Marriage… to Duke Vincent… all because I wrote a dumb story. 

“Now everyone, leave. Bastien.” He ushered the butler over to his side and asked him to prepare the materials for the letter. I stood in that one spot watching my life wither away by every scribble he made on the paper. 

Scritch, my childhood. 

Scritch, my happy debutante. 

Scritch, all my dreams and hopes of wanting a happy marriage. 

Scritch, my death. 

All of it. 

The noises became muffled around me and all I could hear were the proud steps of my family members as they left the room one by one. Each of them had a wide smirk on their face, walking away knowing that they had just ended my life. However, a single hand brushed past me, and as I looked down, the Youngest Prince looked straight at me. Maybe he looked worried or regretful- but I don’t remember. 

At that time, my eyes were focused on every word that the king wrote onto that paper. He finished the letter, signed it, folded it neatly, and stamped it with the royal seal. He handed it off to the butler and that took my last shred of happiness away. 

Once the butler left the room, it was just me and the King. This man whom I looked up to as a ruler, whom I respected for his numerous responsibilities. This man who gave his all in trying to make the lives of his people better. This man who fought wars on the front lines and carried the burden of every soldier that passed. This man for whom I waited patiently, that one day he will see me as his daughter- 

“Why are you still standing here? Get your belongings ready, you’ll be leaving once we receive his response.” 

I wish I hadn’t wasted my hopes and expectations on someone like him. Who was I kidding! My chest was in so much pain, my throat was sore and my heart felt like it was getting crushed. I wanted to scream! I wanted to cry! But my tears were gone. 

My throat hurt so much that it felt like my voice had disappeared. However, I posed myself, stood straight and looked him in the eye, “Yes, Your Majesty.” 

This man was unworthy of my tears, and I proudly left the room. 

…….. 

Duke Vincent is notorious in the lands of Hestia. He is known as a psychopath. Just about six months ago, he got married to his seventeenth wife. However, not even ten days of their marriage and his wife committed suicide by slitting her neck on the front door of his mansion. All of his previous wives died similarly. Some were killed, some took their lives, some ran away and were never heard of again. Now everyone in the kingdom knows, marrying Duke Vincent is a straight path to death. All those women only married him for his wealth or because their life was in danger, but I’m getting married because my father values his customs over his own kin. 

Who would say that I’m the king’s daughter…Second Princess of Hestia? 

I’m no one. 

Even though I wanted to cry so bad, I just couldn’t. 

-SLAM- 

“Hey! Are you here!?” 

The First Prince stomped into my room, but I didn’t even want to look at him. I continued lying in bed pretending that I was asleep. He stood there in silence and just when I thought he had left, he grabbed my hair and pulled me off the bed. I fell to the ground and he clenched my hair even tighter. “Did you just ignore me?” He glared his eyes into my face. Those same cold blue eyes that my father looked at me with. I averted my gaze and he clenched his teeth. Before a second to breathe, he slapped me in my face. 

“You ignored me again.” 

He walked out of the room and returned minutes later with a whip in his hand. 

“Try and ignore me again!” He slashed his whip across my arm. My skin sizzled at the hit and my sleeve was ripped. 

One, two, three…

Fifteen… 

Twenty. 

Maybe becoming Duke Vincent’s eighteenth wife is not so bad after all. 

…….

The Duke’s letter arrived the following day and preparations for the engagement began. There was no ball, no dinner, no greetings. Just my belongings getting packed and ready to be sent. The preparations lasted an entire week, and all I did was walk around the overgrown garden behind my palace. Ever since I was a baby, this garden has been abandoned. For fifteen years, the vines and bushes grew over everything. For other nobles it looks horrendous and disgusting but I find it all the more comforting. Knowing that these plants are the only ones that grew with me just gave me an odd sense of peace. The wounds on my back had pretty much healed and my family members never visited me since then. Except for one person. 

“Ah, it’s here again.”

In the centre of the garden, there is a little seating area. It has a small table and three chairs made of white marble. It is covered with a beautiful white arch covered in rose vines. The tables and chairs are also run over by vines. However, these past few days, I find a different flower and a little dessert on the table every time I come for a walk. Yesterday, it was a bunch of daffodils and an ointment for wounds. These little gifts have really comforted me throughout the week and I wanted to find the person behind them. And so to find the culprit behind it, I decided to head out a little earlier. 

On the way to the arch, I saw a little head placing something on the table. It must be him. I walked up to the little boy and was surprised by who I found. 

His golden hair gave away his identity immediately. At the sound of my footsteps, the little boy turned his head in surprise. Every one of my family members have chilling blue eyes that send shivers to anyone who looks into them. This little boy with the same hair and same eyes looked at me surprised. His hair shimmered in the sunlight and for the first time those blue eyes took my breath away. 

His eyes looked like beautiful gemstones. They reminded me of the sea. Innocence is such a beautiful thing. 

In the midst of my mesmerisation, I forgot to ask. 

“Young Prince, may I ask why you’re here?” 

TBC