Chapter 2: CHAPTER #2:Proposal
"Marriage?" Aria blurted out before Helios could speak up again.
"Aria!" Luci hissed and glared at her to stand still.
Frustrated, she crossed her arms and looked away.
Dejected, Luci sighed and questioned who among her sisters was to be betrothed and to whom.
Luci could notice him tap his forefinger on the throne's armrest. She couldn't shake off the uneasiness in her heart.
She placed her hand over his to get him to speak up.
"Father?"
After a brief silence, he called Melody to him and gestured aide to summon the heir of the Caelus family.
"Heir? Octavius?" She suddenly blushed.
Aria began to tease her which caused Luci to be embarrassed. Before Melody could raise a question the doors opened and before them, they stood and greeted the Emperor the heir of house Caelus her fiance, and the third-born son, his brother Lucerne de Caelus.
"You need not be this stiff my boy. We're going to be family soon." He smiled.
"How could we, your humble subjects dare to be one with the noblest one of the empire?"
Helios laughed out loud and complimented his undying humility.
"This is why you are perfect for my precious Lucia."
"I'm honored to be chosen as the princess's candidate to groom your majesty."
She could feel him staring back at her. His eyes were strikingly pink in color like that of the sky at dawn. She felt drawn to him every time she looked into that pair of enchanting eyes.
"Now that's what I call love." Aria teased her causing her sister to blush once again.
"Aria if you could please fulfill your responsibility of being an elder sister. I would appreciate it."Luciana stood up and handed the stubborn Avlynn to Aria.
She could see that both of them were opposites of each other.
"I don't want to be with sister Aria."
The little princess wailed and struggled to free herself from Aria's arms.
"I will sing you your favorite song if you behave."Luci caressed Avlynn's soft chubby cheeks.
Unable to resist the temptation of a sweet offer, Avlynn hesitantly accepted and tugged Luciana's sleeve to kiss her on the cheek.
"Let's go already." She strode down the stairs and smiled at Octavius and Lucerne.
"Good luck young lord." She whispered to the young boy of thirteen.
As time passed the twilight sky appeared and began to hide the setting sun, Luci focused on the documents that were displayed on the table.
Being the crowned princess she assisted her father with the political affairs of the empire and managed everything from the internal Palace to raising her sisters to agriculture and economy. She was often called the brains of the empire. The empire prospered once again after the third Emperor's reign. Regardless she only wanted to live a happy peaceful life with her family.
The night veiled the sky and the silver moon showered its radiance upon the sleeping world.
She hummed a lullaby as Avlynn dozed off into deep sleep on Luciana's lap.
She gently stroked her hair and lifted the young child to the bed.
She heard a knock on the door and asked who might be at this late hour.
She heard Helios at the door as she invited him into her room.
"Come on in father," she called in a voice low enough to not wake up the sleeping child in her arms.
"I see she's been sneaking into your bed every night." he chuckled and sat on the sofa by the fireplace.
Luci tucked Avlynn into her bed and kissed her lightly on her cheek.
"Sweet dreams my dear." she smiled and asked her father for some tea.
He declined the offer and asked Luci to hear him out.
She could see the restlessness his expression gave off since this morning.
"Father?... Is everything alright?" she asked him gently.
He flinched and after a brief silence, he took a long breath and looked his innocent daughter in the eye.
He closed his eyes and hung his head in distress.
She had never seen him look so weary like this other than during their mother's death.
"Lucia... Forgive me..."
At this moment she realized that it was something that not even her father the supreme ruler of the greatest empire could handle.
"No!" She refused to believe the news her father relayed to her.
"To marry into that demonic realm?" She trembled. Her voice almost turned into a whisper.
Tears trickled down her rosy cheeks as she couldn't accept the shocking truth displayed before her.
"Forgive me, Luci... I can't marry Aria off to that place... Forgive this Father." he grabbed her hands in a plea.
"What about Octavius?" she tried her best to calm herself down. She jolted from the sofa and looked at him.
"I... called off your engagement with him."
She collapsed on the floor in disbelief. The around her was shattering into nothing. Only despair was her companion.
"So get ready... The wedding dress will be here by tomorrow and the grand chariot has been prepared."
With a heavy heart, he hugged his daughter dearly for one last time before she was to be sent off early the next morning.
After he left her room Luci saw the ring on her ring finger. It was made of gold that reminded her of Octavius' blonde hair that shone in the bright sun and the small pink diamond that reflected the color of his eyes.
The night passed away and the first ray of light lightened the sleeping world.
She couldn't sleep a wink while her eyes were swollen from weeping all night.
Her happiness, her dream was shattered and taken away from her in the blink of an eye. The man of her dreams disappeared overnight. It was a nightmare that she wanted to do anything to escape from.
Aria came running into her room where Luciana's maids dressed her and fixed her makeup.
"Sister! It can't be true." She cried out.
Luciana for the first time remained silent and did not speak a word until she requested her ladies in waiting to step out of her room.
She saw herself in the mirror. Even in this gorgeous dress, she could not hide the grief and pain in her heart.
"Luci?" Aria tried to get her sister to speak up but to no avail.
"I... Have always wanted to shine the brightest for my wedding." she choked on her words as tears rolled down again.
"But I never wanted it to be like this Ria." she looked at her younger naive sister and sobbed.
Avlynn rushed into Luciana's arms and cried. Melody broke into tears as the three of them hugged her and share the same pain as their eldest sister who had been a mother to all of them.
Helios entered Luciana's room and found how his four daughters wept together in Luci's arms.
"There there. Hush now my dear." she comforted her sisters and convinced them that one day it will be their turn.
Her gaze moved to her father who stood by the door looking at them.
She could see the redness in his eyes. It was evident that he had cried over the loss of his precious daughter to his enemies.
"It's time." He held out his hand to escort her to where the grand chariot awaited. She had forgotten to take off the pink diamond ring as she saw herself last time in the mirror. She wiped off her tears and took off the ring hesitantly and put it in Aria's palm.
"Take care of it for me." She whispered into her ear and let her father escort her to the grand chariot.
It was not a grand ceremony. Rather a simple goodbye and brief consolations from her ladies in waiting and some servants of the palace.
Her uncle Rudolph the imperial chancellor who was his mother's brother and Octavius's father along with his family paid their respects to the bride.
She looked around but only the two sons stood beside their mother.
"Octavius... He..."Duchess Caelus his mother stammered that he couldn't bear the loss of losing Luciana.
Although it was half a valid statement she felt despondent and guilty for not protecting the oath.
"How I wished to have brought you back to the Caelus estate as my daughter-in-law." She sobbed. Octavius was a spitting image of his mother. Her curly blonde hair and rose-colored eyes were like that of the heavenly maiden.
"Aurora..." Rudolf held her hand to silence her.
Helios interrupted them and escorted her to the carriage.
"This... won't be a goodbye forever... Is it?" she stared at the chariot decorated with thousands of white flowers.
"No...and This may be the only thing I can promise you. That I will send help when you are in danger."
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