The Imperial Prince's Surrogate Wife

Chapter 4: The Royal Breakfast

The glow of the moon around the Palace's curtains made Czarina halted for a while. The window is about half of the size of their wall around the facility. She hasn't been out like this before in her entire life, but it seems that the people around the Palace have been setting a horizon between them and the people like her.

"Czarina?"

A soft voice echoed in the whole corridor. Czarina looked back and saw Princess Arabella and Felice behind her, holding a beige garment. Princess Arabella reached out her hand to get the garment, mesmerized by the moon in front of them, and abruptly smiled.

Czarina kneeled. "Princess Arabella," she mumbled, diverting her gaze to Felice, who is also smiling at her.

Princess Arabella sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just admiring how dramatic the moon is, Your Highness. The Duchess called me earlier, so I went out of my room. I apologize for my recklessness," she answered in a cracked, faint voice.

The sensation of the slap she received a while ago was still ailing on her right cheek. Czarina positioned herself, leaning parallel from the two to hide the swelling.

"Did my Prince say something awful to you earlier?" The Princess asked worriedly, holding Czarina's hand gently.

"No, he didn't, Your Highness. Prince Grey barely told me not to cause you trouble and burden."

Princess Arabella perceives what sort of individual Prince Grey is. She knows he might have told something drastic to Czarina before departing her room earlier.

The Princess smiled and handed the beige garment to Czarina. "Wear this every time you feel frigid. My mother gave it to me, and I'm giving it to you as the surrogate of my child," she mumbled.

Czarina was a bit timid and uneasy about accepting the gift from the Princess. The garment is priceless and exquisite. "Are you positive about that, Princess?"

The Princess chuckled. "Of course, I am."

Felice sniffled a snort behind them. "Time to bed, Your Highness. I'll be the one to be taking care of Lady Czarina, so you have nothing to worry about."

Czarina and Princess Arabella gazed at Felice, who was behind them. The Princess held Czarina's hand and smiled. She really wants to spend a lot of time with Czarina since the truth is she can see her late sister. The Princess's sister died of the plague nine years ago, she couldn't move on after the incident that made her long for an older sister, and now she found Czarina.

"I am going to be fine, Your Highness," Czarina assured her, giving her a soft smile.

The Princess smiled and walked away from Czarina. Felice followed the Princess, so Czarina went to her room, clutching the garment in her hand.

Her powder room is about as big as the size of her bedroom. The toilet and the washroom are made of white and royal blue marbles, with a vast skewer-footed gold bathtub taking up the wall completely. Velvety white towels hang from silver rods, and the lavish bath mat beneath her feet is blazed in ebony and amaranth.

Czarina has never taken a shower in her entire life, only baths. There is no tap in on the bathtub, but to her shock, she hauled the lever, and water sprouts from a broad pipe on the ceiling, like a cascade of rain. She reached out her hand, enthralled by the hot water running through her fingers. After taking a shower, and it's getting late in the evening, she decided to slumber up in her enormous bed.

The noisy faint of footsteps woke Czarina up. She blinked her eyes and saw Felice and other dame preparing something for her. She threw off her sheets and slipped on her bathrobe over her nightdress.

"Lady Czarina," Felice called her out and walked towards her, holding a pile of soft fabrics heightened with pearls.

Czarina stood up and smiled at her. "What is going on?" she asked, confused.

"You will have breakfast with the King and Queen as well as the other royalties, so we are here to prepare you," Felice answered, squinting into Czarina's nightdress, who she thinks looks good on her.

Czarina was astounded. "Oh, I didn't see that coming," she chuckled.

A short, petite girl went closer to them. She is wearing ordinary dame clothing. "It's time for the Lady's shower," she mumbled to Felice.

Czarina was amazed at how focused and immersed the girl is. Her eyes are full of hope and possibilities. It seemed that the violent world had never entailed her.

Felice diverted her gaze to Czarina, who is taking her time observing the girl beside her. "It's time for your bath, Lady Czarina. Oh, by the way, this is Ambrose, a dame in the Palace."

"I am pleased to meet you, Ambrose," Czarina uttered happily, thrilled by the girl's physique.

The girl kneeled. "You too, Lady Czarina."

Felice grinned at how Ambrose conversed with Czarina. They all walked towards the bathroom. Czarina followed the two and squinted her eyes into the other dames who are preparing her dress.

When they reach the bathroom, Czarina alleviates herself into the upholstered green armchair in a junction by the sink.

"Were you..." Czarina heaved her olive nightdress rigidly. "Were you guys waiting here?"

"You have nothing to hide, Lady Czarina. Don't be flustered. It's nothing I haven't seen before, trust me."

Czarina sighed and stripped off her clothes, and strode into the tub. Felice and Ambrose helped her. Water shafts to her skin and wilts her hair. She plucked the curtain, streaked to adjust the bath mat, closer around her. She is totally in bliss.

Ambrose lifted her hair. "We've got an hour, Lady."

Czarina nodded and poured water over her head, running into her mouth and down to her shoulders. The warmth is soothing the vigors in her back and limbs. She released a spontaneous sigh.

"The water's good, isn't it?" Felice whimpered.

Czarina nodded again and pulled her fingers through her shiny hair. She has been smiling since the hot water that runs over her scalp is relaxing her. There is a silver rack filled with soaps and shampoos, and she can't help herself but try all of them. The fragrance of vanilla and lavender refreshed the room.

Felice went beside her. "Okay, that's enough now, Lady Czarina. There are still a lot of things we need to finish this time."

Czarina could stay inside the bathroom for the rest of the evening. The Duchess who slapped her across her face felt like a restrained memory to her. She pulled the lever, and the water immediately ceased. She grabbed the towel and warmed herself, then swaddled it around her head and pulled the curtain back.

They went into the dressing room, and Czarina sat on the plush chair in front of the vanity. The walls around the room have dangled silks of vermilion and jade; there is also a four-sided mirror and a vanity with makeup.

Czarina's eyes twinkled when she saw the dress she will be wearing up by the two-sided mirror. A pale blue tulle ball gown with lace appliques and elaborated with pearls and laces. They all worked together to dress Czarina up. After wearing the ball gown, Czarina went in front of the mirror to glance at herself. She had never worn something like that in her entire life, it looks fantastic, but it is also suffocating for her.

"I couldn't breathe normally," she uttered, giggling.

Felice chuckled. "You'll get used to wearing that, Lady Czarina. Okay, time for your hair and makeup."

Czarina's look bewitched the other dame even without makeup. She looks like a Princess; no, more than a Princess.

Felice and Ambrose, together with the other dame, get to work. Felice combed the snarls of her wet hair and panned it with her fingers. Ambrose, on the other hand, used powders and balms to emphasize Czarina's features and honed her nails into even more detailed ovals.

Czarina grinned. "I look like a joke. Do you think I am presentable enough to face the King and Queen?" she asked the two, who are currently doing their jobs in fixing Czarina's hair and putting makeup on her face.

"Of course you are, Lady Czarina. Your physique is fantastic, don't worry," Felice praised her, tying her hair into knots.

Ambrose never speaks a word unless she's being asked. Czarina always looks at her unconsciously. Maybe, Czarina sees Lilac in Ambrose; that is why she's very fond of her.

"Time to go," Felice said.

"Thank you," Czarina mumbled, standing up, facing towards the mirror.

Felice accompanied Czarina to the dining room. They passed into several doors and stairways connected to each alley in the Palace. They walked down a little getaway of stairs to a door that opens out into the passageway embellished with nature masterpieces. They turned down another hall lined with enormous gold-framed paintings, then went down to a plateau, carpeted staircase lit with lanterns.

Felice stopped in front of the big dual door with a gold handle. "This is where I'll leave you, Lady Czarina. We cannot pass into the royal dining hall except for the chef and kitchen matrons," she explained calmly.

Czarina halted for a while and smiled at Felice in remedy. "I hope I could get this over and not conform anything stupid," she exclaimed out.

Czarina will be meeting with the Royalties up close with her as a mere girl from Soulhearth freezes her out. The inferiority that blooms in between is making her worried. But maybe if Princess Arabella is present inside the room, the tension inside her will lessen.

Czarina turned around, and the door slowly opened. A massive long table and luxurious seats welcomed her. She immediately saw Princess Arabella, who was sitting beside the Grand Prince. The table is filled with jade clothes and sweet-smelling, tall-yellowish candles lined with a bushel of fruits.

The dame took Czarina into her seat, which is at the Grand Prince's side. After settling down, Princess Arabella, who is beside the Grand Prince, leaned towards her and giggled. She isn't relatively observing around the dining hall, but after seeing the Duchess in front of her, who is also actually glaring at her spot, she shivered.

"Your Royal Majesty has arrived, King Phillip II and Queen Consort Zephyrin," the man declares openly.

All the while, everyone stood up. Czarina, who is in her rambling stage, rushed to stand up, which made her legs tremble, and got out of balance. She thought that she would fall off on the floor, but after a moment, muscular biceps partake to catch her.

"Czarina, be careful!" The Princess hastily whispered.

The Grand Prince released Czarina and glared at her. He seemed to be allergic to people except for her wife, the Princess. Czarina bowed to them, which made the King chuckle at her.

"Be seated," King Phillip asserted, still glancing at Czarina's spot inevitably.

The banquet started when the King finally settled down. The chef and several kitchen matrons started to deliver different kinds of food around the table. Czarina, who hasn't been to the Palace banquet, was surprised when she saw immense food on the table.

"Czarina," the King uttered.

Czarina immediately gaped towards the King's position, which is at the center of the table. Parallel to them is the Duke and the Duchess of Emerald, the Grand Prince's parents.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" she responded adequately.

The King sneered. "As you all know, I have chosen lot number three rather than lot number one and two since Czarina Green's information is a bit distinct from the others," he commented, smiling at the other Royalties.

Queen Consort Zephyrin, who is beside the King, bent to see Czarina. "She would be a great surrogate for the two of you," she uttered, pertaining to Princess Arabella and Prince Grey.

Czarina smiled at them. She doesn't know what to say, so she just stayed silent.

The King's meal is a mere bowl of cereal and fresh berries, while the others are eating meat and various foods. Czarina, who still hasn't decided what to eat, placed a tiny amount of meat on her plate. The meat is actually medium cooked, which she definitely hates. Instead of eating meat, she took a piece of bread and a soft cheese into her plate.