Bleed Like Roses

Prologue

When my father was still a prince, he met the beautiful Queen Anastasia. Well, that time she was the daughter of a rich haciendero. She was smart, kind and a good business strategist – or so said Giovanni, my oldest brother. My father saw her in a ball celebrating the anniversary of the kingdom's founding, and instantly fell in love with her wit, beauty and charm. He danced with her the whole night, and while Anastasia strayed and danced with other men asking for her attention, he was enamored, and refused to ask other women, even those who outranked the late queen. He just asked for her hand again when she was done entertaining other men. People dismissed this as the prince being a rebel since while she enraptured him, they were not meant to be as she was not of royal blood. But everyone was surprised when they married a few months later. It was a shock to everyone who followed the lives of the royal family since they didn't even hear about the development of their relationship. And while some were outraged, most viewed it as romantic, while the royal family saw it as an opportunity to expand their influence.

The wedding was extravagant, given that the late queen was to be married to a prince and her family's wealth is even surpassing that of the royal family. A few months after, father and the late queen was crowned as the new monarchs of the kingdom - and a few months after that Royal Prince Giovanni was born, followed by the Royal Princess Maia, and the Royal Princess Marso. The queen had a difficult time carrying the latest Royal Princess, so it came as a surprise when it was announced that she was pregnant again five years after Ate Marso was born.

But, 6 months into the pregnancy, Duchess Katarina LeGrato of the Northern Islands visited the royal palace for the first time carrying a baby that had the eyes and hair of the king. The king was having an affair with the duchess, and that infidelity bore Princess Abril.

The betrayal hurt the queen and the stress caused a premature labor that almost killed Royal Princess May, and caused the queen's untimely death.

Ate Abril's appearance caused a stir within the palace and the whole kingdom. It also broke the family apart.

To legitimize Princess Abril's place as a royal, the king and the duchess married. And with that the twins, Royal Princes Juno and Julian, was born.

But the king's eyes kept wandering. And while the duchess became a mother – a somewhat cold, but a mother nonetheless – to the older royal children, the king's royal horniness made her bail and filed for divorce, leaving her infant twins and toddler to the king's servants and returned to the Northern Islands.

The scandal was feeding the kingdom intrigue and it reached the part where some women claimed to have slept with the king and is carrying the next royal. The Royal Representative immediately took action, with the previous monarchs seeing this humiliation as an insult, and had announced the king's betrothal to a royal of another kingdom.

Due to favor the queen of that kingdom owe the previous monarchs, she allowed the betrothal with her niece, who was known for her classic beauty and sharp tongue.

The wedding was set to happen in the next two years. The preparation slightly appeased the kingdom. But the royal wedding did not happen until 3 years later, when it was also announced the duchess' pregnancy with the 8th royal baby.

While the kingdom rejoices, the royal family became much further apart.

Kuya Giovani, my oldest brother was only 13 when Ate Sirena entered the picture. She was the king's first secret daughter, only a few months older than Duchess Agustina's eldest. Agustina was not a warm mother – if she was a mother at all – to the rest of the royal and illegitimate children of the king. Since Ate Sirena have no one, Kuya Giovani took charge of her well-being. He became her friend and only ally while the rest of the royal household ostracized her.

A few months in, Royal Prince Augustus the 8th heir was born. His birth was celebrated while his sister's was hushed.

In a few years I would join the royal family. The Duchess became the Queen with her own horde of royal children, and like history repeating itself, I have no one but my brother by my side.