The Princess and The Bandit

FORTY TWO

* * *

Simona sat by the balcony looking over the garden. There had been a lot of things going on her mind lately. But it all summed up to the two people she cares about so dearly.

Lauren and Camila.

In the short span of time the two had shared together, their connection had always been palpable. Way too obvious to not notice. The old woman saw it right away back in Isla de los Muertos, she saw it again as the two found their way back to her. She still see it as the days go by and everytime she does, she can tell just how stronger Lauren and Camila's connection get.

There's just something in the way they look at each other. Something true and meaningful and deep.

But that doesn't mean she can stop worrying about them.

Lauren represents the world. She is about to be in a position of great responsibility. She has duties and there are laws and traditions for her to uphold. And Camila, by Arcadian conservative standards, she is not the person fit to be the next empress' spouse.

But Lauren sees something in her, believes in her. Simona does too.

It's just that not everyone can see through their eyes, not everyone can see through their perspectives. It's difficult to make someone with different opinions and beliefs understand. Not everyone will see the good person Camila truly is. Simona is afraid that most of the empire will only see the flaws in her once they find out who she is. Or who her father is.

"When you opened the book, what did you see, Simona?"

Startled, she looks over and finds Lauren sitting by the nightlight behind her.

"Scribbles. Gibberish. All in fancy gold ink . . . Why?"

The princess takes a deep breath, it is obvious that something bothers her.

"What did you see, princess?"

"What do you know about the first Arcadian empress?"

Perhaps the princess is looking for an example to follow other than her father, Simona assumes. After all, Lauren will soon become an empress. The second one in the history, after her great grandmother whose last rule was about a hundred years ago.

It only makes sense that she would ask about her only female predecessor.

"Graciela, the first empress of Arcadia. Well, it is known that she was the champion of the common folk. The best healer of her time, a pioneer in the field of medicine. She spent most of her life helping the poor, especially those with illnesses who cannot afford proper medical care. She had a particular specialty in apothecary. She travelled far and wide throughout the empire to help those who had ailments, to share and spread her knowledge about medicine; to find better cure for existing diseases and more efficient ways to treat people,"

Lauren knew about that, it's been written in all the history books and medical journals. "What about her personal life?"

"She was an only child, like you. But she married much later in life and under the pressure of having an heir to continue the bloodline. According to historians, she was so dedicated in her work as a healer that she was ready to abdicate the throne to only focus on medicine. She was about to name her uncle, her father's younger brother, as the next ruler even though he doesn't want anything to do with becoming an emperor. But the word of the imperial ruler was absolute. However, just as all the preparations were set, she meets a man known as Benedict the Howler—"

"The cursed prince in disguise, the heir of Masedovia, kingdom of the great plains. They didn't agree with each other at first, a human and a lycan, but they were meant to be together, he was her sun and she was his moon who broke his curse. They exchanged vows they truly meant to say and soon the empire celebrates, for the line of the first born continues. Great uncle Pete and his wife led the greatest celebration in the empire to honor their union. A feast that lasted a month known to us now as the La Luna festival,"