A truth too heavy to bear~
Every storm is said to have an end. Every wound, a chance to heal. Every night, a promise of morning. Such were the comforting lies people clung to when hope was all they had left. But hope is a fragile thing… and there are storms so merciless that even the dawn loses its way.
Elizabeth sat alone in one of the palace's secluded gardens, hidden behind rows of white marble pillars where few servants ever wandered. It was a place she often sought whenever the walls of the palace became too suffocating.
Dressed in a flowing baby pink royal gown, its soft silk cascading effortlessly around her like rippling water. Unlike the elaborate gowns she wore during court, this one was light and unburdened, crafted for comfort rather than display. The off-the-shoulder neckline gracefully framed her collarbones, while the back dipped into a delicate open design that revealed the smooth expanse of her pale skin. Long, billowing sleeves gathered neatly around her wrists, and the empire waist rested gently above the swell of her growing belly, allowing the fabric to fall freely without constricting her. The morning breeze teased the loose strands of her hair, carrying the faint scent of roses as both hands rested instinctively over the child she carried, as though shielding the only light left in her world.
Elizabeth sat under the camellia tree, lost in her own thoughts. So many lies, so many secrets buried beneath a crown and so much grief left to rot in silence.
The late queen had two sons,twins. She watched her own son kill the king,her husband while her sons fight amongst themselves.
Was it arthur who killed the king? Is he truely capable of such… no it can't be,he would never…
But deep down Elizabeth knew it was true,memories of when the king made his decree and every royal male child from his lineage were takes from their mother,take away and sentenced to be condemned,Elizabeth remembered the loud mourn at the palace and how he paid deaf ears to them all.
What is was he capable of?
Elizabeth knew she could no longer stay at the palace,not anymore,not after knowing what Arthur was capable of doing. She couldn't disclose this information to anyone either,not her mum not her dad and certainly not even Kira should know of this.
This could put them all in grave danger. No she won't,and one way or another she would have to escape this place but how? Who would she run to?
Desperate and lost she silently cries out.
Help…me…
"You look as though the weight of the kingdom has found your shoulders." A familiar voice broke through Elizabeth's thoughts.
Her head lifted.
A woman stepped out from the shadows, her long, majestic white fox tail swaying gracefully behind her as she entered the morning light. It was Natasha.
Natasha stopped a few steps away, her crimson eyes lingering on Elizabeth's tear-stained face before drifting to the gentle curve of her stomach.
For a long moment, she said nothing.
The silence between them was neither awkward nor cold. It was the silence of someone who already knew the answer before asking the question.
"You found it," Natasha finally murmured.
Elizabeth's fingers instinctively tightened over the diary hidden beneath the folds of her gown.
"So… you knew."
Natasha gave a faint nod.
"I knew the day would come."
Elizabeth rose to her feet, her movements unsteady.
"You knew what was written in that diary?" Her voice trembled. "You knew about the late king… about Arthur… about…"
"I did."
"Then why?" Elizabeth's voice broke. "Why did no one tell me? Why was I left to walk into this palace blind?"
"Because some truths," Natasha replied quietly, "cannot be spoken. They must be discovered."
Elizabeth laughed bitterly, though there was no joy in it.
"Discovered?"
She held up the diary with trembling hands.
"I discovered that my husband may have murdered his own father."
"I discovered that innocent children were taken from their mothers and condemned before they could even speak."
"And I'm carrying the child of the very man who ordered it."
Her breathing became uneven.
"Tell me…" she whispered. "How am I supposed to live with that?"
Natasha looked toward the endless palace gardens, her expression unreadable.
"Arthur did terrible things."
"But terrible things are rarely born from cruelty alone."
Elizabeth stared at her.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," Natasha answered, "that the truth inside the diary is only half the story."
Elizabeth frowned.
"What are you saying?"
"What you hold in your hands are memories stored by the queen."
Natasha's voice remained calm.
"Memories?"
Elizabeth felt a chill crawl down her spine.
"There is… more?"
"There is always more."
Natasha slowly stepped closer until she stood beneath the blooming camellia tree.
The morning breeze suddenly died down. Even the birds seemed to fall silent.
Natasha lowered her voice. "The diary showed you the king's death," Natasha said. "It did not show you why he had to die. Did it?"
Natasha's gaze shifted to Elizabeth's stomach, and for the first time, genuine concern flickered across her face.
"Your child is no ordinary prince."
Elizabeth instinctively wrapped both arms around her belly, taking a protective step backward.
"Count my child out of this," she said firmly, her voice trembling despite her resolve. "I will not have him pay for the sins of his father."
A quiet sigh escaped Natasha's lips.
"Hmm…"
There was neither agreement nor disagreement in that single sound.
Elizabeth swallowed hard.
The walls she had struggled to keep standing finally crumbled.
"Help me…" she pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.
Natasha remained silent looking at the blooming but delicate piece of flower on her hands.
"Please…" Elizabeth continued, tears spilling freely down her cheeks. "Help me escape from here."
For the first time, uncertainty flickered across Natasha's face.
She closed her eyes briefly, as though listening to something beyond the reach of ordinary ears.
Then they snapped open.
Someone was coming.
"I have to go"
Before Elizabeth could utter another word, Natasha's figure dissolved into countless silver-white particles that scattered with the morning breeze.
"Wait…Natasha!"
Elizabeth hurried forward, her eyes darting desperately around the garden.
"Natasha!"
There was no answer.
Only the gentle rustling of camellia leaves.
Footsteps echoed from beyond the marble pillars.
A royal guard emerged from the pathway, clad in polished silver armor bearing the royal crest of Austro. Upon seeing Elizabeth, he immediately dropped to one knee.
"My Queen."
Elizabeth hastily wiped the tears from her face and turned away for a brief moment, forcing herself to regain her composure before facing him.
"The king demands your presence," the guard said respectfully. "His Majesty has ordered that you be escorted to him immediately."
Elizabeth drew a slow breath.
"Where is he?" She asked,her voice shaken but still calm.
"The Royal Training Grounds, Your Majesty."
The Royal Training Grounds.
The place where only members of the royal bloodline trained their combat abilities, mastered elemental magic, and received instruction from the kingdom's greatest masters.
Elizabeth lowered her gaze.
Arthur.
Just moments ago, she had wanted nothing more than to flee from him.
Now…
She was being summoned to stand before him.
As she followed the guard through the palace gardens, only one thought echoed endlessly within her mind.
When I look into Arthur's eyes…
…will I see my husband?
Or the man who murdered his own father?