Chapter 1
A girl doesn't sit like this, she leaves no hunch on her back. A girl doesn't laugh like that, mostly royals they will think that you grew up with pigs. A princess walks with her head held high and not strolling around in her beautiful dress dragging her feet. Those were the remarks I grew up with from my father, mother and my royal tutor.
Years pass by my mom is captured by our enemies and we can't trace from which kingdom. My father is obsessed with protecting me that he didn't want me to join the army if not for my trusted knight and friend Liam. No one was ready to let a girl on the army but this knight with a black hair saw potential in me and begged the king, which is my father promising him that I'll be under his care. I miss those days when I used to go to war and not be in the castle for days.
But I have one major problem as a girl in Armentheia, an heir, a princess. I turned 25 and still unmarried. Not many suitors came my way due to my "unruly" behavior that spread across the lands. If anyone came to this kingdom they will believe my close friend Josephine is a princess, because she has this elegance that they look for in a lady. My dressing didn't help matters, I loved wearing tunics compared to all these royal gowns, my mom was dissatisfied with my behavior and dressing at times she used to forbid me from dressing like that or taking part in archery practice. I never listened to her in such cases, I always used to sneak away from her sight to learn archery when I was younger but now that I'm better at it, archery is now my hobby.
"Where is that red haired princess?". My father's voice echoed through the palace. Since my mom went missing, he's been more overly protective of me. If I for any reason sneezez at the lightest reaction I will find myself inside a wall of guards.
"Young lady!". My dad almost spotted me but I dashed to a near entrance to the palace. I know of how he'll talk to me about getting married, him being a mockery to other kingdoms, how I should not be a coward like his dad or how important I am to him more than ever since mom was kidnapped.
"Cassandra". I got a jump scare but recognized that voice anywhere it was Josephine, her blonde hair packed in a beautiful bun, her light blue gown that matches the glow in her eyes. She looks like the 'ideal princess'.
"Cassandra!". The stern voice of my father boomed behind me. His facial expressions changed to something lighter when he saw me with Josephine.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting you ladies".
"No, your majesty". Josephine said giving a bow. The only bow I do is the one I use for arrows and my father was delighted to see such curtsey.
If anyone saw Josephine and my dad side by side, they will think she's the king's daughter. As for me, I'm the exact replica of my mom, asides from my character. Josephine has been living in the castle walls with me like she's my own younger her sister. Her parents died when she was nine years old, from a war of a neighbouring Kingdom. My mom decided to take her in hoping that Josephine's character will rub off on me. Unfortunately, my mom isn't around to see that her plan failed.
"I was just heading to the library to read a book in the open space". Josephine smiled politely before excusing herself.
I was left alone with my dad and the guards that stayed near the pillars of this palace until they were called upon.
"Sandra walk with me". My father ordered.
My lazy footsteps followed behind his commanding footsteps. We headed towards a passage where a lot of pictures were framed.
In this palace even from a person's footsteps you can know their rank. I was once insulted by a guest, cause he thought I was a servant and the mud on my clothes that day didn't help matters. My dad gave me one warning glance and I straightened my shoulders right away and walked like 'the next queen'.
"Sandra".
"Yes, father". My attention turned from the frames hanging on the wall to his stern face.
"You are twenty five". My dad let that sink in me for a moment.
"A princess, an heir to the throne". He paused for sometime.
I knew what was coming next.
"You are skilled in weaponry and blessed with good looks, it's about time you found someone worthy that will rule this kingdom by your side".
"Dad, I....".
"Cassandra!". My dad raised a hand to silence me, of course when with hearing I should be more formal and address him as father.
"You are twenty five and not married! And only five suitors approached you when it's supposed to be hundreds of thousand!". I saw the rage in his eyes. The same rage when he's at the warfront, that same rage when he found out his beloved wife, my mom was kidnapped by a neighbouring Kingdom. I knew he might be facing mockery in the society as the king who has a beautiful daughter but is still unmarried at the age of twenty five.
The society mocks me, a king mocked in his own land". His voice is lower this time.
"His daughter only has five suitors and a young maiden living in the same palace walls has fifty suitors, while the young maiden is only nineteen turning twenty!". The pressure wasn't that much until Josephine's suitors flooded in. I can't blame them, she's young, a beautiful maiden, intelligent who has a soft skin and acts like royalty unlike me who is rough always eager for the next war to come, sometimes marks left all over my body, and in no way do I dress like a princess or heir in their eyes. Comparing her number of suitors to mine along with the age gap I'm a laughing stock in our Kingdom.
