Prologue

I shut my eyes as tight as I could and didn't dare to open them again until silence fell completely on all the corners of my room.

Just when I thought that Queen Orla left my room and I was about to open my eyes. I heard her sarcastic laugh. My mother's voice is filled with control anger. She is not just mad at what happened, she is fed up by my little tricks.

"How about you stop your little drama and get up this instant?" Her voice sounds like she's sweetly asking me to do her command but her eyes, it's fiery. If I didn't know better. I will be fooled that she is not mad at me.

I did my best not to make further movements with my eyes but no matter how hard I try. The lid of my eyes shakes violently.

"Elide!" She finally lost her cool facade. The Queen harshly grab the duvet off my body. I was left with no choice but to open my eyes and sit up on my bed.

Queen Orla gritted her teeth. She vent out her anger and frustration by crumpling the duvet that she later on throws back on my queen-sized bed. I downed my head and didn't dare to look back at her. If I stare straight to her eyes, given that she is fuming at me. She might even forget about the fact that I am her daughter. My mother is no saint and if I keep on messing up and jeopardizing her plans for the future. She might end up ordering someone to get rid off me.

"Look at me. Look at me and tell me what is wrong with you? Why do you keep on ruining everything? Do you think I'm doing this for myself? Elide, I am doing this for you. Your father, the King and I are doing this for the betterment of your life!"

They say that my mother is born with this unmatchable grace and elegance. Everyone claims that she is as nice as the angel above. Everytime I hear our people praise her like that. I couldn't stop myself from smiling bitterly. What they are seeing is what the Queen wants her people to see, that's just the tip of her iceberg. What they didn't know is that the Queen that they kept on praising for being soft-spoken and gentle is more dangerous and cunning than a greedy king. In our palace, it is not the ruling king that we are afraid of but the person ruling the king, making him her puppet and that it my mother.

"No matter what you say. Tomorrow, we are finally sending you to Arryn. You and Crown Prince Orius will get married on the first full moon of next month, anyway. You might as well starts getting to know your husband, his family and their people. Even if you don't win his heart. It's important that you win his family's favor and the kingdom's trust and adoration."

Queen Orla reach for my chin. I flinched so bad that even she got surprise of my reaction. My hand that's holding hers because I was about to shove her hand away, good thing, I didn't. I let it go and plastered a smile on my lips that equivalently means I understand what she told me.

"Great," she murmured. She put down a black suede box on my bed, "That's a gift from Orius. Wear that tomorrow. He'll be delighted to see it on you." I move my head once to nod at her. Once more, she roams her eyes all over me to scrutinize me a bit before she finally turn her back on me and left my room.

The moment she's gone from my sight. I instantly felt at ease. I breathe deeply to calm myself more. I plan to lay back on my bed when I saw the suede box again. Curious of what it has inside. I stretched my arm and reach for it.

A mocking smile came up and hang itself on my lips when I saw my initial on the suede box. It's embroided on it with a silver thread, or at least that's what I thought because that's what it look like to me.

Inside of the fancy box is a necklace with my a garnet stone on it as its pendant, it's my birth stone. The gold chain of the necklace has this braid-like intricate details. It's both pretty and simple. The necklace is designed to wore on a daily basis.

The wooden door of my room once again, made its noise as someone open them up without even knocking. I was expecting to see the Queen back. I thought she forgot to tell me something but when I saw my older brother. I throw the necklace on my hand back on its back when I saw that it's my older brother this time.

Because of his royal duties. He's gone for a few months and even though we are both born on the modern times and technologies are everywhere. It's his busy schedule that made it impossible for us to talk.

Malik Fenriz taps my shoulder. It's his way of letting me know that I need to loosen my grasp on his neck because he's now having a hard time to breathe because I am hugging him too tight.

"I heard from Mother that you're going to Arryn tomorrow to live with the Mortala, is that true?" All that I can do is smile at him while I slowly heads back to my bed.

With everything that's going to happen tomorrow. It's for the better if I sleep early tonight.

Malik grabs my hand. He was about to drag me out of my room when I pulled my hand from his hold of me.

"It's already late. Where are we going? It's passed nine in the evening. Our guards won't let me leave." He looks back at me.

"Not when you are with me. If I remember it right. You love Cinderella when you were young. Now, I'm giving you a chance to live like her. You have the whole night until dawn to do whatever you want before you come to Arryn tomorrow," he said and winks at me.