Chapter 1

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𝕾𝖔𝖓𝖌 𝖙𝖔 𝕷𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖓: 𝕰𝖝𝖎𝖑𝖊 𝖇𝖞 𝕿𝖆𝖞𝖑𝖔𝖗 𝕾𝖜𝖎𝖋𝖙

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𝐌𝐞𝐳𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚, 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝟖𝟎𝟒

"Perhaps my love for him became his object of hatred, and I didn't realize that until I said my farewell."

The sound of scissors cutting my hair echoed across the gloomy, deserted-looking room. My lips moved as I gazed at my hands. I realized right away that I meant nothing to him. My thoughts refused to accept the reality of the moment or the future that awaited me outside this room.

Having anticipated a nightmare would have made me joyful, but the surreal nature of the situation made it even more so. My longing for him to love me back ended this way. In the end, I would never be able to confess to him, no matter how hard I tried.

For Caliere, my very existence meant being despised.

A loud bell rang, and the jail physician stopped ruffling my hair. An imperial knight grabbed me and shoved me to the front.

With a gruff voice, he said, "It's time..."

He forced me to walk through the light, abandoning everything behind. I shivered as, after what seemed like a lifetime, I gasped and felt the purest cotton melting against my sweaty skin. I observed my feet, which had reached my ankles, turning red as I regarded the ground.

Despite my pleadings and actions, I always felt alone. My head rose upwards, and my vision mirrored that of thousands of individuals wearing fine apparel and staring at me from below.

I used to own those outfits and fancy jewelry as well.

The imperial knights urged me to move.

My mind wandered to the past, which I could never get back. I could see the target of my lifeline as I proceeded along my path. It was as though everything that had happened before would eventually bring me to the tip of a knife.

How did the weather get to be so understanding? I won't be able to find out later. The sky had wept on my behalf, rather than my doing so. My footprints contaminated even the cleanest, purest snow.

But initially, I had no intention of hurting the person I cared about.

Despite his obvious contempt, rage, and resentment—in the end, he would only ignore me—I should have asked him whether he also loved me. I just wanted to see his reaction.

I don't want to rob him of his own happiness, but I also can't stop loving him. How would he feel about this nonexistent person if I had never existed in the first place? Would it make him happy that no one gave birth to me? Would he experience love, certainty, and contentment for someone?

For his happiness, I would be content even if I hadn't existed.

But along the way, I've only come to understand the significance of the individuals who stood by me, took care of me, and unconditionally loved me.

My eyes had a tendency to close out everything else in the room when Caliere's bright light surrounded me, leaving only him visible. He turned into my vision of the future, the person I wanted to live out the rest of my days with, and the place I wanted to be.

I wanted to be the one he needed, but I couldn't. He started to feel so negatively impacted by my presence.

As a result of being blinded by his light, I failed to notice that my family had perished; consequently, the emperor brandished his sword at me, executed my father and mother, and abandoned me in a state of desolation and hopelessness.

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