The Fall Of Astraea

2. To love is nothing

Hi guys, I hoped you like my first chapter. I thank @UfuomaEghagha for replying. I would really love to see your opinions since this is my first book that is not a fanfic. Anyways the picture is how I imagine the dark forest to look like.

I sighed as I woke up in my safe space. My bed. There is nothing better than waking up to see the sunlight seeping through your curtains and you're still in bed. It makes you not want to get out of bed and not face the harsh world. But as soon as I covered my head with my blankets, Louisa came bustling in and opened the curtains wide open then pulled the blankets from my face. I wanted to complain but then I saw her worried face.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"The Queen has requested your presence." Louisa said worriedly and I frowned.

Ever since my father died a month ago, everything had gone haywire. Anna stopped speaking to me. We barely saw each other since the castle was so huge. I was worried that my father's death was not good on her or the baby she was carrying. I hadn't spoken to Phillip in two weeks. He claimed that I had gone mad and had told Malik that thinking he would not tell me. The last time I saw him we had argued about the pond of memories. He said that I had become obsessed with it and that I was not grieving over my father's death properly. But I knew I was not obsessed with it. Being there made me feel close to both of my parents. He didn't know what that felt like since both of his parents were alive.

"Princess you must hurry. Queen Anastacia does not tolerate anything these days. Other maids claim she has become cruel." She said as she got my dress out of my closet.

"What?" I said as I quickly took off my pajamas. "What do you mean by that?" Louisa was going to answer before there was a knock on the door. Louisa's brown eyes became huge before she composed herself and went to answer the door for me. After a minute she came back looking more worried. She didn't say a thing as she put the black dress that I had chosen back and got a newer more prettier one that could even pass as a normal ball gown instead of a mourning dress. "Louisa...."

"Sorry your highness. This dress will have to do." She said as she help me put on my petticoat before putting on my dress. I didn't dare say a word in case someone was outside listening to us. Louisa never called me your highness unless something was wrong. It was always princess or Ilene. Once my dress was smoothed out, my curly hair was put in a proper bun and a tiara was put on my head, I headed to the throne room in a rush. I put on a small smile. Anna was probably going to announce that she had a baby. She was four months pregnant so I was pretty sure that she couldn't hide it no more. There's so much these huge dresses could do. I walked in the throne room and passed the royal advisor and the council members. I ignored their glares before I walked in front of Anna and curtsied and she did the same before I went to stand beside her.

I looked at her. There was something off about her. She looked rigid and cold as if she was there but she wasn't. Her skin which always looked warm was pale and her golden bronze hair almost looked as black as my hair. What bothered me the most was that she was not wearing black. She was wearing bright pink. Was she done mourning my father? Had she....I tried not to think about it too much. Pink was just a color. Nothing more. I sometimes liked wearing pink. It was not a big deal.

"Since everyone is here, I can finally share my announcement." Anna said cheerfully but it sounded fake. "I would like to announce my engagement to Emperor Attor of the Kakon Empire."

I felt my whole body jolt when she finished her sentence. I could not contain myself as anger quickly erupted inside me. All this time she had been avoiding me, she was courting another man! What was worse was that she was carrying my father's child, my future sibling. I could not understand how she was engaged to Emperor Attor. I had heard rumors from far and wide about the Emperor and the Kakon empire. They were not normal people! Attor was not even a normal name! The people there were cruel and bloodthirsty so I had heard. My father had told me that he had gone there for two days and he never wanted to step foot in the empire again. I turned to Anna and glared.