Chapter 1: The Will and The Prohibition
I was sitting on the edge of my mother’s bed. The air in the room was heavy, thick with the scent of impending death and time running out. My sister, Elara, stood frozen by the window, her eyes still holding that childhood innocence I had long since lost. My mother’s trembling hands gripped mine, as if she were trying to pass her last bit of strength to me.
Vespera, promise me, - my mother said, her voice barely a whisper. - Your father... he was so handsome. But you saw the poison hidden behind that beauty. That poison killed us.
I promise, Mother, - I said, feeling the intensity of the hatred in my own voice. - I will never be deceived by the eyes of a handsome man. I will never listen to their voices. There is no place for them in our world.
Elara slowly turned toward us, a question in her eyes, but she said nothing. My mother’s gaze drifted to the old photograph of our father resting on the dresser. We should have burned it, but we hadn't found the strength yet.
They will only see you as playthings, - my mother’s final words stamped onto my heart like a seal. - Especially the rich ones. Their love is a stain, my daughter. A stain that can never be washed away.
