When Kevina was four years old, everything suddenly changed.
One morning, when she had snuck out of her bed, she saw her mother, Defne von Bluthof, leave the estate with one of the servants and two large suitcases. Her mother did not answer Kevina's calls. Kevina stared after her until one of the nannies, who had also woken up, took her back to her warm bed.
Defne never came back.
She didn't write any letters.
She was just gone.
And Kevina's father was unhappy. For a year, he drank too much every night, to the point of drunken fainting. It took some time for him to regain his composure. Then, he began to support his parents in matters of politics, throwing himself into the next distraction. But he had little time for Kevina, who saw her nannies more often than her father. He bought her beautiful things, yes. Toys, books... Everything a little girl could possibly want. But he spoke little to her for a few years. Kevina didn't know why. She didn't know that he couldn't bear to look at her because of grief. Kevina was very similar to her mother. And that only made her father sicker with grief.
And the nobility gossiped. When Kevina was nine years old, she overheard some ladies talking about her missing mother. They’d seen her mother. With three little boys and a new man.
When she was eighteen, she noticed that her father seemed to like one of the servants. Martha Aderweg. A quiet, friendly woman. But it didn't seem to be more than a little crush. Kevina paid little attention to her father's conversations with the servant. She was just staff. At the same time, he was courted by some noble ladies, and so Kevina rejoiced when her father decided to remarry.
He had been lonely long enough.
But her father didn't want any of the respected ladies. Shocked, Kevina heard him talk about Martha Aderweg. Kevina didn’t loathe the employee. No. On the contrary. Martha was very nice. But only staff. Not an appropriate choice.
"And what do you do when you have children together?", Kevina asked.
Her father laughed amusedly. "Would you like to have little siblings?"
Kevina couldn't help but think of the three brothers she had never met. And about the man who stole her mother. "No. Not really." The nobility would gossip about her father's new children just as ungraciously as they would about his new choice. Kevina couldn't approve of that. She knew how much rumors could hurt. And she really didn't want any more siblings.
"Me neither. I don't want any more children. I've always had too little time for you, my darling. I wouldn't be a good father to new, young children. And my future wife doesn't want children with me either."
Kevins nodded. That was good news.
But shortly afterwards she learned that her father's future wife already had two children. Two little girls got two large rooms on the property after the wedding. The girls were spoiled by Kevina's father. Even more so as Kevina had been spoiled as a child. Not just with gifts, no. They wanted to spend a weekend at a lake? With the whole family? Kevina's father made it possible. He made some time when he could. It wasn't much, but he made an effort. He used every second he had left to make his new family members happy. Especially, of course, his wife.
And Kevina?
Once again, she watched as a parent's affection was stolen. The fact that she was already an adult did not help. It still hurt. So Kevina wanted to change things. She decided to search for a suitable husband. And she decided to secure her place as heir to the throne. Solely from the need for safety and stability. Since she lacked both for a long time.
Kevina was not greedy for power. She was sure that she could be a good queen. And with balls and feasts, she wanted to win the affection of the nobility. They would love her.
In addition, she heard about the fact that a new university was to be built. But for a long time, she was not interested in it. Until shortly after her marriage to Telman von Moosbaum. He had studied and raved about it. He convinced Kevina to look at the new university. A study would do his future queen good.
If Kevina went to university, he would build a small estate next to the new university. That's where they could live. In the hustle and bustle of a city. (And not in the rebuilt attic of his parent’s home, who liked to interfere everywhere.) So she let herself be persuaded.
When Kevina left to visit the university, she was in good spirits. Telman could not accompany her. He was busy in his factory. Therefore, she drove alone. Only accompanied by a few guards. But Telman had wished her a lot of fun and promised her a surprise as soon as she got home. In her small apartment. Yes. The two desperately needed their own property.
The new university was beautiful. A magnificent building. Kevina especially liked the small garden. She could well imagine studying politics here and living with Telman in the pretty town. Therefore, she strolled a little more through the small streets of her future home. She looked at all the pretty houses and enjoyed the hustle and bustle on the streets. Until she saw a woman and her family in the front yard of a small, nice wooden house. Stunned, Kevina stared at the woman.
"Mom?", she murmured in surprise. The woman turned around. Their eyes met. Defne's face contorted in horror. Next to her stood her husband, the servant with whom she had left the estate. And her three sons, Kevina's brothers, also looked at her. And there was also a ten-year-old girl who almost resembled Kevina, like a twin sister.
"Mother? Do you know this young woman?", the eldest boy asked.
"No, Toni", her mother replied. "I've never seen this woman before!"
"She must have mistaken you, Defne", the former servant replied, looking at Kevina fiercely. He knew exactly who she was. Like her mother. "Go, please. You are harassing my family!"
Betrayed, Kevina ran away.
Betrayed and unwanted.
