PROLOGUE

PROLOGUE.

Nineteen years ago, a prophecy appeared in the land of Calla Empire.

"The day has come. The Goblin's Bride will be born. The Goblin will rise again."

It was that the same day when the King of Calla Empire died. He suffered from a disease that was slowly taking his life, and all along, it was planned by his half-brother, Prince Augustos. He let his greed took over his soul. He wanted the throne for himself. He wanted the crown.

The half-blood prince’s time has arrived. The late King’s successor to the throne was not yet born. The Queen was pregnant with their first born, and it was a girl. And the half-blood prince took advantage of the situation. He used the prophecy to his advantage to dispose the current queen and the king’s heiress.

Prince Augustos ordered his men to spread the new prophecy. He convinced the members of the royal court to make a royal decree -- to force every pregnant woman to abort their child to stop the awakening of the Goblin.

"No child must be born until the year ended. It is a Royal Decree to kill every woman who wants to disobey. We shall never let the Goblin rule our Empire again."

Mothers in the land of Calla Empire were forced to abort their children. Others who wanted to save their children were perished. They were burned alive to cast away the curse that was believed to be brought by the unborn Goblin’s Bride.

The whole Empire was in chaos. They lost a leader and the people were afraid of the Goblin. History from the books told the society about how people of the past suffered when they were ruled by goblins. The Ancestors, especially the Royal Family, did all their might to kill every one of them.

That night was a living nightmare for everyone. It was also the time when the greedy prince finally conquered the throne.

The Queen didn’t know what to do, she lost her love. She didn’t even had the chance to see her king for the last time and barely escaped the palace. From the help of the loyal servants of her husband, they managed to reach the forest at the back of the palace. Together with her lady servant, Agatha, they left Calla Empire.

 “It’s alright. It’s going to be alright.” She kept on saying it every time she felt her unborn child moves inside her womb. With every step she made, tears kept on falling.

In a small community in the middle of the woods, they found peace. People who didn't want to be ruled by the royal family left the Empire and climbed up to the mountains. People lived there in harmony, they hunted and raised animals for meat, they planted and harvested. It was simple and it was safe.

Despite being in the woods, stories about the happenings inside the Empire could still reach the people there. The newly enthroned King was looking for the mothers who escaped the judgment day.

After a year of hiding, the Queen’s child was also a year old. The baby girl was lovely and healthy. On the day she was born, the long famine stopped. She brought richness in their small town. She was loved by the people around her.

"When the Goblin is happy, the flowers bloom and the sun shines brightly." said by an old woman when Amara was still six. The little girl loves to hear stories about magical creatures along with her friends. After playing late in the noon, they would visit their favorite neighbor to listen to her stories. At her very young age, Amara Fairoza wishes to see one.

"The Goblin's never been dead. Do you see how sad the sky is? When the Goblin is sad, the clouds cry." said by the same old woman when Amara was seven.

"It's raining cats and dogs. Maybe, he's sad waiting for his bride to save him." still the old woman when she was ten.

Amara learned most about goblins and other creatures from the streets and the walls. Books were limited in their humble town. 

According to the books, goblins were cruel beings. They abused their power and made the people suffer. All they wanted was to be the wealthiest and be the most powerful creature. It was believed that they bring bad fortune and will cause a pandemic.

But according to the tales from the people living outside the Empire, goblins were just like human beings, they were only cruel to those who are cruel to them and were also good to those who are good to them. They were not scary and ugly as what the books said.

"When my grandmother saw one, she was hypnotized by its beauty. She even told us how she fell in love with the Goblin when she first saw it. It was a very good-looking man who hides his face under a mask." said by the same old woman when Amara was fifteen.

"My children, do you want to know a secret?" asked by her once again when Amara was seventeen. Every one of them nodded and said yes. Most of the old woman’s listeners were kids, but Amara didn’t seem to bother. She’s still a fan of folklores.

"It was the Royal Family who cursed the people. They were the ones who spread the disease and blame it to the Goblin. They took the Goblin and locked him under the palace. The Goblin’s trapped into a deep sleep. A spell was casted by a witch and no one could wake him except for the kiss of his bride."

Today, girls in the age of eighteen are being chased and killed by the royal guards. Mothers who escaped the Empire nineteen years ago are still in the wanted list.

And because Amara was in her mother's womb nineteen years ago, she had to be nineteen even if she is really eighteen. They have to hide their identity for them to live.