Chapter 1

It's a peaceful night in the marquis mansion and between the hallway towards the marquis room appears a servant maid carrying a change of clothes. As she arrives infront of the door she knocks but receives no response.

"This is Eulla, my Lord, I' ve brought you a change of clothes to sleep for tonight"

"......"

She thought it was weird, usually the marquis will immediately respond. She tried twisting the knob and is surprised to know it was unlocked. Slowly she opens the door and discovers the lights were off, cautiously she went inside.

"My Lord?"

Only the sound of the heavy rain can be heard and she continued to go deeper inside the room, as she comes nearer to the master's bedroom she tried peeking through hoping she'll find her master already asleep after a long night of partying.

Flaaaaaaaash!

Roaaaar!

Suddenly a roar of thunder and flashes of lightning brightens the entire room and the servant-maid could not believe what she is seeing..

The marquis lying on the bed his eyes wide open and half-naked with a lot of blood splattered everywhere.

He is dead and beside him just standing there, staring at his dead body a naked woman also covered with blood carrying a sharp object appears.

(Two years after)

"Young master! Where are you! ?"

Into the forest behind a big palace, a young knight in his teens is desperately searching for someone. He searches behind the bushes, climbs trees and even tried to swim the lake but it seems impossible that his young master is there.

" Young master! Please come out now, you're father might behead me if you wander far from the palace"

He sounded worried, well he should be, for this young knight clad in ivory armor covered in red and blue silk is the young prince of Etilania's bodyguard. He has searched everywhere outside and looks at the palace, eyes brimming with hope he whispers to himself. "Young master...I hope you're in there or else God knows what the King might do to me" he then marches inside.

Inside the palace though, a different atmosphere can be felt surrounding the entire throne room as another human being is facing a much more sinister fate. His body sweating, shaking, afraid and anxiously looking from left to right as he sees himself in a lion's den- the room is filled with knights.

"So what brings you here?" A knight wearing silver armor covered with white silk speaks.

"I-I was just.." the human in front stuttered

"And who is that woman with you?" the Knight added

He looks behind and sees a half-naked woman covered with bruises and wounds and was shackled both her arms and legs as two knights stand beside her. He then starts to grin.

"I am here to surrender that wretched woman!" he pointed at her

"Surrender?" the knight ask confuse

"Yes! Yes! You see, that woman there! She was the one who killed the marquis!"

Everyone went silent.

The Knights standing beside her suddenly stand their guards clutching their swords tightly as if any moment now a monster will berserk.

"Then why are you with her outside the border?" unshaken by the revelation the silver knight continued to talk

The human glared at him angrily but he managed to keep his composure "I am what you see a traveling merchant. I go to different places selling my items...Even with this line of work I have heard about the death of the Marquis of Luwan and it just so happen, dear sir, that while trying to get my way through your kingdom I met that woman! " he looks at her hiding his grinning face

" She seduced me! She tried luring me into a corner and plans to kill me! She's the one who killed the marquis I tell you! I am certain of it! "

" Well thank you for that interesting information"

The merchant gulped and the entire room suddenly becomes heavy as a human figure slowly appears behind the silver knight.

"You may now leave"

The merchant suddenly freezes, he never expected he would appear. His heart beats faster and faster as the figure can now be seen clearly.

"Blessing to the sun of Etilania..." he bows down his head

All the Knights in the entire throne room also bow their heads in high respect towards this person.

The King of Etilania.

"What are you just standing there? I told you, you may now leave"

The merchant struggles to keep his composure when he sees the King is now in front of him - staring. A shiver run down through his spine, he felt afraid and cannot muster up the courage to face this King.

"I see you do not want to see my face," the King said

"N-no your highness! I--" the merchant raises his head and made eye to eye contact...

Black piercing eyes...

Black hair...

The merchant gasp in awe and for a moment just stood there staring...(He is what they describe him to be) he thought until he realizes his actions and bows his head again...

"I-ill take my leave then!"

The merchant suddenly leaves the throne room running without stopping whatsoever as the King approaches the naked woman...

"You killed the marquis?"

(Silence)

"Do you plan on keeping quiet forever?"

(Silence)

The Kings' eyes turn cold, the woman just stood there, eyes blank as if she has no life inside. He looks at her from bottom to top when he notices she has a lot of bruises, she was fair-skinned, not beautiful also not ugly she is what you call plain looking. But the more he looks the more he sees bruises and rope marks on her wrists, ankles and even her neck.

She was abused, he concluded. Physically and sexually. "Leon..." he calls and the silver knight approaches "Yes your highness".

"Remove those chains and lock her up in the dungeon"

"Yes your highness"

The King turns his back and sits on the throne "Also, investigate what the merchant confessed awhile ago. It doesn't matter if she doesn't want to talk, the truth will come out eventually."

Leon just stood there looking at him still waiting for something.

"Oh, while you do your errands. Regarding the merchant I set free..."

"What do you want me to do with him?"

"Kill him"

---

"Leon! Leon!" a voice called out as Leon walks out the throne room.

"Zen? Shouldn't you be with the prince?"

The young knight who was searching for the prince outside the palace felt a bit uncomfortable with the question "Well, you see..."

"He's missing again?"

Zen nodded.

"Did you try looking at the forest outside"

"I just came from there... Dinner is near and I can't find him! The King will certainly kill me!" he grabs Leon's robe

Leon gives out a silent laugh

"This isn't funny Leon!"

"It's because you're not searching the right places...Hmmm, if it's the young prince then he should be there"

Zen eyes widen.

"Where"

----

Underneath the palace where the dungeon was located, in a small cell with only one bed and a restroom covered only with a dangling white cloth. Still half-naked Catori sits on the ground and lies her back against the wall. She looks at her hands still shaking, closes her eyes and breathes out a sigh of relief. Everything started hurting, her wounds, her body, and even her heart. It has been two years, two years she thought and finally, within this tiny cell, she felt protected for the first time.

She then opens her eyes and starts to stare at something in front of her...

"At least in this cell, it's just you and me huh" she finally speaks

"Excuse me? Is someone down there?" a child's voice breaks her silence

Surprise to hear someone else's voice Catori started backing off looking outside her cell.

There was no one there.

"Hello?" the same voice called out.

"I'm up here"

She started looking up and finds a small window just above her bed.

"You're outside?" she confronted

"Yes!"

She then stood up and went near the window...

"Why are you there?" curious Catori asks. It's very unusual for a child to be outside let alone near the dungeon.

"This is my favorite place, there's a garden here with lots of beautiful flowers. Come nearer so I can show them to you" the child answers.

Without hesitation, her feet suddenly move on its own. She did not understand it herself but just hearing this child's voice did not scare her. The window was a bit high up so she uses her bed as a stool. As her face comes closer to the window she can smell something nice and the first thing she saw was beautiful pink and purple flowers. Her eyes filled with excitement, it was the first time she sees such lovely flowers.

"They - they are indeed beautiful," she said

"Right? Now let me see you as well!" the child put the flowers to the side and kneels laying his head on the ground.

And there Catori can see him as clear as day, more beautiful than those flowers, she could not believe such beauty exists. The young child was a boy about five years of age, his hair was not fully black but it was somewhat made out of ash grey color still he looks stunning especially when she started looking into his deep piercing black eyes. She stared at him for quite a while when she finally realizes she was half-naked. Started to wobble she fell landing herself on the bed. She looks for something to cover and gets a blanket and covers herself. She felt ashamed in front of this child.

"I'm sorry miss! Did I startle you? I should have told you that I'll be peeking" the child apologize

"N-no, I'm sorry as well. It's just that I'm not wearing something appropriate for an innocent child to see"

The child got a bit confused. "I don't understand but I guess this is fine then" He turns over and sits down with his back against the wall just near the window. "This way I won't see you but let us keep talking okay? I'm just so happy that I can finally have someone to talk to, will you accompany me, miss?"

Catori turns over with her back also against the wall and answered "Sure"

She can hear the child chuckle, he must be happy she thought and she also started to give out a smile herself. It was new, this feeling.

"What's your name?" Catori asks

"Aiden" the child replied

"-and you miss?"

"I don't think you needed to know my name Aiden... My name is known for doing - - bad things" Catori answers back

"Bad? Is that why you're locked down there?"

Catori looks down feeling more ashamed...

"Well, I did... "

"Leon said not all locked up down there are bad some just want to stay away from all the bad things happening outside"

"Leon?"

"Yes! He's a knight! He's always with my dad"

"Your dad? Uhm, Aiden? What exactly is your full name?"

"My full name? Aiden Reiburn de Remiel"

"Remiel?" Catori gasps

"My apologies your highness!" she screams

"W-what?"

"If I have known you were the young prince I should have thought more about my way of speaking to you"

Catori still covered with a blanket faces the window and bows her head. Not even sure if young Aiden sees her, she was reckless, she thought. She knew only the royal family has black piercing eyes, she knew but it slipped through her mind.

Now anxiously waiting for the young prince to reply Catori feared for her life, one wrong move the prince will tell this incident to his father and thus has the right to kill her publicly.

"Now that you know I'm the prince, will you do anything I say?" he finally answered

"Yes! Your Highness!"

"Then please tell me your name"

Catori's eyes widened and confuse "M-my name is Catori, young prince"

"Then Catori, will you be my friend?"

"F-friend? I don't deserve such honor, your highness, I'd rather become a slave only for you.." Catori insisted, what is this young prince thinking, asking a prisoner to be his friend, she thought.

"But I don't want you to, I only want Catori to be my friend that's all, you don't want to?" the sound of the young prince voice change as if he became truly sad upon hearing Catori's answer.

"Uh, n-no, if I have to be honest, If I'm allowed to, I do want to be your friend"

"Then it's settled! Starting today we're friends now!" again the young prince lay his head down on the ground and reach out his hands inside the window.

"Promise me that Catori!"

Again, Catori's body move on its own, it's as if this child's' brightness is pulling her in and with no hesitation, she raises her hand and finally both their pinky fingers intertwined. After doing their promise the prince then suddenly looks behind Catori.

"How about you mister? Will you be my friend as well?"

Catori freezes "You can see him?"

----- end.