1 Princess Dione

PA!

Princess Dione's head snapped to the side, a sharp burning sensation ripping through her cheek.

Despite the pain, she didn't dare to flinch or even make the slightest sound and stood rooted to the ground, her eyes cast downwards.

Just endure it, Dione. You have to endure it.

It wasn't like she hadn't expected this.

Her father, the Late Emperor, was the only person in the royal family that tolerated her existence. In fact, he adored her. Ignoring her status as an illegitimate child and her lowly mother's murky origins, the Emperor's eyes only held her. She was the Emperor's most beloved child and treated even better than the children of the Empress, her half-siblings. Because of the Late Emperor's favor, she was able to live with her head held high and garnered respect and adoration wherever she went.

But now her father was dead.

Her elder half-brother was now Emperor and his hatred for her surpassed that of anyone else. When their father was living, she was like a fragile flower guarded tightly against vicious hands but now…

Emperor William leered at the slumped shoulders of his younger sister and roughly tangled his hand in her hair, forcibly yanking her head up.

The girl in front of him looked weak and pathetic. Her large, almost doll-like, amber eyes sparkled in unshed tears, and with his hand tangling in her hair to hold her in place, her blonde updo was messy and lopsided.

The fear in her expression was evident. She feared him. He could even feel her tremble a bit and the mere thought of it made his lips curl into a cruel, mocking arc.

What he wanted now at this very moment was to trample her until her petals scattered and nothing was left of her.

He wanted to completely be rid of this disgusting bastard. Rid of the constant nagging reminder that his father's love never belonged to him - his rightful heir.

"Do you think the Emperor is still someone you can order around as you please? You should really be thanking me for my generosity until your mouth dries. A half-breed like you should be grateful for such a great marriage prospect." Emperor William snarled.

"Brother," Dione pleaded, "Marquess Neil is a notorious adulterer twice my age!"

William's grip on her hair tightened and he yanked her with so much force that her feet nearly lifted from the ground.

"Brother!" Dione gasped out in ragged breaths, her amber eyes wide with fear. She clawed futilely in desperation at the large hand holding her hostage. Her scalp felt as if it were being set on fire.

William's eyes glistened with unbridled fiery rage as he slung her to the ground, "Don't you ever address me as your brother you filthy half-breed bastard! Father may have turned a blind eye to your insolence but I won't stand for it. You can't even be considered human, much less any sibling of mine. You're merely a slave to follow their master's orders and I say you marry the old man. Someone like you doesn't even deserve this much."

His words were sharp and vicious and his gaze was much, much worse. If looks could kill, Dione had no doubt that her death would be a truly miserable one.

Her elder brother dusted his hands with a handkerchief as if the simple act of touching her was a disgusting sin.

He spoke again, "My patience with you is wearing thin, Dione. You don't even know a good thing when it's right in front of you. The Marquess offered quite a pretty price for your hand in marriage so at the very least, you're somewhat of value, albeit not much. Now, stop this pathetic groveling. Your wedding date will be set for as soon as possible." The door clicked shut as William left the room.

The room descended into a suffocating silence.

Dione's body was heavy against the ground and her tears flowed down her cheeks with no reservations. She laughed bitterly in the empty room, more at herself than anything else. It seemed that her brother truly hated her and was intent on seeing this marriage through. Would she really be forced to marry that old adulterous man?

Rumors about Marquess Neil and his acts of indecency swirled around the capital. Despite already having multiple wives, he frequented the red-light district and kept an array of mistresses. He had so many children, legitimate and illegitimate, that his home was basically a war zone for his inheritance.

Maybe it was due to the nature of her slimy husband, but his main wife was an especially cruel woman. There were rumors for miles about her disposing of many of Marquess Neil's concubines and even women pregnant with his children.

Marrying Marquess Neil would be an unacceptably cruel fate for the once-beloved apple of her father's eye, Princess Dione.

Even if she had to take her own life, she wouldn't do it. This was her dignity as a Princess of the Salian Empire. She would never allow herself to succumb to this path of misery!

"Your Highness!"

Light flooded the room as the doors burst open once again. A young maid with frizzled red hair immediately rushed to Dione's side, lifting her to her feet. She fretted all about the Princess, like a bee that wouldn't stop buzzing.

"Even if he is the Emperor now, you're still his younger sister! A noble princess of the Salian Empire! How could he treat you so harshly? And to marry you off to that perverted pig of a man…." The red-haired maidservant choked with emotion as she eyed her mistress' swollen, red cheek and messy hair. Even her clothes were a mess now, lopsided and all. "If Emperor Arthur were still alive-"

"Marianne."

Marianne's lips clasped shut immediately as if she had committed a grave sin. Her voice tinged with guilt, "Your Highness, please forgive me! I allowed my emotions to get the better of me and spoke out of turn."

Dione sighed out when she noticed her personal maidservant's head hung in shame. She gently patted her shoulder, "I understand you, Marianne. But you must remember that we can no longer be as careless as we were before. My father's favor can no longer protect us and we're sitting ducks waiting to be slaughtered in a palace of bloodthirsty tigers. I simply don't want to lose you so please don't misunderstand."

Marianne nodded feverishly with red eyes, "I don't wish to lose you either, Your Highness. I'll protect you with my life!" Her eyes trailed over the appearance of the Princess once again, "But, Your Highness, what shall we do? You can't possibly attend the ball like this."

Dione's fingers ran through her blonde hair, undoing the intricate style and letting the golden strands fall over her shoulders. She slightly adjusted her dress and while it still looked a bit messy, it wasn't as obvious as before.

"I'll be fine. Just touch up my makeup enough to cover the redness on my cheek."

The maidservant frowned. "Are you sure? I can't bear to watch you push yourself like this…"

"I'm sure, Marianne. There's no need to fret over something as small as this." Dione nodded and gave a bright smile for reassurance.

Attending this ball might be her only shot at escaping. Obviously, what was the best way to combat a forced marriage?

A marriage contract.