‟Tonight shall be the first and last night that we spend together, Gianita, for I do not intend to produce heirs by this marriage. The Prince would still be my heir, even though you're the Empress.‟
‟Then why keep me, Sire, if I am of no use to you...
June the twentieth was Cal's birthday. As Gigi offered to cover the arrangements for him, he told her he'd like to be hands-on. Still, he'd appreciate any help he could get, for the celebrations would be held in not less than three days. For the dates to coincide with the summer break had made more people become available and eager to attend.
When asked if he'd always thrown such massive commemoration for his birthday every year, Cal laughed, saying that the last time he had ever held a huge celebration was on his twentieth birthday, eight years ago.
Turns out, he wasn't joking about throwing a different kind of party. On the first night, he would be hosting an overnight party, filled with drinking, dancing and merrymaking. The second day would follow with a carnival, in which they'd enjoy attractions, games and fireworks at daybreak, marking his actual birthday.
Finally, on the third day, they would have the usual tedious dinner with senior members of the nobility; both of them could yawn already.
It's customary for the imperial family to release a photograph on the Emperor's birthday; a family portrait. This year, it would be the first time that they took a portrait together with Gigi as family. Even taking the portraits had its own customs, only the Empress was allowed to dress in the Leroys' signature shade of green. All male members in the imperial family were required to wear black. Female members must also wear black if they were married; lilac, if they're unmarried.
Peppy for the photoshoot, Gigi asked the maids to bring her a collection of the previous family portraits, so she could get an idea of how to pose for it. There were only three of those photographs that she'd seen at the gallery. The first was the most recent photo from last year with only Cal and Junior in the picture, the second was a shot of her husband's coronation day.
Among the pages of the album, one photograph captured her attention in particular, taken on the late Emperor Callisto's fifty-seventh birthday. Junior wasn't in the picture, so he wasn't born yet. Something in the photo felt off, as Cal stood at the edge of the picture in such an odd way, he was almost out of frame. The image composition was weird too, there was too much empty space on the opposite putting Cal and his parents off-centre.
Narrowing her eyes, Gigi noticed a trace of a person standing beside Cal, clad in black. But before she could observe further, she was escorted into a mini studio where a photographer had been expecting them.
***
As the demand for tropical food peaked during summer, Gigi prompted Cal to have Prajan food served on their table, and maybe, even on his birthday carnival. He approved, having been impressed by the ice tea. Having invited one of Praja's palace chefs, she made him serve Nasi Goreng, a distinguished version of fried rice for their breakfast this morning.
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Cal looked down on a plateful of fried rice, topped with slices of chicken, pickles and a sunny side up. "But isn't this a bit heavy in the morning?"
