Robinson's head was severed... and the blood flowed to spread on the ground.
Gasps of horror rose, and one of the maids screamed while hiding her eyes with her palms.
"This is the fate of anyone who touches Karina,speaks ill of her, or does so to my mother or speaks of my deceased wife."
The sight was horrifying. Then Theobald sighed, his anger having subsided somewhat after the execution, and said: "Take this woman to the southern prison, for life. And don't worry about your children – I am not against children, and I will not be cruel to them. They will live until they can fend for themselves."
Elena tried to escape, to justify herself... but strong hands seized her and dragged her away, while the echo of the harsh lesson reverberated in the minds of all who witnessed that day.
...
Knock... knock... knock.
The echo of light but insistent knocks sounded on the door of Theobald's room. He was inside the room, wearing his nightclothes, holding volumes, papers, and letters he was flipping through with his fingers. A soft smile shone in his eyes and rested on his lips, as if a great weight had been lifted from his chest. Upon hearing the knocks, he immediately knew who was behind the door.
"Come in."
Karina opened the door and entered, then closed it gently behind her. She paused for a moment and looked at her father. She saw calmness enveloping his countenance, and a comfort she hadn't seen in a long time etched on his features, as if he had finally gotten rid of a bomb that threatened the entire existence of the palace.
She bowed her head, looking at the ground, and clasped her hands in front of her with obvious shyness. Then she began, in a faint voice full of remorse:
"Father... I apologize. I... I'm really sorry. I caused you a lot of trouble, and I went out without telling you... and I made you worry about me for a long time because of my recklessness and foolishness."
Her words were pained, radiating a real guilt piercing her heart. Tears seemed to shimmer in her amber eyes, defying her eyelids not to fall.
As for Theobald... he slowly placed what was in his hand aside on the table, as if placing something precious. Then he rose from his seat, approached her, and knelt on his knees to be at her level. He enveloped her in a warm, wide embrace.
Then he said in a low voice, saturated with boundless paternal affection:
"Karina... I will punish you if you repeat these words again. You didn't cause problems, and you didn't tire me. You're just... heavily targeted. Know that you are the heiress, and that many covet your place. You have never been a burden on me, nor a source of annoyance. Rather, you have been, and will always be, my light and my most precious treasure all the time."
Karina leaned into her father's embrace and hugged him tightly, as if afraid he would disappear. That embrace began to melt the ice that had formed around her heart, and her worries gradually started to dissipate.
"Thank you, father..."
---
Karina sat on the edge of the bed next to her father, refusing to move away even a little. Then she noticed those scattered papers and volumes beside him, with their faded colors and clear ink that spoke of their age.
"What are these papers, father?"
Theobald laughed a little, and his smile extended to shine in his eyes as he replied:
"These... are my memories with your mother."
Karina smiled, and her heart was filled with an overwhelming feeling of pride because her father still kept every memory of her mother alive in his heart. She lifted her gaze towards the large picture hanging on the wall, meeting her parents' eyes in their wedding moment. Her gaze lingered on her mother's picture.
Revellina. With her wild hair resembling sunlight, and green eyes like spring leaves. She didn't resemble Karina much in features, but everyone always told her how much she resembled her in behavior. In her excessive sensitivity at times, in her adventurous recklessness, and in her endless curiosity.
She felt a wave of curiosity flowing within her, so she turned to her father and asked him in an eager tone:
"Papa... tell me more about Mama. I want to know."
It was an expected question. But, contrary to what one might think, it did not sadden Theobald. Instead, his eyes lit up with a beautiful longing. Talking about Revellina always filled his heart with a strange feeling, a mixture of nostalgia and joy.
"Revellina de Corles... or by her current name: Revellina Verci. She was from the low nobility, or as they say: the fallen nobility. Her father was a local lord, but he fell into a sea of scandals. Her mother was forced to hide Revellina's true identity. And she lived all her childhood in the Baron's palace... her stepfather."
Karina was listening with all her being, not wanting to miss a single word.
"The Baron had five wives. One of them, the Baroness, bore him one son. And another, Revellina's mother... Va'ilena... So, as you see, Elena and your mother are not sisters, but they are half-sisters from different fathers, as Elena is the Baron's daughter."
Karina nodded, unsurprised. She had been raised knowing the complexities of noble families and their conflicts, the multiplicity of wives and illegitimate children.
"Revellina didn't tell me much about her relationship with Elena during that period. But she told me about the rest of the family. The Baron hated her because she wasn't of his blood. And even her mother... sometimes looked at her as living proof of her previous connection to that man with the bad reputation. Unfortunately, Revellina's childhood environment... was very harsh."
Karina wasn't very surprised; she had heard stories before about her mother's suffering and sacrifices.
"But Revellina wasn't the only victim in that palace. There was... her younger sister."
Karina stopped here. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Her sister?"
"Yes. In fact, she wasn't Revellina's or Elena's full sister. She was their mother's daughter from another man... the child's father wasn't known."
This time, the astonishment was real. The first time Karina heard about having an aunt.
"And was... she kind?" she asked with burning curiosity.
Theobald closed his eyes for a moment, as if recalling images from the past he'd heard from the love of his heart and his wife. Then he said:
"Revellina described her as the only creature in that palace whom she loved more than herself. She loved that little girl immensely. They were like twins, despite the age difference. She says that sister of hers wasn't brave, but rather delicate and weak... so Revellina was her shield that protected her, bearing hardships on her behalf."
Karina got excited. "Mom was a real hero! Honestly, if I were in her place, I don't think I could have endured all this for someone... I'm somewhat selfish."
She said it with childish frankness, then laughed at her admission. Theobald burst out laughing with her.
"At least you're honest and admit it!"
Then the question lingering in Karina's mind resurfaced:
"Father... where is she now? That aunt?"
Theobald's smile faded slightly, and a shadow of light sadness covered his face.
"I don't know exactly, my dear. But... from all I understood, I believe she is no longer among us. I believe she is deceased."
Karina frowned, and a short silence covered the room. Then she let out a long, sad sigh.
...
Then Theobald continued recounting memories,his words taking on a dreamy tone: "According to Revellina's description to me... she was blonde, with violet eyes. And I think... I think she had a child. Once, I heard Revellina mention that in her talk to herself... or perhaps in a dream."
Karina suddenly cried out with sudden enthusiasm: "Her! Father! Where is that person!! I want a friend!"
She rose from her place,pointing her hand with a quick motion, as if demanding something that couldn't be delayed.
Theobald laughed at her spontaneity, then gently grabbed her and pulled her to sit beside him again. "Calm down, calm down. Aren't your friendships with Victoria, Ron, and the Second Prince enough... and your desire still expands?"
Rena was silent for a moment, then burst into a light laugh, admitting it. She returned to her listening silence and tilted her head slightly, a sign of her readiness to hear more.
Theobald sighed, shaking his head gently. "Unfortunately, this is all the information I have. Your mother... was very secretive about this matter specifically. As if she was protecting that memory... or afraid for it from something."
Rena looked at her father's contemplative eyes, which were still wandering in the corridors of distant memories, then posed her question with a sleepy smile gracing her lips: "And what about my grandfather?... How was your relationship with him?"
Noticing the heaviness of her eyelids, Theobald gently pulled her closer to him, allowing her to lay her head on his broad shoulder. As she settled, his hand began to move, combing his tender fingers through her turquoise hair in a monotonous, soothing motion.
"My father..." Theobald began in a quiet voice carrying a shadow of nostalgia mixed with awe, "was a man... terrifying. Honestly, I was calm and obedient all my life, listening well to my elders... and yet, I lived hearing screaming and anger from him almost daily. If I had had an ounce of stubbornness or defiance... I truly believe he would have killed me."
He laughed a faint, dry laugh, remembering the absolute authority of his father, that man whose tone was an order, whose anger was a storm, and who had no place for pity or soft dialogue in his dictionary.
As for Karina, she was fighting hard to stay awake, and her father's words reached her as if from afar. Then she whispered in a sleepy voice akin to a dream: "I think... grandmother was the complete opposite..."
Theobald nodded and smiled a real smile this time. "My mother... yes, she scolds and doesn't like many things, but her heart softens quickly. She relents quickly too. And honestly..." he added in a tone with a touch of humor, "she never scolds Yuri much... she pampers him... as if he's still her little child."
He laughed a nice, sarcastic laugh, and Rena lifted her head for a brief moment, looking at him with her heavy eyes and said: "I expected that..."
This was the last sentence she held onto before her body completely surrendered to sleep, and her head fell gently onto her father's warm lap.
"Have you fainted or what?" he whispered, looking at her with a mixture of compassion and gratitude.
There was no answer. With expert and gentle movement, Theobald carried his daughter in his arms and moved with her through the quiet corridors of the palace to her room. He placed her gently on her wide bed and pulled the soft cover to tuck her in up to her chin. He stood for a moment watching her peaceful sleep, then bent down and planted a warm kiss on her smooth forehead.
"Goodnight..." he whispered in a barely audible voice, filled with an indescribable feeling, "my little one."
He turned off the light and left the room, leaving the door slightly ajar, as she always liked...
...
In a vast, luxurious garden, teeming with life. Rare flowers bloomed in colors rivaling the rainbow, and butterflies with satin wings flew at low heights as if carrying secret messages. Bright birds perched on marble statues and roof edges, chirping with sweet melodies, as if raising a salute to anyone who dared and lived a life full of challenges and ultimately reached this safe haven.
Amidst this beauty, a small child, perhaps no more than two years old, wearing a robe of deep blue velvet embroidered with delicate silver threads. His brilliant turquoise hair shone under the sun, and his wide gray eyes glittered with curiosity and vitality. He ran lightly with unsteady steps, chasing a pale blue butterfly.
It was a enchanting scene, like a painting embodying hope, or a living memory of people who endured hardships and passed through dangers to reach the pinnacle of glory and peace. But...
His small foot tripped over a small protruding stone, and his small body lunged forward, falling on his face onto the soft grass. A moment of silence, then the child burst into loud crying, holding his breath from the shock. A red scratch appeared on his soft cheek, and light dirt spots soiled his luxurious clothes.
Rena suddenly felt as if she was being pulled into this scene. She didn't understand what was happening, nor why she was here. But her awareness quickly realized that she was no longer lying in her bed. There was a strange heaviness in her body, a completely different sensation. She looked at her hands. They were soft hands, but the hands of a mature woman, not those of a twelve-year-old girl. Then she looked at her clothes – a long, sumptuous gown of purple brocade, decorated with intricate gold embroidery, in a style she didn't recognize from southern fashion.
"What is this...?" she whispered to herself, confused.
When she picked up a strand of her hair falling on her shoulder, she saw the familiar turquoise color, but it was longer and thicker. "I... but I'm grown up." She grew more confused.
Rena raised her eyes to meet the gaze of the crying child who had now sat up on the grass. He was looking directly at her, with teary eyes full of clear expectation, as if waiting for her reaction.
"Why is he looking at me like that... as if I've committed a crime?" she wondered anxiously in her mind. "Where is his mother?... his father?"
But the child, instead of calming down, looked at her with a long stare and then... deliberately tripped again! He fell on his side in an obvious, contrived manner, and raised his crying voice again, while his gray eyes stared at her incessantly, as if testing her reaction.
Rena was utterly confused. The unreal scene, her strange body, and a strange child behaving so oddly.
"Why are you looking at me like that?!" she shouted at him, her voice louder and more mature than she remembered.
The child suddenly stopped crying and sat up abruptly, a real surprise now on his features. "Why aren't you helping me?" he said in a small voice charged with hurt feelings. "Have you started to hate me?"
Those words, innocent and painful, pierced through Rena's confusion. She approached him with slow steps, then knelt on her knees to be at his level. For a moment, she forgot the strangeness of the situation and whispered: "Who are you? What's your name, little one?"
The little child's facial expressions changed completely. He looked around in every direction, as if searching for something, then returned his gaze to her. His gray eyes were now swimming in a greater confusion than hers. Then he said, in a faint voice full of both questioning and fear:
"I... I'm... your only son….. The Crown Prince Ron de Chaneli"