Blooming Stars

Chapter 6

The first lady—I remembered her name then, Lady Mayhew—curled her lips at me. "It's the most powerful position in the world for any woman," she said. "Who wouldn't want to be empress? You are showered with riches beyond your wildest dreams, like jewelry and dresses. And everyone has to respect you no matter what."

I wished then that I really could've turned into a mouse and scurried away. I said nothing.

"Plus," she went on with a flip of her lavender-colored hair, "to have the crown prince as a husband—he's the most handsome man alive. Anyone who marries him will have beautiful children." She brought up a fan to cover the lewd smile that suddenly spread over her face. "And we all know how that happens. Who wouldn't want a man like that?"

The other ladies tittered.

I blushed at what she insinuated. Something in me grew bright and hot, but I began timidly. "But...there's more to being empress than what you just said. It's also about taking care of a whole empire, isn't it?"

She rolled her eyes.

"And," I said, "you also have to create good relations with other countries. If anything, it's a lot like having a job—"

"Ha!" Lady Mayhew began to laugh, and the few of the others followed. "A job? Like a commoner?" She stopped and gave me a harsh stare. "Well, it's not like you have to worry about it, anyway. You're not even remotely suitable for a candidate, so you can just stop talking."

I couldn't disagree with her, but it still hurt a little. The brightness in me grew more intense. "Even so, I am a citizen of this empire and I care about who our leaders are."

Many of the ladies shook their heads at me dismissively. They really did not care what I had to say. However, based on what I knew about the crown prince, he would not carelessly choose a bride, so I decided to let the subject drop.

Not long after that, I excused myself from the gathering. No one was sad to see me go, but the feeling was mutual. My thoughts went back to the Ghost Stars and I allowed myself to wander to where I had last seen them. Unfortunately, the gardeners were hard at work near there, so I had to give up.

I sighed and started back for the palace when I noticed something. Someone was kneeling on the ground near a line of trees that marked the start of the forest. At first I assumed it was just another gardener, but his clothes made him look like a noble. He appeared to be looking for something, but with his back to me, I couldn't see his face. Curious now, I stepped closer.

"Did you lose something?" I asked softly.

His shoulders jumped and he stood up. My heart shrank. When he turned to me, his blond hair glistened in the sunlight, and his green eyes widened when he recognized me.

"O-Oh." I quickly curtsied and greeted the crown prince. "I apologize. I didn't intend to interrupt..." Keeping my eyes downcast, I waited for him to reply, but I heard the swish of his feet on the grass as he came toward me, and I thought he would simply pass me by. When he didn't, I lifted my eyes to see that he held out his fist. He opened it, and I what I saw surprised me.