Chapter 1
To everyone reading this. Thank you for picking up this story. Thank you for giving time, attention, and belief to a world and a character that started as a thought in my head and now lives because of you. I hope these pages give you something to hold onto, argue with, and come back to. More is coming. Until then, thank you for walking with her and with me.
*Chapter-one*
My name is Princess Sabrina. I am 20 years old, daughter to King Mirhaan, one of the most powerful kings. I carry a beauty that doesn't need ornamentation to be noticed. Flawless in the way early morning light is-clean, even, and impossible to ignore when it falls on you.
I am the kind of presence that makes rooms soften without trying. My face is balanced, my smile quick but never forced, the kind that makes strangers feel like they've been seen for the first time that day.
I move with a quiet grace, never loud, never demanding attention, yet people track me without realizing it. My calmness remains my default, even when court politics flare and voices rise. I listen first, speak second, and somehow lower the temperature just by being there.
Gentle doesn't mean passive with me-it means I choose my words carefully, avoid unnecessary wounds, and believe that strength doesn't require cruelty. Harmless wasn't a weakness; it was a promise I kept.
I had no interest in humiliating rivals or hoarding power for its own sake. What set me apart was how much I actually liked my people. Not the abstract idea of "the kingdom," but the farmers at the market who argued over prices, the sick people who needed medication, the old guards who'd served my father.
I remembered names, asked about harvests, and spent hours in the lower districts when no one from the palace was watching. My people loved me back for it, not because of my title, but because I treated them like they mattered.
My half-brother, the prince is the counterpart of my personality; he spares no one; he was guarded and sharp.
At 18, everything about him was edged. His beauty was flawless in the soft way-it was angular, watchful, the kind that make people straighten their posture without knowing why.
He doesn't smile easily, and when he did, it calculated more than it warmed. Calm for me meant lowering the room's temperature. For him, calm meant control. He spoke little in public, but when he did, it cut.
Gentle wasn't in his vocabulary-he believed kindness without leverage was wasted. Harmless? Never. He saw the court as a game with stakes, and he played to win, even if it meant stepping on people who'd never seen him coming.
I loved my people because I saw them as people. He saw them as variables. The farmers, guards, and traders were useful, loyal, or irrelevant. He could remember names too, but only if they mattered to the ledger of influence he kept in his head.
He moved with an escort and left no debts unpaid. He believes restraint is weakness, and mercy is a liability.
As a child, I had always wanted to play with my brother; he was my only sibling and the only one I could play with. However, my stepmom "The Queen" created a distance between us.
My brother would sometimes sneak out and come to me for us to play, but when my stepmom found out, she would always punish me. She saw me as a rival to her son even though he was the heir to the throne.
Gradually, we grew up, but we barely saw each other even though we lived under the same roof. My stepmom always said I bewitched her husband the king; since his attention and concern are always on me.
My mother died after giving birth to me; she named me Sabrina. After the death of my mother, the kingdom needed a queen, so my father remarried. I was always with my father as a baby. He cherished me; he loved me more than anything, and that angered my stepmom.
She became pregnant and hoped she would give the king a son and win him over. The time of her birth came, and she gave birth to a son, my half-brother, Prince Maaz.
However, my father's love and attention remained fixed on me; he barely looked at the prince, and this made my stepmom, the queen, angry. She harbored hatred for me, but I didn't care since I had my father's love.
My father would take me anywhere he went court meetings, hunting, and I always watched him closely each time and observe everything since as a child.
My father said I looked exactly like my mother, in appearance and personality. All the love he had for her was transfer to me.
I have my personal guards and maids appointed by my father to look after me: Inaya and Zoya, my personal maids. They cared about me and looked after me since I was little, and now they have become like family to me.
My personal guards also trained me in swordsmanship and archery; they don't slack with me when it comes to training. I put passion into it and give it my all. I wanted to master every step and become perfect so I can help my father, the king, when he needs my help.
I would practice when my guards are not around, and when it is training time, they are always surprised by my improvement.
Rohaan said he fears someday I will surpass him as the leader of the army. My father trusted them and said they should always protect me; they should always be by my side like my shadow. Rohan and Faris.
My father is currently ill and can't handle the affairs of the kingdom. The kingdom needed a new king, and the new king will be my brother, as expected by everyone and by tradition. He's the only son, and it will be his coronation in 15 days. My maid Zoya came in, bringing me out of my thoughts.
"My princess, His Majesty requests your presence."
I stood up quickly, worried if something had happened to him. I walked through the hallways, down to the king's quarters. I walked in and found my father laid on the bed. I went close to him and sat beside him.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?"
"Sabrina!"
"Yes, father."
I fear I might die soon, I fear this illness of mine, I will never recover from it."
"Your Majesty, please don't say such words; they scare me. Please, Father, I don't want to lose you also."
"Sabrina, you have to listen to everything I'm about to say, and it will be my last will. Sabrina, do you think you can rule this kingdom?"
Father, what are you even saying? Why will I rule this kingdom? Prince Maaz is well and healthy; he is to be the next king, and his coronation is in 15 days. Everyone knows about this, so why would you say this now?
Sabrina, I don't want to leave this kingdom in your brother's hands; my people will suffer under his reign. Maaz knows no kindness.
Maaz has never lifted a sword; he said he can't risk his life as my heir. He thinks he can do everything he likes since he is my only son and the next king. I am aware of all of his affairs, how he slept around with women.
I have watched you, Sabrina; since as a baby, unlike your brother, you are kind-hearted, you love your people and care for them. You know their pain, and you have fought side by side with Rohan in battles since you were a child. I have full trust in you; Rohaan will be by your side. He will be your guide and advisor as you rule the kingdom. Please, my daughter, this is my last wish.
But father, mother will never accept for me to rule this kingdom. I just need your acceptance, Sabrina, and I will pave the way for you. In 15 days, instead of your brother, you will be crowned the ruler of this kingdom.
Okay, father, if this is what you want, I will gladly rule the kingdom. Thank you, my daughter; I can die in peace knowing the kingdom is in your hands.
