“She is beautiful.”

The comment was spoken in admiring tone, one that she rarely did.

“Yeah. No wonder Louis is attracted to her.”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous, my Lord.”

“Of course not. With you in my arm I shall never be, Joanna.”

The conversation was told in whisper, hands clasped in another with beautiful music accompanying it. The Duke of Anjou was enjoying this moment, when he could freely spent with Jeanne Joanna Marie, one of the most sought courtesan in France.

She was twirling, jumping daintily from flower to flower like Thumbelina. Her grace, beauty and intelligent made her famous.

His mind wandered again at his brother’s fiancée. Maria Reine of Astorian was undoubtedly stunning and radiant. She was a bit similar to Joanna, both of them had a kind of doll like beauty. Both were elegant and beautiful. Yet their likeness were drawn just into those matters.

Joanna who brought him a glass of red wine before conversing with some ladies was quite tall for a woman while the princess was petite. The courtesan had long dark hair, small nose and mouth. She had an air of innocent and fresh beauty around her.

He sipped a little. The princess had long golden locks, a face that clearly pictured her as Astorian nobility and the coldness of a person who easily could stab enemies and allies a like without thinking twice if they betrayed her.

“Monsieur.”

An unknown voice greeted him.

“My lady.”

Those dark chocolate orbs stared at him with such strength, one that he associated with his father when His Majesty wanted to annihilated his opponents in either the battlefield or royal court.

“So, that’s the famous Joanna of France.”

Ah, she wanted to coax him about her soon-to-be enemies. Yes, suppose he could humor her a little.

“Even His Majesty is enamored of her.” That was true. She even had the State’s name following hers, no doubt because Joanna was the King’s favourite, the Dauphin’s favourite and his favourite.

Those eyes closed a little resembling silver crescent moon when his bother and he used to enjoy the nights with their mother together in one long time forgotten, tilted upwards and he saw her chuckled lightly.

He couldn’t help but following her. The light smile made the iciness melt and warm radiated around them. His brother had chosen the right person to stand beside him. Maria Reine was the right person to be the Next Queen of France and Navarre. With the coldness and the warmth of the moon that presented within her, she would stand strong in the silver throne next to her husband.

“Is she acceptable?”

Max shrugged his shoulders carelessly before sitting down on the sofa.

“She is annoying.”

The Electress of Llelewyn was so talkative. He never encountered someone who ignored his cold façade easily. Even Seo wasn’t like that when they met for the first time.

“You’ll never change. Stop thinking about your old Theodora, she was enjoying herself with Marcus.”

Casey was right. Seo was in love with the evil Duke of York. The heiress of Savoy looked happy with that grumpy man.

“So, Congratulation again man. You’re getting married. Your bride is one of the most prestigious princess in Europe, if I might add.”

Casey bumped his shoulder before standing up and walking to his own suite. He waved at the Denmark King before lie down and suddenly his mind conjured a flash genuine smile of the Princess.

He usually didn’t care about woman. They only needed to stay pretty and bore male children to ensure the dynasty safety and female babies to create and strengthen alliance in the Empire and European Houses. Call him heartless but he liked to think that between him and Jae, he was the lesser evil, but evil nonetheless.

Though he didn’t shagged hundred of women like his brother, he had his fair share of casual flings as well. Theodora Anna of Savoy and Joanna of France, the tall and beautiful model-like Infanta Maria Summer Theresa of Spain. The latter two hadn’t lasted for long like the former, since Joanna was the King’s, the dauphin’s and Duke of Anjou’s favourite and the Infanta was the dauphin’s and his brother’s lover and betrothed to the King’s third son.

His father had assured him that nuptial between them would make a huge advantage for him and the nation.

Well, at least the Princess of Astorian was pretty. With that kind smile and wide innocent eyes that made everyone wanted to protect and shield her.

He snorted to himself. He would not coddle her like those Astorian people did. He would make her see his enemies and stood in front of them. He would surely enjoy watching them tearing her like a shark in the pond and see if those innocent smiles could bloom again after she was razed into dust.        

The door opened suddenly, a tall and slim figure in fitted long pink night gown entered the Emperor’s room. Caroline Crystal walked coyly, the Austrian princess batted her eyelashes for a moment before the emperor’s hand wrapped around her waist and both of them shared a long and passionate kisses.

Caesar Christian was bored. He was bored to the point that he went to walk and sat in the bench in the hotel’s private park to watch koi. He missed the Skandinavian weather and he missed his fiancée, Beatrice.

The second princess of France would scold him, especially when he slumped, his posture relaxed, saying that it was unfitting for a King.

The sound of steps was indeed become clear before a shadow casted next to him, illuminated from the Japanese lamps. The tall figure of the eldest Astorian princess and his best friend was hard to miss.

“Casey and Boa. The playboy King and the angel. I don’t know that you two would become a match.”

“You’re not the one to talk, Yunnie. Falling so fast for that brat.”

She smiled good naturally at him, her ebony hair was twisted into simple knots, while the bangs framed her face were being played by the wind.

“He is charming with his so-called cold attitude. Though it is nothing compared with Jesse.”

She replied smoothly, eyes tracing the silvery spark when the koi danced in water, bathing from the moonlight before raising her delicate eyebrow.

“Is he kind as well? I recall him danced with Theodora and Theresa couple of times.”

His eyes darted to the balcony, where the emperor resided, founding Max and the Austrian heiress sipping red wine while watching the night sky.

“And Joanna. Caroline as well.”

She snapped her gaze so fast from the pond hearing that familiar name, eyes following his line of sight before sighed quietly.

She’d never been afraid of competition. However she didn’t like the moment she needed to fight something and her enemies was family. She usually reserved the right to do it to her younger sisters.

And Caroline Crystal, even with the loosest definition was her family.

She sat up straighter, ignoring the burning of jealousy in her stomach before speaking in clarity, a promise to no one and everything.

“It’s look like I need to weed certain pests as well.”

AN:

In case he isn't known enough with his english name.

Maximillian, Tsesarevich of Russia : Max, Changmin.

And him.

Caesar Casey Christian, King of Denmark : Casey Kim, Heechul

And these fellows.

Beatrice Boa Leonore, second Princess of France : Boa, Kwon. 

Caroline Crystal of Austria : Krystal Jung, Soojung. She was from House of Habsburg and not heiress of Austria/ the country itself.

Infanta Maria Summer Theresa of Spain : Summer Choi, Sooyoung.

Jeanne Joanna Marie, French courtesan : Yoona

Theodora Seo Anna of Savoy, : Seohyun.

 Maria Jesse Reine of Astorian : Jessica Jung, Sooyeon.  

Frederick Louis, dauphin of France : Andrew Choi, Siwon

Philippe Louis, duke of Anjou : Zhoumi. Why I choose him? Because they nicknamed him Siwon. 

Terms  used in this chapter:

Duke of Anjou  : In the 16th and 17th c., the titles of Orléans, Anjou, and Berry became customary for younger sons.

Courtesan : A courtesan was originally a courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.^[1] The modern use of the term for a e or mistress of a man of rank^[2] belies a much more complex heritage.

In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together. Prior to the Renaissance, courtesans served to convey information untrusted to servants to visiting dignitaries.

In Renaissance Europe, courtiers played an extremely important role in upper-class society. As it was customary during this time for royal couples to lead separate lives—commonly marrying simply to preserve bloodlines and to secure political alliances—men and women would often seek gratification and companionship from people living at court. In fact, the verb to court originally meant "to be or reside at court", and later came to mean "to behave as a courtier" and then "to pay amorous attention to somebody".^[3] The most intimate companion of a ruler was called the favourite.