, sipping her tea and gobbling on the delectable sweets as her longtime best friend prince heinrey and she chat, as usual. suddenly, someone bursts into the room and goes on his knees, astrid was taken aback when she recognized him as a valet of the eastern empire.
"your imperial highness! your servant begs for your return!" the man begged, as astrid glanced at her friend before setting her cup down.
"why? what has happened?" astrid asked calmly
"you've been away for too long, your imperial highness," the man exclaimed, "his majesty- he is destroying the imperial family!" he began to sob hysterically.
astrid glanced to heinrey who was holding back a laugh. she sighed and stood up, "you may rise ── i will return to the eastern empire immediately," astrid declared as the butler sniffled and almost hugs her from joy.
─── an hour later, astrid's maids had finished clearing her chambers at the western kingdom's palace. reyna was seated upon her black stallion and she turned around to see both of her friend, standing at the gate and staring at her. she gave him a lazy soldier salute and the gates opened and astrid began her way home. the trip was long ─ but astrid insisted they kept on going, by dusk they returned to the empire. the commoners bowed and greeted her with merit and she smiled and waved to them.
the party of people returned to the palace just as the sunset finished and the night sky was still light out. she rode right to her own palace made only of pearl that her father had commissioned the best architects from the eastern empire to create for her for when she was an adult.
her ladies-in-waiting and all the servants in the palace were waiting for her return as everyone fell into a low bow and curtsies. "we greet her imperial highness, the imperial princess astrid of the first rank," they all chorused.
"no need for formalities," astrid smiled, hopping off her horse. her most dear friends rushed forward, duchess kalliste ─ her head lady-in-waiting, ladies verena and odessa were all pedigreed girls of noble backgrounds and had been her friends since youth. "you girls must tell me what is happening around these palace walls," astrid said immediately.
"your imperial highness would not be able to fathom what has been happening," verena said dramatically
odessa nudged verena in the ribs, she cleared her throat and spoke, "rumor has it that his majesty has brought back a runaway slave and is planning on instating her as a concubine,"
astrid sighed and began to walk into her palace as her ladies walked behind her. "it's not unusual for the emperor to have many concubines ── but a runaway slave? isn't that a bit much?" she wondered aloud, she then turned to odessa, "and why must you say, 'rumor has it' when it seems like everyone knows its a fact?"
odessa blushed, "as a lady-in-waiting, i must be careful of my conduct of speech," she reminded astrid who nodded, dismissing it.
"we were accompanying her majesty as your imperial highness had ordered us to, and we had run into the girl," kalliste informed her
"oh?"
"she ripped one of empress navier's gowns. the emperor even imprisoned laura, her majesty's lady in waiting for calling the girl a filthy wench," verena continued
"laura was merely speaking for the empress ── such a frail girl, and she was imprisoned?" astrid wondered, "she mustn't be doing well in those conditions, let's go,"
kalliste and odessa understood immediately and took a lantern and astrid's coat, but clueless verena asked, "go? where?"
"to get that lady-in-waiting, what else?"
when they arrived at the prison tower the guard bowed as astrid passed. she finally found the orange-haired girl. "free her," she said simply as the guard paled and went on one knee.
"your imperial highness─ i do not dare─ his majesty would have my head!─"
"his majesty would not dare do anything of those sorts," astrid said simply, "this is under my command," she turned to another guard, "you. ─ open the door,"
the guard bowed and opened the door, the lady-in-waiting ─ laura hurriedly got up and curtsied, "i greet her imperial highness, the imperial princess astrid of the first rank─"
"no need for formalities," astrid said kindly, "help laura," she commanded as her ladies curtsied and rushed over to laura's side, balancing the girl, "help her return to her majesty's palace. i have some business to attend to,'
her ladies bowed before helping laura out. she nodded to all of the guards and left the prison tower. she had a bone to pick with someone. "her imperial highness, the imperial princess astrid of the first rank," the marquess declared as astrid rolled her eyes and entered the study.
"astrid," the emperor greeted, not looking at her. astrid glared at him and kicked his desk, making the knick-knacks and everything fall with a loud crash. "imperial princess of the first rank ── what is the meaning of this?" sovieshu asked darkly, glaring at her.
"you have no shame," astrid spat, "then, tell me, what is the meaning of your latest actions? i am not always there to advise and keep an eye on you, and you take it as a chance to throw muddled water on the imperial family's name? ── laura is an esteemed daughter from a noble family. her father is my business partner! tell me! what is the meaning of all of this nonsense!?"
"please calm yourself, sister ── i was merely helping her. and if you just got to know rashta, she is quite lovely,"
"lovely? helping? you put the diplomatic harmony in our empire in jeopardy for one lovely girl. you promised you wouldn't be like father," as much as she loved her father, osis iii was not a good husband as he was a father.
soveishu glared at her, "what your mouth ── i'm not just your brother but the emperor to the eastern empire,"
"you watch your back ── i'm not just your subject, i'm the reason you get to act all high and mighty. and remember, when it's my last straw ─ you won't get the chance to act so almighty,"
