WATER KINGDOM

(Cressida's POV)

I, Cressida Agnes was the daughter of the richest man in the poorest city in the country. Who thought that I will be the cursed one to be sent to the palace of the water kingdom for my engagement with Prince Aegeus . According to the rumor he is the most coldblooded and heartless man in water kingdom. Once a maid offended him so he made her whole family be exiled. No one has seen him but I have heard that he is nothing less than a monster.

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I was in my room, waiting for mother Gina to call me to the court of my father. He has had five wives. My mother was his second concubine, she committed suicide as father stopped loving her because she did not give birth to a boy but to me. Mother hated me for being a girl. Mother Gina was the one who loved me. She was my father's fourth concubine. She did not wish to marry him but her brother left her no option. She had a son with another man before her marriage to this household.

His existence is kept a secret. Only I and my lady in waiting Acacia Nikoloudis know him. She is the only one who truly loves me after Acacia and her son Kenneth Snow. Brother Kenneth was five years older to me. 

"Cress, Cressida!!" there is a slight knock on the door by mother Gina.

Acacia opened the door and mother came running to me and hugged me tightly, "It is funny how my young daughter is going to be the Queen of the kingdom. (tears in her eyes) the people from the palace have arrived with Lady Stellia. Here is a brief detail about her. She is the most recent wife of the king and has given birth to baby prince Basille (1-year-old). She is extremely sweet from the outside but cruel and crooked from inside. She is a vicious lady so be careful. I will try to make visits to you before you leave for the testing and will pray thee to let my daughter have a happy marriage."

"oh mother!! I'd miss you too."

"I'll try to convince your father to send Kenneth as your guard. do not worry much but remember that the palace is filled with mean and willful people. What they are aiming at is really hard to tell.  You have to play your own game of chess out their young lady."

"oh god, don't worry I'll handle it."

"that's the one thing I'm the most worried about."

And then mother Gina and Acacia both burst out laughing at me.

"meaniessss!!!!" I say while pouting.

"Just remember not to be too free or else it might hurt you." Mother Gina said.

 "Mother this might sound foolish but it' s dangerous being free and most come to like the taste of it. I am one of those." I told mother Gina.

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AFTER a talk with mother Gina I was asked to attend my father's court as lady Stellia had been waiting for a while.

I asked Acacia to get my belongings and went straight to the court with mother Gina.

I hadn't even entered that lady Stellia asked me to sit in the cart. "oh dear! We have wasted enough of our time, we will take at least three days to reach the capital. And then in the evening you will be engaged to the Prince.

I didn't even get to meet my family because I was rushed to the cart. Acacia was already there sitting in front with the horseman.

 AFTER sitting out there for a while when the horseman saw that the other royal carts were at a distance, he stopped it. At first, I thought he was an assassin but then I heard another man's voice and realized it was Prince   Andrei, closest to Prince Aegeus. Acacia in her innocence threw a dagger in his direction and as expected of him, he got hold of it and entered the cart.

He sat at a distance from me so as to respect the future queen.

He wished me, then he handed down a scroll to me.