Chapter 1

The morning sun shone on the kingdom of Merrill with its gentle light. Beautifully blooming flowers adorned the whole kingdom and the birds singing made beautiful sounds. The parents smile with happiness in their eyes while hugging each other, watching their children playing happily. This kingdom is so beautiful and peaceful. It was like heaven on the hill.

A girl was standing on the balcony of her room smiling, looking at the front yard of the palace, which was filled with flowers. She was beautiful the way flower and sunlight were beautiful, warm and glowing and golden. She has the face of a goddess with long blonde hair that reaches down to her waist. Her name is Violet Valerina. She is the princess of the Merrill kingdom.

The smile on her face suddenly disappeared and turned into fear as she watched the border guard enter the palace gates on his horse with his body covered in wounds and blood.

She immediately walked out of her room with a racing heart to the throne hall to find her father.

She stopped her steps when she was in front of the hall door and she saw her father with her mother and the border guard were in the room.

“My king, prince Lucian and his armies have invaded our border and now they are heading here,” said the border guard while enduring the pain.

“What! How did that happen? Where are my armies now?!” Violet's father said with his eyes wide open, his face turning pale.

“They are dead, only I am left. Prince Lucian massacred them all without mercy.”

Violet's father sat on his throne chair with his body trembling, breathing in fright after hearing what the guard said.

Violet cried, covering her mouth with her hands as she could hear her rapid heartbeat in her ears. She couldn't believe what was happening, and she didn't want to believe what happened was true.

They all turned to her when they heard her cry. “Violet...” her mother said with tears in her eyes. She immediately hugged her mother and cried in her arms.

“What have I done? I shouldn't have helped Darius against Lucian. I've dug my own grave. I've killed my people and brought disaster to my family,” Violet's father said desperately.

Violet's father stood up from his throne chair as they all looked at the door of the room in fright when they heard footsteps. Violet then saw a man with his armies walking into the room and standing in front of her father.

For a moment, Violet forgot her fear of seeing the man's face. She couldn't take her eyes off him, mesmerized by his handsome face.

His hair was brown and coiffed to perfection. His eyes were brown and the lineaments of his face were in perfect proportion to each other. He has a perfect, muscular body. With eyes as bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they bewitched all those who fell under his steady gaze.

“There you are. Hiding here like a coward.” Fear took over Violet again upon hearing what the man said to her father.

“Lucian, please give me your mercy. Please... spare the life of my wife and daughter,” Violet’s father begged in tears.

“Did you give my father mercy before you and Darius killed him?! You have made me lose him forever and now you have to die so that my father can rest in peace in heaven. But before that, I will skin your wife and daughter alive before your eyes so you can feel my pain to lose someone you love the most,” said Lucian with his cold eyes.

Fear, sadness, and despair gripped Violet's father at the same time, making his soul scream and cry. He couldn't bear to see his wife and daughter being brutally tortured before his eyes, so he chose to die.

“Father! No!” Violet said tearfully as she watched her father take the sword from his border guard's hand and stab it right into his heart. She and her mother immediately knelt next to him, hugging him when his body fell to the floor and he died before their eyes.

“Father, please don't leave me. Please...” Violet said, crying as she kept hugging her father's bloodied body.

For the first time in his life, Lucian Steverus was smitten. Smitten and slain. He couldn't take his eyes off Violet's beautiful face. He wanted so badly to taste and savor every inch of her beautiful body and make her his own.

His eyes turned cold again as anger and resentment took over him. His mind reminded him that she was the daughter of the man who had killed his father. “Kill them both,” he said in a deep voice, making Violet and her mother look him in the eye. Her mother's body was trembling, her face was pale with fright.

“Yes, my prince,” one of his armies said politely.

Violet immediately stood up from the floor, walked over, and stood in front of Lucian while holding his arm with her hands were as cold as ice. “Please, don't kill my mother! Please... just kill me. Please, I beg you,” she said into his eyes as she cried.

Lucian stared at her in silence, struck by her courage and kindness. He could see by the look in her eyes that she was scared to death, but she was willing to die to save her beloved mother.

“Aren't you afraid to die?” he said in a soft voice. He asked a question that he already knew the answer to.

Not a single word came out of her mouth, only tears dripped from her beautiful blue eyes.

He smiled in pleasure at seeing her fear and helplessness. A chill ran down her spine as he cradled her chin in his hand. “I will make you my slave and you will live like in hell,” he said in a deep whisper.

“No! Please let her go. Just kill me! Please...” Violet's mother begged in tears as she stood up from the floor trying to hug her daughter, but she couldn't because one of Lucian's armies grabbed her by the arm.

“Take her now!” Lucian said as he walked out of the room.

“Yes, my prince,” one of his armies said politely. He then took Violet's arm and led her away with them, leaving her mother, who was crying desperately, on the floor.