CHAPTER 1: Towns

"Xariya, get back!" The man kept on calling Xariya that was running away from him. His eyes were raging in anger that has caused by Xariya getting a mess in his area. Xariya just waved her hands to him apologetically before she turned into another street where her house is located.

"I heard someone calling you." A brunette wearing a sweater and a long skirt down her ankle said upon seeing Xariya. Xariya removed her shoe from her foot and put it aside a rack, then, she went over to her grandma to kiss the top of her head.

"I am sorry, that was just nothing," Xariya told her and smiled confectionary. "Have you taken breakfast yet, grandma?"

Her grandmother solely shook her head. "I haven't."

Her round eyes dilated. "Why is that? You should have taken breakfast early, grandma!"

"I waited for you." Xariya shut her jaws as she heeded that. She does not indicate that her grandma would wait for her to arrive home and have their breakfast concurrently.

She went to their tiny and needy kitchen to cook for their food. The place exists a mess; deranged kitchen appliances and a dirty niche, even the canopies.

"When can I have time to straighten up this place?" Xariya asked herself. Indeed, she has no time to make their place better and purify because she has a lot of things to perform. Xariya has multiple jobs to inhabit their life — she and her grandma. No one can help them live other than themselves.

Xariya lives in a small hamlet, Narcissu. Their town has never prevailed into a serene truce. Every time, civilians would wake up in the dawn with commotion lurking their place. There is no scarcity of gossip, rumors.

Most of the women in the town talk about the well-known, handsome, and embodiment of a perfect person, prince. Prince Silas has been talking of the town that lives before Narcissu's town, the town of Knight; A big community where royalties, nobles, sovereign, supremes, belongs to. A peaceful, however, decent and delighted town.

Everyone from a poor city wished to live in the town of Knight, but then, they were forbidden there. It has been said that only the royal blood can be one of the Knights which is precisely right. However, Xariya and her grandma hate the royalties and the town of Knight because they just made Narcissu their foot soldiers.

After taking breakfast, Xariya fled her grandmother from home to go to her work. She just competent a food for her grandmother in case she gets hungry, or even when lunchtime would come.

In a mum's street of Narcissu, Xariya strolls and steered towards the eatery where she will work for the morning. While in the twilight, she will go to a nightclub and work as a waitress there.

"Good morning!" Xariya welcomed her co-workers with a huge smile plastering her face. No one even greeted her back propelled her to pout. On the other hand, Sabina in the mini counter that was presently occupied with taking notes of the customers' order, swiveled her eyes upon seeing Xariya.

Xariya won't fabricate. She knew that most of her co-workers detests her. Nevertheless, she would not look after them. She is here to work and not to entertain. She wants to make money instead of making a group of friends.

"Blah blah blah," Xariya ridiculed to emptiness and went to the kitchen of the eatery to start cooking for every customer's requests. She is undoubtedly good at cuisine. She cooks several foods. Her cooks were different. It was like there are secret elements to her cook and no one can level her significance when it gets to it.

As what is used to, Xariya consumed her time cooking and assisting the customers. Many of them were even from the other city and just went in the Narcissu to savor Xariya's cooks.

"You came across happy, huh," said the man beside her. It was her co-worker, slash a friend from the eatery. They both cook and their companies always meet when it comes to entertainment.

Xariya cackled. "As I should," she merely said and shrugged her shoulders off. They proceeded to do their duties not until another worker called for Xariya's attention. "What is it?"

It was Sabina who called Xariya. Sabina crossed her arms over her shoulders and gazed at Xariya with various looks. "Prince Silas' aegis were here to fetch you."

Grimace was written on Xariya's face as she heard that. What? Prince Silas' aegis? They were there to fetch her? Why?

Are they going to undergo me? Xariya asked mentally and tossed her eyes in subtle. She then shot her vision before Sabina. "Tell them I wasn't here," Xariya told her, squeaking like Sabina should heed her command.

It was alarming that Sabina did not even grumble. She just pursed her brims together into one line and turned to walk away. Xariya and Kio, her co-worker, and a friend looked at each other, feeling weird about what the woman had just ordinance.

On the other hand, outside the eatery, there were the patrols of Prince Silas', ready to fetch Xariya and bring her to the town of the Knight. Regardless, Xariya didn't ask why they were going to fetch her. She is oblivious, she is clueless, yet, she did not inquire of mere justification. She just knew that she hates the town of Knight and no matter what the reason is for calling her presence in the town, she will not let herself step into the town of Knight.

Xariya despises royal blood.

"She is inner the kitchen," Sabina told the patrols with a dagger hanging their midriffs. But hey, Sabina told them the contrary thing that Xariya told her! She is a bitch! She hates Xariya and she would never listen to what Xariya would mumble. "Take her."

The patrols says nothing and went inside the eatery with a formal walk and lining up to look so neat. That was their duty as an aegis of a prince, to every royalty and royal blood. Even if Xariya would dwindle the call of Prince Silas', she has no option because it was a prince who called for her. The aegis would do their duties — to follow their masters.

"Wait, what?! Why are you getting me off there?!" Xariya exclaimed when the patrols dragged her off by holding her limbs. She tried to combat them, yet, she is too weak for the ten patrols. She cannot even fight over one patrol!

People around just looked at what the aegis was doing to Xariya. Even Kio just watched them from afar. Just thought he wants to get Xariya from them, he has no guts because it was the prince who want this. People should not defy the royals. They were like the rats of the Knight that has no liberties.

Xariya kept on yelling and fighting for her life, thinking that her grandma was alone at home and if they will get her, no one can take care of her grandmother. Xariya is more troubled towards her grandmother than her being. She thinks of nothing but her grandmother alone.

Xariya's tear fell down her cheeks as she failed from saving herself from the trap. She just found herself in front of Prince Silas, the perfect talking town prince. Prince Silas stared at Xariya that was kneeling on her knees over him. Xariya is shaking.

Prince Silas wearing normal royalties clothing. Half of his long hair was tied. His face was fierce and it shows no enthusiasm. Prince Silas' hazel eyes darted to Xariya that could not even take a glimpse of the Prince's eyes. They don't have the right to look at the royals, though. They were forbidden to look right in the eye to every royal blood.

Sitting in a mini-throne, Prince Silas' cleared his throat. He is the younger son of King Apollo and he could not perfectly act like a prince. Prince Silas isn't the type of individual that can act as a professional prince, but he can be one when it is needed, however, for a short time alone. Prince Silas is somehow cold and silent, but he is a good prince and an approachable one.

"Xariya," Prince Silas called her name made Xariya look up at him. Xariya can't lie, she is afraid. She does not know why her presence is being called to this town, ordered by Prince Silas.

Xariya immediately looked away as she accidentally glance at Prince Silas' eyes. She stopped herself from shaking. Mixed emotions rise her system; she is afraid that this royal prince might hurt her. Insane because she trudged on the town of Knight that she hates. The town that she promised that she will never immigrate to.

"P-Prince Silas," Xariya also mumbled his name for respect. Inside the long room, it was just the two of them; Xariya and Prince Silas. It is because Prince Silas hates it when an aegis would stay inside to guard him. Prince Silas felt like he is too weak to be shielded.

"I called for you here for a crucial matter," Prince Silas asserted in a normal tone. But in others' ears, his voice sounded cold and husky. That is his normal voice and tone.

Xariya had to gulp because her throat felt so dry. It felt hoarse. "W-What is it?"

The way Xariya delivers that, in others' perspective, it seems disrespectful. Xariya is good, respectful, but to those who were doing the same to her too. She does the thing that other people treat her.

Prince Silas' hazel eyes looked at Xariya. "This is the right time."

Xariya's eyes shot to his face. Right time what? What does Prince Silas mean by what he said? What is that about? Does Xariya have something to do with Prince Silas?

Prince Silas then went on, "This is the right time for you to be with me. Serve me. And be my wife soonest."