Born to be the Empress

Chapter 1 - The attack

It was 7 in the morning, and like every day, we were in the fields harvesting wheat. I was a field worker, just like every member of my family. During the summer, we harvested wheat and cotton; in the winter, we picked olives and grew vegetables. We also helped with milking, shearing, and slaughtering sheep and cows. Winters were for cheese production and preserving milk and meat.

Our wages were modest, just enough to cover our needs. Half of it went to taxes for the King.

Life was busy, but I wasn't one to complain. I lived with my parents and two brothers in a small village near the northern border of the Crescent Kingdom. Though life was hard, it was peaceful. Thanks to our King's efforts, a peace treaty with the neighboring Drakonian Kingdom had held for over a decade. People had returned to their routines, and the fear of war had faded.

But lately, rumors had spread. The eldest son of the Drakonian royal family, Arius Severus, had ascended the throne. They said he was ruthless and warlike, very different from his father, Drako, who had worked so hard to secure peace. Fear was creeping back into people's hearts. I prayed the rumors would prove untrue.

My name is Phaedra, the youngest child in my family. I am fifteen years old. My eldest brother, Jason, is twenty, and Iolaos, my other brother, is eighteen. According to our laws, girls must marry by fourteen, while boys wed at twenty. Jason was already engaged to Priscila, the chief's daughter—a union that brought great honor to our family, as Jason would one day be the village chief.

I, on the other hand, had no suitors. We were too poor to afford a dowry, and that diminished my chances of marriage. My father, a kind but practical man, might eventually marry me off to an older widower if no other offers came. It hurt to think of such a fate, but I was resigned.

In secret, I was in love. His name was Josef, an eighteen-year-old field worker from the village. I knew he cared for me; I'd caught him stealing glances and smiling at me. He was gentle and kind, and I dreamed he would one day ask for my hand. But I knew it was impossible—he was as poor as I was, and in our world, love didn't dictate marriage.

That day, as we toiled in the fields, I felt unusually weak and decided to rest under an olive tree. The end of summer was near, and soon we would move on to cotton and grape harvests, followed by olives in the fall.

-"Phaedra, what's wrong?" Josef's warm voice pulled me from my thoughts.

-"Nothing, just a little tired," I replied, avoiding his gaze. I could feel my cheeks flush, and he laughed, the sound light and teasing.

-"Hey, you two, stop dawdling and get back to work!" the foreman barked.

-"Yes, sir," we replied in unison, returning to our tasks. Harvesting wheat was grueling, especially with the limited tools we were given.

When evening came, I was bone-tired and ravenous. We'd only had a bit of bread and fruit during the day. At home, my mother started preparing vegetable soup with rations the foreman had provided, while I took on the housework. My father and brothers went to gather wood for the fire.

Our house was modest—a wooden hut with a roof of reeds. It had three rooms: one for my parents, another that I shared with my brothers, and a small kitchen. Our few possessions included straw mattresses, a table, some wooden utensils, and a tin kettle.

After dinner, the men retired to bed while I stayed to help my mother wash the dishes. Soon, we too crawled into our beds, our bodies aching from the day's labor.

I was woken in the dead of night by a strange noise. My heart raced as flames suddenly engulfed our home.

-"Wake up!" I shouted, shaking my brothers. Together, we rushed to our parents' room, but the fire spread too quickly. Desperate cries filled the air as the villagers ran in panic.

-"Go hide! Now!" my father yelled, brandishing a rake as a weapon. My brothers joined him, wielding branches.

Clutching my mother's hand, I ran toward the forest, stumbling into the shadows of the trees. We crouched behind bushes, trembling as chaos raged. Hours passed in agonizing silence, the screams of our neighbors lingering in the air.

At dawn, I couldn't take it any longer.

-"Where are you going, Phaedra?" my mother asked, alarmed.

-"To find Father and the boys," I replied.

-"You can't! If they catch you—"

-"I can't stay here! I have to know!" I broke free from her grasp and began making my way back. She followed reluctantly.

What we found was devastation. Charred ruins replaced our homes, and bodies littered the ground. Survivors wandered aimlessly, searching for their loved ones. My father and brothers were nowhere to be found.

Near the remains of a house, a small boy sat curled up, crying for his mother.  I called out to the boy, and he immediately stood, stumbling as he hurried toward us. Just then, the sound of hoofbeats echoed through the chaos. Soldiers on horseback charged through the street, their presence imposing and ruthless. Without thinking, I ran to the boy, scooping him up and pulling him out of harm's way just in time.

I knelt beside him, holding him tightly as he sobbed into my shoulder. "You're safe now," I whispered, patting his head to calm him. For a moment, it felt like time had stopped—the horrors of the village fading into the background as I shielded this small, frightened soul.

But the reprieve was short-lived.

I became aware of shadows looming over us and looked up to find we were surrounded. Soldiers had dismounted, circling us with sneers on their faces. Their mocking laughter and crude jeers filled the air, each word dripping with malice.

I froze, my heart pounding wildly. Keeping my head bowed, I avoided their eyes, knowing that even the smallest provocation could be fatal. My arms tightened protectively around the boy as I prayed for this nightmare to end.

But then, a man in golden armor approached on a black horse. He bore the crest of the Drako kingdom and carried himself with undeniable authority. The soldiers fell silent as he dismounted, removing his helmet to reveal a face that was both commanding and cold.

-"Rise," he said to me in a voice that sent shivers down my spine.

Trembling, I obeyed, the boy clutching my leg.

-"How old are you?"

-"Fifteen, sir," I whispered.

-"And the boy? Is he yours?"

-"No, sir."

-"Then why did you risk your life for him?"

-"I... I don't know sir. I felt that it was the right thing to do"

His expression hardened. "Take her," he ordered his men.

Panic surged through me as two soldiers seized my arms. "No!" I screamed.

-"Phaedra!" my mother's voice rang out. I turned in time to see her running toward me, only to be struck down by a soldier's blade.

Her lifeless body crumpled to the ground, blood pooling around her. The world blurred, and darkness swallowed me whole.