Edited

👑
CHAPTER ONE

One year later

A small white capsule sealed in a clear case, slides under the door. Like a record on repeat, I pop it in my mouth swallowing it back with a glass of water from the sink. I am told it is for my blood pressure and to never question them about their professional knowledge as they are the best medical professionals in the country.

"Storm, can I borrow your hairbrush?" Maria asks me, getting up from her bed, and snapping me out of my deep thoughts. I've shared a room with Maria since we were ten years old. That's how she became my best friend. There's no one I'd rather share my company with. All the servants must share a room with another servant. It's funny, considering the palace has enough bedrooms for every person here.

"Sure." I nod pointing to the brush near the rusted, chipped mirror. I wondered if it had always been rusted or if it was once a beautiful golden frame. As beautiful and lavish as the palace is and as wealthy as the Goldens are, the servant quarters are nothing but stone-cold walls and hand me downs.

She walks over to, running it through her dirty blonde shoulder-length hair. She stares at her fine strands instead of her face. Maria is beautiful, but she does not see it. She says the Goldens' are the most beautiful creatures on earth. I quietly disagree. They may use their powers to look beautiful, but they are vicious, power-hungry, selfish and ugly on the inside.

We call them the Goldens' for obvious reasons. Golden eyes, golden blood. They are the royals of our society who make the rules and control our lives. Their eyes hiss with order and power, their long nails sharp and their eyesight even sharper. Not only are they incredibly rich, but they are the only ones with magic in their veins. With one snap of their long fingers, they can change small features to appear exactly how they want others to see them. They are Reshapers.

The King and Queen and their brothers and sisters all have huge roles in taking care of Goldvail. Then there's the Crown Prince, next in line to be the king. All the pressure and eyes are on him to publicly set an example, showing everyone we are in his capable hands.

As for the rest of us, they call us the Colours' because our blood is blue or green. No one has seen red or brown Bloods for years. I'm pretty sure they are extinct. But when I imagine brown eyes, I can't help but to picture them on myself. I heard they are a stunning colour when they reflect sunlight. They are the colours of amber and onyx... like pools of honey.

Instead of them seeing me, all they see is my colour. My Greenblood. I tend to look away, uncomfortable under their gaze. Maria, on the other hand, has blue eyes, like the ocean. Sometimes on a summer's day, her eyes look like the glittering sea when the sun is at its highest peak. You could honestly get lost in them if you stare long enough. Sometimes I wish I had her eyes too.

Someone knocks on our door. Maria glances at me once again before opening it.

The door opens to an older lady, her dress laced in gold sequences, and her blonde hair tied up into a neat thick bun. A braid runs around the bun with small streaks of pink. She had a sour look on her face as she appeared into our room.

"Our dresses!" Maria exclaims.

I've never been ecstatic about these dinners like Maria, it's a pointless event to show off what the Goldens' Money can offer. Not to mention the gossip they cough up. They love to make us feel inferior, diseased... normal.

The green fabric of my dress makes me want to barf as I stare at it.

"I know that look." Maria says handing me the mirror. I gaze into it, seeing a bright forest of eyes staring back at me.

"I know, half the society in the village are Green Blooded, but look at your eyes. Yes, they are vivid green but they are the most gorgeous green orbs I've ever seen in my life." She's right. Compared to others, mine is incredibly saturated. The complete opposite to that of my mother's blue eyes.

"But that's the problem, it's all people see. It's all they stare at. I just want to wear something other than the same colour all the time," I say to her, pushing the mirror away bitterly.

"I agree. But it's the rules." She sighs, dragging out the last word as she hangs her dress on the clothes rack. We both glance at the lady behind us still standing in the door way.

She looks at Maria sternly then to me, her face completely blank. Then she speaks.

"If your a slave then it's for life." She spits before leaving the room and the door slamming behind her.

We exchanged bored looks. That sentence was imbedded in our skin since we were born.

Maria hands the green dress to me. She looked excited, rushing to the mirror to find some simple makeup. I do everything in my power to not throw the dress in the bin. It was so tempting. Instead, I roughly put it over the chair situated next to the bin. If it does happen to fall, it will look like an accident. Happy with that decision, I smile to myself. Maria raises her eyebrows at me.

"I've never in my life known someone to have such hatred towards a dress." I glance over at the stupid dress that unfortunately doesn't end up falling into the bin.

"Just not my cup of tea." I shrug, smiling not letting my annoyance show. Turning around to take off her white gown, Maria exposes her very thin figure. I do the same, facing away from her, slipping into my stupid emerald, green dress, hoping I'd accidentally rip it at least. I let my long thick black hair down to cover the scars on my back. We both then turn around to admire each other.

"I know you hate it but you look so good in green." Maria says grinning. I forcefully return the smile.

Whilst Maria makes her way to the bathroom to finish putting on the small amount of makeup that we are allowed to have, I stand in front of the long mirror. I turn enough so that my back faces the mirror. I pull my hair to one side, exposing my bare back marred with scars. Every time I've been whipped. Every time I've been punished for breaking a rule or simply showing disrespect. Every single event, the King makes me wear a backless dress, to show the world what happens if one does not comply. I loved pushing the boundaries, even if it meant getting slashes added to my canvas. I turn my head to the side, catching the reflection of those scars.

I decide to keep my hair down to cover them. It was not a pretty sight for a girl in a pretty dress. A knock interrupts my thoughts. At first I thought we were getting escorted early, but I open the door to see bright burning blue eyes staring back at me. His eye's flicker down to my dress, lingering for a second before he forces his eyes back up to mine.

Emrys.

I catch him searching my eyes for the words he has lost. I feel a small warm sensation rising on my cheeks.

"Getting ready for dinner?" He clears his throat, knowing it is an obvious icebreaker. I nod in return.

"Tell me, what's your favourite dessert?" I ask, opening the door wider so Maria can greet him. He stares into my green eyes, pondering for a second before answering.

"I would say cheesecake." Emry's has only recently arrived at the palace. His sharp blue eyes lock with mine, his overgrown brown hair flops forward in obvious need of a haircut. His skin tanned, jaw sharp and a slight dimple appears as a smile forms on his lips.

"I've never had cheesecake." I say, softly. He smiles. I glance at his grin one last time before I smile myself. Maria clears her throat from inside the room which seems to snap Emrys back to reality.

"Anyway, I should go." he states, not moving a muscle.

"You should." I nod, thinking how the guards will arrive soon to escort us. I lean on the door, wondering if he would linger for a bit longer. But he hesitates before turning and disappearing down the hallway.

"Uh, one look at you and he forgot everything else existed." Maria smirked. I scowl at her, muttering how she's looking into it too much.

He was handsome, I admit. But there's something about him that seems so familiar, yet I can't put my finger on it.

Once Maria and I finish our makeup we are escorted by a guard to the ballroom. I try to pull the front of the dress up, so it does not show much skin. But it is no use, it's so tight it's suffocating. Maria notices my discomfort.

"It'll only be a few hours." She whispers, trying to comfort me.

"It's fine." I lie, with a smile. Even though I can feel my lungs aching for more air as the seconds pass by. I may as well be wearing a corset at this point. The guard stops at the double jewelled doors to the Great Hall, before pulling them open to a sea full of gold. The dining area is decorated with orange glassware, crystal chandeliers and of course gold cutlery. The dining table is a good few meters long, enough for all the royals to sit together. The air smelt of the rich and wealthy. It was time to either walk like a king or walk like you don't care who the king is.

I stand straight, look up confidently only to meet familiar cold golden eyes. King Tibualt turns to me, his eyes glistening, as he looks slowly over the dress he sent me, making me uncomfortable already. But with years of practice, you let him look without showing the slightest hint of disgust.

"Beautiful, as always Storm." He steps towards me, flickering his eyes down to my chest.

"Your majesty." I bow down, hating every second.

"Now, now," He steps closer, so his lips are near my ear, his jaw locked as if he is irritated. At the corner of my eye, I see the Prince of Goldvail glance over. His mask cracks, showing the slightest bit of irritation at his father's actions.

"Pin your hair up, I didn't give you a backless dress for nothing." He spits into my ear, all while stroking my arm innocently before walking away. Tonight, I will be scrubbing it raw.

Besides the loud and harsh melody that plays in the background, the dinner is mostly bearable. I attempt to tie my hair up nicely in a bun, whilst the Queen keeps glancing my way. I do not know what their problem is, they have never liked me since the beginning. It has something to do with my parents, I'm sure of it. The Queen is wearing a Golden layered dress, the many layers of tulle adding to its puffiness, making it hard for others to walk past her. Knowing her, it's probably a way to have her own circle of personal space. She beams, glowing as she strides her away across the room with her clicking heels. Once Queen Austria turns around to chatter amongst others, I push open the doors to the kitchen, where the plates full of food and drinks are waiting to be served. Maria soon follows me back out with serving platters, making our way to the Goldens' table. Servants dance laps around the room, weaving through the crowd as champagne and nibbles are taken from the trays.

"They think they look so amazing in their coloured dresses." I hear someone taunt, followed by a series of giggles. I walked past the brunette lady who spoke, it was the King's younger sister, Lady Iris. I look towards her with a stern face, as she purposely raises her hand over her hair, creating a big green streak. Her eyes flicker to me gauging my reaction. They always like to show off their magic.

Abruptly, the King stands up tapping the gold spoon against his wine glass. The tinkling sound was enough to draw everyone's attention to him. The chatter vanished immediately.

"First I would like to thank you for being here." He started, his voice, clear and low. I huffed to myself, 'like we had a choice in the first place'.

"We are holding this lunch to celebrate my son, Prince Xaden and his success in finishing his training." King Tibualt declared, directing his hand over to where Xaden was sitting beside him. Prince Xaden Golding.

You may as well call him the 'Golden Child'. He is everyone's favourite. All the women would kill to date him and the men envy his title. Even the servants get all flushed. Unlike the King and Queen, Xaden is charming and passionate, making him more admired. I haven't figured out yet if he is genuinely kind or just putting on a show. So far, he has done everything his parents have asked of him. I think he's trying to please his father. In my eyes, this makes him a show pony.

Everyone claps, as Prince Xaden nods with a slight smile. He is wearing a tux, with his shoulder-length blonde curls, pulled back in a low ponytail. All the girls dig the ponytail. I watch as Prince Xaden forces a small smile. The crowd may buy it, yet to me he just looks absent, tired and impatient. I don't blame him. Maria leans in my ear next to me.

"Isn't he handsome?" she whispers.

"You think they are all handsome." I point out. From the corner of my eye she gives me a bleak look. "Look," Maria whispers, pointing at the table. My eyes flicker across the table, passing the chocolate fondue, until I find a little label reading, 'Cheesecake'.

I walk towards it, overlooking the people around me as I grab a plate. Ladies in big fancy dresses have the audacity to throw me nasty glares. I dig my nails into my palm, fighting the urge to mirror their faces. Instead, I focus my glare on this delicious looking cheesecake, picking up the knife beside it.

"Are you usually this hangry, Goldie?" An amused low voice comes from beside me, I nearly drop my plate. I look up to find curious golden eyes holding my gaze. Prince Xaden.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"You're glaring at it quite intensely." He is amused. The slight dimple on his check gives him away. I find it suspiciously easy to read him. He takes me in, his eyes hovering over my dress quickly but mostly his eyes are fixed on my face. I study him and once I realize I've been staring far too long, I look away. When I can't think of a retort, he grabs the knife from my hand gently,

"Let me cut it for you. I wouldn't want you hurting yourself." It seems like he doesn't share his parents' hatred towards me, and I am grateful for that. Still, I don't trust him. Plus, I can cut my own freaking cake.

"You know, I'm perfectly capable of cutting a cake myself," I tell him, crossing my hands over my chest. He doesn't reply. Instead, to my surprise he places a decent amount on my plate.

"Thanks," I say, a short clipped answer before turning away from him to pick up a spoon from the holder. With my back to him, I dig my spoon into the cake, hoping he would leave my side. Before I can take a mouthful, my body tenses at the warm touch on my back tracing my scars. I can't bring myself to turn around quick enough, my feet were stuck, his fingers didn't leave my back.

"The scars haven't healed yet?" He points out sounding concerned. I finally turned around, breaking the warm connection, leaving it feeling like an itchy spot I can't scratch.

Why is he still talking to me?

I think about the time he had stood in the town square and watched as the whips hit my flesh. The countless times he could have stopped it if he really was so concerned. But he never did, so I don't want his pity.

"Thanks, for pointing out the obvious." I murmur bluntly, trying not to be heard by the other Goldens around us. Showing any signs of annoyance or backchat to the royals is enough to get my back whipped again. But one thing about Prince Xaden is that he doesn't seem to care about how he's spoken to.

"Careful, you don't want anyone to hear that, Goldie." he says in a low voice looking back.

"Is that so?" I press, a smirk appearing on my face.

"Careful, if you get too close there will be another slash added on my back with your name on it." I say a little louder than his voice. So much for holding my tongue. I start to wonder if I want a death wish. As I process the words in my head, I bite my lip knowing I shouldn't let those words fall off my tongue. He falls silent. For a second I think he is going to report my attitude to the King, but instead, he stands there looking at me. Before I can apologize, he cuts me off.

"I can take care of that." His playful expression disappeared, looking at me with pity before clenching his jaw while looking over at his father. I grunt.

"You don't have to pretend to care. I don't even know why you're talking to me." I say quietly, remembering what happened last time he spoke to me. He's the reason for some of my scars.

He shrugs, reaching for a spoon. Just when I think he is about to grab his own plate of dessert, he dips his spoon into my cheesecake, taking a small corner. My jaw drops as I watch him savor the taste in his mouth. His eyes glaze over mine as he licks his bottom lip.

"It's quite good, you'll like it." He nods, satisfied. I glare at him.

"If you do that again, I will throw you out the window and- what are you doing?" My threat dissolved as I watched him take a sudden interest in the window beside us.

"Seeing how far the drop is, if it's worth it or not." He gazes down, like he thinks I can actually pick him up and throw him. I shake my head, trying to muster up words from the English language to describe how dumbstruck I am.

"You're unbelievable." I mutter. His face perks up, about to turn what I said into a complement to stroke his ego. But before he can say anything, I cut him off this time,

"Save it. I'm going to continue to enjoy this bit of cheesecake away from you." I quickly turn on my heel, looking for Maria.

I spot her talking to Theo, the other servant who was helping her clean up behind kitchen doors. I push the door open with my elbow still holding my plate. I eagerly take the first bite of my cheesecake, finally.

"Were you talking to the prince?" She whispers, her eyes wide with shock.

"Only for like one second." I shrug, trying to avoid making it a big deal. As the cheesecake melts in my mouth. Oh my God, Emrys was right. It's so good. Then Maria suddenly grabs my arm, her jaw drops.

"Oh my god! You're in love with him!" I choke, coughing about six times before I look around the room, my cheesecake nearly slipping off my plate. A few other servants turned their heads over, to see what the fuss was about. I glare at her.

"And God no, are you high?"

"So you're just going to break his heart?" She pouts. I raise my eyebrows at her, plastering a shocked expression on my face.

"What, he has a heart?"