Missing The Princess
"I'm sorry, I was wrong. Please spare me!", Poppy pleaded on her knees with the silhouette of a average heightened man holding a glass of wine.
"You useless little thing! I gave you one simple task, one simple task and you were about to foil all my plans!", the man yelled, his voice accompanied with the sound of shattering glass echoing across the dimly lighted room.
Poppy fidgeted on the cold hard floor contemplating on what the man facing the window would do to her. The man turned around to look at her and had a satisfied smile on his face looking at the condition of the maid.
"I... I'm sorry, I promise this will not repeat itself. Please don't hurt me", Poppy said shutting her eyes tightly awaiting a slap or an all round beating when she heard the man's footsteps approaching.
"I will not hurt you darling, after all you are still of use to me. I'll let you off this time but repeat this mistake... then I'll have your head, got it... got it!", He yelled when she didn't answer and forcefully dragged her chin up to face him.
"Yes, my Lord... my love", Poppy said and then the lights in the where turned on. There before Poppy stood the Duke of the Magentan Duchy, Duke Claudio Magenta.
He pressed a kiss on Poppy's head, giving her a sweet but sinister smile and Poppy shivered in response. Turned around to the window again and the two well built guards that brought Poppy there came in and dragged her back out.
Once Poppy was successful hurled out of the empty room, a young man appeared from a door on the left hand side of the room. It was the Young Prince of the Magentan Duchy, Prince Gustavo Magenta.
"Keep an eye on the Princess, our work is almost complete. I don't need any more mistake, have I made myself clear enough?! ", the Duke asked in a slightly raised voice.
"Yes sir ", the Prince said meekly before exiting the room leaving his father alone with his thoughts.
"I loved her first, he stole her away but couldn't protect her. My dear Marilynn", the Duke smiled and then brought out a picture of a beautiful young woman with bright red eyes and the longest golden red hair.
"I will protect you from her, I'll send her to a place she won't be able to hurt you", he said with a soft look in his eyes.
Meanwhile, in the Empress's chambers,
Cecilia was walking down the stairs towards the exit when she heard someone talk behind her.
"I'm sorry my Princess, please forgive me for this. It's not too late, I can still stop her. She's too nice to suffer such a fate", the voice said behind her and she immediately recognised it as Poppy's.
"Why's Poppy thinking about such things. I should be careful, I'll take the long route to father instead", Cecilia thought to herself and turned around towards the Imperial garden.
She walks in the garden for some time before coming across her usual hurdle, the fence. She slowly climbs the mould filled fence until she reaches the top then carefully jumps down.
She was standing in front of the Emperor's palace and a small smile creeps on her face.
Two minutes later, in the Emperor's throne room.
"The first Princess Of the Gastonian Empire is entering", the Emperor announcer yelled out cordially then the doors of the room opened and the Princess entered the room almost immediately.
"Greetings to the Great Emperor of the Gastonian Empire and the best father in the world", the Princess said seeing there were no guards or Nobles in the room with them.
"And how is my growing little doll doing?", the Emperor said when Cecilia settled down beside him.
"Perfect and perfect. After all, I'm the Greatest Emperor in Dallaire's daughter ", Cecilia said proudly and then took the hand he rested on the hand rest of the throne and placed them in hers.
"Oh... you don't know how much I've missed this. Just you, me in our own little world. But that's not possible, I'm the Emperor and so I have to fulfill my responsibilities", the Emperor said in a sigh and gently removed his hand from hers.
"Father, honestly... I'm happy the way things are. You've given me everything I could ever ask for, no questions asked. I love you dad and I will always", Cecilia said and her father gave her a big hug in return.
After talking about her childhood for about fifteen minutes, the Emperor finally remembered her upcoming birthday and his wife's death anniversary. The environment becomes grim and Cecilia asks that they discuss the rest the following day. The Emperor approved and Cecilia bowed and left the Emperor to his thoughts.
"It's good she finally left, she's just like her mother... talkative", the Emperor said in a low tone and then suddenly smiles.
"Cecil my little girl, happy birthday in advance and to you Marilynn... happy birthday as well", the Emperor finally concluded with a small smile on his face.
In Western Gastonia, a group of the Magentan Emirates are having a serious discussion about the rebellion against the Emperor. The seven men seemed conflicted about something.
"So what do we do?", a plump bald headed man questioned no one in particular.
"What else, we need help. We need to seek help from Gastonian rebels and from the waring Empire, Marines", a thin well built man suggested and everyone nodded in agreement.
"So what we need now is to infiltrate Gastonia at her weakest", the leader of the operation Claudio Magenta finalised with a smile and everyone immediately dispersed at the bang of the table.
Now being left alone, the Duke smiled at himself.
"Soon my love, very soon", he said before leaving the room.
Back in the Imperial palace, Cecilia is walking through the garden with a scrutinising look on her face.
"Why do I feel like Papa needs my help, so many people he trusts are out for his throne", the Princess thought to herself and then let out a long sigh.
"My Princess!", Poppy yelled out from the outer end of the garden and began sprinting towards Cecilia.
"Poppy?", Cecilia questioned right before the petit maid reached her giving her a big hug which she obviously reciprocated.
--To be continued...