The empire of Auvrovaria was the biggest and most powerful in the whole world. Known for its beauty and developed civilization, as well as its army of loyal knights led by none other than Emperor Arthur.

The latter was a strong, wise and courageous man who, at the age of 20 and after the death of his parents, ascended the throne. Since he had no siblings, he was the only heir.

Two years after his crowning, and at the age of 22, he went on an expedition to hunt down the greatest murderer that the universe has ever known, the Demon King Vuglonith.

That abominable being was the cause of several massacres of villages and kingdoms. He was also the main cause of the late emperor and empress' death. Everyone lived in absolute fear because of him.

After his expedition which lasted two years, the emperor finally succeeded in defeating the demons' king and destroying him once and for all. Thus freeing his people and other kingdoms' people from that terror that lasted for centuries.

Once back at the palace, Arthur was warmly welcomed by his faithful servants who decided to organize a huge ball in his honor where all the citizens of the country were invited, having a title of nobility or not.

The emperor was not a very big fan of balls. He was much busier with managing his empire and caring for the welfare of its citizens that he almost forgot how to relax and have fun.

Plus, the thing that he hated the most about balls was the fact that nobility's daughters tried tirelessly to pounce on him and seduce him, hoping that he would choose one of them to become the future empress.

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After long preparation, the day of the ball finally arrived and all the guests gathered in the main hall, awaiting the arrival of the emperor. Once the latter entered and made his speech, the festivities began.

The atmosphere was very friendly. Everyone had fun dancing to the soft music played by the orchestra, chatting with each other about how it felt great to be at peace after such long years of war and fear, and tasting the delicious dishes prepared by the royal chef.

The emperor remained seated on his throne, accompanied by his best friend since childhood and also right-hand man, Duke Angus Lobelia who was standing beside him.

"Everyone seems to be having a good time, Your Majesty," said the tall, brown-haired and orange-eyed man with a soft smile.

"Yeah. I'm glad that peace reigns again in our empire. These people suffered enough for many years. It's time for them to live freely without any fear," replied Arthur.

"Yeah, you're right. And it's all thanks to you that they are capable of living like this, now."

"And also thanks to the help of my faithful friends and servitors. Without them, I don't think I would have been able to succeed."

The two young man looked at each other, a friendly smile on their lips. Seconds later, the duke's smile turned up into a teasing smirk.

"Do you know what's missing in this ball, Your Majesty?"

"No? What does?" asked the puzzled emperor.

"An empress and a little heir or heiress."

Arthur burst out laughing at his friend's statement.

"Looks like you want some company for your son," he replied, wiping away a tear from the corner of his eye.

"Maybe I do. But, what I want the most is to see my best friend happy with his own family."

"I know, Angus. It's just that I was so busy with the expedition that I didn't even think about getting married. I haven't had a single romantic relationship in my whole life. I didn't even had time to fall in love, can you imagine?" he added nervously.

"It's never too late and you're still very young, Arthur. But sometimes, I can't help but worry about you. Who knows when love will come knocking on our cold and emotionless emperor's door?" the duke said dramatically.

"You don't have to exaggerate! I'm not completely empty of emotions! And it's not as if you're better placed to talk about that!" he exclaimed, laughing loudly.

"At least, I've found the love of my life and I'm happily married to her," his friend replied, smiling proudly.

"Yeah, after spending years of blowing my ears off and asking me for advices on how to approach and confess to her. Yeah, you're right," he added sarcastically.

"You promised to never bring that up again!" Angus laughed.

After that, Arthur decided to go outside for some air in the immense garden of the palace. He sat down by the fountain and took a deep breath of fresh air as he looked up at the starry night sky.

"Finally, some peace... And a wonderful view..." he whispered to himself.

In the distance, he saw a young woman near the garden of red roses. She had her back turned to him, smelling the scent of the flowers and touching their soft petals, admiring their beauty.

He stood up and slowly walked to her to approach her from behind. The only thing he could see about her was her long, straight brown hair and the pale skin of her shoulders that were exposed by the baby pink dress she was wearing. Unlike the other women at the ball, she wasn't wearing much jewelry. It was obvious that she came from a modest or even poor family.

"Do you like this garden, Miss?" he asked her in a soft voice.

The young girl turned around abruptly, a little bit surprised. It was then that their eyes met for the first time. His emerald green orbs were lost in her chocolate brown ones and at that moment, Arthur felt his heart skip a beat.

"Um... Yeah, I find these roses very pretty. So is the whole garden," she replied, blushing slightly as she looked around.

"Yeah, they really are..."

The two young people stood there for a few minutes, looking at each other without saying anything. Arthur realised that and. decided to break the uncomfortable silence by clearing his throat.

"Did you enjoy the ball?" he asked while nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"Y-yeah. Of course. Who wouldn't?"

"That's good to hear."

"To tell you the truth, it's the first time I've attended one. Besides, I arrived too late to listen to the emperor's speech. It's embarrassing, to be honest," she replied, her cheeks reddening.

'So, she doesn't know I'm the emperor... How cute...' he thought, chuckling lightly.

"D-Don't laugh... It's really embarrassing for me..." she retorted, all flushed.

"It isn't at all. At least in my point of view," he replied, smiling affectionately.

The girl smiled back warmly at him which made him go as red as the roses that were surrounding them. He cleared his throat again to hide his shyness.

"May I know your name, Miss?" he asked.

"Isadora. Isadora Nifaryes," she answered in a timid tone.

"It's nice meeting you, Isadora," he replied, smiling softly.

"What about you? What's your name?"

"My name is Arthur. Arthur Aubretia."

The girl's eyes widened in shock at his answer, making the emperor burst out laughing loudly at her cute reaction.

"Y-Your Majesty?! Forgive my insolence! I didn't recognize you!" she exclaimed while bowing hastily.

The young man continued to laugh very hard until he had tears in the corners of his eyes. Then, he walked over to her and lifted her chin up, looking her deeply in the eyes.

"You don't need to bow to me, Isa. And call me Arthur from now on. Just Arthur, okay?" he said in a soft and warm voice, stroking her cheek lovingly.

The two people's hearts were beating so fast they though they would die. They had never ever felt that way before. It was a foreign feeling for them. But, they knew very well what it was.

It was love at first sight.

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A few months later, the emperor announced his engagement to Isadora and scheduled the wedding ceremony for the next two months, in the spring. In the meantime, the young girl moved to live in the palace.

She came from a very modest family. Her parents were killed in an attack prepared by Vuglonith's army, three years ago. The only family she had left was her cousin, Count Rufus Slater.

The latter was a cruel and materialistic person that never cared or asked about his cousin, not even after the death of her parents. He didn't even bother to go to their funeral as he saw them as lowly peasants without a title.

But once he heard the news of Isadora's engagement to the emperor, he decided to redeem himself by approaching her and showing her his good sides. All of this, to be able to win the favor of the emperor. Isadora, being a very kind and naive person, didn't have any feelings of resentment towards him. Rather than that, she believed that by giving him a second chance, he would change for the better.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the case as the guy still kept thinking so high of himself and insulted her behind her back.

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On the wedding day, all the noble and royal families from other countries were invited to the ceremony. It was a very festive and joyful spring day. The flowers were blooming everywhere in the palace, giving off their heavenly sweet scent.

In the main hall, the new empress was dressed in a beautiful white, lacy long wedding dress with long silky sleeves. Her hair was styled in a beautiful bun with a pretty diamond tiara and a veil on top. She was absolutely gorgeous.

As for the emperor, he wore a formal royal outfit which consisted of a while blouse, a long jacket of the same color with silver buttons and golden details, black pants and a pair of black boots.

When he saw his lovers walking down the aisle accompanied by her cousin, he couldn't help but feel tears welling up in his eyes. He was the happiest man on earth at that moment.

The newlyweds stood while facing each other in front of the guests and Duke Lobelia who took charge of being their officiant.

"We are all gathered on this wonderful day to celebrate the union of His Majesty, our emperor, Arthur Aubretia and Her Majesty, our new empress, Isadora Nifaryes," anounced the duke with a big smile on his lips.

Arthur took his lover's hands in his and looked her in the eyes passionately as if she was the most precious and rare gem in the whole world.

"Your Majesty, Arthur Aubretia. Will you take Isadora Nifaryes as your wife and promise to love and cherish her until death tears you apart?"

"I promise to love and cherish her forever. Not even death will be able to separate us," answered Arthur, looking at his wife with so much love that it made her blush hard.

"Your Majesty, Isadora Nifaryes. Will you take Arthur Aubretia as your husband and promise to love and cherish him until death tears you apart?"

"I want to. I could never love anyone other than him," replied the young girl, a big smile on her lips.

"By the sacred bonds of marriage, I officially declare you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," declared the duke, smiling softly at them.

At those words, the emperor lifted his wife's veil and the two lovebirds kissed passionately as the guests warmly applauded them.

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A few months later, Isadora got pregnant. The emperor was so overjoyed when he heard the news that he ordered his servitors to distribute food gold coins to the citizens to celebrate.

Unfortunately, the happiness gradually turned into tragedy.

The empress fell seriously ill and no doctor could determine the cause of her illness. She began to weaken more and more over the months.

Arthur couldn't stand idly by, watching his wife perish in front of him. He did everything he could to try to help her. He even called the greatest mages of the continent. But all of that was in vain.

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On one rainy winter day, Arthur was in his office, taking care of the paperwork that had accumulated over the past few months since he was busy worrying about his wife's health.

He was lost in his thoughts when suddenly, Angus opened the door roughly and entered hastily into the room.

"Your Majesty!" he called out in a loud voice.

"What's happening?! Did something happen to Isa?!" asked the surprised man worriedly.

"Her Majesty, the empress... She's going to give birth!" he exclaimed happily.

Upon hearing that, Arthur stood up immediately and exited the office to run towards his beloved's bedroom as fast as he can.

When he got there, he heard her screaming from the other side of the door. He entered the bedroom and found her surrounded by doctors and nurses. At that moment, he heard the cry of a baby.

"Your Majesty! You have given birth to a beautiful little princess!" one of the nurses announced to the sweating empress, smiling happily to her.

The nurse wrapped the little baby in a clean cotton cloth and walked over to Arthur, holding the little girl in her arms and gave her to him.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty," she said cheerfully.

The emperor carried his tiny daughter in his arms for the first time with a soft and affectionate smile on his face. She had the same white skin and chocolate brown eyes as her mother, and pretty black hair like his. He couldn't stop looking at her angelic little face.

He walked over to his wife that was lying on the bed, completely tired and looked affectionately at her.

"It's... Luana..." he said, smiling with tears in his eyes.

He handed her the baby so that she can caress its head with her trembling hand.

"She's very pretty..." she huffed, smiling tiredly.

"She looks just like you. That's why she's very pretty, my love," he replied with a loving gaze.

Isadora looked at her husband and baby for a long time, her eyes getting heavier each passing second.

"I... will love you... forever..." she whispered before passing out.

Arthur's face contracted in shock as he looked at his unconscious wife whose skin became paler than before.

"Isa. Isa, wake up... Please, Isa... Please, wake up... Please! Isa! Call a doctor! Now!" he shouted to the nurse who was beside him.

The young man stood there, in the center of the room, hugging his crying daughter tightly in his arms while watching the doctors and nurses running around, trying to save his empress without results. One of them approached him slowly.

"Y-Your Majesty..." he called out.

The emperor remained silent, watching the doctor put a white sheet over his beloved's face.

"...my condolences..." he said with sorrow.

Arthur felt the world around him crumble to pieces. The body of his beloved, lifeless in front of him. His chest felt empty as if his heart was ripped out of it. While carrying his crying daughter in his arms, he left the room silently.

He walked down the long hallway slowly, not knowing where to go exactly. The servants all had expressions of pure shock and sadness. Some were crying hard while others were comforting them.

As he kept walking ahead, he found himself at the castle gates. The rain was pouring hard outside as if the sky was mourning the empress's death. Arthur covered his daughter with his cloak and walked out into the garden.

He approached the field of red roses and there, he fell to his knees in tears, hugging his baby tightly in his arms. Angus ran over to him and stood right behind him.

"Arthur..." he called out, a pained expression on his face.

The emperor pulled his daughter closer to his chest and sobbed painfully.

"I lost her... I couldn't save her... I couldn't save your mom, my darling..."

The little princess stopped crying and looked up at her father with her little sparkling eyes.

"You're my only treasure now, Luana... You're my only reason for staying alive..." he said, hugging her once more.