She remembered her coronation day, with the hall cheering and shouting “Long live the Queen!” She was the first queen of the Osenberg family and believed she would surpass all previous monarchs.
The applause came like a tide and receded.
Annabel came to her senses, casting her gaze at the young girl standing at the bottom of the steps.
Wilhelmina wore a steady apricot-yellow suit, her hair pulled back, looking more mature. She had finally arrived to reclaim her royal power, leaving Odin for barely two months.
Annabel sat on the throne, slightly moved, pursing her lips in silence. Wilhelmina remained patient and calm, focusing on Annabel, allowing her a moment to reflect on what she was about to lose.
Annabel was dressed in the pearl-white gown from her coronation, adorned with sashes and badges, and wore the imperial crown. Her loose, light golden hair seemed to have lost its luster, and despite her elaborate makeup, her gaunt face and bloodshot eyes betrayed her. She wore several cherished jewels in a bid to maintain dignity.
As Wilhelmina waited, Annabel’s gaze shifted past her to Albert behind. Her expression turned resentful, and she raised her chin, letting out a cold snort. “I didn’t expect you to bring so many people, Willy. What are you afraid of? Afraid I’ll harm you?”
“Yes,” Wilhelmina answered calmly, catching Annabel off guard.
“Of course I’m afraid you might harm me, because that’s something you’re capable of. I need to protect my safety, not just for myself, but for those responsible for my safety. Reckless bravery is not a quality a leader should have.”
Annabel clenched her teeth, her lips pressed into a thin line.
“I know why you’re here, Wilhelmina. You want my crown.”
“That’s not your crown, Annabel,” Wilhelmina said, maintaining her calm demeanor. “It’s the imperial crown, worn only by those capable. These are the exact words of Emperor Wolrich. I hope you still remember.”
Annabel sneered contemptuously, “Sanctimonious.”
Wilhelmina smiled, “Your inability doesn’t mean others can’t.”
Annabel looked at Albert again. The young officer’s gaze had changed; the previous humility and tolerance were gone. She realized he had never loved her and believed that if she couldn’t have something, no one else should.
Hans Borg’s expression was colder than Albert’s. Responsible for Wilhelmina’s security, he occasionally lowered his head to speak on the communicator, completely ignoring Annabel.
Suddenly, Annabel stood up, and everyone became alert, with Hans Borg watching her warily.
Annabel twisted her mouth into a bitter, mocking smile. “Willy, you naive girl. Did you think by replacing me, you’d get everything?”
Wilhelmina replied without a hint of concern, “This is the difference between you and me, Annabel. I never thought about getting everything.”
Annabel stared at her for a moment, raised her hand, and removed the crown.
“You want this, don’t you?” She weighed the crown. “Then I’ll give it to you.”
The crown was thrown into the air, flying straight towards Wilhelmina.
Hans Borg instinctively tried to pull Wilhelmina back, but Albert was faster, embracing Wilhelmina and protecting her.
The crown fell with a loud bang, making everyone breathe a sigh of relief. It rolled on the ground and stopped, dislodging a few gems but causing no further harm.
Wilhelmina peeked out from Albert’s embrace, a suspicious blush on her face.
Hans Borg and Albert exchanged glances. He then let go of Wilhelmina’s hand and examined the crown.
Albert held Wilhelmina’s shoulders, asking seriously, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Wilhelmina replied, clearing her throat to hide her embarrassment.
Albert realized his overreaction. As her fiancé, he held certain privileges. He took her hand and placed it in his arm, giving her a relaxed smile.
The brief panic subsided as the guards pulled Annabel away, handing her to her ladies-in-waiting. Annabel appeared unusually compliant, her elaborate outfit feeling unbearably heavy without the crown.
Hans Borg confirmed the crown’s safety, picked it up, and placed it back in its box.
“Should we pursue this matter, Your Majesty?” Hans Borg asked.
Wilhelmina was momentarily stunned. Hans Borg was the first to address her as “Your Majesty.” She was now the Queen, having replaced Annabel after the crown was removed.
During her struggles, she had never imagined this title. Wilhelmina craved freedom more than royal power and was not obsessed with titles. However, being addressed as “Your Majesty” made her realize that she secretly desired it.
From now on, she no longer had to bow to anyone or live on tenterhooks. She could openly protect those she cared about.
“Your Majesty?” Hans Borg prompted.
“Oh, I understand,” Wilhelmina said, coming to her senses, “Never mind. It’s not a big deal. Have the craftsmen repair the crown.”
Hans Borg bowed and retreated, commanding his subordinates to escort Annabel away.
Wilhelmina took a deep breath, adjusting her emotions to adapt to her new title.
“It’s all over,” Albert said softly, “For her.”
Wilhelmina and he silently watched Annabel’s departing back. Annabel would be sent to Andisborg on Loki, where her status would be that of Countess de Garis. She would be well-provided for but permanently confined and under surveillance.
She would be tried for treason, stripped of political rights and royal succession, and her descendants would also lose these privileges.
Through negotiations, Prince Heinrich and his wife, as well as Princesses Amelia and Georgiana, could remain in Odin or return to their fiefs if they renounced their inheritance rights. However, they would need royal approval to visit Annabel.
After Wilhelmina returned to Rose Palace, Annabel was placed under soft house arrest in a royal villa. Wilhelmina became the mistress of this palace and the fifth monarch of the Osenberg family.
Unlike Annabel, who eagerly moved into the Carefree Palace, Wilhelmina was low-key. She declined the palace administration’s suggestion to prepare a bedroom in the Carefree Palace, choosing to continue living in Little Buckingham Palace, where she had resided for eight years.
She began to address the issues Annabel had left behind. Previous Osenberg monarchs, influenced by Emperor Wolrich, valued simplicity. However, Annabel had spent excessive amounts replacing palace furniture with elaborate Baroque-style pieces.
Wilhelmina’s second order was to auction off these luxurious furnishings and decorations, along with some of Annabel’s crowns and jewelry, using the proceeds to address the treasury’s deficit.
In her place, she introduced furniture in the style of the Anglo-Saxon Regency era, which she loved and which reflected her maternal grandfather’s family. The new pieces were elegant and dignified yet warm, creating a fresh atmosphere in the palace.
During Annabel I’s reign, the trend of luxury and decadence in art was corrected and developed under Wilhelmina I, leading to a peak in literature, art, and technology. Before the arrival of the Cosmic Federation, people enjoyed a prosperous cultural life.
The day Annabel was sent away was the day before Wilhelmina’s eighteenth birthday, and Wilhelmina did not go to see her off. The officer escorting Annabel reported back that she had remained calm, “cold as a corpse.”
“Did the Prince and Princess and two Princesses see her off?” Wilhelmina inquired.
“No,” the officer said. “They only sent some things and made a phone call.”
Wilhelmina sat quietly in the morning room, gazing at the roses blooming outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The officer grew uneasy with her silence until Albert gently waved him away.
“Let’s go for a walk,” Albert suggested as he joined Wilhelmina’s side. “The weather is so nice. Let’s take a stroll near the Maiden’s Spring.”
