Eileenburg (30)

Sacrifice

After Beatrice's death, the Queen took over the reins of young Vivian, and tensions between King Derek and Queen Agnes grew increasingly high. The King even tried to place his son-in-law, Lord Fonsey, in the Council of Consuls. King Derek once again blocked Queen Agnes's advances.

“You can’t keep Vivian around.” Derek’s gloomy gray eyes grew even darker. “You didn’t even raise Denise yourself back then.”

Queen Angnes ignored him. Was it that she hadn't wanted to raise Danis back then? Danis was born looking very much like Derek, and unlike Lane, she wasn't frail. The moment Derek saw her, he took her to the Derek Gallery, taking all the nannies with him. In the following six months, he changed twenty nannies, and whenever Danis cried, he would blame those around her. It wasn't until the Queen discovered that Princess Danis wasn't even attending school properly that she realized her daughter had a mental problem; she couldn't even learn the simplest words. She wondered if this was fate's punishment for her constant pursuit of things that weren't rightfully hers. Lane had been sickly since childhood, and Danis had a mental problem.

"I want Fonce to enter the ruling council."

“Your Majesty, this is not a decision you can make, nor can I.” The Queen had Vivian carried out. “You should know that Denise has never had a child, and you also know the legend of the Queen’s Crown. Little Vivian has already lost her right to the throne. If you force Fonce into the Council of Consuls, I don’t think that once the Queen’s Crown appears, Derek’s bloodline will be wiped out.”

“You?” Derek glared fiercely at Angelis. “You power-hungry woman, you’re the one who killed my son.”

“Your Majesty, Ryan is also my son.” Queen Angnes interrupted Derek angrily. She lowered her head and breathed heavily. After a while, when her breathing calmed down, she said, “Please leave, Your Majesty. I have matters to attend to.”

Little Vivian was running and jumping, a lively and adorable little girl. Queen Angelis was increasingly busy, and every time Eileen returned to Eileen Castle, she took little Vivian with her. She would take Vivian to pick lotus pods, and when peeling lotus seeds, she would always take a bite first to make sure it was delicious before putting the rest into Vivian's mouth. She taught little Vivian to swim, and the two of them spent the entire summer soaking in the lotus lake during the day and sleeping in the treehouse at night. Eileen Castle was filled with little Vivian's clear laughter. Time flew by, and little Vivian grew up quickly. Soon, she was seven years old, with a head of jet-black, shiny hair. She would run wildly around Eileen Castle, then her hair would be soaked with sweat and stick to her forehead, and she would tilt her little face up, waiting for Eileen to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Lian, Lian, I don't want to see Grandmother." Ever since little Vivian learned to call her Lian, she had never called her godmother at Ellen Castle. At first, Ellen corrected her, but later she let her be. Queen Angelis always cared a lot about little Vivian. Since little Vivian turned three, she kept her by her side every day. Even when little Vivian returned to Ellen Castle with Ellen, Wen would pick her up the next day to go to Derek Palace, and sometimes she would stay at Blue Moon Palace at night.

"Doesn't Vivian like her grandmother?" Elaine asked, holding little Vivian. Princess Denise and the Queen's relationship was deteriorating, and the King was becoming increasingly unpredictable. Duke Delgado had four sons and seven grandsons. Sometimes Derek would summon all his nephews and grand-nephews to the palace, and other times he would send them all away.

“I don’t understand what Grandma is saying.” Little Vivian was a little annoyed. She didn’t like Derek’s Palace, her grandfather didn’t like her, her aunt didn’t like her, and her grandmother was sometimes busy and would teach her things she didn’t understand.

“You don’t understand? Then Vivian, just keep it in your heart, and you’ll understand when you grow up.” Ailian didn’t know what Queen Angelis had said to Vivian, and she didn’t want to ask. “Are we going to see Grandmother today?” Little Vivian nodded. Before she could speak, Xiao Wei had already brought Wen in.

Ailian watched little Vivian board the carriage, then turned and sat down on the pergola in front of the mimosa tree. It was the first swing Mi had built for Ailian, its curves formed by vines from Ailian Castle, and wisteria twining around the pergola; every summer it became a flower chair cascading with wisteria blossoms. Ailian looked up at the mimosa tree, where a lone mimosa flower swayed in the summer breeze, its fragrance filling her nostrils. She felt a little lost.

"Xiao Wei, has Elder Saige returned?" Ai Lian looked at Xiao Wei, whose hair had turned gray. Xiao Wei had aged drastically in the past two years. But both of her longevity seeds were still intact. She had already celebrated her forty-ninth birthday three months ago. What would happen in the next nine months that would cause her to lose her two longevity seeds?

"Miss, the Adventurers' Guild says Elder Seger is in seclusion and won't see anyone." Xiaowei didn't know what was going on with Ailian either. Since last year, she had been sending letters to the Adventurers' Guild almost every month, trying to arrange a meeting with Elder Seger. She had sent more than a dozen letters, but hadn't received a single reply.

That night, Ailian suddenly woke up from a dream. She sat up in bed, got out of bed, opened the window, and saw the stars around the blue moon changing formation, vaguely forming a circle, like a channel of light. Ailian stretched out her hand and put her entire palm into the circle of light. A pure white lotus seed appeared in Ailian's palm and then disappeared into thin air.

"Mi, what trouble have you encountered?" Ailian murmured to herself. "Mi, you must be alright." The light disappeared, and Ailian fainted as if she had lost all her strength.

Ailian woke up again three days later. Xiaowei stood in front of Ailian's bed, looking at her with concern. Xiaowei turned around, wiped away her tears, and said, "Miss, you're finally awake. Would you like some sweet soup?"

"I'm fine, Xiaowei." Ailian's face was pale. She said, "Bring me a pot of rice wine. I want to drink some."

"Miss, His Majesty has once again ordered a nationwide conscription," Xiao Wei said worriedly. "The Queen asked if you have any songs that can be played." Xiao Wei took out the sheet music left by Mi.

“The Same Road?” Ailian glanced at it. “Take it to the Queen to take a look.”

Xiao Wei returned quickly: "Miss, the Queen says it's alright." Xiao Wei hesitated for a moment and continued: "The Queen wants you to sing this song, and Grand Duke Swei will be in charge of the conscription."

"Did you tell the Grand Duke about this?" Ailian couldn't understand the Queen's intention in doing this. As long as the crown prince wasn't decided, no one could touch the military power.

"Not yet, I—" Xiaowei paused for a moment, "I came to greet Miss first."

"Xiao Wei, prepare the carriage, I'm going to the palace." Ai Lian sat up, feeling that something had happened during the days she was unconscious, something she didn't know about, which had involuntarily drawn her into the vortex of the royal family.

"Yes." Xiao Wei withdrew.

* * *

"Good day, Your Majesty!" Ailian pushed little Vivian toward the Queen.

"Grandma, are you alright?" Little Vivian was already quite talkative and a very energetic little girl.

“Very well,” the Queen said to her lady-in-waiting, “take Vivian out for a stroll.”

Ailian watched as everyone in the Queen's reception room left, realizing the seriousness of the situation: "Your Majesty, are you alright?"

Queen Angelis smiled and looked at Eileen, who had rushed into the palace with a pale face, and said, "I'm fine, at least I look better than you right now, Eileen."

“Then I’m relieved,” Ailian squatted down and sat down to the side, waiting for the Queen to tell her about the conscription.

“I know about Sway,” the Queen said, looking at Eleanor. “I think I know about you too.”

The Queen tapped the table and pondered for a moment before saying, "Now the ministers are all urging His Majesty to designate a crown prince. I think the royal power needs to be handed over to you, and as for the future," the Queen paused, "you will decide who will succeed to the throne."

“Your Majesty,” Ailian stood up, “I have no desire for power. If it were before, perhaps I would have agreed, but not now.”

"Mi hasn't returned yet?" The Queen looked up in confusion. In recent years, Ailian had spent more than half the year living in Ailian Castle, and now not a single word of news could be circulated from Ailian Castle.

“She won’t be coming back.” Ailian turned her head away, not letting her tears fall in front of the Queen: “Your Majesty, I’m so sorry.”

"She's really not coming back?" Queen Angelis stood up, went to the cabinet, and pulled out a few sheets of paper, handing them to Elaine. Elaine took them and saw star charts drawn on them that she couldn't understand. Elaine looked at the Queen in confusion.

"It is said here that the shining stars will bring a queen to the Flower Kingdom," the queen explained. "The appearance of rice coincides with the time when the stars are shining."

Ailian thought of the exceptionally brilliant starry sky that night, the stars almost surpassing the blue moon, and fell silent. After a while, she said again, "The stars didn't just shine this once; perhaps they brought the Queen and then took her away."

“No,” Queen Angelis shook her head, “the last celestial event wasn’t very clear; it was only said that the stars pointed to the Sun City.” The Queen took out another star chart and handed it to Eleanor.

Ailian compared the two star charts and found that they were indeed different. The first star chart showed the shape of a crown, while the second star chart clearly showed the shape of a lotus flower.

“This—” Ailian’s hand trembled slightly, “Is this me?” Ailian held the second star map and looked at the Queen.

“I don’t know,” the Queen said, avoiding Ailian’s gaze, “but I think it’s you.”

Ailian superimposed the two star charts, and the second star chart, with the flower stamen removed and the crown added, became the first star chart: "Your Majesty, you don't think I'm the Queen, do you?" The Queen looked at Ailian and tacitly agreed with this statement.

“Impossible,” Ailian shook her head. “Is this why you had Grand Duke Sway marry me?”

After a moment, the Queen nodded: "I don't know of any other more suitable way to transfer power to you."

“There must be something wrong,” Ailian looked up. “I never thought of doing this, nor did I want to.”

“Ailian, this is your responsibility,” the Queen tried to persuade Ailian.

“Your Majesty, if you haven’t been deceived,” the shrewd Eleanor was back, “I am at best like you, no, I am far inferior to you. I am certainly not as good as Grand Duke Sway in governing the country. You should know Grand Duke Sway better than I do. He is far less interested in handling state affairs than in riding and hunting. Your Majesty, Sway hates royal power, and he also hates adventurers. If he were to take power, the Derek Palace would first turn on each other. As for me, I have neither the ability nor the courage to make such a decision. I do not like fighting and killing.”

Queen Angelis hesitated, also affected by Ellen's words. Indeed, even if Ellen held power, she would still be a queen, just like herself. Ellen was clearly inferior to Grand Duke Sway. Even if she handed over power to Ellen, Grand Duke Sway would quickly take it back. The Adventurers' Guild wasn't particularly supportive of long-lived races, or rather, the Adventurers' Guild and the royal family had a tacit understanding, with the two checking and balancing each other.

"If Ailian were to give birth to a long-lived child," the Queen thought for a moment and asked, "You and Grand Duke Sway?"

Ailian looked at the Queen and shook her head: "Your Majesty, I cannot have children."

“You have two seeds of longevity.” The Queen did not understand Ailian’s choice.

“No more. There’s no more of the longevity seed,” Ailian said.

"Is this why you fainted?" The Queen clutched her chest. "You were also assassinated?"

"Also?" Ailian tacitly accepted the reason and looked up at the Queen. The Queen lifted her robe, and a patch of crimson blood seeped through the fabric.