Chapter 1-
Prologue
Many years ago, the kingdom of Everwood lost their king and other powerful kingdoms rose against them in war and took a few of their maidens as slaves. In despair, Queen Charlotte got into an expensive agreement with the devil for a heavy sacrifice. Twenty-seven years later, after a peaceful reign and failing to keep to her promise, she's struck with a deadly illness. To Queen Charlotte, her healing depends on her son's ascension to the throne.
Unfortunately, with the strict laws of the kingdom, ascension to the throne hung on the birth of a male child. Other than that, the mother and her girl child die mysteriously right after birth.
***
Valerie
I gently trailed my hands over the comfy drapes of my wedding gown and smiled at Lydia, my handmaid.
"This is exquisite, my lady," Lydia exclaimed with pride as I admired her handiwork in the mirror.
"Thank you, Lydia. I'm all set. Could you kindly check on my prince? We shouldn't keep our guests waiting."
"Yes, my Lady," Lydia replied with a curtsy before leaving the chamber to confirm whether Prince Henry was ready for our grand ceremony.
The door opened a few minutes later, followed by the dull thuds of Lydia's footsteps. "Forgive me, my lady. I couldn't find Prince Henry in the grand hall."
The excitement on my face instantly faded, "He's supposed to be ready before me. Are you certain you looked everywhere?"
Lydia curtsied, "Yes, my lady. I searched the entire hall, but there was no sign of him."
At once, I walked out of my private chamber and made for the guest chambers. Taking a step one at a time, the sounds emanating from within grew louder and unmistakable.
Was that Lady Julia's voice? I wondered. They were desperate moans, coupled with muffled gasps.
My heart began to race as I approached the door. Who could the man be? He was truly without any mercy.
However, I slowed my pace, not wanting to announce my presence. I peeped through the cracks in the wall to catch a glimpse of what was happening without being seen.
Just as I reached the door, Cassius, the prince's guard, blocked my path. "You can't go in, My Lady," he warned respectfully. "The prince strictly instructed me to keep intruders away."
But I was beyond reason. I pushed the door open, and the scene before me took my breath away.
"Ju... Julia?" I stuttered the moment I caught my stepsister, Julia, in the arms of the man who was supposed to become my husband.
For a moment, I felt as though I'd been turned to stone, dead, and utterly immobile. My sight went blurry from the tears that had gathered in my lacrimal sacs. My surprised eyes remained fixed on the scene before me as I struggled to comprehend the betrayal.
My knees buckled, and I collapsed to the ground, my beautiful gown pooling around me like a lake. The sound of Prince Henry's remorseless voice came through.
"There's no point in proceeding, Princess," he said. "I made a mistake. Lady Julia is the one who truly deserves me. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a mere royal doormat. A pathetic, obedient princess."
I felt a stinging sensation in my cheeks as I scrambled to my feet with pleading eyes. "It's our wedding day. Please, don't disgrace me like this. I can overlook your mistakes, and we can proceed with the wedding. I'm not angry, my prince. Have mercy on me, I beg of you."
"You heard him." Lady Julia spoke, triumphantly and fearlessly kissing Prince Henry before my very eyes, and he shamelessly returned the favor, leaving me disgusted.
"He never wanted to be with you, don't force it, garbage!" my step-sister hurled, sensually tugging at the prince's beard.
"How long has this been?" I asked no one in particular; my head was spinning at that time.
Prince Henry gestured to Julia, "Why don't you tell her our little secret?"
"Oh, about that, he's right." Julia started, "Prince Henry and I... We happened to get together a week after your engagement party. And let me tell you, it's been absolutely captivating and addictive."
My face twisted in anger, "How dare you?"
Laughing, Julia continued. "Oh, calm down, Valerie. Let me finish. He loves it mostly on the tabletop, and he's got the endurance of a lion. He rode me from midnight to dawn... Want to hear more? We're expecting our baby soon."
I was frozen for a moment. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came forth. Unexpectedly, my dignity kicked in. "Enough! You can have him. Thanks to you two for this embarrassment." I said and turned on my heel, gently dabbing the tears off my eyes as I went, but they kept coming up anyway.
I decided to salvage what was left of my dignity. The weight of the royal guests' expectations settled upon me being the bride and I had to save myself from shame. The wedding had to go on, no matter what.
I made it toward the entrance of the grand hall, frantically searching for a last-minute replacement for my wayward groom.
And then, a god-like figure emerged from the crowd trooping in for the wedding. He was devilishly handsome, with a face that looked cute and tough at the same time. I felt my heart skip a beat as our eyes accidentally met.
"Hello there," I called out. His presence was so overwhelming that I could have peed in my underwear if it wasn't for my composure.
He paused suddenly, with a lingering gaze as if he was questioning whether he'd truly heard someone address him. He squinted, and I sensed a little wonder in his face.
"Hi," he replied with a deep, strong voice.
I forced a bright smile, "Will you marry me, please?"
His eyebrows shot up, and he let out a low, rumbling laugh. "Ridiculous! Do you know who I am?"
I stood my ground, "I may not, but I believe I will if we get married today."
He looked away, his eyes settling on those trooping into the grand hall. "You met the wrong man, and you're too beautiful to be harmed. Can I go now?" His response was swift and straight to the point, but I wasn't ready to give up. He appeared to be the most suitable replacement for me at that time.
The memory of my earlier torment was still fresh in my mind. "Too beautiful to be harmed? Can you cause me more harm than my stepfamily already has?"
"You never can tell," he replied, returning his face to me, but this time, it was with pity. He tilted his head, and for a moment, I felt like he could see right through me. "Were you crying?"
I shook my head. However, I pressed on, holding onto his wrist. "Let's do this marriage for a year. We can divorce later. I promise to pay you whatever you want."
