Chapter 01 – Betrayal, haircut, obsession, love and meaningless promise

11 de outubro de 2022antaresstratis

With a loud thud the blonde prince fell helplessly to the floor. He had just taken a big bite of the sweet dessert made from bulls that Ariadne gave him and this was the result of trusting her. Ariadne glanced at him one last time and allowed the waiting soldiers to take his body. 

As she realized it took an act of decepcion to change the heir of the kingdom, Ariadne whispered with a sly look on her face. “I’m sorry, Crown Prince.” 

She knew it was wrong but she had someone to protect. 

Ariadne walked through the palace as the owner of the place and no one stopped her as she entered the king’s chamber. And he was there, her adored and perfect fiancé, whom she loved unconditionally. Cesare de Como, the king’s illegitimate son, who did not become a prince.

“What happened?!” He asked as soon as he noticed her.

“We have completed the disposal of the Crown Prince Alfonso. I handed his body to the soldiers of Pisano.”

Hearing those words, his apprehensive expression disappeared and he opened a bright smile. His handsome face made it seem as if all the candles in the room were lit in an instant, like the light of the world was shining brighter and the temperature was getting warmer. 

“Okay, that’s it!” Ariadne rebuked herself in thoughts and watched Cesare descend from where he was sitting in his father’s throne and took Ariadne’s hands. Her body trembled from joy and affection when she felt his warmth.

“Well done! When I take his position as the Crown Prince I will make you the noblest woman in the kingdom.”

“Cesare…”

“Father is severely ill, he will perish sooner or later.”

Now that His Majesty, King Leo III felt ill and even Prince Alfonso was overthrown, there was no one who could stop Cesare de Como.

“This is where we start a new age.”

Being honest, Ariadne was not interested in this new age, but if he only was pleased and she could be by his side like that, she was satisfied.

***

Cesare de Como, a Marquis of the Etruscan Kingdom and cousin of Prince Alfonso, immediately raised an army on the border and entered the capital to capture the Royal Palace as soon as King Leo III fell ill. He claimed his cause was that Prince Alfonso tried to poison His Majesty the King Leo III and even when no one believed, there wasn’t anyone who dared to complain in front of Cesare’s soldiers as they filled the Royal Palace. And like lightning, the corpse of the Crown Prince Alfonso hung on the walls of the capital city, San Carlo.

To the royal subjects Cesare declared “Prince Alfonso is a vicious traitor who attempted to poison His Majesty the King and tried to ascend to the throne by communion with an enemy country! I, Cesare de Como, came to the capital to defend the Etruscan Kingdom and to protect His Majesty, so I pledge to you as regent: Believe and follow!”

***

Cesare spent nine years consolidating his position after successfully overthrowing the power and becoming the regent of the Etriscan Kingdom. At that time, Cesare needed a noble Lady sitting beside him to rule the palace and since Her Majesty the Queen had long passed away, the highest ranking woman in the kingdom was Cesare’s fiancée, Ariadne, but when she entered the palace her reputation in society was dismal.

Malicious whispers were heard everywhere she went.

“You mean she is only twenty-two?”

“It’s been said she grew up on a farm when she was young, so she had no education!”

“I saw it at a party, she couldn’t even get an appropriate attire. I’m sure it’s because she grew up with poor manners.”

To the nobles, Ariadne was a symbol of all injustice. She is the woman of the king’s illegitimate son who drove out the rightful prince. Her own birth was as the illegitimate daughter of a cardinal priest, she had no culture or values whatsoever and even though she was engaged for so long, she has not been formally married to Cesare. Her efforts to fit in and stand besides Cesare was met with nothing but ridicule. Ariadne heard that she was hanging by a man because she had nothing else to show and the mockery naturally included her lover.

One day at a regular tea party that she hosted, her irreverent mood was at its peak when she hear an elderly Countess from the venerable capital loudly proclaimed the secrets of the birth of Regent Cesare. This was a well known story among the nobility of the central court, but it was not well known among the provincial aristocrats based on the frontier. 

“Actually, Duke Cesare is not the prince’s cousin, but the son-in-law of Leo Ill.” 

The central nobles did not like Ariadne and Cesare before that. However, talking about Cesare in a loud voice, just so Ariadne could listen, was too far fetched. Holding the fan in her hand tightly, the Countess felt more confident.

“Is it true?” 

“I heard about it too.” 

“The Regent Cesare is the product of an unclean union that did not receive the blessings of the Goddess of Heaven…”

They sat with their backs turned completely on the side where Ariadne sat at the head of the handmade tea table, with the Countess as the center. It was a formation that treats Ariadne as an invisible person. Their attitude was shouting “Even if you don’t like it, what could a half aristocrat and illegitimate child with this unholy power like you could do?”. 

Cesare was the purpose of her life and the object of her adoration. He was noble, strong, and endured much suffering. Ariadne could tolerate someone swearing at her, but she could not tolerate gossiping about him.

“Your birth record must be clean to determine whether you are of royal ancestry or not. Prince Cesare is of a dirty descent unfit to be king.” The Countess concluded at the end of her story, as if she were a Supreme Court judge. Her resolute comment echoed in Ariadne’s mind. Like a thud in her conscience, Ariadne thought she heard the sound of her patience breaking. At that moment, she jumped over her table like a beast and grabbed the countess by the hair.

“Take it back!” 

Ariadne grabbed the countess’s hair, shook it, and growled like a beast.

“How dare you offend him without knowing anything! Without proof!”

There must have been a way to fight the frayed ladies of the capital and win them their way. But Ariadne, a young girl in her early twenties, who had no proper education and grew up with maids on a rural farm, did not know how. Still, she had to do something. It was unbearable to see her beloved Cesare degenerate into the jokes of such arrogant scum.

“Take back that ridicule about Cesare!”

“Aww!” The Countess screamed with her now disheveled hair as dessert trays and treats flew through the table. The ladies who looked like flowers in the greenhouse, chatting together, were frozen in surprise and just stared at the scene. Ariadne shook the countess’ hair with her arms and shouted at her.

“Is spitting profanities through your mouth all you can do? Retract yourself and apologize immediately!” 

“Oh my God! How uneducated!”

Except for both parties who were involved in the scuffle, an icy silence reigned over the parlor. This situation was unprecedented. The ladies went around, unable to even dare to put an end to the fighting incident in the middle of the royal palace’s social circle. 

At that moment, all of a sudden, the sound of men’s heavy gunshots reverberated throughout the room.

Boom! 

The royal guards entered the drawing room with modest movements and stopped. Behind them, an exceptionally handsome man dressed in a ceremonial attire came in and stopped. Compared to his tall height, his physique was slender, and his slow movements exuded a colorful feeling. 

He was Cesare. 

“Cesare!” 

A smile spread on Ariadne’s face.

‘You came to rescue me from this situation.’ Ariadne thought. It was perfect timing. May the perfect prince who descended from heaven roar at the enemy for slandering his woman. He should give severe punishment for the enemies who dared to ignore both of them. She let go of the Countess’ hair she was holding and rose from the ground, stooding behind Cesare.

“They…” Ariadne hurried to tell him, but was interrupted.

“What is this now?” Cesare ruffled his reddish brown hair back and turned to Ariadne. Although his voice has gentle and languid, his expression was cold and he carried no affection in his eyes. 

He seemed tired. 

“Ariadne, tell me, what the hell is this commotion?”

“That’s… well, they were…” After checking his demeanor she mumbled but was interrupted again by the same man. 

“Oh my gosh. Countess Marquez!” 

He didn’t want to talk to Ariadne. The fallen countess was a very good excuse to not talk to her and Cesare could not hide his surprise as he reached out his hand quickly and at the same time affectionately.

“Countess, take my hand and stand up.”

Even the countess herself, who had her hair cut, didn’t seem to know that the regent would listen to her. But she didn’t miss the chance she rolled in, and her pride skyrocketed.

“Unlike that woman, the regent seems to have learned the etiquette of the royal family.” 

The Countess rose from her seat, patted her hair, andbrushed off the part of the dress that Ariadne had touched. She then snorted her as she looked straight at Ariadne. 

“huh!” 

Around the Countess, other central nobles flocked to check on her. 

“Are you okay, Countess Marquez?” 

“Are you hurt?” 

“The Regent’s fiancee has really crossed the line!” 

Ariadne wanted to respond right away, ‘Who crossed the line!’ 

“What are you doing to the Central Nobility?”

“Don’t you know I need a support base? Have you gone crazy to touch the people of Count Marquez?”

‘Being submissive to a person who treats me badly doesn’t mean that person becomes my friend, Cesare.’ Ariadne wanted to answer that way, but Cesare’s momentum made her dazed and unable to speak out. In fact, if he answered his words, he was sure to make a fuss. Ariadne never wanted to see Cesare fighting her in front of all the ladies of the capital. No, she never wanted anybody to see Cesare treating her badly. 

But he ruthlessly trampled on her hopes. 

“That one countess is much more helpful to me than you.” His low, muffled voice cut through the noise in the parlor.