oops. skipped the prologue? please do read it before this or you'll be confused. (Free pass when you read the trigger warning)

TWO YEARS LATER

HARPA DAY OF MOON

"Damn it! Just where is it?"

Racking the drawers open with only half an hour left, I grumbled in puffed breaths. I could not wear my dress without putting bandages on my recently closed wounds. The gashes hurt like a goddamn scorpion sting, even so scraping in such low-quality fabric.

I glanced at the clock — exactly twenty minutes before nine. There was no choice but to give up. I took the dark blue dress and expertly eased it over my body despite the biting pain.

Having maids who loved to go missing in action and years of being left to fend alone was enough to learn how to tie the laces in the back. Well, not that it mattered since I didn't want anyone to see my body in the first place.

My face grimaced as I tightened the lace while ignoring the pricking skin. This outdated dress was already worn out to the extreme but I could not throw it away when it was one of my most formal gowns.

The long sleeves had thinned and trailed down in my arms. The stretched-out ruffled laces adorned the square neckline and the puffed skirt had long been deflated over the years. Nonetheless, it was a huge improvement from the usual dull-colored attires I wore daily.

If not for my remaining pride, I would not have dolled up. I needed to appear decent like a princess, not some mere servant, after Father requested to gather the whole family. This kind of occasion seldom happened though. Thank whatever god for that.

After managing to fasten my dress, I went to the dresser. My eyes focused on the contrast of blue and the colors of autumn in front of me.

The dark shade made my complexion paler but there was no way it complimented my hair. It was really tough to match a dress with these bright ginger strands.

I picked up the brush to comb the unruly curls that were in an eternal tangle every time I woke up. When the abundant mass of strands had ultimately resembled hair, three consecutive knocks came from outside. It was almost time for those maids to come back.

"Who is it?"

"Xenon, Princess."

Oh, wrong. I stood up and opened the door. I glanced at the pair of knights who were silently guarding their posts before setting my eyes on the man in front of me.

Xenon had his long black hair tied in a ponytail as always. His thick brows were eternally scrunched together paired with a down-turned mouth as those piercing gray irises transfixed me.

That permanent somber expression he had made him appear older even though he was only four years my senior. But, this man knew almost everything about me. Except for one little secret. I mean, two.

"Good day, Princess. His Majesty had asked for your attendance at the Dining Hall," he informed me after he bowed.

"Is that so? Let's go then," I said.

When we were out of earshot, I added, "We don't want those pretty asses waiting, won't we?"

Xenon was used by my vulgar language and besides, I only spoke like that when I was in front of someone I trusted. But when I spun on my heels, Xenon's black expression was evident and a teasing smile slowly crept on my face.

"Do you want us to return to my chambers, Xenon?" I asked, winking.

"Pardon me, Princess Carline, but I must refuse your invitation," he politely rejected even if we both knew I was simply badgering him.

I shrugged, the smile still plastering on my face. "So uptight as always. That's why all the knights and squires are afraid of you."

"It is not my fault if they feel that way, Princess," he reasoned.

"It's not their fault that they were assigned to you, either." A small laugh escaped my mouth before I continued talking. "But Xenon, how many times did I tell you not to call me 'princess?'"

"Servants like me are forbidden to call you in a familiar manner, Princess Carline," he stated.

"Why are there so many forbidden things in this world?" I replied with a sigh.

"His Highness is waiting, Princess," said Xenon, obviously straying away from the topic.

I let him pass since it was a rhetorical question anyway. If I had the answer myself, I would have earned all the richness in this world.

"I know," I quipped and hastened my pace.

Xenon stepped back and walked behind me. I held the hem of my dress and took a deep breath. I just hoped nothing bad will happen.

***

Everyone was already in their seats when I arrived. Unlike the Formal Dining Hall reserved for guests, the Palace Dining Hall was used regularly by the family. It was as spacious as any other room in the Central Wing, only to be utilized by five people. Though most of the time, it was only the four of them.

The blue carpeted floors hushed out the sound of my heels. The curtains were tucked in decoratively to complement the ornate walls with a massive chandelier in the center of the room.

Below it was the 12-seater table filled with food that gave the impression that we were having a feast. The elaborate details carved on the frame of the table were noticeable from afar. It clearly showed the artisan's effort to make a table out of one piece of trunk and trim it with gold. Even the dinnerware and cutleries were either made from precious minerals or delicate porcelains.

Yet the most prominent was the lighted candelabra embedded with jewels that decorated the ceiling. It was quite a useless feature with the rays of sunshine peeking from the windows that were enough to illuminate the room.

"Good morning," I greeted and curtsied.

Head down and eyes on the floor — a total portrayal of my dutiful act.

"Carline! Finally, you're here," said Father with an overly cheerful voice that made my stomach churn.

A compelling smile broke on my lips. Only I knew what he said was the total opposite of what he felt. On his right was Yves, my older brother. His blonde streaks like Father were parted neatly and paired with a stone-like expression as he silently ate — without even bothering to give a glance in my direction.

The maidservant pulled a seat for me beside the redhead. I repressed a sigh seeing I would not have a peaceful lunch as I had hoped.

Before I could take a seat, Erodessa, my eldest sister, glared at me with those ice-blue eyes she and Yves inherited from Father. She usually did that... Scratch that, I meant, she always did that. It seemed like a kind of ritual for her to glare at me every time we met.

I'm certain if bitches had a queen, she'd be sitting right on the throne as if it was made just for her.

After sitting down, one of the maids served me a bowl of warm soup while the other maid poured the water into my goblet. I took the spoon, scooping it into the bowl and to my mouth but...

Holy. Shit.

I hurriedly grabbed the napkin to cover my lips. I tried stopping the urge to throw up. I swear, if my tongue was alive, it'd be dead by now.

There was a snicker in front, probably coming from the other pair of evils sent to torment me. She was biting her lip, trying to stifle a laugh, while Father and Yves were oblivious to what was happening. I didn't need to be a genius to know who the culprit was, or should I say, who the culprits were to make this insipid concoction.

They always set up some childish prank whenever I was around. I even remembered what they did last month. They certainly put effort into serving me ordinary leaves as tea. It was really the worst and my palate was always the one suffering. It was a marvel why they could not act their age considering that Lian was only two years older than me while Erodessa was already in her twenties.

This was one of the many reasons why I preferred to eat alone. I remained as passive as I could while both of them were staring at me with mischief in their eyes.

"What's wrong, Sister? You're sweating," commented Lian.

Lian's lips curled in a beautiful manner and her emerald irises were twinkling. Her blonde waves cascaded at her back, making her more angelic but her looks could be very deceiving. She had the same twisted attitude that my family was renowned for.

"You're right, Lian. Are you fine, Carline?" asked Erodessa as though she cared.

I put up my best smile as if nothing happened. In this kind of game, patience was a must.

"Of course, Sister," I answered.

"By the way, Father," she called Father's attention out of the blue. "My birthday is coming next month. I will be happy if everyone will come, especially our dear younger sister."

"That's a marvelous idea, Sister. Carline's already seventeen but she didn't have her debut yet. This would be a great opportunity," Erodessa chimed in.

Yes, a great opportunity to shame me. I never had a formal education like them and was only taught basic etiquette. After all, no one was allowed to see me aside from those appointed by Father.

Nevertheless, I wanted to chuckle at the thought of how wrong they were. They were never aware of my extracurricular activities, after all.

"You can have a party in the palace. However, Carline will not attend," stated Father casually but the slight twitch of his lips did not escape my eyes — even with the lush beard on his face.

The amusement from just a second ago vanished, replaced by a tingling sensation in my spine. That little change from his expression definitely meant I had a consequence to pay later.

"Is that so? What a pity," lamented Lian, and even appeared sullen.

A wondrous guise that could fool anyone. It was a learned skill in years of staying in this atrocious place. There was no doubt each of us had a talent for deceiving, making our whole family a circus act.

Showing real emotions in this cold palace would only bring weakness. What was genuine and what was not, no one knew but one thing was for sure — not a single of them was to be trusted.

"You know how precious my darling Carline is. I can't let anyone see her or they might take your sick sister away."

Sick, my ass! I shuddered at his terrible excuse. I never had an illness but those unaware of Father's intention accepted this lie and spun their own tales about me. I became the hidden princess of Ezriel who was said to be King Enmir's most treasured daughter.

It was so ridiculous to the point that I could not believe they even gave me the moniker, Jewel of the Kingdom. When in fact, it was by far from the reality that I faced.

Father's eyes were fixed on me and he had that sickening smile as he continued, "We don't want anything like that to happen right, darling?"

"Of course, Father," I answered meekly and averted my gaze from him.

That was when I noticed the seething glares of my sisters.

Just why?

I could not believe how incredulous they were. I was not even allowed to go yet they were glaring at me.

I wondered what kind of thick glasses my sister had that they believed Father's doting act. How could doting be similar to making me a prisoner? Swallowing a breath, I resumed eating despite them boring a hole in me.

Ah. How nice to be ignorant.

***

Lunch finally ended. After that little talk, they discussed random things while I was pretending to be invisible. Father inquired for the time and rose from his chair after a while.

"See you later, children... And, Carline." Our eyes met in an instant making me want to puke everything I just ate. "I want you in the Throne Room later this afternoon, alright?"

I was already exiting the door when Erodessa grabbed my arm, though she quickly drew her hand back.

"What is so good about you that you always meet with Father? You stole Mother from us and you didn't even bother going to her funeral. Now you're monopolizing Father's affection!"

I held back a scoff. If this was affection, it just proved how our bloodline was comprised of insane people. My siblings really had no idea what was going on in this hell, how I wanted to applaud the palace servants for having their lips sealed.

Then there was my oldest sister who was still stuck in the past. It had already been five years since Mother died but she always returned to the exact same subject all over again.

I always hated it when we talked about Mother. It made me reminisce about the things I wanted to forget.

"Why don't you go instead? Oh, wait. I remember you were rejected from an audience last time," I returned mockingly with my arms crossed to match the haughtiness she had earlier.

In truth, I would definitely trade places with them in a single heartbeat. They were free to go anywhere but I was all stuck here. It was quite pitiful, honestly, how my sisters wanted Father's attention, which was solely fixed on me when they didn't even know what it entailed.

"You're asking for it, spoiled bitch! Don't act all mighty just because you have Father's side." Her face reddened as her eyes squinted, followed by a resounding slap.

I did not move and simply stared at her, appearing unaffected and not minding the pain from her heavy hand. "Are we done yet?"

After two years of training from Night, I already knew what was coming. Yet I didn't even bother to avoid her attack. I already experienced each of their slaps so many times that it didn't hurt anymore. Besides, a whip was more painful than this. There was no use being afraid of someone who was all talk and only knew trivial tricks.

"You!"

"Sister! What if Father sees it? As much as she deserves it. We might get in trouble if this brat tells this to Father." Lian held her back and tried talking sense to her. "As you have heard, he's going to meet with her later."

How I wanted to reply. Father didn't care a little bit. In fact, he rejoiced at how his little orchestrated play was going so well when he heard about our petty squabbles. Petty, indeed. Compared to him.

"I really hate you!" screamed Erodessa, far different from the graceful self that she was known for, before walking out together with Lian.

"I love you too, dear sisters," I shouted, turning to my feet, only to see Yves in front of me.

Our eyes locked. No doubt he had witnessed the whole charade.

"Nice show, huh?" I asked, smirking at him.

It was my cue to leave. For some years now, I knew I never belonged to this family. I always tried to fit in my whole life but then I downright understood that pleasing them was an impossible task. However, vexing everyone off was as easy as one two three.

***

Note: The months are derived from the Viking calendar as well as the days of the week but this is not related to Norse mythology or Vikings. Hope you enjoyed it, cutiefries! ('∀')