The sun glared at the small courtyard as a young woman stood in simple clothes with a wooden sword. Her eyes were closed as she tried to concentrate on her form; her aura spread as she felt every heartbeat, every muscle spasm, and every noise her body made. Her eyes opened slowly as sweat trickled down her dark skin. She inhaled deeply, focusing on the straw dummy propped in front of her. She extended her hand, swiftly striking the dummy's solar plexus. The quiet courtyard was soon filled with the sound of ripping as a hole formed at the dummy's centre. 

The woman exhaled and wiped her forehead before turning to the woman standing behind her. 

"It's time, Anne." The woman's eyes remained serious as always, dressed in dark, suspicious clothes with a mask covering most of her face despite the heat. Her hand was held out, showing a letter with a gold wax seal holding the envelope together.

"Alright," Anne replied as she dropped her wooden sword as she reached out, grabbing the letter and walking into the open corridors out of the heat.

Anne had been raised in a country chateau since her birth and had never even seen the man she had to address as her father, but despite being an unwanted child, she had never been slighted. All the servants understood that despite her heritage, she was still the blood and flesh of the Emperor, and her status as a deserted princess could change at any time if the Emperor willed it. 

Anne was named by her mother as the traveller from the other continent. The details of how she became the concubine of the Emperor were a mystery to the world. Anne simply felt her mother had been unlucky enough to catch her father’s eye; rumour had it that she was a powerful witch that had bewitched the king, and succumbing to the plague was her karma.

That night, Anne mulled over the letter with a conflicted gaze. Most children would be delighted at the opportunity to meet their only living parent, but all she felt was emptiness. Her life had been peaceful; going back to the capital would mean saying goodbye to her current carefree life. She let out a burdened sigh as she sat at her dresser; her room had been dimly lit by candlelight, which reflected beautifully against her dark skin. Her long, curly, brown hair was set free as Lilian stood behind her, combing through her tangled strands, trying to get her hair ready for the night. 

“I wonder what that man has prepared for you,” Lilian commented while oiling Anne's scalp. A return to the capital could only mean bad news for Anne; in addition, it was an urgent summons, meaning they had to leave the next day.

Anne didn’t reply; she stared at herself in the mirror with pursed lips. She was old enough to understand her role as a princess.

“Do you think the King wants to see me?”

Lilian didn't answer a question like that; the answer was obvious to both of them. 

Anne's brown eyes remained apathetic as she had steeled her resolve not to crave her father’s attention; she would only be disappointed.

Lilian was soon done with her hair and retreated to her quarters to sleep, leaving Anne alone with her thoughts. Sitting on her bed, Anne looked out the window. The stars glistened in the clear summer sky as a breeze picked up cooling her heart. The urge to jump off her balcony in an attempt for freedom momentarily possessed her. Despite never truly being free here, she didn’t have to live in harmony with anyone else; she was the mistress of this chateau, but once she was brought home, her already weak wings would be clipped off.

'I am not afraid.' 

She refused to be afraid of whatever fate awaited her; it was her life, and she planned to live as she saw fit.

 

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

 

The Imperial Palace bustled with activity as the servants whispered amongst themselves about the forgotten princess that was being brought back from exile. Despite the different opinions circulating in the castle, there was a sense of pity that permeated their gossip; the princess never even had a debutante but was going to be married off. The excitement that came with the gossip seemed to escape the West Wing, where the women's quarters were situated.

In one of the large, lavishly decorated rooms, a young girl sat sobbing on the bed, her beautiful curly-red hair spread out behind her, her petite figure trembling with each sob, watching her break the hearts of her servants standing against the walls of her room. Despite the urge to console the young beauty, they held back in respect for hierarchy. It was unfortunate that the girl had committed a grave sin, and it was already generous of the king not to punish her. The girl’s sobs calmed down when the slender hands of an older woman stroked her back. The lady looked at her daughter with a worried expression. The woman was only in her late thirties; her makeup was flawless, and her light brown hair was decorated with a beautiful crown of emeralds. Her ring-adorned fingers stopped patting her daughter's back once she saw her stubbornly insist on being upset over this matter that her husband had already settled. She felt irritated with this stupid daughter of hers.

“My darling, why don’t you stop crying now? Your father is already being magnanimous by not pursuing the matter; you’re the jewel of the Empire; you can’t have relations with any man as you please.” Lady Vivian said this to appease her distraught daughter.

“But mother, I love him! Father is being unreasonable!” Lucia buried her face in her pillow, unwilling to give in to her mother.

Her mother’s lips were pulled into a frown as she found her daughter's refusal to back down unpleasant. What kind of princess cries over a man from an inferior lineage?

“Stop crying this instant! Be sensible! How will a man like that be of any use to you? Since when has love been this important? Where are you learning this nonsense? From now on just stay in your room and recuperate; don’t read any more of those commoner novels they’re filling your head with stupid ideas!” She swiftly stood up and marched out in anger, causing the girl to cry harder as she felt sorry for herself. Was it so bad to fall in love?

The lady marched through the halls of the castle, followed closely by her servants. “Your Highness, don’t be so harsh on the young princess; she is the Emperor's beloved, so she’s not used to the Emperor being so stern.” Her head servant commented, trying to soothe her miss’s anger.

“I have spoiled her too much! She will soon become the crown princess, yet she dares flirt with a foreigner. Is she crazy?” Lady Vivian didn’t bother to speak any more before she lost her temper.

A young man watched the retreating shadow of the king's mistress with an apathetic expression. He stood in the shadows with glistening red eyes as he glanced at the carefully crafted door. The sobbing sounds echoed through the halls as he walked towards the door, forcing it open with his might.

The door slammed against the stone walls, startling the young girl, who sat up quickly in fear, looking towards the entrance of her room. At the sight of long, red hair, her eyes widened as she felt her heart drop to her stomach. Before she could say anything, he was already in front of her, his pupils glaring into her green eyes in curiosity. She tried to move back instinctively, but his hands grabbed her arms and held her in a fixed position. 

Her body shook aggressively as she felt dread overcome her; unfortunately, he didn't seem to care for her feelings.

"Why are you crying?"

His cold, unfeeling voice wasn't new to her, but she was unable to get used to it even after eighteen years. "Older brother…" She felt her words were stuck in her throat, and she couldn't speak. Any explanation she gave would be unsatisfactory. His eyes glistened with a cold light as an evil smile graced his lips. His beauty was overwhelming, like a red poppy, only rivalled by his fiance.

"Are you crying again because you wet the bed again?"

Hearing his words, her tears kept falling uncontrollably, her heart slammed against her chest, and her airways narrowed. She felt like she was being strangled by a venomous snake with piercing red eyes.

"Didn't you hear me?" His smile froze as his fingers dug into her skin. "Did you wet the bed again?"

"Yes, brother," she said in haste as humiliation consumed her. Her beautiful dress quickly became warm and was soaked in a humiliating smell.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

 

“We have arrived at the capital.”

Li Lian’s voice prompted Anne to awaken. She peered through curtains with groggy eyes, taking in the bustling sights of the capital as she silently watched the merchants and the womenfolk haggle as kids ran around playing or running errands. Carriages passed by carrying aristocrats or rich merchants as she found herself feeling overwhelmed by the chaotic presentation of the city before her. She averted her gaze and composed herself. The castle was only under an hour from the capital, but it was hard to get through the crowd. Despite leaving the chateau before dawn, they only reached the castle by noon.

The castle was several times larger than what she had imagined; she knew Celestia was prosperous, but she didn’t expect it to prosper on this scale. She felt a little intimidated but calmed her nerves; she was only meeting her father; this place was meant to be her home. 

So why did she feel so on edge?

Looking at Lilian, who seemed to be preoccupied with embroidery, she squeezed her arm tightly to calm herself down. No matter what was in front of her, she believed she could face it. After all, she had been dead ever since she was born; she barely existed and spent her days indoors reading in the library. No one cared much about her or disturbed her; she had no reason to live.

“Princess, we have arrived.” The coachman said, and she released her arm and prepared herself to meet her family.

Anne had been dressed beautifully in white silk as well as an embroidered gold cloak attached to her shoulders with what seemed like gold metal cuffs, with delicate gold chains dangling off her cuffs that jingled slightly with every step she took. The gold reflections bounced off her deep brown skin, making her look ethereal.

Her hair had been braided into long red braids, reaching just below her hips, as beautiful custom-made gold trinkets wrapped around her braids. Her lips were glossy and dark, with beautiful pearls decorating her dress and gold bangles around her wrists. The sunlight cutting through the throne room bounced off her beautiful dark skin, showing her clear, glistening eyes. The throne room came to a halt at her appearance as everyone stood watching her.

She steadily walked down the room, coming to the flight of stairs before the king’s throne. Anne’s heart beat against her chest as her eyes stared into the King’s red eyes. She gently looked away and took a deep bow, her dress adorning the floor as she knelt there. The nobles behind her all bowed in welcome as she stood up before climbing up the flight of stairs steadily.

“I am home, Your Majesty.”

The king had a relaxed smile on his face as he raised the staff in his hand to accept her greeting. He did not say a word to her, so she stood up and walked before standing to the side next to the other children. She was the first princess of the greatest kingdom on the continent, yet she couldn’t stand proudly next to the king.

The first prince turned to look at her with a smirk; his red hair was tied back in a ponytail, and his red eyes looked at her in contempt. “It seems like you can only dress to seduce, without propriety.”

“I don’t think you are aware, brother, but I am the first princess; you should give me my due respect.” She knew she dressed appropriately for her position and was not planning on dressing any less lavishly for his pleasure; as long as she was here, she would be the first princess. What could he do to her? “Honestly, if you need some advice on how to dress for your position, you can come and see me after court.” She turned away, unwilling to play his stupid game.

Once the king dismissed the court, Anne didn’t bother staying for a chat; instead, she followed the servants out through the side doors, but unfortunately, the first prince followed closely.

“Stop right there!” The taller man with red hair stormed towards her, the first prince.

Anne’s steps came to a halt as she turned around to stare at the man with a flushed face. “Your Highness?” She was not interested in exchanging words and was planning to remain silent if he chose to insult her. She bowed her head slightly to acknowledge her seniority. “Is everything alright?”

He didn’t bother to exchange pleasantries and immediately raised his hand in an attempt to slap her. Her eyes narrowed as she kept a welcoming smile. “Your Highness!” Her loud and authoritative voice forced him to stop in his tracks; her smile had dropped, revealing a firm and unyielding expression. “What exactly are you doing?” Her voice reverted to a soft, quiet voice, with no sign of anger or fear. He had not expected to be stopped in his tracks; her voice had gathered the attention of the other children and servants in the area. He felt embarrassed, as he seemed like a big bully trying to attack his newly recognised sibling.

“Humph!” He walked away; she would soon be married off anyway, so why did he need to bother with her? He would most likely never see her again once she married into that insignificant kingdom.

Anne turned to look at Lilian behind her, who had her hands behind her back with a stiff posture. She turned away and kept walking with the servants.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Once she was left to settle down in her room, the servants bustled about moving clothes and items in and arranging them; a tailor had come to take her measurements for her new clothes; and everyone was busy helping the new princess.

She stood with her arms stretched on a short stool as the madame took any measurements she needed with what seemed like a gold measuring tape. “Brief me on the situation,” she said coldly to Lilian, standing stiffly behind her.

“It seems like you are to be engaged, mistress.” Her voice was bitter and unwilling. Anne smiled, amused by the current situation.

“What brought on the urgent engagement?”

“It seems like there has been a scandal with the Second Princess… She was caught meeting with her lover, King Aiden of Vennia, the man you shall be engaged to.

A cover-up? 

“I see, leave me be.” She needed time to think, in this situation should she get married? Should fight against it? Or should she disappear altogether?

It won’t be too late to leave after the marriage.

The tailor was soon finished and Lilian assigned the servants their roles, before dismissing them, some began to help Anne prepare for the welcome feast that night. Anne kept her thoughts occupied by her engagement, according to Lilian King Aiden was mostly a blank sheet, a king from a small kingdom that had to bow his head to other royal families. Despite his exceptional beauty and intellect he is known to be quiet or shy and does not leave a deep impression on anyone past his looks. He only ascended the throne because he was the only son of the former king who never remarried after the death of his Queen.

Such a man is it not best to marry him? But she wasn’t planning to fight with Lucia for

him so she needed to find out for herself whether he had feelings for her. and if so, would he despise getting engaged to her?

‘Should I run away?’