In the Shadow of the Crown

The warm summer air carried the delicate scent of roses through the Imperial Garden Pavilion, where an elegant tea gathering was taking place. Beneath the lace-draped canopy, two women sat across from each other at a table of white marble.

One was Celestina, princess of royal blood. Her deep lavender gown shimmered in the afternoon light, and her amethyst eyes held a quiet intensity.

The other was Eliza, the Empress. The Goddess of Arts. The Imperial Doll.

Her silver hair, now reflecting the glow of the living moon, cascaded in perfect waves. Her eyes, once filled with curiosity and passion, now mirrored the sky and the depths of the ocean, yet they remained lifeless, void of warmth, void of self.

She sat motionless.

She did not fidget.

She did not even react when the tea was poured.

She was waiting.

And far away, in his study, Raen watched.

His voice - soft and amused slipped through the delicate device hidden in her ear.

"Speak."

And so, Eliza obeyed.

***

Celestina carefully observed Eliza as she poured her tea.

"The masters have begun their work," Celestina said, a small smile on her lips. "Soon, your beauty will be eternal."

Silence.

Then, Raen whispered his response.

"Beauty only matters when it inspires."

So Eliza, her voice gentle yet empty, repeated,

"Beauty only matters when it inspires."

Celestina's gaze flickered.

Those words…they belonged to the Eliza she once knew.

The Eliza who dreamed.

The Eliza who created.

And yet, though the words were the same, they carried no soul.

It was like hearing a musician play a song they had never truly learned, a flawless performance, yet devoid of feeling.

Celestina set her cup down, undeterred.

She had spent months years trying to break through.

She would not stop now.

"And what inspires you, dear sister?"

A pause.

Eliza did not respond immediately.

Because she was waiting.

Waiting for Raen’s command.

"The Emperor’s vision. His dreams are my own."

And so, Eliza echoed,

"The Emperor’s vision. His dreams are my own."

Celestina’s fingers tensed around her cup.

Too perfect.

Too controlled.

And yet, she did not know the full truth.

Like the noblewomen of the court, like the citizens of the Empire, she had been given only a carefully crafted illusion.

She knew that Raen’s presence over Eliza was strong.

But she did not know that his control was absolute.

That Eliza could no longer dream, because she was no longer allowed to.

That she could not speak, unless commanded to.

That she could not even think of him in any way except with love, because it was the only thing Raen had permitted her to feel.

The noblemen of the court the true rulers behind closed doors, they knew.

They knew that Eliza was a masterpiece of obedience, a goddess sculpted into perfection under Raen’s hands.

But Celestina did not.

She believed that a part of Eliza still remained.

And so, she tried again.

"And if you had a dream of your own, what would it be?"

Silence.

Eliza did not even blink.

Because she did not have an answer.

Because she was not allowed to have one.

Raen, watching through the magic-bound device, smirked.

"Dreams are meant to be shared, not hidden."

And so, Eliza responded,

"Dreams are meant to be shared, not hidden."

Celestina’s heart clenched.

It was as if Eliza were reaching out, yet something held her back.

And she was right.

Because Eliza could not reach out.

She no longer had hands to reach with.

She no longer had a will to break free.

Because Raen had taken everything, and she had given it all to him willingly.

***

The tea gathering continued in polite conversation, but Celestina could feel that she was losing.

No matter how many times she tried to pull at the strings, Eliza did not react.

And yet, she still believed that Eliza could be saved.

That somewhere, deep within, she still existed.

That she was not completely lost.

That was why Celestina kept playing the game.

But what she did not know, what she could not know, was that Raen was playing as well.

And he was always two steps ahead.

***

The moon hung high over the Imperial Palace.

Inside his chambers, Raen leaned back on the velvet couch, watching Celestina.

She stood before him, dressed in a flowing lavender nightgown, her royal posture unshaken.

She did not know that Raen had listened to every word she spoke.

She did not know that every time she thought she was speaking to Eliza, she had actually been speaking to him.

She did not know that he had let her hope, just to see how far she would go.

And now, as she stood before him, trying to mask her emotions, Raen smiled.

Because she had already fallen exactly where he wanted her.

He reached out, his fingers trailing down her arm.

"You care for her."

Celestina met his gaze without fear.

"I only want her happiness."

Raen’s hand tilted her chin up.

"Then stay by my side." His voice was smooth, steady. "And together, we will give her everything she deserves."

His other hand slid to her waist.

"And in return…"

His lips brushed against the shell of her ear.

"You will be mine."

Celestina did not pull away.

Because she, too, was playing a game.

But Raen played better.

And by the time she realized it…

It would already be too late.

By the time she returned to her chambers, she would see it the mark he had left upon her skin, high on her neck where all could see.

The sign that she belonged to him.

And Celestina…had yet to understand what that truly meant.

Because this was all part of Raen’s plan.

To break her.

To make her his.

To take even the royal princess under his rule.

His heart, his love, his obsession belonged only to Eliza.

But Celestina…?

She was just another piece on his board.

And soon, she would fall.

***

Meanwhile, in the dimly lit corridors of the palace, Eliza walked without hesitation.

Not because she wished to.

Not because she chose to.

But because Raen had commanded it.

"Go to your chambers. Bathe. Change into your nightgown. And sleep."

And so, she obeyed.

She washed.

She dressed.

She laid down upon the silk sheets.

And as she closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to take her, she did not dream.

Because Raen had never given her permission to.