3

"You will be the wife of Emperor Blake." My father said that after he asked to dine with me for the first time, my world completely collided when I heard the decision that I could not defy.

 

The emperor of the neighborhood empire is known for being a tyrant, and I know that my father will do everything to save his beloved daughter, that is why he is sending me for diplomatic relations with the empire. 

 

"And you can't say no to me, Delaney, this the only task that I know, you are capable of." My father smile wickedly after saying that and pointed to the silk fabric that is covering my eyes. His actions show that he is plotting something bad at the neighborhood empire.

 

I am cursed, since the day I was born. My mother, a concubine of the emperor tried to put a curse on my older brother, but unfortunately, those people who pushed and support her in putting a curse on the crown prince are a setup plan, because they want to ruin what my mother build for my future.

 

No one knows what kind of curse I am suffering from, but a sage suggested covering my eyes and protecting people and it was really hard to live with this thick silk cloth on my eyes. 

 

I can see the people around me, but not enough to appreciate the beauty of the environment that I am in, and this eye cover stops me from everything that I want to do.

 

I can't do what normal people do, and my father despises me, after that day my mother got executed for the attempted killing of the crown prince, I live in the darkest part of the palace, where even my servant is afraid to serve their own master, that's why I don't feel that I am part of the royal family.

 

I am just a princess, but I don't have power, and no one in nobility is willing to help me, that's why I know that this curse will forever, and no one wants to cure it. Because why would they show support to a daughter of a mere concubine, a dancer from a foreign country, and also a killer, I never expect that people will support me.

 

For eighteen years, I learned that being alone is the best thing I can ever have in my life here at the palace because when I am socializing with other people, especially the nobility, they didn't hide their despise of me.

 

Make fun of my existence and the worst part is they hurt me, physically. And my father, the emperor didn't do anything about it, that's why I didn't ask for help, I know that dying is not the solution, but I am tired and sometimes I just want to end everything. I am tired of it, why people won't leave me alone, why do they keep on hurting me, I didn't do anything to them.

 

If my mother has done something horrible, it's not my fault and it's not my responsibility to carry all of the burden and mistakes that she did, but people are crazy about seeing weak people suffer more.

 

And a new suffering is being delivered to me now. I just took a deep breath and nod slowly, as if I can disobey his majesty. I am just a tool for his success.

 

"Killing Emperor Blake will be beneficial to us, I can take over his land and I am hoping that his gold mine will fall in my hands." I wipe my lips and look down, listening to the ambitions of my father, once the young emperor is killed by me.

 

I can't kill people, it doesn't mean that my mother tried to kill someone, I can do the same. How I can kill him, I have no idea about the curse, and even though I know how to, I still won't kill people, because their life is not my decision if I will end it or not.

 

Even if people used to make fun of me and hurt me, I will never imagine killing them, instead, I want to end my own life, so they won't see me as a pest, and I can live in peace. The title of princess in my name is useless because I know that in the end, my father will discard me once my purpose is done.

 

"I will do my best to become a good wife to the Emperor," I said and my father's smile faded, went closer to me, and slapped me hard. 

 

It feels that my face got thick after I received his slap, and my eye cover almost fall, but I prevent it from falling.

 

"You ungrateful child, you should use that stupid curse that your mother gave to you, show your purpose, it's a shame, having a useless daughter like you, and I am asking you one simple task, and you say you will be a good wife, are you kidding me, you think you can be a great empress of Gribe?" My father laughed while blowing the smoke of his tobacco.

 

"I am sorry, your majesty." I wipe my tears, and cover my eyes, tucking my hair and stopping myself to make some noise while crying. This is too much, I never do anything to them, I just accept everything, even people didn't respect me because even my father didn't show his respect to me.

 

"Be thankful that you still have the princess title on your name, even if you didn't deserve it!" I bow my head and my father left the dining area, the servants are whispering something horrible about me, and I know that the Empress will hear the news, and will make me suffer, after what my father did to me.

 

I stood up and decided to leave the dining area, and my older brother is waiting at the entrance and seemed like waiting on me.

 

"Just accept it," he said when he saw me. This is nonsense, all of them are pushing me, even if it's like torture to me, I can't say no to what my father is plotting and yet they keep saying that I should accept it.

 

"I already accepted it," I say while looking at my brother, their dress is extravagant, unlike mine. I look like a servant in my dress, and most of the dress I am using is from Hannah's dress that she didn't like or she wore twice.

 

"As you should, you have no choice at all." Terrence, my brother, went closer to me and whisper. "If your mother didn't try to put a curse on me, your life won't be this miserable, blamed your mindless mother." He steps back after saying it and walks away. His servant is looking at me as if I am the dirtiest person that they met.

 

I know, I already accepted that it's my mother's fault, she allow herself to get manipulated by the nobility, and she didn't use her mind, because it's obvious that they did it on purpose.

 

I pity myself, I have to see them every day, and I have to bare all of the sins that is not me who committed them. 

 

I have no energy to walk in the garden and to have some fresh air, I don't want to see her majesty and the crown princess. I rather stay at my castle, because I know that no one dares to step foot at my place, they are afraid to see me and be cursed.

 

The moment I arrived at my castle, I removed my silk eye cover, tied my hair, and remove my shoes. Walking with my bare feet and I squeak when I heard a loud bang at the back of my castle.