Chapter 1: Suffering is my Last Name

KEILAH

“Are you sure you’re going to go, princess?”

I nodded my head as I combed through my hair. “I told you—don’t call me “princess.” Just Keilah. And to answer your question—yes. I’m going to the main castle today.”

Weston sighed and begrudgingly zipped up my long dress. “Your preposterous relatives will be there, so why would you even go?”

I smiled. “It’s Isabelle’s engagement we’re talking about. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. And besides, they invited the entire family to the gathering!”

“They don’t even act like your family,” Weston muttered under his breath.

I placed the comb on the table and kindly smiled. “It’s okay. I’m used to it. I just want to go and congratulate Isabelle. You know she’s always been good to me.”

Weston sighed in defeat and patted my shoulders. “There,” he said. “You’re all done.”

He knew he wouldn’t be able to change my mind, so he just let it be.

I stood up from my seat and made out the light of my reflection in the mirror. I smiled bitterly as only the shadows and lights were evident in my vision. But sometimes, I do think that things are better this way.

“Hand me my cloak,” I said, reaching out my hand.

“Princess,” Weston whined. “Go without your cloak so they can see your immaculate beauty! You should show them that you’re the most beautiful princess in this castle.”

I shook my head. “No,” I stubbornly said. “I’ll go without it. You know I never go out of this place without my cloak.”

He sighed once again. “Understood, princess.”

***

The Blind Princess of Belmont—everybody has heard rumors about this mysterious woman, but nobody outside of the castle has ever seen her existence.

Keilah Lunette Lockhart—the name that no one has ever heard about. Hidden deep within the castle grounds, I have been isolated all my life after the death of my parents.

Today marks the day that all of the members of the royal family gather in the main castle because of the rumored engagement of the precious princess and my cousin—Isabelle Diane Lockhart.

I stood in front of the back door and shook my hands in nervousness. I was about to head in when I heard my aunt Grace speak.

“She’s not going to come, is she?” Queen Grace chuckled as she took a sip of her tea.

“Most definitely not,” Princess Sofia said. “She has some guts to show her monstrous face here on the day that Prince Enzo arrives.”

“She definitely shouldn’t come if she doesn’t want to be the laughingstock of the event,” Prince Finn added, causing the table of royals to burst into laughter.

I cast my head to the ground and pursed my lips together. They're talking about me again, huh?

I heard the main door open, followed by the sound of the King's voice.

“What’s with all the laughter when I’m still not around?” King Leo entered the room and smoothly interrupted their conversation.

“It’s nothing,” Queen Grace, his wife, said. “We’re just talking about a nobody.”

“Well, you better settle down. Isabelle is about to come down any minute now.”

Princess Evelyn clapped her hands in excitement. “I can’t wait! She’s going to be so beautiful.”

Grace boastfully smiled. “When has my daughter ever been ugly?"

I heard the sound of the door opening once more and inferred that Princess Isabelle had entered the room. Everybody beamed at her arrival, and she was immediately greeted with a warm welcome as she sat down.

“You look beautiful, my darling,” Grace exclaimed. “You’re going to capture Prince Enzo’s heart in an instant.”

“I hope so, mom. It’s been nerve-wracking ever since the news came out,” Isabelle gracefully responded.

Grace chuckled in reassurance. “You don’t have to worry about anything.”

“That’s right,” Violet chimed in. “You’re perfect, Isabelle.”

This is probably a good time to come in, right?

I didn't think about it any further and twisted the doorknob open, silently entering the room.

I thought that I went in discretely, but when the room turned silent, I knew that they had noticed my presence. I stood there for a while, just internalizing everything that was happening.

“I can’t believe she actually came,” Nolan sneered.

“Such a thick face she has,” Violet added.

There are some times when my blindness becomes convenient, and this is one of those situations.

At this moment, I couldn’t see the hateful gazes being thrown my way. However, I sure can feel them.

I bowed my head and still decided to greet them despite their hostility.

“Good morning, everyone. I had come to congratulate Isabelle on her engagement,” I smiled, although it couldn’t be seen through the sheer cloak.

“I’m surprised you even heard about the news,” Nolan chimed. “You were about to rot in your cottage from hiding away from us.”

I looked down to the ground and muttered a small apology. I didn't want to hide away from the cottage, but whenever I came here, I always came home with a new bruise and a broken heart.

“Is there a seat for me?” I asked, quickly changing the topic.

My other relatives stayed silent, but Isabelle, the only relative I considered a genuine person, held onto my hand and led me to one of the seats.

“You may leave, Weston,” Isabelle said to my helper, who trudged behind me.

Weston was hesitant to leave the room, but I held onto his hand and nodded my head.

"You can leave. I'll see you back in the house."

“I’ll be right outside, princess,” Weston bows before leaving the room.

I thanked Isabelle as I sat down on the chairs. I didn't know much about the prince that Isabelle was supposed to marry, but I heard that he's quite handsome and famous. I silently waited for his arrival in my seat, but it seemed like my relatives had other plans.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Violet exclaimed. “Isabelle was actually chosen by Prince Enzo—the hottest Alpha of today’s era! I heard he has really high standards, so Isabelle must be something great for him to choose her.”

Isabelle hummed while I fondly listened. However, my smile quickly dropped when I heard my aunt Grace’s next words.

“Of course. What do you expect? My dearest daughter is also an Alpha. An Alpha is fit for an Alpha. Not a lowly omega,” she sneered.

I knew that the queen was talking about me because nobody else in the room was an omega.

“Well, a Lockhart must at least be a Beta. I don’t even know how a royal princess could be an omega, and she actually thinks that she’d be worthy to meet the prince. I feel like she has an inner agenda of wanting to capture the prince’s heart,” Sofia added.

They weren’t throwing any names, but I already knew.

That’s how it has always been. Werewolves were segregated into three separate groups—the Alphas, the strongest of the pack. They are naturally strong, attractive, and a rare part of the population. Once you’re born an Alpha, you’re practically at the top.

Next, the Betas, the ones who make up most of the population. They can be dispatched in any kind of job, and are great followers. They aren’t as strong and attractive as Alphas, but they are accepted within society since they’re deemed as the most “normal.”

And lastly, the omegas—the weakest and the most vulnerable ones. They don’t have any innate abilities, and for most people, they exist for one reason only—for breeding. It’s not like an omega can hide their identity, too, since they emit a sweeter scent than others. However, now that the times have changed, some people are becoming more open to accepting omegas as an equal part of society.

Yet it seems like the Lockhart family still hasn’t gotten past that belief.

They still hate omegas.

They still hate me.

“How could she?” Evelyn scoffed. “With her face, I’m afraid the prince is only going to run away.”

It only became worse as the whole table burst into laughter. Isabelle gently held onto my hand and was about to speak, when the door suddenly opened, and a servant came in.

“Greetings, the royal family. I have come here to present the coming of Prince Enzo Alexios Wilde of the Elixir kingdom!”

I couldn't hear the servant's words since my heart was beating too loud inside my chest. I thought I had gotten used to my relatives' hurtful words, but after hearing them talk so lowly of me, I knew that I wasn't welcomed around.

So, along with the opening of the door, I stood up from my seat. I didn't even care about meeting the prince at this point. I just wanted to go home. I started walking out of the door, hoping no one would notice me.

However, with my impaired vision and the tears pooling in my eyes, I couldn’t make a smooth exit.

And before I even knew it, I had already bumped into a warm, firm chest. I immediately felt him wrap his arms around my body, catching me before I fall. Being in this person's arms felt comforting, but that feeling immediately went away when the royal family gasped.

“Prince Enzo!”