I am the Crown Princess of Eldoria, and my father’s only child. When I was seven, my father, the King, selected four sons from the Four Great Houses of the realm. They were the most handsome, the most brilliant, and they were to be raised at court as my future consorts, groomed to one day help me rule. The people called them the “Four Lords of Eldoria.” None of them liked me. Even the one I adored, Lord Kaelan, had already given his heart to another. Now, with the King’s health failing, he asked me which of them I would choose to be my Prince Consort. I left my fate to the God, deciding with a simple drawing of lots. I never imagined I would draw the name of the most unreliable one of them all: Lord Lysander. On the day the royal decree was to be announced, Lord Kaelan fell to his knees and begged me not to leave him. 1 “Father, I choose Lysander.” I stared at the wooden token in my hand and gave a bitter smile. Perhaps this was fate. Kaelan and I were simply not meant to be. My father hesitated, his gaze searching mine. “Aurelia, are you certain? Once the royal decree is issued, there is no turning back.” Of course, I knew that. But Kaelan didn't love me. Why should I force him into a miserable life? Besides him, it made no difference to me who I married. As the Crown Princess of Eldoria, I had duties that outweighed my own desires. I bowed my head. “Father, my mind is made up. I will not regret it.” The King sighed and wrote Lysander’s name upon the royal scroll. “In three days, I will proclaim to the kingdom that Lord Lysander is to be your Prince Consort.” I nodded. As I left my father’s chambers, I saw four strikingly handsome men walking towards me, each with a god-like grace. My four consorts-in-waiting. Gareth, my cousin, was the first to speak. “Your Highness,” he said, his curiosity getting the better of him, “we heard the King asked you to choose a consort. Who did you pick?” My eyes instinctively flickered to Kaelan. The fourth lord, Tristan, noticed and clapped Kaelan on the shoulder with a grin. “Is there any need to ask? It must be our Kaelan. Everyone in the palace knows the Princess has eyes only for him.” At his words, Kaelan’s face turned to stone. When he looked at me, his eyes burned with a mixture of resentment and bitterness. That single glance was a dagger in my heart. For a fleeting moment, I wanted to tell him that I hadn’t chosen him, to beg him not to look at me with such hatred. But then I thought, after all the years I’ve spent chasing after him, let him worry for a few days. Seeing my silence, Gareth nudged me. “Come now, Your Highness, don’t keep us in suspense. Who is it?” My gaze fell upon Lysander, who stood apart from the others, fanning himself languidly, saying nothing. “You will all find out in three days.” Lysander’s eyes met mine, and he raised a single, inquisitive eyebrow. I turned and walked back to my wing of the palace without another word. Tristan was right. Everyone knew I loved Kaelan. But he was a man of immense pride. He saw the idea of rising through marriage to a woman as a disgrace and hated that his life, even his choice of wife, was not his own to control. Besides, he was already in love with someone else, a woman he could never be with because of me. He met all my attempts at affection with cold disdain. He didn’t understand that my marriage was not a matter of the heart, but a political tool. My father was ill, and despite a harem of consorts, I was his only child. The consort program was a strategy to maintain balance and control over the Four Great Houses. My husband had to be one of them. Whether they wished it or not. Lost in thought, I was startled by a voice from behind me. “Your Highness, a moment.” 2 I turned. It was Kaelan. His fists were clenched, his expression dark. “Is there something you need, my lord?” He gave a stiff bow. “I have already given my heart to another. I pray you will grant us your blessing.” I laughed. “Kaelan, do you truly believe I would choose you?” He faltered. “You are the Princess. You have so many choices. Why must you insist on forcing someone who does not love you?” I looked down, a bitter smile touching my lips. “Rest assured, I will not bother you again. You are free to pursue your ambitions, to be with the woman you love.” He frowned. “Your Highness, what do you mean by that?” Just as I was about to tell him I had chosen Lysander, a clumsy figure stumbled and crashed into me. I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Before I could even react, Lady Seraphine was on her knees, begging for mercy. “Forgive me, Your Highness! I… I didn’t mean to! Please, forgive me!” I rubbed my bruised arm, looking at her in confusion. Seraphine was the niece of a powerful court duchess, from a prominent house. Yet every time she saw me, she acted like a mouse cornered by a cat, even when I had done nothing. Kaelan often shot me dirty looks because of it, assuming I had been bullying her. Seeing her knock her head on the stone floor until it was red, Kaelan rushed forward, his voice laced with pain. “That’s enough, Seraphine. It was a small accident. There’s no need for this.” He helped her up, then shot a warning glance in my direction. I watched the scene with a scornful silence. Seeing this, Seraphine immediately dropped to her knees again, tears streaming down her face. “Your Highness, I deserve to be punished. Please, just forgive me this once.” I pushed myself up from the ground and looked down at her. Kaelan, thinking I was deliberately tormenting her, lost all composure. “Aurelia! It was an accident! How can you abuse your power like this? How do you expect to rule this kingdom one day if you cannot even show basic decency?” Abuse my power? She was the one who had run into me. I hadn't said a single word, and he was already accusing me. Had I been too kind to him for too long? Had he forgotten his place? He wanted to see me abuse my power? Fine. I would show him. I yanked Seraphine to her feet and slapped her, hard, across the face. “Remember this,” I said, my voice dripping with contempt. “This is what it means to abuse my power.” Kaelan’s eyes widened, but he was too slow to stop me. Seeing the red handprint blooming on Seraphine’s cheek, he pointed at me, his voice trembling with rage. “Aurelia…” CRACK! I slapped him too. “You will address me as Your Highness.” He was stunned into silence. I had spent years trying to win his affection. He had never imagined I would treat him like this. He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles cracked. “Fine,” he seethed. “Just fine.” “Seraphine, let’s go.” Watching them leave, a wave of melancholy washed over me. He hadn't always been like this. When we were seven, I fell into the palace lake, and he saved me. After my cousin Gareth, he was the one I was closest to. He would help me with my lessons, encourage me when the Grand Tutor was harsh, and even share my punishments. It was only when we grew older and understood the meaning of our arrangement—that everything he learned, everything he did, was to prepare him to serve me—that he began to change. He couldn’t accept a life he hadn’t chosen. He felt trapped. Then, he met Seraphine at a poetry gala and was captivated by her. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. He would probably be thrilled to learn I had chosen Lysander. 3 The next day was the kingdom’s annual High Rite of Ascension. My father’s health was worsening, so I had to preside, with the Four Lords at my side. Kaelan was still furious about yesterday’s events and refused to even look at me. I couldn't be bothered with him either. After the midday meal, I took a walk in the gardens. Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted to my ears. “Lord Kaelan, I made these honey cakes myself. Try one.” I followed the sound and saw Lady Seraphine, holding a small cake to Kaelan’s lips. He leaned in without hesitation and took a bite, a smile gracing his face—a smile I had never seen before. She laughed and gently wiped a crumb from the corner of his mouth. They were the very picture of devoted lovers. I fought down a wave of nausea and was about to leave when several figures in black dropped from the trees around me. “Who are you?” I demanded, my hand flying to the small dagger at my belt. “What do you want?” They exchanged a glance, then charged, their blades aimed at my heart. Though I had trained with the Four Lords, my skill was limited. Kaelan had already noticed the commotion. “Kaelan, help me!” I cried out. He took an instinctive step towards me, but Seraphine threw her arms around him, her voice a frightened whimper. “Kaelan, don’t go! I’m so scared!” He hesitated. In that single moment of hesitation, a blade sliced across my arm. The pain was so sharp it brought a cold sweat to my brow. I stared at him in disbelief. In a moment of mortal danger, he had chosen not to save me. I gritted my teeth. “Kaelan, what are you standing there for? Save me!” As the words left my mouth, Seraphine let out a piercing scream. “Aaaah!” One of the assassins had broken off and was now lunging towards them. Kaelan pushed her back, his entire focus on protecting Seraphine. He didn't see another assassin raise his sword and charge at me from the side. I closed my eyes, bracing for the end. But the pain never came. My eyes flew open to see Lysander standing in front of me, his own sword having just sent the assassin’s blade flying. Gareth and Tristan arrived a second later, joining the fray. The assassins were quickly subdued. Seeing their failure, they all turned their blades on themselves, dying in a spray of blood that splattered across my gown. I stood frozen, a desolate chill spreading through me. I had thought that even if Kaelan didn’t love me, the bond of our shared childhood still meant something. But at the moment of truth, for Seraphine, he had left me to die. Gareth and Tristan had seen it all. Their expressions, when they looked at Kaelan, were complicated. My father was informed and ordered a full investigation. The House of Xie was too powerful to move against directly, but the King’s anger needed an outlet. He ordered Lady Seraphine to be confined to her family’s estate. That night, Kaelan stormed into my chambers, his face a mask of fury. “Aurelia, this had nothing to do with Seraphine. Why did you do it? This is nothing but petty revenge!” He actually believed I was behind her punishment. I looked at him, my voice as cold as ice. “Kaelan, do you have any idea how close I came to dying today?” He was unmoved. “But you’re fine, aren’t you?” “Besides,” he continued, “you are the Princess. You have countless guards to protect you. Seraphine only has me. You saw what happened today—she was nearly killed by those assassins as well. She is a victim too.” “Go to the King. Beg him to lift her confinement.” I clutched my wounded arm, the pain a dull throb. “Impossible.” My refusal sent him into a rage, his chest heaving. “And you call yourself a princess! You can’t even tell right from wrong! You are utterly unreasonable!” He spun on his heel and stormed out. He did not come to the palace for the next two days. He only returned, reluctantly, on the third day—the day the royal decree was to be announced.
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