Letters

I was locked in my chambers all day after the ball, not allowed to walk around the palace. My meals were reduced as punishment for flirting with the Grand Duke of Valois. It was then that I realized that my father, the Emperor, had a much greater animosity towards the Grand Duke than the mere succession to the throne.

I spent the whole day reading books in my room. The next morning, I was getting ready alone and a maid I didn't know came in. She curtsied, smiled, and introduced herself as my new personal maid. Her behavior surprised me because no one wanted to serve me in my palace, leaving me alone.

"Did the emperor send you to watch me?" I asked, sadness already rooted in my heart.

The maid, whose name was Laura, smiled sweetly at me: "I applied to serve you, Your Highness."

At first, I didn't trust Laura. But over time, she became very kind to me. She helped me brush my long hair and complimented its unique color. It was then that I began to appreciate my green eyes and dark red hair. Eventually, the emperor forgave me, and I was able to go out and do my charity work.

Laura helped me dress in simple clothes, although she wanted me to wear an elegant dress. Although I was the princess of the largest empire, I never felt like one, and flashy dresses always made me uncomfortable. We then went to the outskirts of the capital, which needed the emperor's attention and care, the peripheries.

I was free to go wherever I wanted, as no one ever asked where I was going. I think the royal family assumed that I only visited the temples to pray and greet the locals. In reality, I spent most of my time cooking and looking after sick people in unstable hospitals on the outskirts of the city.

"Miss, it's been a long time," one of the ladies who lived in that hospital greeted me. Laura was about to correct her about the way I was called, but I stopped her. "You look thinner," she said, stroking my cheek. "Mrs. Amelia has made a wonderful stew, go and have some."

"I'll do that, and you should go back to bed and rest," I said, putting the lady's hand on my arm and supporting her to her bed, where she immediately lay down.

"Your Highness," Laura said in my ear. "You shouldn't allow commoners to touch you so casually." I looked at Laura and smiled.

"That lady suffers from a condition called dementia, even if you scold her and tell her who I am, she'll forget." Laura looked at me in shock. "This is the only hospital that treats these people without charging anything for the treatment."

"So how do they get money for the patients' food and medicine? Laura asked and I just looked at her. When she understood, I put my finger over my lips, asking her to remain silent.

I used my own money to finance the hospital because I didn't want the emperor or crown prince to know. Without my help, most of the people there would have died from illnesses that affected the poorer classes.

We silently walked to the principal's office, where we met a kind man named Jonathan Hans. He had been a medical soldier and knew a lot about different diseases. He even became my private tutor, teaching me about science, medicine, herbs, and human anatomy.

"Good morning, doctor," I said cheerfully. Jonathan stood up and bowed.

"I greet the sun of the empire, the first princess, Princess Camellia," he said in a solemn tone.

"You know there's no need for such formalities, after all, you're my master, I'm the one who owes you respect and honor." Jonathan smiled at me, then noticed Laura standing next to me. "Ah, I'm sorry. That's Laura, my maid. She'll be accompanying me from now on."

Understanding crossed his eyes, which soon turned sad. Dr. Jonathan didn't ask any questions, he just went back to his seat and guided me to mine, the chair in front of his desk. We started studying immediately. Whenever a new patient arrived, we attended to them and made the rounds to check on the patients already admitted.

It was a hectic but rewarding day. As we walked towards the center to meet the carriage that would take us back to the palace, I sensed something strange in Laura, perhaps she was restless. My nanny had known my habits since I was a child, so she had gotten used to my life outside the palace. It was she who introduced me to the doctor the first time I was allowed to leave the palace when I was thirteen.

"If you don't feel comfortable accompanying me, you don't have to come. I don't want you to put pressure on yourself because of my whims," I said, and Laura looked at me with shock.

"Whims? Your Highness gives up your free time to treat sick commoners, normal people like me, without even letting them know that you're the princess of this empire." Laura said with an indignant tone in her voice, which made me smile at her concern.

"I don't want any credit for what I do. If anyone other than the doctor finds out who I am, it could cause a big problem for the hospital," I said, imagining the emperor's reaction. I knew he would destroy the hospital and send me away to a distant kingdom. I didn't want that to happen.

Suddenly, a voice behind us shouted, "Wait!" and I turned to look.

The man running towards us was almost flawless, dressed in simple clothes, with a slightly flushed face, damp black hair, and captivating blue eyes. I was surprised to see the Grand Duke there. I felt embarrassed because of my simple clothes, but he didn't seem to be worried, as he was also wearing simple clothes and no insignia of his rank.

"I apologize for approaching you like that, prin..." Before he could finish, I covered his mouth with my hand. We were both in shock, and I quickly pulled away.

"I'm sorry, it's just that no one here knows who I am and I'd like it to stay that way," I said, embarrassed by my impulsive attitude. The Grand Duke just smiled and ran his hand through his hair.

"I see what you mean, miss." His playful tone made my heart race. "I'm also just here as a man who wants to make a difference in these people's lives."

I had heard stories about the ruthless Grand Duke and his unbeatable army, which sparked my interest in studying his brilliant military tactics. Discovering that he was a skilled swordsman who also helped those in need only increased my admiration for him.

"If I may ask," he said, rescuing me from my thoughts. "I saw you leaving the hospital, did you visit the sick?"

"I help out at the hospital," I said shyly. "The director is also teaching me a few things in the field so that I can help him as best I can with the care." The Grand Duke's eyes filled with surprise, which was only natural.

It was unusual for women, especially princesses, to receive that kind of education. Noble ladies only learned the basics of administration to manage their husbands' households. Everything else was considered frivolous, including organizing events, embroidery, dancing, and other activities. In my opinion, it was all pointless.

At tea parties, some young noblewomen considered me snobbish. We had different conversations because I was interested in tea imports and transportation costs. They preferred to talk about fashionable clothes and attractive men. So, I had no friends of the same age to talk to or go out with, so my adventures outside the palace were more valued.

"You never stop to amaze me." The enthusiastic tone in the Grand Duke's voice was very clear. I looked at his face and once again felt the strong beating of my heart.

"Your Highness," Laura said in my ear. "We need to leave immediately, or we'll miss the carriage to get back to the palace."

"My, you're right, Laura." I turned to the Grand Duke, not sure how I should say goodbye to him in that peculiar situation, but he stepped forward, took my hand, and kissed the back of it gently.

"Until next time, miss," he said, then walked away waving.

I watched him walk away, enchanted by his broad back, until Laura called me and we ran the rest of the way, arriving just in time to avoid arousing suspicion.

A few days later, I received a letter, something that had never happened before. At first, I was surprised, but I was happy when I saw that the Grand Duke had sent it. But, I doubted its authenticity; the Emperor and the Crown Prince always made a point of saying that I wasn't worthy of receiving letters. I found out a while later that my mother's family had tried to contact me. But, as I didn't reply to their letters, they stopped trying to talk to me and decided to cut ties permanently.

"How did this letter get past my brother?" I asked, and Laura smiled proudly at her work.

"A servant from the Duchy of Valois came here and asked for it to be delivered directly to His Highness."

Euphoria overtook me when I broke the seal with the Valois coat of arms and took the letter out of the envelope. The beautiful handwriting on the paper was fluid and firm, with no wavering handwriting. The letter read:

"Your Highness, I apologize for my boldness and lack of decorum in writing this letter without your permission, but I will soon be leaving for the battlefield. I would be very happy if we could keep in touch through letters. So I want you to write to me without fear of your message being revealed. I assure you that I will take steps to ensure your comfort, and I hope to hear from you soon. Signed William Valois."

I never expected the Grand Duke to check our correspondence. I felt overwhelmed by emotions after reading his words, so I quickly grabbed pen and paper to reply. I included a small white flower from my tea table in the envelope next to the letter, sealed it, and handed it to Laura.

"Take it to the Grand Duke's servant." Laura smiled, bowed, and left the room.

I put my hands to my face in disbelief, but at the same time, I felt a warmth grow inside me as I imagined exchanging letters with the Grand Duke. My reckless decision to do that didn't seem like something that would lead to my downfall.