She was getting used to this dizzy sensation. She also was glad. Sienna was in the middle of a dream. What would she see today? She was full of anticipation.
In the portrait, a middle-aged man was holding a sword in one hand and a scepter in the other. His face looked somber.
â The First Emperor.
The middle-aged man looked familiar to Sienna. He was famous. Anybody who has ever opened a book in the Empire would recognize him. Every book that was published in the Empire printed this portrait on its first page.
The emperor walked slowly as she looked at the portrait. There was another portrait right next to that one. Sienna recognized this room.
â Itâs the Portrait Room.
Every emperorâs portrait was hung in this room. Any member of the Imperial family was allowed to freely enter.
However, the problem was that the Portrait Room was close to the emperorâs bedroom. Therefore, even though it wasnât required, everyone requested the emperorâs permission if they wanted to enter the Portrait Room.
Sienna had only entered this room twice in her life. Whenever she had looked down the wall of portraits, she had always imagined her portrait being hung at the very end.
The emperor walked at a steady pace. Her steps began to slow as she got closer to the end.
â AhâŚ
Sienna gasped. The Imperial Emperor⌠She was standing in front of her fatherâs portrait.
These portraits were installed at the death of the emperor. It was strange seeing the portrait of a man who was still alive and healthy in the present.
Once every few years, the Emperor commissioned for a portrait of himself to be made. He was preparing for the time when his own portrait would hang on these walls. Her father in the portrait was way younger than her father in the present.
The line of portraits should have ended here. The space next to her fatherâs portrait should have been reserved for Siennaâs portrait. However, as the emperor slightly turned her head to the right, Sienna caught a glimpse of a corner of a portrait frame.
â Why is there another portrait?
This room was long. The portrait of the founding emperor hung at the very front of the room. As one moved further into the room, they would see the subsequent emperorsâ portraits hung right next to the other.
The emperorâs vision moved away from the wall as she turned her head. Sienna could see the door all the way on the other side of the room.
â No. Donât leave. Show me whose portrait that was.
As if the emperor heard Siennaâs shout, the emperor stopped walking. She slowly turned her head back to the wall.
It was a portrait of a man who was holding a sword and a scepter like the founding emperor. His stiff, closed lips and his resolute stare expressed the manâs determination.
â That canât be.
Sienna knew that man. It was her half-brother, Dian Argent.
â Prince Dian⌠becomes the emperor?
Before me?
There was no way this was true. Sienna was next in line for the throne. The ranking was absolute. It was impossible for the emperor to give the crown to the child he liked the most.
âYour Majesty.â
â Something went wrong.
âI should have called you that at least once.â
â Itâs all a lie!
âAt the time, I hated you.â
â This isnât a prophecy! Itâs just a silly dream! This isnât real!
No matter how much Sienna screamed, it didnât reach her dream self. The emperor didnât turn her eyes away from Dianâs portrait and calmly continued to speak to it. Almost as if she wanted Sienna to know that this was real.
âI always believed that I would be surrendering to you if I ever called you âYour Majestyâ. I was foolish. Winning or losing. The emperorâs throne isnât some kind of trophy given to a winner.â
The wise voice slightly calmed Sienna down.
âIâve been living with my eyes closed. I realized it too late.â
The voice wavered with emotion.
â You⌠Youâre suffering.
The leader of the empire was currently talking to herself as she gazed at the cold portrait. Sienna pitied the emperor. Even though the emperor was her future self, Sienna found it hard to identify with her. She was like a stranger, so Sienna felt as if she was just a member of the audience.
âDo you remember the time we met not long after you received your title as prince? It was a very short meeting. And by the time I met you for the second time at my coming-of-age party, I had completely forgotten about your existence.â
â Second time at her coming-of-age party?
Sienna wondered before disagreeing. Wasnât it the third time?
âI still remember the way you looked at me that day. I believed that your rage was being directed at me. I didnât know. I didnât know what had happened to you. I didnât realize that it wasnât rage but sadness and suffering. I know itâs no use saying this now, but Your Majesty⌠I really didnât⌠I didnât know what my mother had done to you.â
Sienna woke up and stared blankly at the ceiling. She felt as if her world had shattered. As if she had been tossed into an unfamiliar world. A sense of loss? An emptiness? She didnât know how to describe this feeling.\n