"I need you to leave now."

"Raven... please, I'm sorry."

"Do not call me by that name, you are to refer to me as your Highness, now leave!" Sighing, my best friend left, slamming the door to my chambers behind him. Gods, what the hell is wrong with him? If the wrong person had overheard that, he knows the consequences of a Pure Blood and servant relationship. Even so, I didn't want to be so harsh on him, but it needed to be done.

Laying on my bed, I called out to Sasha. Seeing my lovely pet coming from the common room made my mood lift almost immediately. She was the perfect species of feline for a Pure Blood. A deep red coat and solid black eyes to match. She was abnormally large, making her the pick of the litter, her poor siblings though, when she decided to play rough. As if she was reading my mind, her ears perked up and began to purr loudly.

"Come here Sasha." she’s lucky she's only an animal with no responsibilities or duties to attend to.

Though she probably wanted to, she was too big now and could no longer sit on my lap while I pet her silky coat. Instead, she opted to lay her head on my lap and enjoy the attention.

It's barely midday, and I've already got drama to handle. Woe is my life as a Pure Blood Princess. Damon is- was my best friend, but he knew better than that. And I'll have to deal with that more later, after dinner with the aristocrats. There, I will get to meet all of their sniveling sons, who are trying to get into favor with me. While their fathers are busy kissing my father's ass. I'm most definitely going to need a drink tonight.

.............................................

"Raven, I swear to the gods, stop complaining! You need to suck it up and look perfect for tonight."

Looking behind me at my other friend, Stella, who happens to be my dresser, I huffed, "This is ridiculous, if you pull this corset any tighter, I'm going to have no waistline!" Seriously? Is she trying to kill me?

Stella laughed, "Maybe then it'll be tight enough."

When it came to appearances, it was top priority to Stella. She then proceeded to yank the corset strings one last time, causing me to feel dizzy.

Tying it off for me she said, "Hmph, you'll thank me when you look amazing tonight."

I snorted, "It's not like I'm interested in tonight anyways."

Stella was born in the castle as a servant's daughter. And ever since we met when we were children, we've been inseparable. Though she was a servant and I was Pure Blood, it didn't seem to matter to the either of us. Especially to her, if we weren't already friends, and someone spoke to me like she does, they would've been killed on site. Growing up in the castle is lonely, not that I minded much, but Stella and Damon made it better. Damon… almost forgot about this morning.

Groaning I asked Stella, "Did you know about Damon and his infatuation with me?"

And without hesitation she rolled her eyes and nodded, "That gods dammed idiot, I told him to keep it to himself, he could've gotten himself in trouble."

Smirking I said," You know how he is, stubborn as can be, when he puts his mind to something he won’t just give up."

She laughed, "But girlie, how'd you not know he was in love with you. Followed you around like a shadow since we were like seven?"

He did? "Stella you know that’s kind of his job, right?"

"Uhuh, and I'm your dresser, though you don't see me going above and beyond, doting on you, and hanging on you your every word?" She shook her head, "No, that guy is in love with you, and has been since the beginning."

Honestly, I always just assumed that he was just extremely loyal to his job. Damon has always been there, no matter what. Like the one time, when we were still kids, my father, the King, scolded me for looking to "sweet" and "friendly" at an important political meeting. Then later that night Damon found me crying in my chambers, my belongings thrown everywhere. Immediately, he ran to my side, comforting me and telling me to never change. I swore back then he was too mature for his age.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately in my father's eyes, after that night, I grew up to be more of the person I am today. I was even given the nickname "Raven" in place of my birth name "Ravenna", because of my deadly demeanor and cold interactions that followed. Though, Stella and Damon gave me that name before the rumors did. Plus, they never said that name out of fear like everyone else.

My friend interrupted memory lane with her obnoxious giggling, “I swear I’m a miracle worker, I almost got that bitchy scowl of yours covered."

Man, she always knew how to push my buttons. Laughing, I chucked a brush at her and yelled, "Who the hell do you think you are talking to your Princess like that?"

She smiled," I wish I were you Raven, to be able to browse every rich man in Sheol tonight."

"Oh yea?", I shrugged, "Take my spot then please, then you can sit through a dinner of gold- digging aristocrats and their like-minded sons."

"On second thought, I enjoy being a dresser, now quit whining to me and go look in the mirror before you go." She laughed," I think I almost made you look delicate tonight."

I know she does her best in designing and preparing me for these things, and I always look show stopping. Even so, these men I'm to meet tonight grew up being told to fear me. I looked into the mirror, seeing my reflection I gasped. Stella per usual, has an innate knack when it comes to styling me. She left my pitch black; shoulder length hair lay flat. And my snow-white skin seemed pore less with my black eyes sparkling. She wrapped my small horns in gold ribbon, looking as though they glowed.

The dress Stella had strangled onto me flowed down to the floor like black waves. With beautiful off-the-shoulder- long sleeves that covered all the way to my fingertips. To finish, like the horns, she had tied a gold ribbon around my neck. The entire ensemble was flawless in my opinion.

"Wow," I said," this is amazing Stella, thank you."

She nodded, "Of course girlie, anything for you, now you have to get down to the dining room. Time to show everyone my latest creation, wear it with confidence."

I nodded, checking my phone I saw the time and quickly got into the toe-pinching heels she picked out for me. I really don’t want to go but my father wishes it, and no one disobeys my father.