GLIMMER AND DECAY [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 18

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY CHILD." Queen Arianna smiled at the young princess.

Princess Cassandra hugged her mother as she thanked her. This was her 15th birthday and all the important people in the kingdom were invited. The princess smiled as she was greeted by the other guests.

There were countless gifts only named for her and a grand banquet prepared just for the princess. Despite the lavish things served in front of her, the princess still felt a hole in her heart.

Queen Arianna must have noticed the sadness illuminating her green eyes. And she knew the reason behind that.

"Don't worry, dear. Your father's quite busy these days because of the economic affairs he has been working on together with the council. Surely, your father had prepared something for you," the queen whispered to her child, an attempt to soothe the sadness accompanying her.

Princess Cassandra forced a smile on her face as she looked at her mother. "I know, mother. I hope he'll be there before we start with the lantern festival."

The Lantern Festival was a tradition of Corona Kingdom. It was normally celebrated in the second autumnal equinox. But after the birth of the princess, the king and queen decided to move the festival permanently on the same day as the princess' birthday.

Cassandra glanced at the guests enjoying her birthday banquet. Truthfully, the princess doesn't want any other gifts. The only thing she wanted was for them to be completed on her birthday.

She was eight when she first realized the king's indifference towards her. Cassandra did everything she could to make the king notice her.

She studied well in her subjects. She practiced endlessly on her swordsmanship until she was the best one in their kingdom. All that she knew that could make her father proud of her, she had done it already. However, the king never looked at her with adoration.

Cassandra was 12 when she eventually accepted her father's treatment of her. And somehow, this made her feel as if she wasn't the real child of her parents.

"Dear," the queen called her, pulling her back from her reverie.

"I'll go and greet the other ladies, mother," she said. Cassandra kissed her mother's forehead before she left to welcome the other noble ladies. She didn't want her to give another excuse for her father.

Queen Arianna watched her child silently. There felt like a stabbing pain on her chest. Seeing her daughter this way was making her recall her younger days.

She had talked to her husband about this every night for the last 15 years, but nothing has changed.

"Mary," the queen called her chief lady-in-waiting.

Lady Flemming bowed as she stood beside the queen. "Yes, Your Majesty?"

The queen took one last glance of her daughter before she turned around. "I need you to look after my daughter. I will come back quickly."