On the night of my birthday, I fell into a deep fever. No one saw it coming. My body burned, and my head felt heavy, like I was sinking into darkness. In my sleep, I wandered through a black void, lost and confused. I could hear my own breath, but nothing else. It felt endless, like I would never wake up.
"What's happening? Why is the princess suddenly sick?"
My father, King Theo, was desperate. He summoned the best doctors in the kingdom, hoping they could cure me. He even called the wizards from the tower, believing their magic might help. But one by one, they left, shaking their heads in defeat.
"Forgive us, Your Majesty. We can't find the cause."
My brother, Liam, exploded with anger. "Then what good are you? We should cut off your heads; at least that would make you lighter!"
"Not now, Liam," Noyal muttered, trying to calm him down.
The air in my room was thick with worry. My father and brothers searched for answers, turning the palace upside down. But my mother never left my side. She sat beside my bed, holding my hand, her face pale with worry.
Even my father didn't ask her to rest.
"It's too quiet without her," she whispered one night, her voice full of sadness.
On the second day, I wake up, barely able to speak. "Mama…" I whispered before drifting back into sleep. Hours later, when I finally woke up properly, my head still felt heavy, but the fever had gone down. My family was still there, watching over me.
"Don't get sick again, baby," Liam said softly. His anger was gone, replaced by worry.
I nodded weakly, feeling grateful for them. That night, they stayed with me again, making sure I wasn't alone.
Later, Anna, my maid, told me that my grandfather had come to see me but left quickly because of urgent matters. I wished I had been awake to see him.
Meanwhile, in the king's office, tension filled the air.
"Is there anything left from the first emperor's time?" my mother, Queen Selena, asked.
King Theo, my father's closest ally, frowned. "There should be some records in the royal library. But as far as I remember, there's nothing about princess birth."
The Queen's expression darkened. "It was only a few weeks after Ellie was born that the high priest came to take her away. But why? What promise did the first emperor make? Why don't we know anything?"
Theo sighed. "If we ask the church, they might try to take Ellie again. We must find out on our own."
"Could someone have hidden the documents?" my mother asked.
"If anything was missing, it should have been recorded. But nothing like that has ever happened before."
Silence filled the room.
Suddenly, Liam spoke. "Shall we burn the church, Father?"
Noyal grinned. "Or kidnap the Pope? I bet he knows something."
King Theo and Queen Selena exchanged looks. Their sons were bold, just like they had been in their youth.
Theo shook his head. "We can't act yet. We might need the church's power in the future. I've already sent someone to check the Pope's library for any missing records. For now, we wait."
Years passed, and now I am almost four years old. My birthday is coming up soon. But just like the past two years, I know I'll end up with a high fever again. It always happens at night, though no one outside the palace knows about it. For my safety, my family keeps it a secret. Everyone has been searching through old records, hoping to find answers, but no one has discovered anything yet. Even the spies sent to the church return empty-handed. I can feel their growing worry as my birthday gets closer.
"Stap worring about me," I said while enjoying my snack with my family.
They all looked surprised—how did I know what they were thinking?
"We don't want to see you sick again, baby," Liam said. He's eight now, while Noyal is six. Both have started their training, but every evening, they come to have tea with me. Today, the whole family joined.
"I'll be fine! Tell them, Dada." I said confidently, even though deep inside, I felt like I would get sick again.
"Yes, Ellie will be fine. No need to worry about her," Theo reassured them.
I smiled—Daddy was always on my side. Then, I suddenly remembered something.
"Anna, can you brig tha for me, pleese?" I asked excitedly.
"Oh yes, I will, Princess," Anna replied before hurrying off.
"What is it?" Noyal asked curiously.
I exchanged a smile with Mama. She already knew. A moment later, Anna returned with the paper.
"Supriseeee! Look—I drew this!" I held up my drawing proudly.
"Who is it?" Daddy asked excitedly, hoping it was him.
"Sir Tris," I said shyly.
"Whoooo?!" My father and brothers said at the same time, looking completely shocked.
"Sir Tristan," I repeated.
The room fell silent. Only Mama and Anna burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the moment. Poor Sir Tristan—he had no idea he was being dragged into this mess.
"Is this your first drawing?" Noyal asked.
"Nope! Mama was first." I had drawn Mama first, then Anna. Sir Tristan was my third because I needed someone to sit still like a statue. He wasn't even allowed to blink while I drew him!
Daddy pouted. "Ellie, why didn't you draw me first?"
I tilted my head. "Because Dada is always busy."
There was a brief silence before Daddy suddenly declared, "Alright then! Tomorrow, I will stay with you all day until you finish drawing me."
Paul, his advisor, definitely wouldn't be happy about this. He'd have to handle all the palace work alone.
"Yay!" I cheered, excited about the idea.
"We'll come after you finish drawing Dad," my brothers said.
"Okay!"
Mama sipped her tea, watching all of this with an amused smile. She always found it adorable how everyone in the family softened when it came to me.
After the tea party ended, my brothers were heading back when they saw Sir Tristan walking towards my room.
Liam stopped in front of him. "Sir Tristan, when I grow up, you will be my first opponent."
Tristan blinked in confusion. "It would be an honor, young prince. I will train hard to be a worthy opponent."
Noyal smirked. "Just make sure to stay away from Father for a few days."
Then, without another word, they walked away, leaving Sir Tristan standing there, completely lost. He watched them disappear down the hall, still having no idea what had just happened.
END OF CHAPTER 7
Characters introduced until now
KING THEODORE ASHYLN VALMONT {FATHER}
QUEEN SELENA THEODORE VALMONT {MOTHER}
LIAM THEODORE VALMONT {FIRST PRINCE}
NOYAL THEODORE VALMONT {SECOND PRINCE}
ELYSIA SELENA VALMONT {FIRST PRINCESS}
ANNA {NANNY OF ELLIE}
SIR TRISTAIN {KNIGHT AND ESCORT OF ELLIE. RIGHT HAND OF KING}
DUKE ALISTAIR RAVENSHIRE {FATHER OF SELENA}