THE NORTHERN CONTINENT'S EMPRESS

Chapter 17: By Your Side (1)

Empress Helena was waiting at the  Royal Garden, waiting for Sir Cale to arrive. She was wearing her light blue shawl while she was sitting by the fountain. 

There was a chilly wind but it doesn't affect her at all. She looked at the bright full moon while in a daze. Her thoughts ran on a mile. She spent a month and a half already in the West, she needs to go back soon, whether or not she will get this marriage or not.

"Oh, It's you," Empress Helena heard a series of footsteps and hushed female voices, she sighed in her heart as she slowly turns around and looked at the group of six ladies looking down at her. 

She was very familiar with the look of awe and envy, followed by it being morphed into jealousy that will push them all to lose their minds. 

Empress Helena looked at the lady in front from head to toe before looking at her with a blank stare.

"You are?" She asked, tone uninterested. The lady turned red in shame and pointed her fan toward the Empress.

"How dare you disrespect me! I'm the daughter of Marquis Leon! Who do you think you are to look down on me!" The lady said with a glare toward Empress Helena.

"How are you so stupid and forgetful at the same time... Ah, Weren't you that little girl that I used ice magic on? I see, you still haven't learned your lesson," Empress Helena said and looked away from them, clearly doesn't want to engage in their antics anymore. 

"Y-You!" The young lady stomp her foot on the ground while three of the ladies in the group tacitly retreated, clearly, they value their reputation and their family first. Their actions were not concealed though, and Lady Leon glared daggers their way before looking back to Empress Helena's back.

It's not fair for Lady Leon, she did her best to excel in etiquette and took classes to be useful for her future husband, of course, she aimed straight to Sir Cale Henituse, however, before she could ask her parents ask his family for a contractual marriage, this foreign lady appeared out of nowhere and suddenly asked Sir Cale to her husband!

It was such a bizarre situation and the first time that she witnessed such a thing happen in the West, a lady- An Empress at that, was actively looking for a King. She kind of admired her courage for that but at the same time, despised her for putting her attention and gaze on Sir Cale. 

The young lady was not reconciled with such interaction that she marched towards the Empress and tried to push her down the fountain, but against her expectations, she was the one that fell on the water instead. 

She wiped off the water from her face and met the death stare from the Empress, feeling threatened.

"I'm not an easy target, so you better scram before I take your life," She said and the three ladies and the wet lady run back inside the hall crying and afraid. Empress Helena let out a heavy sigh before holding her hands together on her lap.

"You did great," Suddenly, a familiar voice appeared and she looked up only to find Sir Cale in a white tux and a blue flower in his breast pocket. His fiery red hair was styled neatly.

"Oh, Sir Cale," She stood up and walked in front of him. 

"Sorry, I was late," Cale said and offered his hand to her. Empress Helena gave him a careless smile before they walk towards the entrance of the ballroom, voice low and uncaring.

"It's nothing, let's get this party done and over with," She said and the guards announced their arrival. 

"The Empress of the North, Empress Helena Pauline Frost, and her partner, The Hero of the West, Sir Cale Henituse, have arrived," The double doors opened wide and Empress Helena briefly looked around before they started to walk towards the throne on the other end of the venue. 

"Ah, so glad that the Empress has arrived safely with her escort, Did you encounter anything irritating while waiting outside?" The Crown Prince asked her after their greetings. 

"Irritating, you say?" Empress Helena asked before letting go of Sir Cale's hand.

"Yes, Irritating," The Crown Prince said with his signature smile. Empress Helena only denied his words and watched on the side how the party began shortly after. 

She conversed with Rosalyn while eating some sweet desserts with her, Choi Han, and Cale on the other side of the table, watching them awkwardly. 

"Oh, truly, lady Rosalyn! I wished these desserts could be purchased easily in my country," Empress Helena said while looking longingly at the dessert on her plate.

While they were talking, the next segment of the party started, dancing. There were a few males who kept asking the Empress for a dance, and every time they were all rejected.

"It's either that they have thick skins or they just are that dumb to read the room," Rosalyn said, clearly upset with the noblemen flocking their way.

She looked to the side and stared at Cale and Choi Han, why won't they read the room too? Choi Han looked at her with confusion and Cale looked away.

"Hello again, Empress, would you like to dance to one song?" Prince Alberu asked and offered his hand to Empress Helena.

"Thank you for the offer.." Empress Helena said while everyone at the table knows that she will reject his offer, but little did they know, she has other plans in mind, "...I accept," She said and stood up and went to the center of the ballroom to dance with the Crown Prince. 

Whispers could be heard around the hall, everyone was focused on the two figures that were dancing to a calm and mellow tune played by the musicians. The dancing partners with them slowly turn to a stop and let them have the center of the ballroom for the royals to dance. Everyone gazed at their unperturbed figures, dancing, sometimes whispering together, and giving smiles here and there that no one knew what was the message behind them. 

"Somehow... they look good together," Rosalyn said and felt a piercing stare from behind her head. She can only roll her eyes discreetly. Look at this guy, can't he open his heart for once and be honest? 

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Author's note: 

... 

Teehee~ ♪('▽｀)