Chapter 1

A long sigh escaped her lips as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She stared at her doll face and couldn't help but blame her bad luck for coming into this world as a princess. She hated the fact that she had to get involved in an arranged marriage. A marriage she'll be stuck in for the rest of her life.

"You are looking so beautiful, Aurora."

Aurora looked at her mother's reflection in the mirror. She was stopping herself from rolling her eyeballs because if she did then her mother would probably lecture her all over again about acting like a princess. Which is dumb.

Amelia sighed and turned Aurora around, she knows that her daughter wasn't happy with this wedding but what could she do, this has always been the norm of every royal family. No royal family in history has been recorded to have gotten married due to love. It has always been about gaining more power, marriage is nothing but a path to more power between two kings and there's nothing that can change that.

"I know you are not happy with this wedding Aurora but please, am pleading to you as your mother. Don't do anything that we question your father's honor. Please, Aurora." Amelia pleaded, holding her daughter's hand firmly. She knows her daughter, deep down she knows that Aurora might have accepted to go along with the wedding but she knows that her daughter wouldn't standstill. She knows that her daughter would retaliate and try to find her way out of the marriage but she did that will bring nothing but disaster for their kingdom.

Aurora stared deep into her mother's eyes. She didn't accept nor reject her mother's pleas. She was only doing this wedding because of her mum. If it was left to her, she would have run away from the kingdom a long time ago but still, she decided to stay back, only because her mother was still here and she doesn't want to hurt her.

"Your Highness, his highness wants you at the wedding ceremony" Zia, Aurora's maid stated with her head bowed down.

Amelia nodded her head, planted a kiss on Aurora's forehead, and left for the wedding ceremony.

Aurora slumped down and for the first time in years, a tear escaped her eyes.

"Princess!" Zia called and ran to meet Aurora, squatting beside her.

"I don't want to do this Zia, I don't." Aurora cried, tears falling from her eyes. She was acting strong all along, telling herself she could but as the wedding drew nearer she knew she can't. She knew she won't be able to handle this whole thing. She wasn't ready to marry a man, who was known to be a devil. Was she ready to sacrifice her entire life for a man she doesn't know or even care about? No, she wasn't. She still had this dream deep in her heart, to explore the whole world, to go against the whole damn princesses' rules, to be independent and do what she wants with no one telling her what and what not to do. Unfortunately for her, she knows it's a dream, a dream that's far away from her reach, and no matter what she does she won't be able to reach it.

"Princess," Zia uttered sadly, pulling Aurora into a hug. The rule of the kingdom was against the friendship between a maid and a royal family because they believed that maids are the only servant who is capable of hurting you and also betray you at the same time. But still, her princess never treated her as a maid, she treated her as a sister and best friend. The first princess, that showed her love despite her coming from a poor family. She knows that Aurora was always acting rebellious but that was only because she wanted to be free from the duties of being a princess, of being a royal but who would have known that because of what she did, she would end up being forced to marry a man who was no less than a devil. A man who was known to be heartless and won't hesitate to kill anyone that comes his way. This how bad her princess's fate is.

Aurora stared into space, this was her fate, her fate to be doomed her whole life. Her fate to never experience love and to be doomed her whole life. She hated the fact, that she had to live her whole life, listening and following a man's orders.

She still remembers her father's last verdict to her when she was caught, sneaking to the western gate of the kingdom. A place that royal families were never allowed to go. Why? Because it was believed that vampires reside there. A superstition that she found stupid. Vampires don't exist, deep down she knows it was all a lie. She was curious to know what was behind those walls but who would have known that that would lead to her destruction. That would lead to her father, forcing her to marry a man she doesn't know and has never met her whole life.

Her father's deep voice kept replaying on her mind. "Aurora will be getting married to the king of Kush and that's my final verdict. And if you dare to go against this Aurora, I'll make sure you regret it."

That was it, that single statement changed her whole life completely. Maybe she deserved all this after all. She wasn't expecting more from her father, after all, he has never looked at her with love in his eyes, he never talked to her like a father but as a king.

Aurora stood up, her eyes burning with a new determination. She won't crumble because of this. Her father might have done this because he was trying to punish her but she'll make sure that no matter what happens she'll make him regret his decision and she will make sure to make life hell for her so-called husband.

Zia sighed when she noticed the new look in her princess's eyes. She could only pray that her princess wouldn't do a thing that could lead to her being punished again.