Bodyguard's Love

Chapter 3

The 16th of November came, Luana's birthday. The weather was very cold, a proof that it was going to snow in the next few days. The young princess went out early in the morning with her father to go visit the rose garden in the backyard of the castle, where the late empress' grave was.

Once arrived there, Luana knelt in front of the gravestone and caressed it gently with a sad smile on her face.

"Hey, Mum. Today I turned 18. Your little baby has grown up."

Upon these words, she put a bouquet of red and white roses that she brought with her on the ground. She knew from her father how much the empress was fond of them.

"I really wish you were here, Mum. I wish I could see your face. Even if it's just for a short moment..."

Arthur knelt beside her as he pulled her closer to him by the shoulders and hugged her from behind.

"Hello, my love. I miss you so much, you know that? The palace feels so empty without you. I'm empty without you. By losing you, I've lost all hopes of living. But when I saw our baby, I knew I had to live for her. Look at her now. She looks a lot like you," he said with a heartbroken smile.

The emperor stroked the gravestone gently and kissed it softly.

"I don't know how long I will live. But... I hope that you'll be waiting for me, my love-" his sentence was cut by his hard coughing.

"Dad? Dad, are you okay?" Luana asked worriedly as she stroked her father's back softly.

"Yeah... Don't worry about me... It's just-" he coughed again.

"You've been coughing very hard these last days, Dad. Shouldn't you call a doctor to examine you?"

"Don't worry, darling... I just caught a cold. It's nothing too serious. It's normal to catch it in this freezing weather," he replied, smiling softly to reassure her.

"Are you sure?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, my dear. Believe me. I'll get better in no time."

"If you say so. Then, let's go back inside. It's very cold here. I'm afraid your condition will get worse if we stay any longer," she suggested, standing up.

"Yeah, you're right," he replied, doing the same.

As she walked away, Luana turned around to look at the grave one last time.

"I love you, Mum," she whispered, a small smile on her face.

Then, they returned to the palace together, hand in hand.

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Once back to her bedroom, Luana took a long hot bath to relax and warm up. When she finished, she stood in front of her wardrobe to choose her outfit for the evening.

'What should I wear for tonight? I feel like putting on something simple but pretty.'

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard someone knocking on the door gently.

"Come in."

Agnes Purcell, her personal maid, entered the room with a big packet in her arms that she put on the table before bowing.

"Your Highness, His Majesty has instructed me to give you this."

"Oh? What is that?" asked the princess as she walked over to check the box.

"I think it's your birthday gift, Your Highness."

"Oh, I see... Thank you, Agnes," she replied with a smile.