The sun was hiding behind the clouds that day. It was a bit windy and a little chilly.
Alarice walks towards the greenhouse where Qashanna was. She saw her in the middle of the flowerbeds. She was sipping her tea with grace and elegance. She was like one with the flowers inside the greenhouse.
The maids gestures her towards the table. She glanced at Qashanna's face. She was still sweetly beautiful as ever but there was a gloom in her eyes. Is that sadness and disappointment she's seeing in her face?
"I greet the moon of the empire." Greeted Qashanna
She just nod as an answer and take her seat.
"I hope you don't mind that I sip tea first to calm my nerves." Qashanna started
"You didn't call me just for a tea, right? What is it that you want?" She casually asked
Through these years, she tried not to have any animosity on her. After all she was also to blame for her insecurity. She selfishly married and loved Nicholas despite knowing that she was there. That she needed him more.
That's why she also did her part enduring her misdeeds and turning blind eye on her wrongdoings. She too, contributed on Qashanna's despair.
"Can you tell me about your country?" She asked while pouring her tea.
Her eyebrows met. She's confused.
"What?"
"You know, I always let bad things happen to me because I thought it can't be helped. I thought that it's just the way it is because I'm a girl and I'm powerless. Did you know? The reason father always tormented me is because when I started learning, I asked him that I take lessons with my brother. When I did, I was praised by my teachers for learning so fast. Faster than my brother. That's when things went bad. Because I'm a girl, I cannot be better than my brother who was a male and an heir."
She sip a tea on her cup.
"Why are you telling me this?" Alarice asked
"I was tormented by my brother and abused by my father manipulating me that as a woman, I only need to make the males more powerful. I should've stayed in their shadows. I just need to be a beautiful flower decoration. A damsel in distress needed to be protected and saved so the man can be revered as someone great and brave. And it happened, Nicholas saved me. I thought my father was right. That I just need to be weak so I can be saved. But... But... He got tired saving me. "
Tears fell from her face. She was looking at her teacup.
Alarice didn't muttered a single word. She didn't know what to say. No. No words is enough to console her.
"In this country. Only the Empress regnant can have a little more power unlike the majority of the women here. I wanted that title but he wanted to protect me from the dangers of politics so he gave me a position almost equal to the Empress regnant but just like any other women, a mere decoration. Albeit slightly more powerful than the rest."
Qashanna then looked at her. Alarice felt like drowning from the sorrow in her eyes. Her emotions was so laid bare that it was overwhelming.
"I didn't want to be like this. I dirtied my hands so many times to keep this life I thought will be perfect. If only I was not born here. I only there was one person who believe that I can do things. I envy you Alarice. Nothing did go right in my life. I'm just so tired now." She said
Alarice opened her mouth but she then shut it again. She sip her tea trying to calm the tension.
She then gaze away to the sky for she can no longer contain the overwhelming emotions of Qashanna.
She stayed silent for a while.
"I might never understand how you feel but... I'm glad that you have that frustrations in you. Being able to recognize something is wrong is the first step in making it right. My life is not as perfect as it seems. Have you ever had a nosebleed from reading a lot of books? Have you ever develop a stomach issue from drinking so much coffee just to stay awake and not being able to eat properly because of a lot of work? You might want this life but there were times I want a life like yours. We tend to ask for something that other people have without knowing that there was also something that we have and they envy us for it. We're humans after all. And that's valid. But... It cannot be used as an excused on your misdeeds. Your own decisions are entirely your responsibility." She said looking at the sky
She then looked straight at her.
"I understand that you have your circumstances but we all have those. We might feel that we're the only ones with the biggest problems but everybody is also struggling with one. But you're right... Maybe if you were born from my world you might have a much bigger perspective in life. You might've learned a lot and have much more freedom of choice. But what can we do, it's not like we can get everything that we want." She continued
Of course her country Las Islas is not a perfect country for women either. That kingdom also has it's own way to discriminate women. From their double standard to always making them in the wrong with crimes like rape and harassment. They were victim-blamed.
She was just lucky. The world she's referring to is her world in her first life. She was just lucky that she remembers her first life. She was just lucky that she knows the rights and wrongs of the society based on modern perspective. She used that knowledge to make the women's situation in Las Islas much more comfortable.
If it wasn't for her memory of her first life, she would've ended up like Qashanna. Believing that her role is to be a wife who make her husband shine. A decoration. A flower. Nothing more nothing less.
Qashanna nodded.
"I gave Mael all the evidences of me and my father's crime. I will accept any punishment even death but please... I beg of you... I know this is shameless but please delay the punishment until Devy was old enough to be on his own. He was a victim of my sins. That child didn't do anything wrong." She said crying
A mother is still a mother, after all.
"I understand. Thank you." Alarice simply said
She then get up and was about to walk away but Qashanna stopped her.
Qashanna bowed down in her lowest.
"I sincerely apologize for all the things I did and for trying to kill your children. I know this is not enough but I will still apologize. I beg for your forgiveness." She said with all her sincerity
Alarice just looked at her trembling back. She then continued walking away from the greenhouse leaving Qashanna still on her stance.
--
The moment Mael handed Nicholas all the evidences of the conspiracy of Duke Elmea, it came in brutal.
Turns out he was the one who spread the disease just so he can create the cure and monopolize it's market. He was the one who tried to kill her by intentionally saying they only have one cure and gave it to his daughter. The rebellions that Mael suppressed years ago was also his doing.
Corruption, tax evasion, murder, bribery, and many more dirty crimes. It was enough to erase his name and his family on history.
Duke Elmea was executed in public. His assets and title are confiscated by the imperial family and the heir of the duke was reduced into a beggar.
Qashanna who was part of some crime is taken down from her position. She was banished in a country side and was banned from stepping foot in the capital.
She begged her son Devy to join her as she knows the contempt he'll earn once he stayed there. But Devy was stripped off from his title as a prince and was only given enough amount as a financial support.
Mael also voluntarily stepped down from his position as the first prince.
A lot of things happened. And years passed by.
Emery and Ember was now in their 20s. When they were 5 they keep saying weird things like going back in time to protect their mother and father but they just dismissed it as a joke. Thinking it must've been a child's wild imagination.
Emery became the heir of her home country. The Las Islas. Ember took on an archduke title granted by Nicholas and will act as a sword of the Empire.
And the one who inherits the throne.
Nyra Maeve von Cilmair. The second princess and the youngest child of Alarice and Nicholas.
She was an accidental child of a drunken mistake. But this child surprisingly has the right authority. Power and greed befitting of an emperor.
The first female emperor of the empire.
One day, Nyra was having tea with her mother at her place.
"Mom... You know... You can now be free." She suddenly said
"What's this all of a sudden?" Alarice asked
"I know you don't love dad. I don't know what happened but I know that we're the only reason you were staying with him but now we're fine now. You can now do whatever you want to do, Mom." She said
Alarice smiled gently. "You don't have to say those things." She said
Nyra held her hand gently.
"I want Mom to choose her freedom and happiness this time. We're fine now. Please, I want you to be truly happy." She pleaded
Tears fell down from Alarice's eyes. It's been years since she cried.
"My daughter's all grown up now. When did you become this big and even worrying about your mother?" She asked crying
"You can't treat me as a child forever. I'm nineteen now." She said
Alarice caress Nyra's cheek and hugged her.
It's time for her to choose her happiness now. That night she went to the Emperor's bed chamber.
She was holding a piece of paper. A key to her freedom.
"Nicholas, we need to talk." She said
When the door opened. She immediately handed him the divorce paper.
"This will be the second time I'm doing this but definitely the last time. Please divorce me. I'll grant my daughter's wish on gaining true happiness and freedom." She said smiling genuinely
END.
--
Hi! Good evening!! Here's the final chapter of the main story~~
I hope you enjoyed this!!
Don't worry we'll have 8 side stories to give resolutions on what happened on other characters.
Thank you so so much for helping me reach a 13K reads and for your support!!
Thanks you so much for enjoying the journey of Alarice and Nicholas~~ love lots!! ð