The Fallen Petal (BOOK I)

Chapter 23 : Allies and Secrets

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I opened the box and there lies an old pen, a pendant, a letter, and an old diary. I took the diary out of the box.

"That's...her diary?" Aunty says.

"Is it alright for me to read this?" I asked Aunty."As I've said, she intended to give it to you when she was alive. She said to me she wanted you to have the box. I never knew it was her diary." Aunty replied.

I returned the diary back inside the small box.

"Do you really want to join the fight for the throne?" Aunty asks.

I remained silent. "...not exactly. I can't let the empress have her way around."

"Regardless if you don't want to..." she paused. "There's someone..." Aunty sighs. "Forget it. I have no say in this household. If I were to go against its master, there's no saying he'd be lenient on me."

"Maybe we are just cursed to be this way." She continued.

"What do you mean?"

"We have no power, and all we can do is rely our husbands. We'd have be obedient if we want to stay sheltered."

She's right. To have your way around this world, you'd better wish you're a man, from a noble family, and not an illegitimate child, if you are. Your wits aren't enough to rise in power.

And this is what's drawing down my plan. The princess is definitely inferior against the prince. Some nobles sees him in a good light. Some do not, those on the note are included. Though I know there's a lot of them keeping their silence since Earl Virac's reckless move.

"Though, I feel like there will be a change in the wind. It's changing directions. My dreams tell me otherwise." She whispered. "Speaking of dreams...I had a peculiar one last time."

"Peculiar in a sense that I can't seem to forget it as usual." She started. "There were two little girls. They look very alike. One died and the other somehow replaced her. And the parents seems to not know that their child has been replaced."

"How did the parents not know?" I asked her. "Regardless if they look alike, they're still different in terms with their personality."

"I could be wrong with my understandings. I am just an outsider, I don't know what they know." I heard her put down the brush on the table. "Done."

I turned to Aunty. "I feel bad for the little girl who was replaced."

I see her eyes glimmer. I shined for a moment. "You ought to." Then she smiled. "I'll be leaving now. Tell me if you need anything." She stood from the couch.

"I will." I stood after her. I walked her towards the door. "Take care, Aunty."

"Take care dear." She held my face and kissed my forehead. She opened the door then left.

I went back to the couch and opened the box again. I took the diary out and opened it. I skimmed through the pages. The diary started when my mother, Eloise, came off age.

"Today is my coming-of-age ceremony. I meet the Second Prince today. He's charming as they say. We had a conversation alone at the balcony. I had a great time with him." The diary says.

The second prince mother was referring to is the current emperor. It's a well-known fact that father, the first prince, lost the emperor's favour. Not much is known why.

I flipped the pages and a page caught my attention. Unlike the other organized and well written diary entry, this one is messy. She seems to have written it with force. It's like she's angry.