The air felt strange this night, like it already knew what my father was about to do to me. It wasn't cold, but my body still shivered, causing goosebumps to rise on my skin.
I kept brushing my fingers over the sleeve of my dress to calm myself down, but it just made me nervous because my hands wouldn't stay still.
One of the maids bends lower beside me. "My Lady, the king wants you in the council room. It's very urgent he said."
The way she said it sounded exactly like how girls say "I'm sorry" right before something bad happens.
I tried to smile. Throughout my life, I've always been a cheerful princess. "At this hour? What could the reason be?"
She didn't answer. Just looked down like she couldn't stand to meet my eyes.
That was when my heart skipped a beat. Father never called for me at night unless he wanted something from me. And every time he wanted something, it never came out… well.
Walking towards the hallway outside my chamber felt longer than usual. My slippers made this tapping sound on the floor, almost too childish, and it made me look smaller than I already was.
I knew I was going to walk into what I didn't choose again.
When I pushed the council room doors open, my father was already looking at me with that kind of smile he's always forcing. The one that means he wants something and he's going to dress it up as a "blessing."
"Liora," he said, his voice was too sweet. "Come my precious daughter."
I stepped closer but not too close. The table in front of him had a map spread out, ink marks all over our borders. And beside it… a sealed scroll with the emblem of the Noctaris kingdom.
No, no, no. He couldn't be serious this time.
"You must have heard the stories," he said, breaking the silence. "About Prince Kaelvion."
My face widened because anyone who had ever breathed in this kingdom knew him one way or the other. The cursed prince. The devil's heir. The man's mothers threatened their son with "Behave yourself, or Prince Kaelvion will come for you."
Except that no one had ever seen him, or what he looked like. People made up stories about him— horns, monsters, red glowing eyes, relics following him like pets. And now… father is holding a scroll with his kingdom seal.
I whispered, "Yes. What about him?"
Father gripped his hand tightly. "You're going to marry him."
I must've looked stupid standing there with my mouth open like a fish, and him sighing as if I'm one of his council members.
"Father…. I…" the word wouldn't come out. My lips went numb. I swallowed my spit hard and tried again "Why would…. you do this to me?"
He said sharply, pointing fingers at me.
"Because your marriage to him will secure the alliance we needed. Noctaris is powerful. Their prince is feared. Their armies are unmatched. This is not some court dance, this is how you protect a kingdom."
But this is his kingdom not mine. I felt something warm under my eyes, and I blinked hard before it fell. I didn't want him to see it. He hated it when I cried saying I looked weak, like a child.
"You should be honored Prince Kaelvion chose you," he said.
Honored? Even a prisoner gets more choices than I do.
"I thought he didn't… meet people," I said softly. "No one has ever seen what his face looks like, have you?"
"He requested you specifically. Do not disappoint me, Liora. You'll represent this kingdom, and our future depends on it. Your feelings don't matter."
I had so many questions I dared not ask. Why a prince who's everyone's nightmare? What kind of man asks for a bride he'd never met?
I wanted to run, hide, or scream, rather than agreeing with everything happening right now..
Father stepped closer, and raised my chin, forcing my eyes up.
"This is a gift. A throne beside a powerful man. Do not throw away what others would kill for."
It didn't feel like a gift. It's like being caged inside a palace wall.
When he let go of my chin, he already looked bored. "Tomorrow night is the signing ceremony. The prince's representative will arrive at dawn. You'll greet them as a proper princess."
"That soon? Not even a little time for me to think about this." I asked, surprised.
"Yes. Wars don't wait, and neither do kings," he said.
"Leave. I have more important things to do." He dismissed me with a wave, as if I were a piece of paper, not his daughter.
I left the council room before my leg could give out. It's colder outside now, with my steps sounding loud. I quickly grabbed the walls because something in me weakened.
Marrying the devil's heir.
Tomorrow everything in my life would change, and I wasn't ready for it. I'm not brave, not anything except being scared.
When I reached my chambers, I shut the door quietly resting my back on it. My room should've felt safe. No, it's just like I'm in someone else's space. The curtains, the warm rug, the candle flickering on the table.
From here, I could see the village lights far below. Normal people's lives. Those who got to choose who they loved. Who they kissed. Who they shared their futures with.
"Just why…" I asked no one else but myself.
A soft knock on my door made me flinch.
"My Lady? May I come in?" It was my favorite handmaiden, Elara. She's more like my best friend because I'm just a few years older than her. My confidante in this boring palace life.
"You can," I said, wiping off little tears on my face.
She came inside quietly, holding a tray of warm milk and honey bread— the comfort food she always brought for me whenever I seemed upset. She set it down gently.
"I heard the king summoned you," she said softly.
I nodded.
"Are you worried about…. ?"
I looked at her. "What are they saying?"
She hesitated for a while. "That Noctaris sent an offer. For… you?"
Hearing that again made my head ring. "It wasn't an offer. It was already decided."
Elara's eyes were filled with sympathy for me. "My lady, I'm so sorry you have to go through this."
I sat on the edge of my bed, smoothing the blanket to keep my hands busy. "Is he really that terrifying? The prince…"
She cut in, lowering her voice. "People said he's cursed, that he'd once fought two thousand men alone and still won. Even anyone who looked at him in the eyes loses their breath."
"Why? Because he's frightening?" I asked.
She whispered in my ear. "Because he's…. the most handsome man they've ever seen."
That really startled me. "Handsome?"
She nodded quickly. "Like the kind of face you can only see in a painting. Only the curse and his immortal power make people stay away from him."
Handsome. Cursed. Feared. Immortal. What kind of combination was that?
I don't know whether to feel relieved or not. I'd thought he'd be an ugly monster with horns and claws. Instead, he was human.
"My Lady…. are you afraid of him?"
"I don't know him yet. What if he hates me? What if he's nothing like you said but still dangerous in ways I can't see?" I said.
She touched my wrist gently. "You're kind, Princess. Anyone would be gentle with you."
I laughed at that, because she didn't know my father. For him, kindness isn't always enough. After Elara left, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept circling the same thing. The envoy from Noctaris would arrive which meant everything would be real.
I kept picturing a man with an ugly face. Or someone who would barely look at me because he hadn't wanted me at all— my father did this arrangement thing.
All I could hear was my father's voice."You should be honored."
Not when I'm offered like a gift being handed away without being opened.
At some point, I sat up again and pulled my knees to my chest. My hair fell messily around my face, and I let it. I didn't want to fix anything tonight. I didn't feel like a princess. Just a girl who didn't want tomorrow to come.
Whether I like it or not. It would. That cursed prince, would soon know my name.
I whispered into the night light, "Prince
Kaelvion … what are you really like?