On that cold morning, no one realized that the day would turn the story and change fate to an irreversible path.
While Princess Diana was reading a book, a guard knocked on the door and entered the library, presenting his greeting, then said:
"His Majesty the Emperor has sent you his order to attend his birthday celebration today, as many nobles will be present. He also said that he will announce an important matter."
Diana nodded calmly:
"Alright, you may go."
The guard left, and Diana remained standing, thinking about the reason she was summoned this time, as the Emperor had not done this in any previous celebrations. She closed the book and returned it to its place, then left the library heading to her room.
As time passed, the moment of the celebration arrived.
Princess Diana stepped out after preparing herself well and departed toward the Imperial Palace in a luxurious carriage sent by the Emperor for her.
In the celebration hall, the Emperor sat quietly with the advisor standing beside him, while the Empress flaunted herself. As for her son, Prince Kieran, he sat silently and nervously, trying not to embarrass his mother with any wrong action.
"Princess Diana Jonathan has arrived."
Her arrival was announced, and the doors of the hall opened for her to enter. She entered and captured everyone's attention. Whispers rose among the attendees:
"Is this Princess Diana?"
"Impossible! I would have said she is the late Empress Aurelia in her youth!"
"Wait, I heard she disappeared for a long time, and now she suddenly appears!"
Diana lightly bowed to greet the Emperor:
"Happy birthday, Father, and I have missed you very much."
The Emperor answered coldly and calmly:
"I am pleased that you have finally returned."
Despite pretending otherwise, Diana did not care about the nonsense or the Emperor who had abandoned her and her brother.
The Emperor stood and said:
"Before starting the celebration, I would like to announce something."
He looked at the Empress for a moment, then continued:
"Today I will announce the heir to the Aetheris Empire."
The Empress was shocked by this sudden announcement, especially as she had not been informed beforehand, but she was confident that Adrian was far away, so her only option for heir was her son.
The Emperor continued:
"Prince Adrian Jonathan is currently absent, and he is unable to use magic, so he will be excluded."
Everyone whispered about the rumors that Adrian could not use magic.
Then the Emperor said firmly:
"Prince Kieran Jonathan is still young, and he lacks self-confidence, so he is unfit to rule."
The Empress shouted angrily:
"What are you saying, Your Majesty! Kieran is not as you think he is—"
The Emperor cut her off coldly and firmly:
"Empress, would you like to be removed from the hall?"
She bit her lower lip in anger and silently stepped back.
The Emperor continued:
"And since both princes are excluded, I announce that Princess Diana Jonathan is the Crown Princess and the legitimate heir to the throne."
Whispers of the nobles rose in the hall, and shock ignited on everyone's faces, especially the Empress.
Diana stood stunned, unable to comprehend what was happening. Why was she the heir when there were princes?
In the empire, the heir to the throne was chosen based on the best among males, and girls were never included in the selection process. The only situation in which a girl could be crowned as heir was when there were no male princes.
The Emperor's announcement that Diana was the heir meant only one thing…
He had abandoned Adrian, and he had abandoned Kieran as well.
And as the Empress realized this, anger and malice swept through her.
It seemed she had removed the wrong person.
She muttered to herself:
"It seems I should have sent you instead of Adrian that day, Diana."
—
The celebration ended, and the Empress returned to her palace, consumed by rage.
As soon as she arrived, she grabbed Kieran and pushed him forcefully into his room.
"You will not leave here until you learn to trust yourself!"
She spoke harshly and coldly, and closed the door while Kieran screamed and cried.
Her eyes filled with evil, then she went to her office and summoned her assistant.
She paced back and forth, sparks of anger flying from her.
"Damn… damn it! How could something like this happen? How!"
The assistant spoke fearfully:
"Your Majesty, calm down… there must be a solution."
The Empress laughed madly:
"Solution? The announcement was made in front of everyone! What solution could I turn to now?"
The assistant smiled slyly:
"I heard that many small fires will spread around… I wonder who will ignite them."
The Empress raised her eyebrow in surprise:
"Huh? What do you mean?—"
She grasped the idea and smiled wickedly:
"Wait, I think I've heard about this too… perhaps the culprit's punishment will be very severe."
The assistant replied with a faint smile:
"That is correct, Your Majesty."
The Empress laughed with a mad voice:
"Hahaha!"
A week after Diana was announced as the Crown Princess, small fires began spreading slowly, making it seem as though a hidden instigator was behind them.
The situation continued with fires that could be easily extinguished, until that day arrived.
Night fell over the empire peacefully, and everyone returned to their homes.
Calmness filled the place… but something was not as it seemed.
A strange scent began spreading through the air, followed by a shift in the atmosphere.
A faint smoke crept through the alleys of the city before its tendrils turned into raging flames, shattering the stillness of the night.
"Fire!!! ..Fire!!!"
Screams rose from every corner, as disaster struck the people of Aetheris.
The flames devoured everything in their path, and destruction spread at a terrifying pace.
A woman searched for her child, swallowed by the fire,
and a young man ran frantically, seeking his sick brother who could not survive the rising inferno.
Hours of panic and terror passed before the fires could be extinguished,
but the losses were devastating… many had died, and the flames consumed their dreams along with their homes.
---
"Your Majesty, it is said that the fire was deliberately set, as a series of fires has spread over the past week."
Lord Alexandro spoke, his voice hoarse from the earlier smoke.
"Deliberately set… who dares to ruin the Empire of Aetheris?"
The Emperor said with muted anger.
"Find them immediately, and they must be punished."
The lord bowed before leaving:
"At your command…"
The Emperor remained deep in thought about the timing of the incident, which began shortly after the announcement of the Crown Princess… Was it a coincidence or a planned act?
---
The next day:
"Glory to the Empire! We have found the culprit, Your Majesty!"
Lord Alexandro spoke in a steady voice.
The Emperor replied calmly:
"Good… then carry out the corresponding execution."
Alexandro tensed and stammered:
"This… the culprit is… H.H. Diana Jonathan!"
The Emperor was shocked and slammed his hand on the table:
"Are you joking, Lord? Who do you say is the culprit?"
Alexandro knelt in fear and panic:
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty, but we have found evidence pointing to Her Highness. When we traced her path, we reached the palace where she resides, and found numerous maps and manuscripts indicating the fires."
The Emperor clenched his teeth tightly:
"Alexandro, search again for the person who planted this evidence to frame Diana… If you do not find anything within a day… carry out the corresponding execution."
The lord rose from his place:
"I will do my utmost in the investigation."
---
The truth cannot be falsified… because false things are eventually discovered.
At least, that is what simple people believe.
But reality is that the truth can be falsified, because people believe what they see and hear.
As for the Emperor, he was not an emotional man to begin with… for him, the Empire was more important than anything.
After verifying the evidence, he gave his order.
The knights stormed the quiet palace of the late Empress, shattering the smile of Princess Diana, who was painting a portrait of her family: her mother, her brother, and her father.
But she had not yet finished painting herself… and this was the first time she had ever drawn her father.
"Diana Jonathan, by order of the Emperor, you are accused of the previous fires. Please follow us."
The knight said in a dry tone, without offering the customary greeting to the princess.
"Accused? And is there even a chance I did this? Aren't you already watching me?"
Diana replied coldly, her irritation barely contained.
"We are carrying out the Emperor's orders… seize her!"
The knight said with clear arrogance.
"Hands off!"
She raised her voice firmly.
"I am still the Crown Princess here… who dares touch me? You are merely knights of the middle class, do not act above your station."
She rose calmly from her place, looked at the unfinished painting, then walked with stea
dy steps past the knights, heading toward her fate.