The Imperial Prince's Surrogate Wife

Chapter 2: The Royal Palace

The dusty alleys of Leonidas are quiet this early in the morning. People around this time are busy freeing their shops and preparing to open. A faint knock echoed in the entire room that made her wake up. She stretched up and got out of the mattress to open the wooden door.

"Good morning, Lady Czarina. I should fix you this early in the morning since Lord Farquhar will be here in an hour to fetch us," her lady-in-waiting, Felice, stated.

Czarina is still passing out since she just woke up. She lends a path for Felice to enter her room. Tucking up her hair around her ears is the first thing she does every morning.

"What about Titania? Are we going to ride on the same carriage?" Czarina asked, sitting on the chair for Felice to fix her hair.

Felice chuckled. "She will be riding on a different vehicle since she will be living in the house of Oleas, and you are to live in the royal palace, Lady Czarina," Felice tried to lift her mood since she knew her Lady was longing for her friend.

Last night, they conversed about the life of being a surrogate and ended up opening about Czarina's private life. Felice, on the other hand, is not permitted to talk casually to an individual higher than her. All she did was listen the whole night.

Czarina's face went awful. "I should have talked to her longer yesterday," she muttered, remorseful.

Felice smiled at her. "Don't worry, Lady Czarina. After getting into the palace, there will be a royal dinner every full moon, and it will be on the next day. You will still be able to see your friend at the royal gathering."

Czarina's mood was stimulating. Given the commitments after signing the contract of being a surrogate, she certainly cannot be free on her own again. She will be staying on the palace's grounds for over nine months. But she couldn't be happier after having the taste of freedom once she has given birth.

After Felice examined Czarina, she then took a bath and wore the traditional dress of the palace, which is the royal garment.

Felice, who is dressing her up, was amazed by her perfect look. The surrogates are undoubtedly equivalent to the royalties when it comes to education and physiques. Felice honestly assumes that the girl in front of her is a royalty princess.

"Is this really necessary? I look like a fool," Czarina exaggerated, gripping her cream-colored ball gown.

Growing up, Czarina had never worn a ball gown and fancy dresses. They could wear what they want and get a good education, but wearing Royalty dresses is still out of their reach.

Felice sneered. "If you could only discern how I see you, Lady. You look fantastic, solely near being a royalty."

"You must be fooling around, Felice." Czarina wore the mid-high wedge white sandals that Felice gave her.

"I'll fix your hair now, Lady."

Czarina sat on the wooden chair. She actually hasn't seen her reflection ever since she entered the holding facility nine years ago. She doesn't know how she looks except for being flattered by her fellow surrogates.

Fixing hairs for Felice is effortless. She's been a lady-in-waiting for Princess Arabella for almost four years. She is an eighteen-year-old who has hazel brown eyes perfect on her round-shaped face. She has a mediocre skin tone and curly, wavy hair.

"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" Czarina asked sincerely.

"Go ahead, Lady Czarina," Felice hastily replied.

Czarina exhaled. "Do the Grand Prince and the Royal Princess have a good attitude?"

Czarina grew up in a belief that the royal family keeps their real character private. She couldn't stop thinking that royal leaders are born vicious and terrible. The whole empire is known for its honorable and brave royal monarchs over the decades.

Felice stopped tying her hair up. "Princess Arabella is the kindest of all the royalties I have encountered. She is remarkably soft-hearted and has a big heart for the people of Croshine and now the whole Emerald City."

Czarina smiled. They're still good-hearted people around the palace where she will be staying starting today. "I'm glad to hear that, Felice. What about the Grand Prince? I've been hearing bad things about him in the past few months."

Felice finished Czarina's sleek, sophisticated chignons design on her hair. A natural hair design for royalty.

"Can we discuss it after we get into the palace, Lady Czarina? It's getting late, and I think Lord Farquhar is on his way now," Felice suggested.

"Sure, things like that can be talked about the other day." She stood up and smiled.

Czarina never had this kind of hairstyle before. She feels comfortable and relaxed. She then followed Felice into the waiting area and waited for the signal to get outside the room.

Minutes momentarily passed, someone with a high rank in the palace arrived inside the room. He wore a linen shirt and breeches, a silk trimmed wool tunic, and a woolen hose and shoes.

Czarina and Felice stood up while giving the man a light smile. Czarina is getting anxious every time she sees someone who lives in the Royal Palace.

"Lord Farquhar," Felice uttered happily.

The man stared at Czarina and diverted his gaze onto Felice. A smile formed on his face, and he walked in front of them gradually. "Glad to see you outside the Palace, Felice," he uttered.

Felice sneered. "Good to see you too, Lord Farquhar."

Lord Farquhar went to Czarina's front and held her hand gently. "I am thrilled to come upon the surrogate whom King Phillip has chosen. I am delighted to meet you, Lady Czarina. Shall we depart now?"

Czarina lightly nodded her head and smiled shyly. "Pleased to meet you too, Lord Farquhar. Let's go!"

The three of them got outside the room, and finally, Czarina gets to see what it feels like to be outside the walls of the holding facility for years. The dirty streets in the Leonidas gleam dull gold in the early-morning sunshine. The Leonidas was left with a bulky brown ground that smells briny and sulfuric.

Nerves quiver like tiny wings in Czarina's chest after seeing the carriage made of silver and gold. She has never seen anything like this in her entire life, and now she gets to have a ride.

"Lady Czarina," Felice mumbled as she lends a way for Czarina into the carriage.

Lord Farquhar and Felice assisted Czarina into the carriage. Felice sat next to Czarina while Lord Farquhar is parallel to them. Random thoughts came across Czarina's mind. She couldn't predict her future up to now because of distinct possibilities. Anxiety thrums inside her as the sun rises slowly over the barricades off in the distance that splits up the Leonidas from the center of Emerald City.

"Were you really trained and well-educated people from Soulhearth? I still couldn't believe that the diamonds of this city came from the downward caste system," Lord Farquhar exclaimed in disbelief.

The Majesties are now having a tough time producing probable offsprings of their own. Raising a child in a royal family appeared easy; however, given their genes, it could be problematic if they're the ones bearing the child. As for Princess Arabella's latest humiliation about having a weak body to carry a child, the news overwhelmed the whole kingdom in disappointment.

"They have what they call a gift, Lord Farquhar," Felice stated, trying to knock over the situation.

Czarina didn't appreciate Lord Farquhar's allegation; instead of smiling, she fluctuated her eyes into the iron walls that surrounded the whole palace. The green lawn in front is giving a relaxed vibe to her. Seeing the palace along with the carriage made Czarina's eyes widen.

The thick stone walls kept the palace's inhabitants safe from attack even when the enemy's army besieged the palace. The typical vast palace is made of stone and has up-and-down stonework on the top made for the soldier's shelter when attacked. The long, streaming green flags with a white raven showed the symbol of the palace.

"How's the royal palace, Lady Czarina?" Felice interrupted Czarina's fantasy.

Czarina bent her head inside the carriage and smiled at both of them. "I still couldn't believe that this will be my new home," she giggled.

The anxious and troubled thoughts she's been carrying earlier fade away in an instant after seeing the palace's grounds. She felt home.

"I knew you'd love this place, Lady Czarina, but in moderation, kindly know your place, especially when it comes to the Queen consort," Lord Farquhar uttered. He was giving an indication.

"I will, Lord Farquhar."

The carriage halted at the front of the stairway of the palace. Lord Farquhar got off the carriage first and assisted Czarina. The palace guards are in line along the side of the entranceway.

"This way, Lady Czarina. There is still one test for you to enter the palace finally," Felice enunciated.

Czarina didn't mind and followed her through an empty room beside the palace. The hallway ends in a plain wooden door. She is sold; she's a property now.

Felice held Czarina's hand. "Don't be afraid, Lady Czarina. It won't hurt you; I'll just be right here outside waiting for you." Felice smiled at Czarina, completely assuring her.

Czarina nodded at her lightly and closed the room. It's not entirely dark, just dim—an empty room with concrete walls and a charade with doors. A fire scorches low in the grate, throwing a dim light on the ordinary table and chair.

"Lot three?" A woman in a plain brown dress entered the room and frowned at Czarina. She is holding a clipboard, and her eyes glanced at it tightly.

Czarina can't utter a word, so she just nodded.

"Sit," the woman said.

As soon as Czarina slumped into the chair, her muscles began to tremble horribly. She plopped her arms into her head and took deep breaths through her mouth. She doesn't know what kind of test she will be going on right now.

"There, there," the woman said mechanically. "It's all right, don't be frightened."

She's definitely not alright right now. She pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. Surrogates like them have gone into tests like this before; the only different thing is that she has her friend Titania and Lilac.

"This won't hurt you. I've never hit upon any surrogates in my entire life, but I know you're a smart girl. I know you can endure this place, Dearie. You just need to keep yourself up." The woman's voice is unusual, nearly soothing.

Czarina looked up. The woman crouched at her, her face close to Czarina. "I don't make the rules here, Dearie. Do you understand?"

Czarina swallowed the bitterness that surged in her throat and nodded heavily. "Then let's start. I should keep my faith in you," Czarina blurted out.

She doesn't have any choice anyway.

The whiff of a smile plays at the rim of the woman's lips. She filled the syringe with a green liquid from the vial, then clasped Czarina's hand over to find the vein on her elbow. She winces as the needle pierces her skin.

"I remember when Princess Arabella visited the Palace, and I was also the one who pierced the syringe on her veins; she got the same vibe as you right now," the woman uttered, trying to calm Czarina down.

Czarina restrained herself from crying. The syringe is undoubtedly more extensive than what they have encountered in the holding facility. Needles were part of life at the holding facility and Soulhearth, but she never got used to them.

The woman's words soothed Czarina's mind, but the green liquid surges her veins, making her legs heavy and her eyelids sag, and before she can utter any word, darkness swallowed her up.