"Her smile is like a drug-one hit, and you're hooked for life!"
The clang of swords, the spell formulas and the taste of ale permeated Maximilian Croyso's life, echoing through her heart. Her divorce wasn't just a legal split; it shattered her dream...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The man she knew only for one day and one night, the man who took her virginity by force was now standing in front of her, years after her matrimony. Alas, the only difference in their reunion was that they stood in the noble court, in front of the emperor and the pope, not their home. "I hereby declare that Maximilian Croyso and Riftan Calypse's is now null and void and allow Riftan to enter into a remarriage with Princess Agnes" The Pope's voice echoed through the court, it felt like the earth had swallowed Maxi whole, as she came crashing down on her knees.
Riftan gave a pitiful look" I'm sorry Maxi, I wish I could make us last longer".
His words crept deep into her mind. She couldn't save her marriage. She couldn't save her dignity. She couldn't save herself. Now, she must face the wrath of the merciless society, where they are ready to shred her apart in pieces, while her father is planning her funeral as soon as she steps into the ghastly place, better known as Croyso Castle.
Oh hell nah! She may be a stutter but she ain't a fool for god's sake anymore! So what if she couldn't win his heart? He LEFT after their wedding night, she knows nothing about that man at all. Now, as she looks around the room, she sees her father, brimmed with anger, screaming at Riftan for divorcing her, a gloomy Riftan who can't retort anymore, but gazes down at the Duke and Princess Agnes, the Blond Beauty, just observing as the chaos unfolds.Maxi takes a step back and gracefully bows, which draws the attention of the whole lot. Her slim and pale hands, adorned with her wedding ring, hold her dress lightly as she states "G-goodbye Riftan, we b-both know we never w-wanted t-this, but live a good l-life ahead".
Everyone stood petrified as if Lucifer himself descended from hell. "Maxi! What are you talking about? Did our wedding account nothing to you?" Riftan exclaimed in a fit of rage."Rif-Sir Calypse, I am now n-no longer your w-wife, and hence I s-shall speak as I p-please". Maxi, chin held high, turned to Agnes, a flicker of empathy in her eyes. "You deserve him, Your Highness," she said, her voice soft but firm. "With your beauty and undeniable power, you'll be a perfect wife for him." Agnes, speechless, could only stare as a strange guilt gnawed at her. Maxi's words, laced with a bitter truth, exposed the hollowness of Agnes's victory
Her father angrily rushed towards her and hit her with his cane, breaking his public image of a lovely father, once and for all. "How dare you! You stupid daughter. You couldn't make him love you, and you are shaming our family name! Get away from me this instant! I shall see how to deal with you when we are back".
He dragged Maximilian out of the court and into the carriage, where he spoke insults and degraded her, but it was nothing new. He was surprised and angry about the change Maxi exhibited today. She was supposed to cry and beg Riftan to stay, instead, she went ahead to make a fool out of herself and her whole family! How shameless! If she learnt a thing or two from her sister, she never would have to see this day, the Duke would never have to see this day.How did Maxi, the weak, frail, useless Maxi, dare get so disobedient? How was she not shedding any tears now? What is wrong with her?
'Did she get possessed?'
Oh, she could never! Even if she did, he would have the church take care of it or just kill her, she had outgrown her meagre usefulness anyway. No one knew what was going on in her mind, as she stepped back into the hellhole known as her 'home', who would've expected her to glare at the maids who were gossiping about her?
Who would've known that she would stand up to her father, wailing in her stuttering voice as he continues to hit her till blue and black?
Who would have known that she would abandon her house in the dead of night, and stow away in a ship to escape her destiny and re-write her fate?
No one did.
That night, under the cloak of darkness, Maxi made her escape, using the nearby ship. The daughter of the duke, escaping as a mere stowaway. Gone was the obedient daughter, replaced by a woman determined to rewrite her fate. The whispers in her head, once a source of fear, now fueled her courage. She may have been born into a gilded cage, but she would not die there. Maxi Croyso was free, and the world shall tremble at the dawn of her rebellion. Her journey, fraught with danger and uncertainty, had just begun.
