A crowd gathers in front of the castle walls, the only place a commoner can hope to be noticed by a noble.

Women, children, and men alike gather outside the castle walls looking at an object raised high for all to see.

Some stare in awe, others fight to keep their breakfast down.

I look closely, my eyes witnessing the severed king's head on a stake.

Whispers come from all around wondering what exactly happened, but one thing is evident.

Alteria isn't waging all-out war with the continent but instead only with the Kingdom that already controls half of the continent.

Alteria avoided a massive war with Cursica by taking over us, the third most powerful kingdom.

Alteria in the night, quickly without mercy, leaving only one Kingdom with the power, resources, and magic to stand in a fight against them.

The voices of the people flood the square over the king's head. 

Suddenly silence rains over the capital and a voice like velvet fills our ears.

"Hmmm, I hope the people formerly of Cursica like my present." A visual of the king's severed head flashes in my mind, from the look of other people they must have seen it too.

My only thoughts about the image are it had to have been magic.

"What to do... what to do." The velvety voice ponders.

"I think I should start with who took over Cursica last night..." The velvety voice drawls "I am Emperor Malachi Carnsha De Alteria. You are all now subjugated under my authority." 

Silence...

"Unfortunately for you," The Emperor continues "Alteria taking over does not make you a citizen of Alteria. If you would like identification papers you need to follow my instructions. By this time next year, one member of your family must travel to the capital and register as the family head to pledge your loyalty to Alteria's crown. Only then may you return and receive citizenship from the lord in charge of the lands." He pauses sending another vision into our minds.

The queen, all nobles and consorts kneel in front of the Emperor, our kingdom's crown sits upon his head.

Two mages stand behind him, even though we can't feel their magic they still intimidate us through the vision in our heads.

Emperor Malachi continues though this time we can see him speaking from the throne room,

"As for the laws of our Empire, well... it will take time to adjust. As horrible as the rumors are about me and my people, we only harm those who get in our way. So if you wish to live, then kneel." He gestures to Curisca's court kneeling in front of him.

The vision goes out, everyone around the walls of the castle stares up at the severed head deliberating exactly how they are going to please the Emperor of an enemy empire.

"By the decree of Emperor Malachi Carnsha De Alteria, Magic is to be freed but not to be abused those who use magic to harm another will be subjugated to the law. Slavery is now abolished you have two months to free your slaves, any free slaves may come to the castle to the Alterian helping the Kingdom adjust into our Empire for help to resettle. Anyone caught harboring their slaves or killing them instead of freeing them will be executed without a chance to plea for themselves." A man reads out from the paper nailed to the walls of the castle.

"New laws will rain," I think to myself before turning on my heels and heading for home.

With this chance I can escape, the only problem is I didn't leave my house with any provisions to escape.

No matter how awful my family is, I need to go home before I can make any plans to escape.

I quietly open the door to my home hoping my family wouldn't notice, I peer in.

My father and brothers sit around the table, waiting.

I try to quietly slip up the stairs into my room to gather my things before leaving.

I had been trying to escape since my mother's death, but due to the fact that it is certain death to leave, I haven't been able to leave. 

Now that Cursica was no more I have no fear of leaving, hopefully, soldiers from Alteria are in the woods outside the capital, maybe I will be able to hitch a ride with them through the woods.

I have nothing keeping me here anymore. 

My eldest brother stops me from going up the stairs.

"Sit," Bedor commands.

"Why...?" I ask hoping that they would just let me go.

"Sit, now!" My father commands from the table.

I go to my seating trying to avoid any physical altercation with them, but it wouldn't be the first time they beat me.

"Wha... wha... what is it, father." I stammer in fear.

"Did you not see the same visions as us?" My father snarls at me.

"No...no I did" I mutter.

I've always been weak in my father's eyes, it keeps him less aggressive towards me so I play the meek girl he wants to see in me.

"Well, stupid girl, your brothers and I have been formulation a plan to regain our family's former status as nobles." My father tells me.

"That's right we once had the status of a Baron." My second brother confirms.

"We have come to the conclusion that we need to leave Cursica and go to the capital of Alteria and gain an audience with the King." My eldest brothers say with pride like this whole plan was his idea.

"Rumors have flone through the capital that the Emperor likes pretty girls, now normally we wouldn't be telling you this, because you've already been ruined." My father slams his fist in rage on the table.

I flinch for real, remembering that awful night.

I've always been a target of the men here due to the fact that I gain my mother's ethereal beauty.

If it wasn't for the objects in my room and the fact that I currently have nothing on me, I would have run out the door and taken my chances in the wood knowing what the rest of my father's plan is.

But as long as I played along, I can take the things my mother left for me before running away somewhere along our journey to the capital. 

"But hopefully the Emperor won't care, and you will do your best to please the Emperor and gain his favor, once you become his concubine or whatever he makes you we can regain the status of my grandfather." My father finishes.

"Father, do you really think that Alex can gain the favor of the Emperor, or that we can even get an audience with him?" My younger third brother asks.

He might act innocently but sometimes he is the worst of them all, he is a psychopath in the making.

"One of my friends who is a noble has visited Alteria before, he tells me all you need to do is just tell the Emperor you have a gift unlike any other for him and he will consider seeing you." My father smiles at his words, then looks at me like he's evaluating my worth.

My siblings look at me, greed shines in their eyes.

I lower my head shaking, trying to fight back the tears.

"I swear that I will die before I ever sell myself." I think to myself.

With that thought, I come to my conclusion.