On that cold morning, no one realized that the day would turn the story upside down and change fate beyond all possibility of return.
While Princess Diana was reading a book, a guard knocked on the door and entered the library, offering his greetings before saying, "His Majesty the Emperor has sent word that you are to attend his birthday celebration today. Many nobles will be attending as well. He also said that he will announce something important."
Diana nodded calmly. "Very well. You may leave."
The guard departed, leaving Diana standing there, wondering why she had been summoned this time, as the Emperor had never done so at any of the previous celebrations. She closed the book and returned it to its place, then left the library and headed to her room.
After preparing herself carefully, Princess Diana emerged and set off for the Imperial Palace in a luxurious carriage the Emperor had sent for her.
~~~
In the celebration hall, the Emperor sat calmly with his advisor standing beside him, while the Empress basked in her own grandeur. As for her son, Prince Kieran, he sat in silence, tense and nervous, trying not to embarrass his mother by doing anything wrong.
"Princess Diana Jonathan has arrived."
Her arrival was announced, and the hall doors opened for her to enter. The moment she stepped inside, every eye turned toward her. Whispers rose among the guests.
"Is that Princess Diana?"
"Impossible! I would have thought she was the late Empress Aurelia in her youth!"
"Wait, I heard she disappeared for a long time, and now she suddenly shows up!"
Diana bowed slightly to greet the Emperor. "Happy birthday, Father. I have missed you dearly."
The Emperor replied with cool composure, "I am pleased that you have finally returned."
Despite her pretense, Diana cared nothing for the nonsense or for the Emperor who had abandoned her and her brother.
The Emperor rose to his feet and said, "Before the celebration begins, I would like to make an announcement."
He glanced at the Empress for a moment before continuing, "Today, I shall announce the Crown Prince of the Aetheris Empire."
The Empress was shocked by this sudden announcement, especially since she had not been informed of it beforehand. However, she was confident that Adrian was far away, so her son was the only one left to become the Crown Prince.
The Emperor continued, "Prince Adrian Jonathan is currently absent, and he is also incapable of using magic. Therefore, he shall be excluded."
Everyone whispered among themselves about the rumors claiming that Adrian could not use magic.
Then the Emperor said firmly, "Prince Kieran Jonathan is still young, and he lacks self-confidence. He is therefore unfit to rule."
The Empress shouted angrily, "What are you saying, Your Majesty?! Kieran is not what you think he is—"
The Emperor interrupted her with cold firmness. "Empress, would you like to be escorted out of the hall?"
She bit her lower lip in frustration and fell silent.
The Emperor continued, "Since both princes have been excluded, I hereby declare Princess Diana Jonathan the Crown Princess and the rightful heir to the throne."
Whispers swept through the hall, and shock spread across every face, especially the Empress's. Diana stood stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening. Why was she the Crown Princess when there were princes?
In the Empire, the heir to the throne was chosen based on who was the most capable among the males, and girls had never been included in the selection process. The only circumstance in which a girl could be crowned Crown Princess was when there were no male princes.
The Emperor's declaration that Diana was the heir meant only one thing… He had abandoned Adrian, and he had abandoned Kieran as well. As the Empress realized this, rage and hatred consumed her. It seemed she had eliminated the wrong person.
She muttered to herself, "It seems I should have sent you instead of Adrian that day, Diana."
~~~
The celebration ended, and the Empress returned to her palace, consumed by rage. As soon as she arrived, she grabbed Kieran and shoved him forcefully into his room.
"You will not leave this room until you learn how to believe in yourself!" she said harshly and coldly, shutting the door as Kieran screamed and cried. Her eyes filled with malice before she headed to her office and summoned her assistant.
She paced back and forth, sparks of fury practically flying from her.
"Damn it… Damn it! Damn it all! How could something like this happen? How?!"
Her assistant spoke fearfully. "Your Majesty, please calm down a little… There must be a solution."
The Empress laughed maniacally. "A solution? It has already been announced in front of everyone! What solution could I possibly turn to now?"
The assistant smiled maliciously. "I heard that numerous fires will break out across the land… I wonder who will start them."
The Empress raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean—" She grasped the idea and smiled wickedly. "Wait, I believe I have heard about that as well… Perhaps the culprit's punishment will be quite severe."
The assistant replied with a faint smile, "That is true, Your Majesty."
The Empress laughed loudly, her laughter filled with madness, while evil seemed to spill from her eyes like a violet shadow steeped in poison.
~~~
A week after Diana was declared Crown Princess, small fires began to spread slowly, giving the impression that a hidden arsonist was behind them. The situation continued, with the fires remaining easy to extinguish, until that day arrived.
Night fell peacefully over the Empire, and everyone returned to their homes. The place was filled with silence… but things were not as they seemed. A strange smell began to spread through the air, followed by a change in the atmosphere. A faint trail of smoke crept through the city's alleys before its wisps transformed into a raging blaze that tore through the stillness of the night.
"Fire! Fire!"
Screams rang out from every direction, and disaster descended upon the people of Aetheris. Flames devoured everything around them, while destruction advanced at a terrifying speed.
A woman searched for her child, swallowed by the flames, while a young man ran in terror, desperately searching for his sick brother, who had been unable to escape the rising inferno.
Hours of panic and horror passed before they managed to extinguish the flames, but the losses were devastating… Many had died, and the fire had swallowed their dreams along with their homes.
~~~
"Your Majesty, it is said that the fire was deliberately set, as a series of fires have been spreading for nearly a week," Lord Alexandro reported earlier, his voice hoarse from the smoke.
"You say it was deliberate… Who would dare sabotage the Aetheris Empire?" the Emperor asked, his anger barely concealed.
"Find the culprit immediately, and they must be punished."
The lord bowed before departing. "As you command…"
The Emperor remained lost in thought, considering the timing of the incident, which had begun after the announcement of the Crown Princess… Was it a coincidence, or had it been planned?
~~~
The following day.
"Glory to the Empire! We have found the culprit, Your Majesty!" Lord Alexandro announced in a steady voice.
The Emperor replied calmly, "Good… Then carry out the corresponding death sentence."
Alexandro grew tense and stammered, "Th-this… the culprit is… H-Her Highness, Princess Diana Jonathan!"
The Emperor was stunned and slammed his hand against the table. "Are you mocking me, Lord? Who did you say was responsible?"
Alexandro fell to his knees in fear and panic. "I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty, but we found evidence pointing to Her Highness. When we followed her trail, it led us to the palace where she resides, and we found numerous maps and manuscripts indicating the fires."
The Emperor gritted his teeth fiercely.
"Alexandro, search again for the person who planted this evidence to make Diana the accused… If you find nothing within one day… carry out the corresponding death sentence."
The lord rose to his feet. "I shall do my utmost to investigate."
~~~
The truth cannot be forged… because falsehoods are eventually discovered. That is what ordinary people believe. But the reality is that the truth can be forged, because people believe what they hear and see. As for the Emperor, he had never been an emotional person to begin with… To him, the Empire was more important than anything else. After examining the evidence, he issued his order.
The knights stormed into the tranquility of the late Empress's palace, shattering Princess Diana's smile as she painted a portrait of her family: her mother, her brother, and her father. She had not yet finished painting herself… and it was the first time she had ever painted her father at all.
"Diana Jonathan, by order of the Emperor, you are accused of the previous arson incidents. Please come with us," the knight said in a dry tone, failing to offer the customary greeting to the princess.
"Accused? And do I even have a choice? Aren't you already keeping an eye on me?" Diana asked coldly, her irritation barely concealed.
"We are carrying out the Emperor's orders… Seize her!" the knight declared with obvious arrogance.
"Don't you dare!" she raised her voice firmly.
"I am still the Crown Princess here… Who dares lay a hand on me? You are nothing but knights of the middle rank, so do not act beyond your station."
She rose calmly from her seat, looked at the unfinished painting, then walked with steady steps, passing the knights and heading toward her fate.