Chapter 1

Hattie's POV.

*"Make me as undesirable as possible. I want him to detest me and choose my other sisters instead"*

Those were the words I said to my maid Leia when she came to get me prepared for the selection event. 

I am Hattie Stalin, the eleventh daughter out of twelve girls. Yes, my mother had twelve girls and I was the least favorite. For some reason known to only them, they hated me. My sisters hated me too. They treated me like I didn't matter, like I was some piece of trash.

My father, Agnes Stalin, the Earl of the community; Geshar, was popular around the seven kingdoms. He was known as a fierce man, but also known for his beautiful 12 daughters.

Noble men traveled from different kingdoms just to have one of his daughters because it was said that the Stalin bloodline yielded luck.

We were about seven now, due to how many suitors that had asked my sisters to be their wives. I was never chosen because I was undesirable and unpleasant. My other sisters were always dressed in good apparel, while I, on the other hand, was always given regular clothes. I was never bothered because I didn't want to get married to anybody based on selection. I wanted to marry out of love. 

All the selection events had been ordinary, but this particular one wasn't. Months ago, my father received a message that the king of Santol's son; Javier, was coming to select a wife from his seven daughters. 

That news struck fear into my heart and my sisters. Santol was the most powerful kingdom among the seven kingdoms. My sister weren't happy about the news, but they relished the idea of being with the most powerful prince in the west. All of them had heard of his flourishing wealth and strength. His striking looks also wasn't a detail to be missed. If one of them got the chance to be the wife of the prince, who would dare oppose them? 

Santol was a powerful, but Savage kingdom where their men treat their wives as slaves. I had heard rumors of not only the kingdom but of Javier.

 He was a fierce warrior. The second son out of 6 men. He was powerful, brutal, scary, and coldhearted. It was said he never showed mercy to anyone. My sisters knew him as Javier, the powerful charming prince, but I knew him as the MAD PRINCE. 

My mother ordered us to arrange ourselves in a straight line as we walked outside the house. She always arranged us in the order of our beauty and as usual, I was the last. My sister Amber stood elegantly at the front. Her beauty knew no bounds. Her pale skin was complemented by her healthy red hair. Her smile was so charming that she could woo any man with it.

Amber, Sophia, Melissa, Katrina, Emma, Isabel, Amelia, and I all stood accordingly as we matched outside. I looked unkempt compared to my sister. One could easily tell who the outcast of the family was. It was me.

When we got to the main door, Amber turned to look at me. "You better not mess this up" she scowled at me.

"I'll try not to" I sarcastically said.

The sound of drums and harps could be heard as we matched outside. Earlier we were not allowed to see the prince, but now I was able to see him.

My mouth dropped. He was indeed astonishingly good-looking. His brown eyes were fierce, he had dark hair and a virile body. His chiseled jawline and perfect nose all screamed perfection. He was out of this world. He wasn't handsome, he was the real definition of nature's beauty. Even while he was seated, he elicited so much power that the people around him felt so little. 

Even my sister noticed as they all murmured. They knew he was handsome, but they didn't expect him to be this handsome. 

He was seated amidst his people, but my father sat beside him with a complacent smile on his face as he watched his daughters match forward. The prince looked at us briefly before looking at my father and then whispering something in his ear.

As soon as we got to his front, we all turned to look at him, still arranged in the same position my mother arranged us in.

I had never been affected by the selection event before, but this time I was shaking. What if he picks me? He is handsome and all, but I could never forget the seven tales of the mad prince. Was I scared of him, yes I was? Those eyes were too intense and it hid a lot in them.

The drumming stopped. Everywhere went dead silent as people gawked at us. All eyes were on Amber. She was beautiful and had a high chance of being the prince's wife.

All of a sudden he stood up and I didn't know why my heart skipped a beat. His tall, virile self walked to where we were and began to scan. Amber was the first he approached. Amber was always calm and collected when it came to selection events, but this time she shook in terror. He said nothing as he walked over to Sophia. It was obvious she was scared too and didn't try to hide it. It caused me to wonder, why did my sisters crave to marry a man they couldn't stand. 

He walked past all of them and stopped in front of him. At first, I thought I could stand him, but his aura was too strong. It hit me like a storm. His eyes landed on me and I shuddered as I looked down. I couldn't do it, I couldn't withstand the fierceness of his eyes.

Unlike my sisters, he stayed longer, staring at me and I kept on praying inwardly for him to leave. What could he possibly see in me? I looked undesirable, my hair was unkempt and my gown was not as good as my sisters, yet he still lingered.

After some time, he left. He started from Amber again and slowly walked to where I was. My head was still down. I felt his hand under my chin as he lifted my face to look at him. My lips trembled, and my body screamed in reaction to his hand on my face.

His eyes held desire as he gazed at me. Out of nervousness, I turned to look at my sisters. They all had a glare on their faces. My father had a fake smile on his face, while my mother had a disappointed look. 

He stared at me for a while, until he finally spoke. "I want you" my heart stopped. "To strip" he completed.

I was dumbstruck.