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~Katrina~

"Don't wear that ugly frown, girl," Lady Poria hissed, her cold eyes locking on me from across the carriage. "You need to smile, and keep smiling."

I nodded, trying to force a smile, but it faded just as quickly. How could I smile with all this pain inside me?

"You're not going to ruin this, are you?" Her voice dripped with disdain. Lady Poria, my stepmother and queen of Everia, had hated me from the moment I was brought before her. Trust was something she didn't have for me. "You should be grateful you were chosen instead."

The word "grateful" made me want to laugh—or cry. There was nothing fortunate about this. I wasn't walking into a new life—I was being led to my doom. But what choice did I have? If I survived even a day, it would be a miracle.

"Did you practice everything I told you, Katrina?" she grinned, her eyes gleaming with cruelty. "Or should I say... Queen Katrina?" Her laugh filled the carriage, mocking me. She knew what this was. I wasn't becoming a queen—I was walking into a trap.

"Yes, Your Highness," I mumbled, my hands trembling as I clutched my dress.

This wasn't how my life was supposed to go. I deserved better, didn't I?

After my mother's death, I was brought to the palace as the king's illegitimate daughter, and I'd been treated as a nobody ever since.

Lady Poria had her own daughter, Anna, and I was nothing compared to her. To the people, I was just the daughter of a whore.

"Remember," Lady Poria's eyes darkened, her voice low and threatening, "you must never tell anyone you're not Anna. If you do, I will make you suffer in ways you can't even imagine."

I swallowed hard, the cold fear settling deeper in my chest. "I won't fail you or my father, Your Highness," I said, my voice shaking. I knew she meant every word of her threat.

As we got closer to the Xylonia kingdom, Lady Poria's face grew more tense. She was nervous too, though she'd never admit it.

"The king won't know. He's never seen Anna, and he doesn't know you exist," she said, her voice betraying her anxiety.

King Karl of Xylonia. His name alone made my heart stop. The stories about him were terrifying—he was the most powerful ruler in the entire region, feared by all.

They said his victories were too extraordinary for a mere mortal, that he had to be using dark magic or something worse.

But there was no help. King Karl was the devil himself, living among men, striking terror in their hearts. Everyone obeyed him without question.

His name, whispered in fear, made people tremble. How did my father ever fall into debt with such a man?

Was he desperate, or did King Karl lure him in, offering just enough to hook him before taking everything?

That's how the devil works—He gives a little, but takes everything in return.

My father had borrowed from King Karl long ago, and now I was the price to pay off that debt.

It should have been Anna in this carriage. But Queen Lady Poria, in her cruel wisdom, decided I should go in her place. After all, no one cared if I survived. They just threw me to the fire without a second thought.

"We've arrived, Your Highness," the carriage driver announced, breaking my thoughts. He wasn't talking to me, but to Queen Lady Poria.

Lady Poria smiled wickedly. "My beautiful daughter, Katrina. Let's present you to the king and get this over with."

I had no words. As I stepped out of the carriage, tears stung my eyes, but I forced them back. There was no point in showing how scared I was.

The first thing I saw was the palace. Its beauty stunned me. The rumors hadn't captured its true grandeur. They said it was the largest palace, but they hadn't mentioned it was built with gold.

My heart sank. Could the rumors about King Karl being the devil be more true than I thought?

I glanced at Lady Poria. She was probably wishing it were Anna standing here, but the rumors about the king had made her choose me instead.

She had sent me to die so her precious daughter could stay safe.

"I wish the king were different," she muttered. "Anna would have loved it here." Her words stung, but I wasn't surprised. As always, Anna came first.

Servants greeted us, taking our belongings inside. Lady Poria, as usual, did all the talking, spinning her lies. I barely listened.

My mind was consumed with fear. Was this how my life would end?

*****

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I glad that I'm able to pen this. I hope you will follow this story to the end. If you have any idea for my book, please drop a comment.