Royals (Book 1)

Chapter 1 : The Beginning

They threw me down onto the floor, I felt the skin of my knees shred at the harsh act. My head fell forward at the force, my forehead pressing against my knees as I began to breathe heavily. Wincing at all of the damage I had acquired, I could barely hold myself up much longer without dropping from exhaustion. My wrists burned from how tightly they were cuffed behind my back, feeling them dig further into my bone the more I struggled against them.

"Princess of Dragran, you have been found guilty of defamation of castle grounds, conspiracy, and treason. How do you plead to these acts?" I heard the venom in his tone, and I could only laugh at the hypocrisy of it all. I felt the bastard grab my hair and yank it up, causing my head to fly up as I gritted my teeth at the tension against my scalp. "I asked how you plead." 

We made eye contact finally, for the first time since hell broke loose. We had been hunting for each other for so long, but he had gotten to me first. I had half a mind to congratulate him, but it would be premature since I knew this was still far from over. A grin grew on my lips as his gaze only hardened, knowing his intimidation was not working. I had gone through far too much for him to back me into a wall. I spit in his face, causing him to release my head but send a kick into the right side of my ribs. 

The guards stood between us as I collapsed to my side, I gasped for air and rolled onto my back. Once my breathing was stabilized, I could only laugh at the feigned attempt to hurt me. The echo haunted the room, they remained silent as if they were concerned for my hysterics. Had he not seen the cuts and bruises forming all over me, did he know that it would no longer be as easy as it used to be? 

"Let us make a deal then." I turned to him, amused at the way his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "I will confess when you do." 

Three Months Prior

Perhaps my corset was pressed too harshly against my ribs, perhaps my neat bun was tied so tight that the circulation to my brain was cut off. Maybe the blisters on my feet from these heels were causing so much pain that I was going to faint.

No, I've been doing this for eighteen years, and today is no different.

"Princess, please hurry! Your parents request your presence at today's breakfast!" My attendant called for me as I stared at myself in the mirror. I was well aware of why my parents had called me in this morning, despite most of us having our breakfast on our own. My birthday was in a month, and my expected wedding date is supposed to be in three months.

Even though I have never even met my groom.

My attendant busted into my room, unfortunately locks were not available to me due in case of an emergency where the guards would need to run in. Our royal family was quite loved, but it was a precaution in case of the worst. 

"Princess Rayna, you know good and well that if you are late, your parents will have my head on a plate." She adjusted the long sleeves on my dress and I groaned.

"It is summer, I am sweating in this dress already, why must I keep my sleeves down?"

"It is improper to wear your sleeves like that in front of your own parents, you know this." She finally dragged me out of my bedroom and down the east wing of the castle. 

Cindy Carr was an elegant thirty-year-old woman with the weight of the world on her shoulders. I am more than certain that it would be easier to write down what she wasn't in charge of, and even then I was not sure what that list would even contain. She knew our needs and responsibilities like the back of her hand, this castle would surely collapse without her around.

When I take on the role as the queen, I am hoping to relieve some of the stress, she was like a second mother to me after all.

I glanced at myself in the reflections of passing glass cases of multiple family artifacts that we kept up so my sister and I are constantly reminded of our family's tragic but heroic history.