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5. Brand New Life

**5.

Brand New Life**

*Lovely parents,

My wedding ended splendidly. It ended with a prince on a runaway horse and a belly full of food and so much laughter. I laughed and smiled till my face ached, and my muscles twitched at the slight movement or touch on my cheek.

The royal Emperor and Empress wasn’t in attendance. The Empress needed to leave due to her sickness and the desert of the nomads are comfortable for her. The nomadic princess accompanies her and eases her anxiousness. They handed the empire to the prince with no problem. But that isn’t the biggest and most wondefulest news.

I made a friend.

Princess Lotir, or rather, Archduchess Lotir became my friend these past few days ever sicne the wedding. She accompanies my in the palace. The beautiful diamond palace that reflected the sun and filled my imagination from father’s stories during bedtime. It is even better than I could imagine. There isn’t a day where I’m cold because of the palace, and I’m quite happy here.

Although, the Emperor is needed in the front lines. He had left the palace after a day of our wedding. Don’t fret. He was respectful and told me he would come back as soon as he could. The war is taking a toll on the new ruler. I can’t believe that he had been in the frontlines since he was barely an adult.

The new emperor had given me space and did not rush things. He instead sent his sister to help me become accustomed to life here, and he—I feel—is a good man. He hasn’t laid a hand on me nor call me names, and he often looks at my direction with intent. He chooses his words and manages to make me feel freedom in his palace.

I dearly miss the both of you. Forgive me if I haven’t talked about Grandmama and Grandpapa yet, but I am being summoned. I would write more to the both of you soon.

Yours and ever loving,

Silas

Dear Lovely Parents,

The lessons for royal and imperial etiquette are apparently different. I am learning more and more things from my daily lessons from the people who works in the palace. It is an amazing feat to see everyone’s daily task and their dedication. I have new servants assigned to me, and I am handling the books for the palace seamlessly, but with a few hiccups, of course.

Sometimes we stumble, but your daughter has managed to cope well and become better. It reminds me of the many lessons Father had told me whenever I made a mistake or get frustrated and think how limited I am. I like to think the both you would be proud of me for that.

This week has just been busy adapting to my duties. Grandmama have prepared me well for these duties. I would like to thank them someday for all their love and sacrifice. I have realized that all they did was to prepare me for today.

Lotir had given me many letters from the emperor. I thought it was strange at first that it wasn’t sent from the butler himself and had to go through Lotir first, but I fully understood their close connections. I think she has become worried about me as well as I threw myself on work, but I am happy.

It has been a while since I have done anything worthwhile. But still, I am thankful for the concern. My closest aide, my appointed maid, is Feina. She fusses over me and is incredibly surprised at my speed in work. The head butler, Defin, doesn’t like me working too much, but I don’t feel such thing.

Till the next letter,

Lovingly yours,

Silas

Lovely Parents,

In the north, our villa must be the safest point town in our country. I am comforted by the thought that the both of you are safe. The frontlines have moved a few meters where it once stood, but the emperor has a plan. Not that I am privy to any of it, but I am incredibly comforted by both of your safety.

I have been thinking about our home for the longest while. It would be spring there and the flowers in mother’s garden would be full and colorful. The summer and spring of home are still what I most think of, and mother’s music. Father’s poetry and books. The palace has an incredible library, one that father would love, but I know you can’t leave the villa. It won’t be safe for mother here, not even when I’m Empress.

More than anything I only feel like an empress in name. I feel so small and underqualified for the position. Handling the matters of my palace is the only thing I could do, and I do it well now.

The frontlines are still urging forward and the emperor is in the midst of it. I learned that we’re somehow gaining more land and the neighboring Astrolos is losing footing. It is far safer to be in the south now than the north. I am incredibly relieved that the both of you are there. The emperor still writes to me of what is happening in the frontlines. He cares about his soldiers. Their food and ammunitions and weapons. All of those weighs heavily on his mind.

They have weighed heavily on mine too

Yours,

Silas**

Sileas has an awful habit of rubbing her thumb on the crook of her index finger whenever she lies. She watched as the awful tell of her body does it even though she was just writing a letter filled with lies. She can’t help but be reminded that this world isn’t for her, being an empress is a difficult task, and she’s no empress. This role should definitely be filled by someone else. Someone more experienced and important. Someone who was exposed to the capital’s education far longer than she did.

She sighed. The heaviness in her chest hasn’t left. Not since she read all of the reports the frontlines have sent to the palace. These are the emperor’s letters. Not actual letters but reports written by aides in the frontline. The emperor is unsentimental and doesn’t care about her to write any letter. She had to ask Feina to swipe a copy of those to her room whenever she can

The dark haired and pale lilac eyed Feina regarded her with the same duty and stoicness of a Draconi born in a Draconic family, she neither smiled nor expressed emotion. She does her job well and concisely. She reminds her of the granddaughter her grandparents wanted. Because of that, she feels an incredibly affection for the young girl.

Feina is younger than Sileas by a handful of years, but she looked so skilled. She can’t help herself from teasing the poor thing into acting like her age. She sometimes slips up, and turns into what a sixteen-year-old should be, but she often catches herself and reverts back to her old Draconic ways.

“Feina” Sileas gazed at the girl on the corner. The servants wore leather mixed with cotton uniform for flexibility. It looked like scales at times, and it hugged their slender bodies that reminded her of stoats.

The girl looked up and met her gaze with a placid expression.

“Would you mind setting out some tea and snacks?”

“Are you going to work the whole day again my highness?” She asked inquisitively. Raising her brows towards the direction of the many documents on the desk beside Sileas. “That is not required of you”

Sileas smiled. “But I love this country.” people I love lives in this country. “There are so many who wants this position that I have, and I have it. It would be cruel to not do anything in my position”

Feina stared at her mistress. Expression is unreadable as always and Sileas doesn’t mind it.

Dragons knew how much she’s used to those empty stares and unexpressive faces. Her life with her grandparents made sure that also meant she had no friend. Planted spies surrounded her, and no one was human enough to give her sympathy. No one understands her.

That didn’t matter to her since she understood herself. She is sure of herself with or without supporting grandparents or servants. She learned, and that’s who she is.

A halfling that everyone thought lesser than.

The respect she has is confounding. They only give it to her because of Eitr’s parents that were adamant she became his fiancé. She was so young when they asked for the Amertine’s grandchild. The one her grandparents tried to erase from documents ever since her father married her human mother.

They grit their teeth. Accepted the olive branch from the imperial family, and accepted Sileas back into the official documents as their kin. She won’t inherit the Dukedom, but she would become Empress. Her grandparents would find someone else to inherit the title of Duke within close pure lines of the family.

Thus is the story of her life. Engaged to a prince since she was just a toddler. Her parents never kept it a secret or made a big deal out of it as they were happy in the villa. A villa nestled in front of a mountain view in a mountain town with warm people and prosperous land. The air was cold, and it felt as if she was flying despite not being a shifter. She was just herself. Her parents were happy with who they were and who she is, they were a happy family, and that’s all.

Sitting on a plush expensive furniture. In front mounds and mounds of paperwork for the palace expenditures and some documents, she feels like an imposter. She doesn’t know what she’s doing but despite that she’s in charge now, the pressure she’s putting on herself is heavier than what’s expected of her by her grandparents. They expected she would be useless and would just become an empress regent in the future. But in her freedom, Sileas could only be happy if she kept the people care about safe. To be safe meant she must do a good job to keep the country prosperous.

The south is safe. And it would remain that way.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The door opened before Sileas or Feina could even utter or move towards the door. A casually dressed Lotir in her khaki pants and unbuttoned blouse enters the room with her usual swagger. A swagger of a well-trained soldier with no fear or care in the world.

She snickered then grimaced at the sight of her table. “Work?”

“Work” she agreed with a smile on her face. “Did you need anything?”

“No, but you do” Lotir plopped down across from Sileas. Her leather shin high boots being pried off as soon as she sat down. “We are going to have fun”

She tilted her head. “How? I’m already having fun”

Lotir made a face that says she doesn’t believe her. “I’m going to teach you to shift”

She laughed. The laughter bubbled out from her insides like a children’s storybook drawings. A literal bubble of laughter rising from the depths of her lungs and escaping her mouth without any grace or control. She shook her head and hunched back down to her paper. “Why not drink wine with me later in the garden?”

“Ye of little faith” Lotir crudely drops her leather shoes on the side. “I can do it. I can make you a shifter”

“If my grandparents can’t, then you can’t either”

“Watch me”

Fire engulfed her paper. Lotir’s open palm erupted heat and flames that burned through paper and cotton to ash. Sileas watched as everything burned in front of her.

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