6

I am here in the dressing room, and the servants are busy dressing me and taking care of my hair and makeup. I can feel that they are afraid to assist me, but today is the day of Emperor Blake's arrival.

 

The door opened in the most unmannered way, and it was the Empress and Hannah. They instructed the servants to leave us for a while.

 

"You, daughter of stupid dancer!" Her Majesty pointed my forehead, and laugh wickedly.

 

"Greetings, her majesty." I bow my head and the empress sit down on the couch Hannah looked at the jewelry and dress that I am about to wear tonight.

 

"Look at you, even if you wear the most expensive dress and jewelry tonight, you still look like a walking corpse." The empress drinks the tea and rolls her eyes. I feel awkward while looking at them, every time she saw me, she never failed to hurt my feelings, and tell me that I am nothing, but trash in her eyes.

 

I do my best to avoid her, but now I know that it's impossible because of the arrival of Emperor Blake.

 

"That stupid Emperor think that he can have my precious daughter, a man like him is nothing but a cunning human being, and you deserve to marry Emperor Blake." Hannah laughed and throw the most beautiful jewelry in her eyes.

 

"You don't need to wear this, because you still look the same, it's just a waste that this beautiful jewelry will be a waste." Hannah keeps on destroying the dress until she is satisfied.

 

"The stupid silver hair of yours makes me feel disgusted, remind me of how your mother seduces the emperor because she thinks that the emperor will grant her a high rank, but it's her mistake." The empress throws the tea at my hair.

 

I can't breathe properly, my chest is clenching in pain, and my tears are about to fall, again. 

 

I hope I can escape tonight, so I can stay at my safe place, but I have no choice, and I think this is also a great opportunity for me, I have the plan to escape if I have a chance.

 

"The servants won't help you tonight, his majesty is giving you a lot of privilege, and having this dress and jewelry is too much," her majesty said while distancing herself from me.

 

"Thank you, your majesty." This word will stop the empress to pester me because that is all she wants to hear from me. She thinks that I owe her a lot for having all of this tonight.

 

But for me, it's useless. I don't need fancy dresses and jewelry. After all, I know that they are treating me right tonight because I did a big favor, for Hannah's safety.

 

"As you should, be thankful for everything that you have, even if you don't deserve to have all of these luxuries." They finally left the room, I am all alone now. Wiping the tea on my face and I decided to take a bath.

 

Looking at my reflection, without my eye covered. I looked dead inside. My eyes look empty, and this hair and face resemble my mom so damn much.

 

If I looked like his majesty, is there a possibility that they will treat me right, that idea always gives me hope, but too late, I look like this since the day I was born.

 

I hope I can fight, build my name and become strong as I always dream. But I gave up on hoping that I will become stronger, and I know that once I am at Gribe, there's a possibility that I will die. Because the emperor wants Hannah, not me.

 

After I am done bathing, I prepare everything that I need to look presentable. No one is here, this is more comfortable and I can do everything because even the servant's presence is affecting me that much, they didn't show respect to me, and I know that it's her majesty's instruction.

 

She is the evilest person that I can imagine here at Drivike, terrorized all of the consorts of the Emperor, putting poison, and its result in the infertility of all consorts of the emperor, except my mother. Because my father found my mother in a foreign country, that is why I don't look like royal blood, because of my mother's foreign blood. Because of the curse, my eyes are red. But the real color of my eyes is green, the same color as my mother's eyes. 

 

But it's better, I can't bare if I look almost identical to my father.

 

I wear the dress that Hannah did ruin. The only accessories that are left are hair accessories, a bracelet, and a ring. Even I am uncomfortable that a few parts of my body are exposed due to the design of the dress.

 

I paired a white silk eye cover with my white dress, and I look presentable now. Even though I looked like a dancer, I have no choice, my dresses are old. But I am happy because this is the very first time that I look good in my eyes. Practicing to smile, and to act accordingly for later.

 

A loud knock makes me stand up, and the servants open the door.

 

"His majesty is requesting your presence now, Princess Delaney." I nodded and walk behind them, holding tight to the fan that I have. 

 

Passing the corridor until a big wooden door open slowly at the moment I arrived at the hall. All of the people's eyes focused on me, while I am passing to them and kneeling in front of my father, I can see his reaction, that he didn't like what I am wearing, and the empress smirked when she saw me.

 

"You can rise now." I do what my father said and sit beside him. "You looked like shit, what are going to do here, dance like what your mother does?" Father looked disgusted and didn't hide his anger.

 

"I am sorry, your majesty." I hold tight to the fan and the wooden door opens slowly, and Emperor Blake walks down the corridor with pride, and behind him is the second prince.

 

He kneel and his eyes locked on Hannah, smiling and presenting the gifts that he prepared.

 

"It's my pleasure to meet you, Emperor Divino." Emperor Blake stood up and my father call the attention of all people in the hall and rise the glass he is holding.

 

"Tonight, I am proudly announcing the engagement of my precious daughter, to the pride of the Gribe empire, and as a sign of our unity!" People clapped and my chest is clenching in pain, I can't breathe and my father looked at me, and I stood up, the emperor Blake looks confused.

 

"Princess Delaney and Emperor Blake." My father hold my hand, and placed it in the hand of Emperor Blake, he looked more surprised now, and people around us showed their approval and congratulated the engagement.

 

The coldness of Emperor Blake creeps me out, and the music starts to play, and the first dance tonight is for me and Emperor Blake.

 

All eyes were on us while dancing in the middle of the hall. "This is fucking bullshit." I see the anger in Emperor's eye, the way he grips my pale skin. I know it will leave a mark, and he didn't care if I am hurt by the way he hold me.

 

"Your father tricked me!" He hissed and I looked in my father's direction, they are smiling evilly, all of them. 

 

I just want to end the dance, my tears will fall anytime, and the way Emperor Blake looks at me like he wants to behead me now.

 

"What's with your fucking eye cover, do your father test my patience and strength?" He asked me and I shooked my head.

 

"I have no idea about it, I am sorry." The music stops when the wooden door opens, and a familiar armor that I cleaned that Sir William owned shows up, a loud gasp with every movement of Sir William, the pressure and whispers, all of them are focused on how Sir William reached the end of the hall, where my father is sitting.

 

I used the opportunity to sneak out, I can't stop my tears, and I am trembling in fear now.

 

All I do is run faster than I can until I reached the garden, it's far away at the banquet hall, I am safe here. I need to calm myself before I will return to the banquet hall.

 

Even though I am afraid, and it feels that the trembling won't stop, I still need to be there, I know that my presence is not important, and people won't notice that I am gone, thanks to Sir William's entrance, I escape for a while.

 

It's dark outside, thanks to the light of the moon. When I saw the tree of oak, I sit down and remove my eye cover, letting go of all of the tears that I hold back lately.

 

I feel angry, sad, and afraid lately. Now, I feel a little bit better when I cry silently. Even crying loudly, I am not allowed to do it, they control everything in my life. 

 

It doesn't mean that my father abandoned me I am free because I still feel like I am in prison, the worst feeling is the cage is invisible, and I don't know where I can say that I am safe.

 

I covered my mouth and close shutting my eyes, I am tired and I want to rest. The idea of killing myself before the marriage is good, but you know the feeling that even ending my own life is prohibited by my father.

 

Well, I cannot die now. He still needs me and my father knows that someday, I have a purpose for his plans. 

 

I hope I am Hannah, my father loves her, spoils her, and she is free at anything she wants to do.

 

I still remember when I am young. Hannah saw me playing in the garden of my castle, taking care of the roses that I planted. She is really angry, because there are no roses at her castle, and destroyed all of the roses in my garden, and went home.

 

After a few days, my father went to my castle, beat me, and blamed me, because Hannah has bruises, and it was not me who made those bruises, it was her while she destroyed all of my roses.

 

After that, my father forbid me to plant roses or any flowers in the garden and didn't feed me for one week. I am still surprised that after seven days, I am still alive because I thought I will die, but I failed.

 

The empress, forbid me to look presentable, she wants me to look miserable because her daughter deserves to look good, only her, not me an illegitimate daughter of the emperor.

 

Those days, the memories are still fresh. Sometimes, I asked God. Why I am still alive, after all, the suffering that I've been through?

 

Does he want me to be alive and suffer more? 

 

Isn't unfair, I didn't do anything to suffer like this, I even asked why I exist and feel miserable until now.

 

I never do anything to hurt people, I even tried to show kindness, but in the end, they took advantage of my kindness. But thanks to Sir William, I feel alive even for a short time.

 

Sadly, I will be gone tomorrow, I didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Sir William.

 

"Hey, are you alright?" I opened my eyes quickly when a warm skin wipe my tears, and his eyes look straight to mine.

 

I catch one's breath and automatically cover my eyes, but he stopped me and continues to give me a handkerchief to me.

 

"You're Princess Delaney, I already saw you at the banquet, I am Prince Kier." He said and step back, to distance himself from me.

 

His voice seems alright and like Sir William, it seems he is not affected by the curse.

 

I opened my eyes slowly, and his smile is the first I saw. "I saw you run in this direction, I am afraid when no guards follow where you are going, that's why I am here." He explained while scratching his nape, looking awkward at his actions.

 

"Sorry if I disturb you," he continued and I am still amazed, he is okay and nothing happened to him. 

 

My hopes went high again, he is the second person who saw my eyes, and tears fall again, not because of sadness, but because of happiness.

 

There is still a chance for me to live normally, even if that is the tiniest chance, still a chance for me.

 

"Princess, did I say something that you find offensive, I am sorry—"

 

"No, thank you." I wipe my tears using the handkerchief he gave me and can't hide my happiness. 

 

A cold breeze makes me quiver and the prince noticed it, and covered my body using his coat he is near to me, can't take his eyes off my eyes, and smiled.

 

A warm smile that warms my heart and soul, he looks like a good person. "You're too gorgeous to become sad, cheer up. Gribe is a nice country," he said and I giggled.

 

To my surprise, prince Kier pats my head and smiles sweetly. "You look sorrowful," he said and I close my eyes and appreciated the cold breeze. His hands, caressing my hair, makes me feel dozed off.

 

"I'm used to it," I said and feel the heaviness in my eyes, I am tired. It always happened, after I cried a lot, I feel tired and I usually fall asleep.