Saving The Abandoned Empress

203 “The Knighting Ceremony”

The gloomy sky with heavy rain felt like the current condition of Cathain’s heart.

He just stand still with no motion as he continued to get drenched.

‘Annul the engagement...’

Eleanora’s words kept ringing on his mind like this was the only thing he could hear.

Alexander looked at Eleanora with confusion too, as he didn’t expected her to say this.

Where Valerian, who was behind Cathain was also shocked.

“Your Majesty, excuse us first.”

Alexander spoke as he carried up Eleanora to leave for their duchy and some knights rushed with umbrellas.

Cathain clenched his fist tightly as he couldn’t understand why she still wanted to annul the engagement.

.....

Wasn’t they good?

They danced for the whole night just yesterday, she laughed with him, then why?

Because of the past?

Just for how long he’s gonna get punished for something which his past self did?

Cathain refused to accept it this time.

He was about to run after Alexander, when his father stopped him from behind.

“Cain, don’t repeat my mistake...”

“BUT, YOU HEARD IT!! SHE- she wants to annul our engagement!!”

Cathain explained hurriedly to his father as he was really afraid of her to annul the engagement.

“I heard it. But if you go after her right now- the situation will get worse. You are mad and she will get hurt because of your dominance. You need to give her some time to calm down first.”

“HOW CAN I STAY CALM AFTER WHAT SHE SAID!”

Cathain roared as insecurity started to fill his heart and Valerian understood where the problem was.

“I don’t know why she said that, but son; just because she said this...your engagement didn’t got annulled right away, did it?”

Cathain paused and looked at his father blankly as it was true, unless he signs the annulment papers; they would still be engaged.

“Then what’s the point of chasing after her for an explanation, which might only make her decision to get away from you more strong?”

As his father spoke, Cathain finally calmed down and thought about the past.

He was like that...

His insecurities would make him act violently with her, hurting her, make her afraid of him.

And he doesn’t want to do that again.

“Be patient, if only i had that... Your mother might be with us. I was just like you.”

Valerian spoke as he looked up at the sky and hold a umbrella over Cathain’s head, who was completely silent.

“I had become so afraid when i had heard that she was going to get married to someone else and she didn’t wanted to marry into an large empire like ours; instead of being patient with her- I forced her to marry me because of my own greed.”

“If i had explained this political situations to her rather then hiding them to think she will be safer that way, maybe she would also be wary of the people around her and wouldn’t get mislead.”

“She was much weak and soft then Lady Dalton, so innocent that she would even mourn for a dead bird. You know... I stopped the hunting festival because of your mother.”

“She was afraid of blood, she didn’t liked how people hunts for their own entertainment. I still remember how brightly she smiled at me because of that simple thing.”

“At that time, I didn’t had much powers. The officials was against our family when your grandfather just killed himself after the death of your grandmother.”

“They thought i was the same, and opposed me as an emperor. Almost more then eighty percent people was against me, so I concealed my identity from your mother and kept talking through letters for years, meet her as Vale. Not emperor Valerian.”

“My powers got stronger when i broke off my engagement with the duchess, because the duke had fallen for her and in return, i asked him to take blood oath.”

“Together with Duke Dalton and the imperial faction, my position started to get a little stable and then i bought your mother in the palace.”

“I broke her trust by lying to her for years. She misunderstood me because of my own foolishness, i was a coward who used to be afraid whenever she said she wanted to go back to her hometown; which i had destroyed to take her with me.”

“No wonder your mother used to think that i conquered her like some victory trophy... I didn’t win over her heart- that’s why i was always so insecure.”

Valerian paused on his words as he tap on Cathain’s back a few times with a heavy sigh.

“So, win her heart... Not chain her down with you...”

“Show her your love, not crazy possessiveness and obsession.”

Valerian looked at his son sympathetically and left as he thought it would be better to give Cathain some time to also calm down; think about his words carefully.

‘I hope you don’t end up like me, son. I don’t want to see you repeating my story. It’s really hard to keep on living when your heart is already dead... And you can’t even blame anyone but only yourself for your mistakes.’

‘Cathy...bless our son, let him be happy with the person he loves.’

One by one, the knights also started leave as Valerian ordered them to leave the emperor alone for sometime and protect him from the shadows.

The rain had also stopped and Cathain finally took steps towards the blue ribbon on the ground.

Which was tied on her hair.

He picked up the ribbon as he squat down on the ground; brushing of the dirt from it.

‘What should i do to make you stop running away from me?’

A month later~

‘IS THIS ALL THAT AN EMPRESS CAN DO?’

‘EVERYTHING IS BURNT DOWN!!! WHO WILL HELP US NOW?!’

‘WE HAVE NOTHING LEFT NOW!!’

‘ONLY IF SHE WAS MORE CAPABLE!’

‘SHE COULD HANDLE THIS SITUATION BETTER!’

‘WE LOST OUR EVERYTHING, BECAUSE OF HER!’

‘HOW DID SHE MANAGED TO WON THE WAR, WHERE SHE COULDN’T EVEN HANDLE THIS FIRE PROPERLY?!’

‘AS EXPECTED FROM NOBLES, LIFES OF COMMONERS DOESN’T MATTER TO THEM!!’

‘INCOMPETENT!!!’

‘DOESN’T DESERVES TO BE THE EMPRESS!!!’

‘YOU MEAN NOTHING TO ME, EMPRESS. AND YOUR CHILD WILL BE JUST LIKE YOU! NOTHING!’

‘ONLY HER CHILD CAN BE MY HEIR!!’

‘I THINK THE EVIDENCE HERE HAS WEIGHED IN AN OBVIOUS RESULT. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY IN YOUR DEFENCE, LADY DALTON?’

‘YOU HAVE BEEN FOUND GUILTY OF THE CHARGES AGAINST YOU. THE MURDER OF THE EMPIRE’S HEIR AND HARM TO THE QUEEN.’

‘THEREFORE, WITH THE POWER HELD WITHIN ME, I, EMPEROR OF THE VALENTINO EMPIRE SENTENCE YOU, ELEANORA LA DALTON, TO DEATH! YOUR SENTENCE IS TO CARRY OUT IMMEDIATELY!’

“NOOOOOO!!!”

Eleanora yelled with her eyes still closed as she sat up on her bed abruptly.

“MY LADY! CALM DOWN!”

Maria rushed to Eleanora and hugged her tightly to make her feel safe.

“AM NOT INCOMPETENT!! I’M NOT!”

“Yeah, We know...Calm down, Breathe slowly...”

“I DIDN’T... I DID MY BEST...”

Eleanora spoke broken words which Maria couldn’t understand but still tried to comfort her.

“We know it, you did your best... You’re amazing, My lady.”

Maria pat on her back and Eleanora wrapped her hands around Maria’s waist.

She looked at Eleanora worriedly as it’s been once month since she is having nightmares and would woke up like this.

‘Just what is bothering her so much?’

‘I even heard that she wants to annul her engagement with the emperor...”

“My lady... It’s getting late, the day you’ve waiting for finally came; you won’t look good with puffy eyes today.”

.....

Maria spoke gently as she cupped Eleanora’s face in her hands and Eleanora slowly opened her blue eyes.

‘I cried again?’

Even Eleanora herself didn’t knew why she kept having nightmares for the past month.

And this made her feel more afraid of the upcoming unknown future.

“Let’s get ready, My lady!!! We’re running late!!”

Jennie spoke as she opened the door with great enthusiasm and a team of maid followed her from behind to help Eleanora get ready.

They all knew how much their lady wanted to be a knight and participate in the knight oath ceremony.

Maria helped Eleanora to take a bath as the other maids prepared her black knight suit, which was decorated with red gemstones and gold embroidery.

The imperial knights, who guards the palace wears pestle green knight suits.

Where the first squadron knights wears blue and silver suit like their captain, Duke of Dalton.

And the second squadron knights wears dark green suit like their captain, Duke of Hertz.

Meanwhile, The third squadron knights are under the direct observation of the emperor and thus, their knight suit is black and red; like the imperial family’s colour code.

As Eleanora has already become the captain of the third squadron, she had to wear the official uniform for today’s event.

Only when she attends any official event as the heir of Duke of Dalton, she can wear the same suit as her father; otherwise she can’t.

Jennie tied Eleanora’s silver hair with a black ribbon as the others put some light makeup on her.

The two imperial badge on her left chest shined as the light reflected on them.

The red one represented her as the imperial family member, where the black one represented her as the captain of the third knight squadron.

Her father had two official badge too, the silver one represented him as the Duke of Dalton and the blue one as the captain of the first imperial knight squadron.

‘There is no turning back this time... I don’t want to risk my life and suffer anymore.’

‘Am sorry papa... But i must do this!’

Eleanora looked at her reflection on the mirror with satisfaction as she got up from her seat to find her father, who was already waiting for her downstairs.

“PAPA!”

Alexander looked up as he heard Eleanora’s cheerful call and smiled at her.

The long red cape, which was draped over her shoulder swayed in the air as she climbed down the stairs happily.

“You’ve grown up... Now my daughter can be considered as my colleague, Am i right; Captain Dalton?”

“Yes, Big Captain Dalton!”

Alexander chuckled as Eleanora called him Big Captain Dalton and kissed her forehead.

“You’ve made me proud of you again,”

“I want to make you more proud, Papa.”

Eleanora spoke as she also felt a little guilty about what she was going to do without telling her father beforehand.

‘You won’t blame me, right?’