CHAPTER 1.

A young princess stormed out of the solar, her face flushed with fury. She rushed to her chambers, slamming the door behind her.

As she paced back and forth, she could still hear her father's voice berating her for not meeting his expectations. But she didn't care. She was tired of being belittled and dismissed, constantly told that she was a disappointment.

Filled with fury, she felt a strange tingling sensation spreading through her body, her heart racing. It was painful, yet strangely exhilarating.

Suddenly, everything went black. The world around her vanished, replaced by a dark void. She felt herself floating, suspended in nothingness.

For a moment, fear gripped her. But then a strange calm washed over her. She felt at peace, despite the burning sensation in her body.

Then, she saw a faint light. It grew in intensity until it enveloped her, and she closed her eyes. When she opened them, she found herself back in the hallway outside the solar.

The door was still closed, and her father's voice could still be heard from within.But something had changed. She felt a new energy coursing through her body. It was as if she had been asleep, and now she was finally awake.

Taking a deep breath, she entered the solar. Her father's words stopped, and everyone at the table stared at her in confusion.

She stood tall, meeting her father's gaze."I won't listen to this anymore," she declared. Her father's anger turned to surprise.

"You will listen to me!" he shouted, raising his voice. But she didn't back down. "No, I won't. I'm tired of being told I'm not good enough, that I'm a disappointment. I won't let you define me anymore."

Her father was speechless. This wasn't the daughter he knew. Princess Lily was always timid and fragile, always saved by her sister. "How could she talk back to him? And he couldn't deny feeling a little threatened by her power. Was he wrong all this time?"

Lost in his thoughts, Lily began to lose consciousness and fainted. The maids quickly carried her to her chamber, fearing the king's anger.

Seeing this, Princess Fiona went on her knees and bowed her head."Father, please don't be upset with Lily. It was my fault. I should have told her sooner."

"What made you think she wouldn't react like this if you had told her sooner?" he shouted in anger, silencing the room.

"Father, if she doesn't wake up, I will take her place and marry Lord Ariston, if it will make you happy."

"No, dear. You have proven to be the strongest and wisest. I can't let you marry him. You don't deserve someone like him," he said calmly.

"But father, Lily is weak. She can't be used to win his heart," she hurriedly replied. "I can't let her marry him, father. I saw him first," she thought to herself.

"Have you fallen for him, Fiona? Has your frozen heart melted?" he asked. He enjoyed seeing his daughter try to win his favor to marry Lord Ariston, but he knew she was dangerous. He could sense that she was planning something.

In the kingdom of Gultan, it was every young lady's dream to marry a Dark One. These individuals were misunderstood but possessed the unique ability to enhance the powers of their spouses. The pure-blooded people of Gultan bore a golden birthmark as a sign of their noble lineage. The location of this mark revealed the truth about one's ancestry.

Those who were impure bore a red mark on their palms. They were shunned and feared, yet secretly blessed with powers by the Goddess herself. Though considered cursed, their blessing was a great gift. Each pure-blooded person had a golden mark, proof of their noble heritage.

The difference between the pure ones, known as light-born, and the impure, known as shadow-born, was their magic.

Both types of people could have good or bad personalities. Light-born individuals possessed pure and constructive magic, while shadow-born individuals had powerful and destructive magic. Some were born shadow-born, while others became shadow-born due to life experiences.

The goddess treated them equally, as they were all her children. However, some light-born individuals saw the mixed ones as a threat and formed an order of knights called the Purifiers.

They secretly sought to rid the kingdom of anyone they deemed impure, fearing the king's wrath. Armed with this knowledge, Princess Fiona was determined not to give up on Lord Ariston.

He was her ticket to greatness. "Father, trust me. My heart is still as frozen as ever."

Hmm," he muttered before leaving the solar without another glance.

"Trust me, father. When I have Lord Ariston, you'll be the one begging," she chuckled to herself.

She rushed into Lily chamber.

"Medicus, what's wrong with my sister?" The Medicus shook his head. "My princess, I don't know. I have thoroughly examined her, but it appears Princess Lily is fine. Everything seems to be in order," he replied.

"Leave us," she instructed the maids. "Then why did she faint?" she questioned the Medicus, sensing that he was withholding the truth from her.

"My Lady, I cannot say for certain, but I must attend His Highness's chamber," he said, promptly exiting.

"My little Lily had a tantrum. It's best for you to remain unconscious like this and never wake up," she sneered, her expression filled with hatred towards her sister. If anyone were to witness her now, they would realize that Princess Fiona had been deceiving them all about her love for her sibling. She then departed.

"Tell me, what happened to her," His Highness spoke calmly. "Your Highness, there is a strong possibility that Princess Lily has inherited her mother's abilities," he said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" said the king, apprehensive about the implications.

"Your Highness, she fainted due to the release of her power. However..."

"But what?" he interrupted, eager for answers.

"She will not regain the energy she expended, so there is no need for her to exert herself in order to recover," he explained, raising his voice slightly.

"Will it take days?" he inquired.

"It will take longer than that, My Lord. It will likely take a month or more. The power she unleashed is comparable to that of a level 7 Shadow-born," he revealed.

"What did you just say?" Clearly, he was taken aback. This was something he had never experienced at her age.

"You heard correctly, My Lord. Princess Lily is not what the rumors spread by your maids suggest. However, for now, it seems she has depleted all her energy and will be very weak. Please protect what remains of her," he urged.

Solar(Dinning room)