Defying The Bloody King

Den Of Lions

Year 1668–
In Luminera's capital, Cressida.
—

Dipping her hand inside the bucket, Seraphina couldn't help but winced with her eyes closed tightly. Her snowy white skin had gone blood red as the cold ice water had enveloped her frail fingers. She didn't dare to pull her hands out, after all she had to finish washing the rest of the laundry in this coldness by evening if she wants her mother's medicine.

Her long lashes flutter in the golden glow, her eyes were filled with an indescribable pain but she didn't once voice it out— in fact she couldn't. Even the old servants who saw her had try to help, not wanting their precious young lady to catch a cold because of the ice cold laundries. But she knew since the age of five if she let the servants do it for her, her aunt wouldn't be happy and would eventually punish her with even more laundry in this frosty winter.

Her stomach grumbled. She didn't know when the last time she had eaten but she would rather not eat than to eat.

By the time she had finished her laundries outside the mansion along with the other servants, it was already eight at night. The servants had finished early and began to huddle inside the mansion for warmth. She looked back at the rest of the laundries she has to finish tomorrow. If she didn't, she could see her aunt threaten to withhold her mother's medicine for a week. But she couldn't have that to happen! Her mother was weak and she was in so much pain without those medicine.

Just a bit more... if she could find a work outside this mansion, she could bring her mother to leave the house for good.

Even though everything in this mansion suppose to belong to her, her attachment to the wealth and house had long disappeared. She would rather leave than to live a life under the oppression of her aunt.

As she tried to console herself and wrung her cold hands together, a maid had suddenly called up to her, "Lady... Miss Seraphina. Lady Vespera has called you to the drawing room."

Immediately, Seraphina's eyes darkened.

She didn't want to go. Her feet were refusing to move.

She knows that every time she go to meet her Aunt, Vespera, a problem will arise where the woman will make sure there is more nightmare to ruin her life.
She bit her lips and finally nodded at the maid, "I will go soon. Thank you, Elysia."

Elysia was taken aback upon hearing that Seraphina had recalled her name. After all, Seraphina is the true heir to the Dawnfire family. In fact, if not because of her aunt and uncle, she is a Princess by title. But the house of Dawnfire had fallen to the wrong hands and now Seraphina suffer a life that was worse than the rest of her servants. Elysia felt terrible for the young Princess but what could a mere maid like her do?

Elysia only nodded gently and feels honored for being remembered by the Princess before she rushed to leave.

Seraphina gathered herself. Just another day with another problem, what's new about it? At least she is still alive.

Her comfort was immediately destroyed by the reality when she arrived to the drawing room and heard her uncle announce, "Your marriage have been decided Seraphina."

"Ma— Marriage?"

Seraphina was aghast. She turned her eyes at her aunt who had crossed her arm. Her smile was wide which told Seraphina what she needed to know. Her aunt wouldn't be happy if she was married to a great husband. Her expression would be contorted in anger if her uncle had married her to a gentleman. But right now she had a very wide across her face, meaning that her aunt had found the worst possible man for her to be married with.

Was it an old man? A duke? A criminal?

Seraphina's body went cold. She immediately say, "I don't think it's the right time for me to be married yet, uncle. I am merely twenty."