Valentina was seated at the middle of the hall with other two advisors beside her, 

As always, she was silent and couldn’t bother to get into the cat fight between the annoying nobles because of the news of the new bill which is going to be introduced.

Chatter. Chatter. Chatter.

She felt as if her migraine was growing by the passing second.

She rubbed her head with two fingers, and her mood was getting darker and darker.

The nobles kept throwing remarks like cats and dogs until they heard a ‘tsk’ sound.

No matter how soft she was for her daughter, however Valentina was one of the most impatient and deadly rulers.

“I wonder why, you guys do this. Why?", she clicked her tongue in annoyance, again.

The advisors beside her kept looking forward, anywhere in the hall begging in their mind to survive through this meeting without any bloodshed. The large window, the polished floor, the sword hanging on the wall, no, not the sword.

Valentina tapped her finger nails on the table and that was the only sound that could be heard now, the sound of someone’s head that was going to be slashed by those fingers.

Tak. Tak. Tak.

A cold sweat ran down their backs and head until there came the sound of the doors opening but no one looked towards it, fearing the demon will feast on them as soon as they look away from it.

But one did it anyway, and saw the crown prince at the door. He quickly bowed his head down to show respect until he saw a little girl who was clutching Elijah's hands tightly like fearing she will get lost if she let go of it.

He looked at the girl carefully. His eyes scanning her silver hair which flowed down her back and fluttered as the wind passed through it and her eyes, a very familiar and the most unique eyes he has seen in the palace.

Her body was adorned with a simple but elegant silver wrap dress, and a silver chain around her neck which was known very well around people. It was made only for one person in this kingdom. The hidden crown princess.

His eyes which were full of confusion widened suddenly and bowed more at seeing the princess for the first time.

“greetings to the crown prince and the crown princess.”

Valentina turned her head at hearing the name, 'crown princess’.

And she saw Elijah and Clemencia standing at the door while Clemencia was holding his hands.

She got up from her chair and made her mind to kill anyone who forced her daughter to come in front of these many people.

Elijah greeted Valentina with a little bow, Clemencia got flustered at the sight of her brother bowing, so she mimicked him like a new born giraffe does with their mother.

Clemencia knew that her mother in front of people and when in front of her alone was different.

‘She is a ruler now', Clemencia thought that and bowed while holding her dress a little with the free hands to show the deserved respect to her mother.

“Clemencia?”, Valentina whispered.

Clemencia flinched a little at the cold voice of an empress, and got up and met her mother’s eyes.

“greetings, queen mother.”, Clemencia said with a soft voice.

In the meantime, the whole crowd present in the hall was surprised to see the princess for the first time.

They were all contemplating whether this was a good time that someone’s head got safe or worst everyone can be guillotined who looked at the princess.

And their thoughts were not wrong because there were several rumors going around about how anyone who looked at the princess had their eyes pulled out or an execution was announced for them.

‘The queen is really protective of the princess that’s why she kept her hidden till now', a known secret. A topic on which the nobles could gossip about all day and night. Jealousy, envy, pity and admiration. All sorts of rumors were spread even outside the continent.

Elijah intervened in the middle, not bothered with the big fact that the crown princess was with him in front of people for the very first time.

That princess who was hidden from everyone’s eyes.

“your majesty, you called for an audience.” he continued “let’s be seated now, gentlemen” looking at the men present in the imperial hall.

He walked towards the podium while holding Clemencia's hand who was still looking at Valentina with nervous eyes and Valentina did the same but with cold ones.

 he seated Clemencia carefully beside Valentina’s seat and started discussing the matters of the country he visited for patrol. He spoke nonetheless if people recovered from their shock or not.

The crowd gradually faded and they too got immersed in the discussion but occasionally glanced at Clemencia who was giving Elijah her undivided attention.

Clemencia watched the crowd with anxious eyes and tried to console herself

‘calm down, it's just people’

‘several people’

‘slow down, if you don’t overcome it than you’ll be the same old helpless woman. The same old’

Sweat started to form in Clemencia's clutched hands and her legs were bouncing every second.

She couldn’t do anything.

Valentina who was silent till now and was seated beside her daughter saw the condition Clemencia was in.

She abruptly got up and picked Clemencia in her arms while saying, “scatter”

Clemencia didn’t even realise that she was in her mother’s arms until she passed the door and saw a look of regret in Elijah's eyes which was fading away now as they walked farther and farther away from the hall.

She looked at her mother and nervously asked, “are you angry with me?” but Valentina didn’t say anything and kept walking.

Clemencia felt guilty because of that and shut her mouth and just stared at the path which her mother was going in.

They passed by the tall pillars of the castle, the lilac flowers which can be seen from her room clearly, the back door of the palace where there were imperial guards guarding it and a man in cloak.

‘a man, in a cloak?’, Clemencia got suspicious that instant and whispered to her mother in a false casual manner.

“mother, there's a man in a cloak beside the back door.”

Valentina didn’t stop because it could mean they got suspicious and her hands tighten around Clemencia in a protective manner.

Valentina fastened her steps until she saw a shadow behind her.

Clemencia saw the same man again, but this time behind her. He had a knife which was aiming towards.... her?

Suddenly her eyes were covered and she could only hear sounds of a stabs now

*ZING* ‘a metal?’ ‘no, a sword?’

Clemencia got anxious again until the hands on her eyes lifted and she saw the man lying on the ground who was headless.

Her dress had droplets of red on them now, blood.

She looked towards her mother who had unsheathed her sword from her scabbard which was hanging on her waist.

If this would have been her past, then Clemencia was sure she would be frightened and traumatized for a whole month now, but she was used to this much.

She sighed in relief when she saw her mother was safe but little did, she knew there were a lot like him present in front of them when they turned around with the same aim, her.

But Valentina handled it quite swiftly and captured the one last guy who was shaking to its wits by his throat.

“I would have killed you this instant but it would have been boring then, no?”, Valentina eyes cheered in cold voice.

The man whimpered and tried to cut his tongue to end this quickly with suicide but Valentina was faster.

She thrusted her sword's hilt into his mouth breaking his teeth in the process.

“No,no,no,no, what are you doing?”, Valentina asked feigning surprise and crunched his hands which were lying on the ground helplessly with her heel.

“you can’t leave the game when it hasn’t even started yet”, she thrusted her swords hilt into his mouth more and twisted it.

Saliva mixed with blood was dripping from his mouth. Valentina feigned innocence again and chuckled.

“sorry, I don’t get to make the rules”, until then the guards who were on duty saw the scene and immediately bent down in front of Valentina.

“we’re to blame, your majesty. We couldn’t protect the borders properly, please punish us.”

Valentina wanted to tear off their limbs one by one for risking her daughter’s life just because they slacked off but she let them be because of Clemencia who was witnessing the scene and wanted to get out of here as soon possible.

“take him away and let this be my last warning, my last fucking warning.” Valentina threatened them and walked away towards Clemencia's room.

The guards who were granted their lives picked the man up and dragged him away, Valentina’s cold eyes still ringing in their minds.