Chapter 2: The Duke's Fury

The Duke of Setsomer's face turned red with rage as he read the letter. His eyes scanned the page, his mind racing with thoughts of defiance and rebellion. How dare the king do this to my family? Knowingly fully well that Princess Maria is not my biological daughter!

How dare he force my precious step daughter to marry a man like the Prince Kyrian?

"Princess, my dear, I am so sorry," he said, his voice trembling with anger. "We will not let this stand. We will fight this with every fiber of our being."

The Duchess of Setsomer nodded in agreement, her face set in a determined expression. "We will not let our daughter be forced into a marriage with a man who will only bring her harm and heartache."

Maria felt a surge of hope at her parents' words. Maybe, just maybe, they could find a way out of this. Maybe they could convince the king to change his mind, or find a way to avoid the marriage altogether.

But as she looked at the letter still clutched in her hand, she knew it wouldn't be easy. The king's decrees were not to be taken lightly, and the Rogue Prince was not a man to be trifled with.

The Duke of Setsomer began to pace back and forth in the room, his mind racing with thoughts of strategy and rebellion. "We need to act quickly," he said. "We need to gather our allies and prepare to fight this decree."

The Duchess of Setsomer nodded, her eyes flashing with determination. "I will write to our friends and family, gather support for our cause. We will not go down without a fight."

Maria felt a sense of pride and admiration for her parents. They were willing to risk everything to protect her, to ensure her happiness and well-being.

As the days passed, the Duke and Duchess of Setsomer worked tirelessly to gather support for their cause. They wrote letters, held meetings, and spoke to anyone who would listen. And slowly but surely, their efforts began to pay off.

Nobles and commoners alike began to rally behind them, outraged by the king's decree and eager to support the duke and his family. The Rogue Prince's reputation was well-known, and many feared for Princess's safety and well-being.

But despite the growing support, Princess Maria couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She knew that the king's decrees were not to be taken lightly, and that the Rogue Prince was not a man to be trifled with.

As the days turned into weeks, the tension mounted. The king's men began to circle, watching the duke and his family with a hawk's eye. Princess Maria knew that it was only a matter of time before they made their move.

One night, as she lay in bed, she heard the sound of horses' hooves outside her window. She sat up, her heart racing, as the Rogue Prince himself appeared in her room.

"You are mine now, Princess Maria," he said, his voice cold and menacing. "And no one can stop me from claiming you."

Maria felt a surge of fear, but she refused to back down. She stood tall, her eyes flashing with defiance, as the Rogue Prince sneered at her.

"I will never marry you," she said, her voice firm. "And I will fight to the death to protect myself and my family from your evil clutches."

The Prince Kyrian laughed, his eyes glinting with amusement. "We shall see about that, my dear," he said. "We shall see about that."

And with that, he turned and left, leaving Maria to wonder what the future held, and whether she would ever be able to escape the clutches of the PrinceKyrian.

I opened her eyes it was a dream. A thought came to my mind should I run to father's kingdom? My own kingdom where my biological father was a king .

King Debedebe the father of Princes Maria was a fearless warlord. A brutal and a heartless king. Who other kings and kingdoms trembling at the mentioned of his name.

But will her step father be happy about that?