Chapter 1:The Assassination
The moon shone brightly. The night was calm, and the kingdom of Serenica slept under the moonlight—except for one small golden light, unlike the stars that clustered the sky: the room of the royal and only princess—Princess Aurelia Dautmann of Serenica.
Aurelia breathed hard, staring at the blood-stained bed sheets, stained by her own blood. Her maid, Flora, comforted her as she held her close. Her father, Galathor Dautmann, the King of Serenica, stood furious, glaring at the kneeling man before him.
Aurelia’s supposed protector and knight had tried to assassinate her.
“You are one of the spies of Grithwald, aren’t you?” the king asked.
The man was on the verge of tears, realizing the gravity of his crime and its consequences.
“My lord!” he said as he kneeled on the ground. “Please forgive me, my lord! I was forced! I didn’t—”
“ENOUGH!”
The sound of the king’s voice echoed through the dark empty corridors, making Aurelia almost flinch.
“You tried to kill my only heir to the Ignae Throne! I will never forgive you! You are to be sentenced to death first thing in the morning!”
The man whimpered, shaking like a leaf at the prospect of death. As the guards dragged him away, he screamed—his voice echoing through the corridors. What a horrible sound it was…
Galathor finally went to his daughter, embracing her tightly.
“Father,” Aurelia cried out.
“You are safe now, my darling. Please forgive me for this mistake. I will never, ever let anyone hurt you again.”
The other guards surrounded the room, watching the scene. Flora quickly called the doctor to patch up the wound while she cleared out the bloody sheets.
Aurelia did not sleep that night. Even with so many knights outside her room, she couldn’t rest. The only man she trusted apart from her father…the one who watched her from a young age, protected her…the one she considered her guardian…was the one who tried to assassinate her.
Aurelia gave a shaky sigh as she made herself comfortable under the blankets, her left hand gripping them tightly, her knuckles turning white. She never thought that a person she was close to could ever betray her…
Unable to sleep, she got up and went near the window. Aurelia lingered by the window alone, watching the lanterns dim one by one across Serenica. Somewhere far below, the faint sound of steel rang through the corridors — measured, unhurried. She rested her palm against the cold glass, unsure why her chest felt so tight, only knowing that something beyond these walls was beginning to change.
Tomorrow would demand her titles, her duties, her careful words. But tonight, standing there in the quiet, she found herself wondering for the first time if the crown on her head was not a gift at all — but a burden already deciding her fate.
(Author’s note:There is a video about this story, kind of like a teaser in my wall, check it our if you like thes story!)
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