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There was a small, feminine gasp from my side. My handmaiden, Melia, rested her palm against my back. A small, comforting gesture that brought me nothing but more contempt.

Too snarky even for him, huh?

He wants me to go mad.That was the meaning of his punishment. He wanted to show that even his own daughter, the princess, would not be able to escape his control.

And disgrace the Castle bloodline with his disease?The single sentence that I uttered. I tried to keep it inside. Tried to lock it in the small cage in the recesses of my mind.

But then, when they started talking about the money they could make from me once the prince hadclaimedmy body and forced a blood bond…I couldn’t keep it in. I was angry.

I had done nothing but be the perfect daughter to Father. I was his replica in almost every sense. I was as cold as he was. As cruel. I was there by his side for every moment.

And he was willing to sell me like a broodmare.

“Just a joke, Father,” I said, bowing my head to him. “Of course I will be honored to receive Prince Icas.”

I forced my hands to grab my dress, trying desperately to hide how they shook with anger.

“Receive, marry, bed, and produce an heir worthy of uniting our families,” he added, taking a step toward me. His grubby finger found my chin and forced me to look up at him. He was calmer then, but the bloodlust was still raging in his eyes. “It is what you were born to do, don’t forget that.”

I was born to rule, just like my mother, until her untimely death.

“How could I possibly forget?” I made my voice as sweet as I could muster. I was asking for a repeat of the slap, we both knew it.

Krae, help me.And maybe for the first time, the goddess actually heard me.

His eyes searched my face, then slowly the normal blue hues started to appear.

He nodded and righted himself again before sitting on his throne. And just like that, it was over. The meeting with the various court members was back in action, all of them laughing as if it never happened.

I turned to face the group with my hands folded together in front of me. The ache in my cheek was slowly fading along with the pounding in my head. Melia was by my side, her hand holding the back of my dress.

Her actions annoyed me only because of how useful they were at grounding me while the men of the court’s eyes roamed over my swollen face.

I wish she would just fucking disappear.Just because my stepmother had assigned her to me for half my life didn’t mean I had to like her. And right then, all I wanted to do was finally give them all a piece of my mind.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to rage. To flip the table in front of me. To tear my fangs into the necks of the people who dared laugh at me.

It had been building up for years, and each time, I chose to lock it behind the golden cage in the back of my mind. The same cage that was starting to rust and bend in places as the emotions violently crashed against the bars that held them in.

But for one more meeting, at least, I had been able to keep them back. Been able to stand there next to my father as thehours passed and the sun set. I passed the time by imagining the sun being able to burn me alive like it was rumored to do to our ancestors.

None of my wishes came true that day. I sat through it. Smiled when I needed to. And left when I was dismissed.

Melia tried to follow me as I left behind my father and stepmother, but I gave her a glare, warning her that if she even dared, she would be paying the price.

I couldn’t kill her, but that didn’t mean I wouldn’t make her life miserable.

“The previous queen would have loved to see this day,” my stepmother said from beside my father, her charcoal-lined eyes meeting mine as she shot a smirk in my direction.

She didn’t even try to hide her slight. Her spawn, who was trailing a bit behind me down the hall, let out a chuckle.

I hastened my steps, trying to close the space between us.

“She would, but I have you standing in her place, don’t I?” I asked in a sickly-sweet tone and quickly stepped on the hem of her dress that had been trailing behind her.

She hadn’t caught onto my plan fast enough to stop herself from jerking forward and almost losing her balance.

Father didn’t even attempt to catch her. Merely turned his head to the side, watching as she struggled to right herself.