1 Chapter 1

'You have been honorably invited to attend the royal court as a representative of your village at the annual Winter Ball on July the 14th. We expect to see you here minimum a day prior, thank you and we are excited to see you there.

That's what the letter said, any underlings dream of attending the royal court were finally weaving together into a wonderful reality.

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*Next day*

I walked in front of the castle with a spring in my step, coming in at my scheduled time, dressed in clothes worth more money than I had earned my whole life, ready to meet my escort, was as exciting as it was nerve wracking.

A tall woman greeted me at the entrance, her beauty and life as a royal engulfing her in a silently confident aura.

"Welcome to the Kingdom, Sarina. I will be directing you to your chambers, you are to dress in the clothes that have been left on your bed and be ready in half of an hour to meet your escort for the Ball.

Please do not leave your chambers until a guard comes to pick you up.

No matter what.

Do you have any questions?"

I was staring at her so slack jawed that I almost didn't realize she was asking me a question.

"Uh-I- I- YES! I do have one, who is my escort?"

She shook her head and letting a small laugh escape, "I cannot tell you that per request of the ki- er your escort. Please just be patient and wait."

It was like a boulder was dropped on my bubble of euphoria, I had only thought about how my dreams had come true, not that I was in a castle in the vicinity of secrets and walls that I was never going to be able to cross.

I think she realized my sudden mood change when she interrupts my thoughts, "Don't worry, by the time you are dressed it will be time for your meeting. Don't overthink it, you never know, you might like him.

It seemed that she caught something out of the corner of her eye.

She rushed out before running to a figure outside of the entrance doors of the castle. She immediately rushed towards him and deeply bowed.

'Must be The King"

His eyes shot to mine, a smirk on his face. As if he knew something that I didn't.

I run out to catch up with Misa, I didn't know where my chambers were and she just left me like that.

I'm immediately hit with a rush of dizziness, and a sharp pain stabbed me in the forehead.

My eyes locked with Chairman Kristakos, again, before I felt my consciousness slip and saw him running towards me.

I expected to feel the hard tile underneath my head, but instead I felt heat and care.

'It couldn't be him, he's cold, he would never...'

I didn't finish my thought before falling completely unconscious in this strangers arms.