Her father was no better, even worse. He was so busy sleeping with her nanny that he noticed she was already gone out and being consumed by the cold water of the lake. It was barely spring, and it was still quite chilly. Elise had a little coat I’d always make her wear so she wouldn’t get cold…that coat was the thing I floating in the water before I saw her scared face staring up at me.

She had my eyes and my face. My mini-me, gone just like that.

I swallow hard. Thinking of that was hard. It was like it all happened yesterday.

A sudden creak of the nursery door whisked me from my thoughts—and reminded me once again that that life of mine doesn't exist in reality anymore.

“Morning, Raisin,” a familiar voice drawled.

I Blake up at the figure leading casually against the door frame. Phillipe. Tall, broad-shouldered, and annoyingly smug. He was the epitome of the charming rogue type of person I'd see in the novels I read while in isolation. His dark hair was slightly messy, as if he had just rolled out of bed or arrived from the training grounds. His hazel eyes sparkled with mischief. 

He's going to bother me, isn't he? 

“Still wrinkly, I see.” Of course, he is.

He teases me before strolling over to my bassinet. I scowled—or at least, I tried to. It probably looked more like a pout.

“Don't look at me like this,” he says, quitting there to air as he leaned down to peer at me. “I'm just calling it as I see it. You're a raisin, through and through.”

A little out a soft sigh which came out more as a coo.

Phillipe chuckles, clearly amused. “You know, you're lucky you're cute. Otherwise, I would have left you in that City when Mother found you.”

I was severely disappointed that I could not smack him. 

“Anyway,” he continues, straightening up, “I came to tell you that we will visit the palace soon. It seems that Uncle wants to see the new baby.”

…The palace? Was his uncle a night of the world army, or was he a noble close to the empire? 

“Uncle may be the emperor, but he was pouting so much when Maman wouldn't let him come over for a visit.”

Hearing this made me pause immediately. 

Is the emperor Suha’s brother?