A cold whisper slid through the darkness. "Ellie, there is something passed down through the royal bloodline. Not everyone is worthy of it, but there was once someone… someone perfectly suited for this power."
The voice—calm, distant, yet heavy with meaning—sent a chill through me. I turned, searching the endless void, but there was nothing. Just darkness.
My chest tightened. "What kind of power?" My voice was small, uncertain. "Is it like my mom and dad's?"
A chuckle, soft but unreadable. "No, child. It's different. It makes you unique… and it will bring you trouble. There will always be someone looking for it."
I stiffened. "Then I don't want it."
Silence.
Then, the voice returned, amused. "Are you rejecting the Emperor's Eye?"
I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling inside me. "I don't care what it is! I don't want any power. I just want to live a normal life with my family!"
The air around me shifted, like something unseen was watching, weighing my words.
"You are different, Ellie. That is why it chose you. You can't run from this."
My breath came quicker. "I don't even know what you're talking about!" My voice cracked, a desperate edge creeping in. "I don't know what the Emperor's Eye is, and I don't want to know!"
A heavy sigh echoed through the void. "Stop rejecting it. Accept it, and you won't suffer. But if you keep resisting… your heart won't be able to hold it."
My heart slammed against my ribs.
"I have held it back for you, protected you for as long as I could. But it's time."
A flicker of movement. Then, from the darkness, a figure stepped forward.
A girl.
Her long pink hair flowed like silk, her brown eyes—held a strange, distant sorrow.
I stared, breath catching in my throat. "You're… so pretty," I whispered.
The girl smiled, something sad lingering at the corners of her lips. "Thank you, Ellie."
She reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, her fingers cool against my skin. "This will be our first and last meeting… I've waited so long for this moment."
I swallowed; my throat tight. "Who are you?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned in, voice barely above a whisper.
"Go to the Queen's Palace. Find the First Queen's painting. You will find those answers there."
Before I could say anything, she pressed a kiss to my forehead.
A warmth bloomed from the touch—soft, fleeting—before everything faded.
I gasped, my body jolting awake. Sweat clung to my skin, my heart still racing.
My family was there, their faces painted with exhaustion and relief.
"I'm alright," I murmured.
Then, sleep pulled me under once more.
The Queen's Palace was as grand as ever, but today, it felt different. The cool breeze drifted through the corridors, carrying the scent of fresh flowers from the gardens. The faint chatter of maids echoed in the background, their voices hushed as they went about their tasks, lost in their own world.
Beside me, Sir Tristian walked with steady steps, his presence as composed as always.
"Sir Tris," I spoke, breaking the silence, "do you know anything about the first queen?"
He glanced at me, thoughtful. "If my lady is asking about Queen Alexandra, there isn't much to say. She was a princess from a neighbouring kingdom. A political marriage, nothing more. The emperor and she had only one child—a prince."
I frowned. That wasn't what I was looking for.
We arrived at the hall where portraits of past queens were displayed. The paintings stretched across the walls, each one capturing a different face—regal, poised, timeless. My eyes locked onto the first queen's portrait.
Alexandra Rose Valmont.
The name was neatly written at the bottom. She had golden hair, deep blue eyes, and looked so young. But… nothing about her felt special. No strange feeling. No hidden answer.
Then why did that girl tell me to look for her?
"Why are you staring so hard, baby?"
A familiar voice made me turn.
My brothers.
Noyal stood there with his usual smirk, while Liam watched with mild curiosity.
"I was just looking at the first queen," I said.
Noyal raised a brow. "And why would you be interested in her?"
Before I could answer, he turned to Tristian. "It looks like you're keeping my sister well entertained."
"It is my duty, young prince," Tristian replied, bowing slightly.
Liam tilted his head. "Are you planning to paint her or something?"
I shook my head. "No, it's… I had a dream. A girl told me to find the first queen." It was true though.
For a moment, Noyal was quiet. Then, his smirk deepened.
"Then you're looking at the wrong person," he said casually.
I blinked. "What?"
"The first emperor had another wife before Queen Alexandra," he explained. "A saintess."
"But that's just a myth," Liam said, frowning.
Noyal leaned against the wall; arms crossed. "If it was just a myth, why was she erased from history? There's no mention of her anywhere in our library."
My heart skipped a beat. "Then how do you know about her?"
He grinned. "I have my ways, Ellie. But if you're really interested, I can look into it for you."
I perked up. "You would?"
"Of course," he said smoothly, "but what will you give me in return?"
I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want?"
"Promise me your first dance," Noyal said with a teasing glint in his eyes.
"That's not fair!" Liam burst out, glaring at him.
Noyal only shrugged. "Nothing in this world is fair, Liam. If you get a chance, you take it."
I sighed. My first dance? I had no idea when that would even be. But at this moment, the information mattered more than some silly dance.
"Fine," I agreed.
Noyal seemed satisfied.
I went back to my room after the conversation with my brother.
The Forgotten Saintess
A few days later, Noyal finally brought me the information he had promised. He never broke his word—if he said he would do something, he always did.
"As per the records from the church," Noyal began, his tone calm but firm, "there was a saintess with divine power. She fell in love with the first emperor back when he was just a knight. They were inseparable. So much so that she gave up her position in the church and ran away with him."
I listened intently, my fingers curling slightly as a strange feeling stirred within me.
"They fought together," he continued. "Whenever he went to war, she followed, using her powers to protect him. Because of her support, the people trusted him. And when the civil war broke out, he used that trust to his advantage—he seized the throne and became the emperor."
I swallowed. "They got married, didn't they?"
Noyal nodded. "In secret."
I frowned. "Then… what happened to her?"
There was a brief pause. Then, he spoke again, voice quieter this time.
"A few years later, the emperor received a marriage proposal from a neighbouring kingdom. A political alliance. And he… he married Princess Alexandra."
"That bastard!" I shouted, the words echoing through the room.
Silence filled the air.