Chapter 8 - CH 08 ~ Farewell

"Her Majesty?!"

Alexander's jewel-blue eyes widened in shock as he got up from the bench to reach out to his daughter, who was standing outside of his cell.

Where Eleanora scoffed silently after hearing how he addressed her.

'So he doesn't know about it…'

His eyes watering because of the shabby dress she was wearing.

"What are you doing here?!"

His expression was a mixture of horror and disbelief and Eleanora ran to him with tears in her eyes.

"I am no longer the Empress, you can call me casually."

A hint of pain flashed on her face as she spoke while trying to hold back her tears and he panicked.

"I am sorry I couldn't get you out,"

She started to speak as she slowly broke down into painful sobbing and Alexander tried to cup her face through the empty space of the bars.

"I wanted to, really I did, but it was impossible with the security measures in place, Father."

She ended up calling him father once again and a warmth spread in his heart as he consoled her.

"Shhh, don't be ridiculous, I knew that there wasn't anything you could do,"
Alexander comforted his daughter painfully.
"I am grateful that you didn't try to rescue me. I accepted the consequences and knew what I was doing. But why are you down here anyway?"
He asked and Eleanora grimaced at the thought.
Why was she here?

"It was her baby,"

Her voice cracked with pain as she spoke.

"They all think I poisoned her with some sort of herb to induce a miscarriage."

Eleanor replied and Alexander froze.

"What?! That girl lost the child? But that's insane! Why would they accuse you?"

His jewel blue eyes widened with horror as he could understand the situation even without her explaining it.
"Isn't it obvious?"
Eleanora smiled bitterly.
"Of course, everyone is going to point fingers at the scorned empress. They searched my room too. They apparently found the herb in question under my bed, even though I'd never seen it in my life. I have no idea how it was planted there."
Eleanora became silent after finishing her words and Alexander's head lowered down with guilt.
"Please forgive me, my daughter... I failed to be a good father for you, I promised your mom to take care of you but I brutally failed."
His eyes were watering at the sight of his daughter's tears.
Eleanora looked up to glance at her father, who was once the mighty leader of this empire.

Who ended up in this cold prison because of her…

She had never seen him show so much emotion before, so much sadness.
Even when her mother had died, he had confined himself away for a while to hide any emotion from others.
But now, she caused him to be this pitiful.

"No… I hope you can forgive this useless daughter, Father. I was such a disappointment to you, to our family,"

Eleanora spoke guiltily, looking up to the ceiling to stop her tears from falling down.
She couldn't dare to look at her father.

Their family title was taken down a few days ago by the imperial order, in charge of rebellion against the emperor.

And there was no one to help them and even if someone wished to help them, they couldn't do it unless they wanted to be treated as a traitor too.

It was more believable as the Duke of Dalton pointed his sword at the emperor and the empress was accused of killing the heir to the throne.
Their assets are all under the imperial family.
Eleanora felt bitter at the thought that the emperor might have been planning to do this from a long time ago.
It isn't an easy task to take down Dalton Duchy, which is the founding father of this empire.
Their connections are widespread, like a tree bunch.
But all of this is gone now, their proud family is now being called traitor…

'It was just me, who didn't see that at all.'
'He has only used me… he had never even liked me as his partner.'
'He always liked that girl, it was so clear.'
'I was just too blinded by his light that I ignored the visible truth in front of me.'
'In the end, everything I had done for him had brought shame to our family;'
'My love for him snatched away everything from me and my family.'

But Eleanora came out from her thoughts as she felt a warm hand wrapping over her small hands and a gentle voice rang in her ears.

"Princess,"

Her father called out her nickname, which he had never said for the past 12 years, and her eyes blue eyes widened with surprise.

"Not even once… You've never disappointed me, nor could you ever."

Alexander cupped his daughter's small face with his big hands and his voice sounded so gentle, so quiet, yet filled with so much sorrow to Eleanora.
She stared at him in shock, before she hesitantly murmured.

"But don't you hate me for escaping when the assassination happened in our house and mom… sacrificed herself for me?"
"No! Of course not,"

Alexander replied, almost offended because of her words before he parted his thin lips to speak.
"I was disappointed in how I couldn't save your mother. I was disappointed in how I couldn't face you in guilt and take care of you after your mom passed away."

"I was afraid of those people to come after you… I distanced myself from you in fear, instead of protecting you better."

"I knew how he treated you but I didn't do anything. I should be the one apologizing, not you. I should have taken you away sooner."

"I am so sorry, my daughter; I don't deserve your forgiveness. I was a coward."

Alexander cried, tears falling down on his face heavily.
And Eleanora couldn't help but cry out with him.
None of them could speak and silently cried in pain.
Her father, the Duke of the empire, so strong and powerful, was crying to her, apologizing to her about how he didn't commit treason by helping her to escape sooner.
It was overwhelming and then Eleanora finally whispered to her father.

"Father, Actually..."

She paused on her words and Alexander looked at her as if this could be their last meeting.

He hates to accept it but his intelligence knew the outcome of this trial, which was just a show to shut down the raging public; who loved the empress.

"…I am pregnant, Papa."

Eleanora spoke and Alexander looked at her with horror.

He couldn't even utter a single word and blankly stared at her.

"…If I can make it back alive then I am going to run away from here. If not then..."

But she was caught off in the middle as he held her hands tighter and started to murmur something in a low voice.

"Am sorry… So sorry…"

Alexander suddenly murmured as his heart felt like weighing him more down.
As they were separated by the cold metal bars he pressed his forehead against Eleanora's.

'I am indeed a failure… I saved so many people and their families from the enemy.'
'But I failed to save and protect my own family.'

After another minute passed, Sir Charles cleared his throat behind them awkwardly.

"It's time to go, Commander."

Eleanora knew this must have been a strange or maybe even difficult sight for Sir Charles to watch.

Not too long ago he had served her and looked up to her father with admiration.

Yet here they were, sobbing together between cell bars, saying their goodbyes.

Eleanora nodded her head and reluctantly moved away from her father.

This was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do in her life.

'Did I feel better knowing my father didn't hate me if I were to die today with my child?'

'Or would it have made it easier if I had revealed my pregnancy?'

Eleanora thought as she glanced at her father, who was looking at her painfully.

His eyes were filled with fear, an emotion that she saw in him for the first time.

'No, if I had said this then my child would meet the same fate as my other babies.'
'It's better for me to die with my baby than letting him die alone.'
'I am tired of this all…'
'If I reveal my pregnancy, he will be separated from me the moment he is born.'
'And in front of that girl's children, he would always be left out as the child of the sinner empress.'

'Suffer alone just like me…'

'Trying hard to get his father's love, inner politics and schemes… it's better for him to not being born than facing hardship,'

It had been just Rena and Maria but now there was her father.

How could she ever rest in peace after escaping?

Knowing, they were almost definitely going to die because they had tried to help her escape?

'Loving me had brought them death.'
'And… loving him has brought me doom;'

Seeing that she wasn't moving, Sir Charles unwillingly put on the silver handcuffs on her hands and Alexander's grip over the cell's iron rode hardened.

Eleanora slowly turned back as Sir Charles pulled her towards the exit.

"Papa has always loved you princess!!"

Eleanora paused on her steps as her father yelled from behind with a painful voice.

"… Papa loves you so much, I always have. Please don't forget that."

Tears fell from his eyes as he desperately hoped for her to turn and let him have a last glance at her face.

But she didn't…

Eleanora blinked a few times to not let her tears come out and held back the urge to look back at her father.

Because she knew if she turned back now, she wouldn't be able to face her fate strongly.

The dark dungeon cell was feeling like a road to hell, towards destruction despite doing nothing.

The cold lonely feeling that it gave her was like winter nights, with no moonlight to pave the way for her to escape.

There was no out for her instead of facing this.

Where things did go wrong?

How her love did buy death instead of a happy ending?

'Loving you was a losing game from the very beginning; I have chosen to lose on my own accord to make you the winner.'

Who can she blame for her own foolishness now?
.
.
.
'I am sorry, papa..'