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"YOUR IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, it is time to prepare for the new years eve banquet," kalliste told astrid as she begrudgingly removed her silk eye mask and her eyes fluttered open. she sat up and rubbed her eyes. she scanned her sleeping chambers ── her adoring father had created an enchanted emporium for her, with intricately carved mother of pearl walls, expensive marble floors that were the same throughout the entire castle, commissioning whimsical hand-carved furniture from the western kingdom astrid still loved the nights spent in this bedroom, cosseted by the most fantastical knick-knacks, paintings, and decorations that money could buy.
"how many more hours until the banquet?" astrid questioned
"five, more hours, your imperial highness," verena piped in as she appeared with a cup of steaming hot tea. servants and maids rushed around the room, in a frenzy of preparing astrid's outfit.
astrid turned to her ladies-in-waiting, "you all should also get ready. i'm sure the servents will handle it," her ladies curtsied before leaving the sleeping chambers.
after four hours of getting ready, which included a long bath, a face mask, a massage, makeup, and getting her hair done, astrid finally wore her outfit. it was a beige dress with real gold thread embroidery and a long red train that was at least 7 inches long ─ she looked marvelous, like her own coronation.
everyone would know of her intentions, a message that astrid should be the one on the throne. everyone gasped and gushed at her beauty ─ the nobles bowed and curtsied to her in respect, and astrid smiled and excused them from too many formalities. "duchess tuania," astrid greeted, as the most beautiful of the duchesses curtsied
"this duchess tuania greets her imperial highness, the imperial princess astrid──"
"no need for formalities, nian," astrid smiled as the duchess rose, "it is a happy event, there is no need─" she was cut off.
"sister!" rashta came hurling towards astrid at an ungodly speed, everyone there stiffened at the white-haired girl's presence. rashta latched herself on astrid arm, "wow! princess astrid is so beautiful! is rashta beautiful?"
astrid stared at rashta with indifference as she removed rashta's grip off of her arm, "you look─ fine," astrid nodded stifly
everyone around them began to whisper among themselves ─ why wouldn't they? astrid vict was a princess, her name was made for history books, revered among all empires and kingdoms ── astrid was the most celebrated person to walk to planet ── yet here rashta was, talking to her as if she was a nobody.
"how could she talk to her imperial highness so casually?"
"what an unruly girl,"
"our princess is a benevolent person, but such behavior is unacceptable!"
