Chapter 1 CHAPTER ONE

Princess Ione's POV

I dragged myself slowly through the hallways, I was exhausted and fought the urge to cry as I went back to my room. I wasn't allowed to be in the hall for the royal ball like my younger siblings. I was the oldest among them and yet I was treated like an outcast. 

"Princess" I heard from behind me and I turned. Agnes was skipping towards me with a wide smile, she linked our arms together and I forced a smile. I didn't want her to know that I was sad. 

"Why aren't you at the table?" she asked but I didn't respond. 

"The queen asked you to leave didn't she?" She knew exactly what happened. I didn't need to confirm it. 

"I don't know why she acts like a fucking bitch"

"Agnes!" I shouted. My mother may be mean to me but she was still my mother. 

"What? It's the truth. Why would she treat her own daughter like this?" It was a question I asked myself countlessly but there was no reasonable answer for it. My mother used to love me so much when I was younger. Her attitude towards me changed the moment she gave birth to my younger sister. She no longer paid any attention to me and she showed her favoritism openly. 

Father would often smile warmly at me but she never got involved with the way she treated me. Sometimes, it made me feel like she wasn't my mother. 

"Maybe she is not your mother" Agnes said as we entered my bedroom and I rolled my eyes. I was a fae child like my other siblings and we shared a few similarities so that thought didn't count. I plopped on my bed and started removing the jewelry. 

"So you didn't get to see the higher-ups?"

"Only for a few seconds, mother sent me out before I could properly see them"

"And she allows Imara to see them. It gives a strange feeling, like she wants to make Imara more acquainted with them. What if she wants Imara to take over the throne when the time comes" I shrugged. 

I'm not interested in the throne or the responsibility that comes with it. I just wanted my family to love me and treat me like a part of them. 

"I'm really thinking that's it. That's the only explanation for that" she continued but I paid no attention to her and removed my clothes. I was really excited to meet everyone but Mother didn't want me to. Agnes continued talking and followed me when I moved to the window seat. 

"If I were you, I would have run away a long time ago" she said with a huff and I chuckled. 

"Where could I possibly run to?" I didn't know anyone or anywhere outside this palace. I spent all my life here. Besides, I won't be able to survive outside this palace.

"Anywhere. I have an uncle with a farm south of here. He loves me very much and we could live on the farm together. You won't have to do any work"

"I could never survive outside of here" I said looking out of the window. 

"Never say never" she mumbled. I looked at the kingdom from up here, it was so beautiful and I wish I had a chance to explore but Mother always wanted me inside. I was convinced at one point that she was trying to protect me from enemies. 

'Or you're simply making excuses for her' the voice in my head accused me. 

Agnes fell asleep on the bed while I stayed awake, looking outside and punishing myself by listening to the sound of jubilation. The noises eventually died out and then I heard a knock on the door. It was pushed open before I could even answer and Mother stood in the doorway with a frown. Agnes jerked up. 

"I've warned you to stop letting the slaves lie on your bed" she said, her voice filled with anger. 

"I'm sorry" Agnes mumbled. 

"Get out now" Agnes scampered away and I felt bad for her. I couldn't stand up for her before my mother. I fiddled with my fingers. 

In this mood, she wasn't going to say anything pleasant. 

"Look at me" she commanded in a hard voice and I slowly lifted my head to look at her. 

"Why did you come to the banquet"

"I......" I couldn't find my words. 

"Speak" she commanded and I flinched at the sound of her voice. 

"I wanted to meet the guests" 

"As what?" I had no response for that. 

"How many times have I warned you that you should never show up before my guests?”

"Numerous times" I whispered. 

"Good. But you still decided to show up uninvited and ruin the day" She slammed her hands angrily on the wall. 

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to meet the guests like Imara" she scoffed. 

"You and Imara are not on the same level. Do I also need to remind you that?"

"But, I'm your daughter too. Why am I not allowed to meet the guests or attend balls as she does?" I asked angrily. She cocked her head to the side. 

"Are you questioning me?" she asked in a cold voice and I recoiled in fear. My courage disappeared instantly. 

"No" I mumbled, keeping my head down. 

"You had better not. I won't be so lenient with you the next time you show up uninvited. Am I clear?"

"Yes mother" I heard the door slam and I plopped down on the chair. I couldn't stop the tears, they flowed freely from my eyes. I quickly wiped them off when I heard the door open again. 

"Ione?" I quickly looked up at the sound of Imara's gentle voice. She had a worried look on her face. 

"Are you okay?"

"Yes," I said, wiping the tears away from my eyes and forcing a smile. 

"I'm sorry that she's always acting that way"

"You don't have to be sorry Imara"

"I feel weird that she gives me preferential treatment at your expense"

"It's fine"

"It's not. It's not right that she should treat you that way. I wonder why Papa never says anything about it. Maybe when I become queen"

"When you become queen?" I asked in surprise and confusion.

"Yes. Mama says it'll be soon. I'm not prepared yet and I wish we had more time but with the war......"

"War?" she nodded. 

"Yes. The vampires are encroaching into our territory. It makes mother really worried" My frown deepened. I didn't know anything about the war. 

Why do they keep everything away from me? Imara kissed my cheek. 

"I'm really exhausted and I'd like to sleep for a while before dinner"

"Okay. I'll see you later" I waved at her as she exited my room. I couldn't get any rest until dinner. I was eager to find out what was truly wrong. I was the first to arrive at the table and mother came down shortly. 

"Evening mama" I smiled at her but she didn't return it. She was probably in a bad mood because of the war. Father and Imara came down together, Eloise joined us much later with a scowl on her face. Our meal was served and I kept thinking of a way to bring up the topic of the war. 

'Maybe you should just wait' said the voice in my head, after thinking for so long and not coming up with any reasonable way of introducing the topic. 

The table was very silent and I let it remain so. After the meal mother and father immediately left. 

"Let's hang out until bedtime," Imara suggested.

"Not interested" Eloise said with a scowl and stormed away. 

"That brat" Imara mumbled after her. " Mother needs to spank her sometimes"

True. But mother would never. I'm sure she loved the way Eloise behaved. 

"I have to speak to papa. It's really urgent"

"Is anything wrong?"

"No. I'll see you soon" I waved at her and she waved back. I walked the familiar path to my father's office. The door was ajar but thankfully he was alone. I knocked on the door and he looked up from his work. 

"Ione"

"Papa. May I come in?"

"Sure" he smiled at me but I couldn't help but notice it didn't reach his eyes. 

"You haven't gone up to your room yet?"

"No. I wanted to speak with you"

"Is there a problem?" He asked with concern even though his smile stayed.

"I heard about the war" his smile vanished. 

"Forget about it, child. There's nothing that can be done"

"Are they going to take away our lands?"

"It's not ours originally, although our ancestors used it for so long"

"Wasn't there some kind of agreement back then?" he shrugged. 

"I wouldn't know. I wasn't always the king" 

Right. I often heard the story, especially from Agnes. Father's older brother used to be king and he had a beautiful daughter who was going to succeed him but she disappeared and so father became king. I often saw some paintings of Princess Noelia. She is so beautiful and I'm sure she would have made a fine queen. I wondered what happened to her. 

"Aren't you going to tell her what the council has come up with?"

"Tena" Father's voice came out like a warning. Mother moved forward into the room, her eyes boring holes into my skin. 

"Tell her"

"Not now Tena"

"Tell me what?" I asked, my eyes shuffling between the two of them. 

"The council wants to offer a bride to the vampire king to form an alliance and stop the war”

A bride? Where was this leading to?

"Tena" Father slammed his palms against the oak table and I feared they would crack from the force. Mother ignored him and continued anyway. 

"Do you know who they have decided to send?" Her eyes sparkled with something malicious. 

"Who?" I dared to ask in a small voice. 

"You" The world stilled. 

"I told you to stop Tena. We are not sending her away"

"Why not? Why are you keeping her here when she could save our land"

"She's not going. There has to be another way"

"But there's no other way Erksine. The vampires have agreed, we must send her"

"Are you listening to yourself? You know what the vampires are like. How can you say that we send our daughter to them? What if something happens to her"

"We'll live, we have other daughters" she said in a cold tone. I was too hurt and shocked by her words. 

"Please excuse me" I mumbled and ran out, her words echoing in my head. 

They had other daughters.

I didn’t matter.