1 – The Cursed Princess
Winter, Year 608, Dante Kingdom
EMILIA
Swords clashing, guards shouting, and the commotion from the invasion of the Hellion Empire’s soldiers could easily be heard from Emilia’s tower.
Ever since she reincarnated into a fantasy novel she once read—The Cruel Empire—as a pitiful side character, Emilia was desperate to change her fate. She had staked everything on the ominous night when her character was destined to die.
For the past seventeen years, she knew the exact date when she and the rest of Dante’s Royal Family would be slaughtered. Once she resigned herself to the new chance at living, she decided to change her fate. Years of sneaking around, planning, and waiting would finally pay off or lead to her demise.
Who knew that dying once is not enough?
Looking out of her bedroom window, she saw enemies encroaching on the entrance of the tower led by a blond man clad in mercenary attire. Her royal guards had long since abandoned their posts to protect the king. After all, she was the unneeded, “cursed” princess. Her sole value to her father was in her engagement to Count Bennett for an iron mine in the south.
Emilia sucked in a deep breath to soothe the brief influx of panic that had her hands trembling. She clutched the skirts of her worn-out dress. Once her breathing was under control, she plastered on a calm expression she had practised before a mirror. As she was not permitted to attend any balls or royal events, she had to rely on her only maid, Ambrose. She brought Emilia books and informed her of everything that went on in the palace until Emilia could build her network of people in secret.
The sound of heavy boots came to a stop outside of her door.
The wooden door swung open.
In the doorway, which suddenly looked too small, stood a man who would either become her saviour or her doom. Dressed in blood-splattered leather armour, his domineering posture was not overshadowed by his good looks or piercing glare.
She crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. “I was getting tired of waiting, Your Imperial Highness.”
Suspicion never left his green eyes, just like the grip on his sword did not loosen. “Are you the one who wrote that letter to me one year ago?”
“Of course. Who else do you think would bother to stay in this dusty old tower to meet the second prince of the great Hellion Empire?”
In his deep voice that rumbled from deep within his chest, he said, “From what I heard on the way here, you are Dante royalty, Princess Emilia. Or should I call you the Cursed Princess?”
Emilia wrinkled her nose at the ridiculous nickname given to her by the Church of the Holy Light. She had grown accustomed to it over the years, but hearing a possible ally utter it made her gut clench.
She kept her emotions in check. A single wrong word would fulfil her destiny of being a headless corpse by the end of the night, along with the rest of Dante’s royalty. “Your Highness, I have provided you with the perfect date for your coup,”—which would have happened regardless of her involvement—“so now I wish to make a deal with you.”
He raised a brow. “There is no benefit in keeping you alive. Instead of this pointless debate, I should drag you to the throne room and execute you along with your despicable family.”
She swallowed her nerves. The bargain with the Devil had begun. “What if I help you take over this kingdom without needless bloodshed? Would that be enough to change your mind?”
“And how would you do that?”
She lowered her arms and moved to the small dessert table she had Ambrose bring in that morning. Two seats were available, and she took one of them before offering the opposite seat to the prince. “Please, join me.”
The prince sheathed his sword and accepted her offer. He appeared too big for the chair as his muscular frame struggled to fit on her delicate furniture.
Up close, in the reflection of the dancing candlelight, she could see that he was much more handsome than the rumours said. The novel mentioned that his body was covered in scars from many years on the battlefield, but he managed to avoid getting his face cut. Because of that, he was not short on suitors back in the Empire. She couldn’t help giving him a quick study. If she managed to get such a powerful man on her side, she could help him get the Empire’s crown and be rewarded with the freedom she desperately craved. She may even ask for a small piece of fertile land to run an orchard.
“I thought we were going to discuss something…” His harsh tone startled her.
Emilia fished out an envelope from the pocket of her dress and pushed it across the table to him. As she removed her hand, she added, “This is the list of corrupt nobles who support my father.”
He ripped open the envelope and unravelled the parchment inside. His eyes skimmed over the names. “What would you have me do with these nobles?”
“Since Your Highness is going to take over Dante, I suggest purging those who will be against you.”
“This doesn’t explain why I should keep you alive.”
She smirked. “You are a smart man and, therefore, must know that it would be beneficial for a smooth transition of power if you allow me to live. I have secretly gathered the support of a third of the nobles while you possess the support of those who betrayed the king. If you were to kill me here, you would lose the support of my faction and have to deal with a civil war. Should you consider that to not be enough, I have also gained the trust of certain regions through charity work. Though, my brothers and father were not made aware of this.” Her smile grew wider. “Thus, I have the support of key regions and nobles that I can offer you should we become allies.”
The prince contemplated her words for a long moment. His poker face hid any hint at what was going on in that head of his, which shook Emilia’s confidence in her gamble. “What do you want out of this?”
“A chance to prove I can be useful to you as well as freedom once you are crowned emperor.”
He chuckled. “Dante is too small to be called an empire.”
She did not waver and met his steely gaze. “I was not talking about Dante.”
“You seem quite confident in your words.”
“If I was not, would I have stayed here long enough for you to capture me?”
Everything she had said was the truth. She wanted Prince Thessian to become the next Emperor of Hellion because the alternative that awaited them was certain death.
After years of trying to figure out which prince she should side with, Thessian seemed like the best choice. The first prince, Cain, had everything. He built up a desolate fishing region of Hellios into a trading hub within five years of his instalment as the duke. There was nothing she could offer him that would make him protect her. The third prince, Kyros, would, eventually, take over the throne through dirty schemes and plots. She couldn’t trust such a man not to stab her in the back one day. Her only choice was the second prince, Thessian. He respected loyalty and was trustworthy. As long as she didn’t destroy the trust between them, she could live a carefree life.
He leant in, resting his weight on one elbow. “Very well, you have my attention, Princess. How do you plan to prove yourself to me?”
“I wish to temporarily rule Dante as regent while Your Highness is busy taking care of the important matters.”
“I already have someone in mind for that position.”
“Ah, yes, Marquess Walden. He is not suited for the job.”
Thessian’s face darkened. “I hope you are not slandering a good man’s name for your own goals.”
As he gripped the hilt of his sword, she quickly handed over a second envelope. “The proof is in there. See for yourself.”
He opened the envelope and skimmed the contents inside.
Emilia struggled to not tap her foot in anticipation.
“Walden was receiving bribes from my brother?” Although he tried to act indifferent, the anger burning in his eyes was obvious. It would be for the best to never betray Thessian’s trust. “How did you find this out when even my people could uncover nothing?”
“I have my ways.” She rose from her seat and outstretched her hand to him in an offer of a handshake. “Do we have a deal, Your Highness?”
Thessian got up, towering over her like a marble pillar at the tallest temple. “Do not let me down, Princess.”
They shook hands.
Emilia smiled. The hardest part was over, and she could move on to the next stage of her plan. “If you would excuse me, Your Highness, I wish to rest before the meeting with the lords tomorrow.”
He seemed hesitant to leave but gave a curt nod and strode out of her chambers.
When she was positive he had left the tower along with his knights, she called, “Ambrose.”
Ambrose was not just her maid. She was also a messenger to the Lionhart Guild.
The maid crept out of the false wall next to Emilia’s bed. She had a plain look to not attract too much attention. “Send ravens to the lords. Tell them we have reached an agreement with Prince Thessian.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wake me in five hours and prepare a black dress. I must look like I am mourning.”
She made her way to the bed, and Ambrose assisted her in removing her tattered dress.
After tonight, Emilia would no longer need to dress or act like a timid fool in front of others. Finally, she was on the path to freedom.
2 – her first move
THESSIAN
Outside of the tower, Thessian passed the envelopes to his second-in-command, Sir Laurence Oswald.
Without stopping, he ordered, “Verify the information in those documents as soon as possible and have someone sent to the princess to keep an eye on her.”
Laurence seemed taken aback. “You are not going to kill her?”
“She has given me a reason not to.” Thessian smiled to himself at the thought of how tough that young lady pretended to be in front of him when her body unconsciously trembled at the sight of his blade. “It will be interesting to see what she does next.”
The palace guard had either been killed or subdued. Dante was considerably smaller than Hellion. Their resistance, too, was nothing compared to his capital. It was good fortune that his elite unit got into the castle without the need for a siege or the death of civilians.
The people of Dante had suffered under their king’s heartless rule.
From the information Thessian collected before the coup, he learned that King Gilebert had raised the nation’s taxes to the point where most peasants were dying outside of the capital. With the harsh and long winter, the harvest season had shortened, and the people were starving. He had seen more than enough suffering of the poor during the war. If he could unify the continent under Hellion’s rule, perhaps the land and the people would one day be able to reach their full potential.
Upon arriving at the throne room where the bodies of the deceased king and his two sons lay in a pool of blood, he noticed the frightened servants that had been captured.
Laurence inquired next to him, “What shall we do about them, Your Highness?”
“Leave them to the princess. We will see what kind of person she is by the way she deals with them.” Thessian waved for one of the knights in his unit to come over. He made a point to remember every name under his command. This time was no different. “Is this all of them, Cali?”
“We are making one final sweep of the castle, Your Highness,” came her reply.
“Good. Make sure word of this coup does not leave these walls.” Thessian glared at the servants who were whispering among themselves.
They immediately stopped and lowered their gazes.
Next, he made his way to the former king’s office.
Gold and rare wood were used to decorate every nook and cranny. It was a sickening sight to see when the citizens starved for such opulent living. Even the throne room of such a small nation was decorated lavishly. Yet, the tower where Princess Emilia lived was barren of decorations or any valuables. The furniture was simple and plain. That girl’s attire had been worn to the point where some threads had come out of the seams. He had to be blind to miss the way she was treated by her so-called family.
Despite that, her natural beauty wasn’t lost on him. Her delicate features and penetrating blue eyes framed by long black hair made her pale skin seem almost ethereal.
Laurence walked to the king’s desk and picked up a stack of papers that were left there. He scanned through them quickly. “Looks like the king was in the process of planning another ball for his sons. He had invited your brother, Prince Kyros, here for the festivities.”
My brother again…
“What relation does Kyros have with King Gilebert?” Thessian rubbed his stubbly jaw in thought. He had no recollection of King Gilebert being invited to the palace by his father. Did they make an acquaintance after Kyros took over the Spiora duchy?
“My guess is their hobby of frivolous spending aligned,” Laurence joked.
“According to the information the princess gave me, Kyros also has Marquess Walden in his pocket.”
“That’s odd. We couldn’t uncover anything on the Marquess.”
Thessian nodded. “That’s why I need you to find out the truth. If she lied about the marquess’ involvement with my brother, I’ll remove her.”
Laurence’s expression turned sour. “What if she didn’t lie, and Walden has betrayed you?”
“Then we must secure the evidence of bribery and deal with him accordingly.”
Laurence bowed. “I will start immediately, Your Highness.”
Thessian sighed heavily. “How many times have I told you to call me by my name when we are alone?”
“As many as there are trees in the Fairview Forest.”
“And you still won’t do it?”
“Not unless it is a direct order, Your Highness.”
Thessian glowered at his friend. Laurence knew full well that Thessian hated to order those close to him. He wanted them to work autonomously instead of following his every word.
“Get out of here before I punch you.”
Laurence’s laughter could be heard down the hall as he left for his new mission.
Beyond the window, dawn brightened the sky.
Ever since he received Princess Emilia’s cryptic note about the perfect invasion date, he was amazed to see how easily things fell into place.
How could a confined princess orchestrate a coup of her kingdom to such an extent? Could she see the future? Or was there someone more powerful behind her?
For the moment, he could not place much trust in her. He needed to scrutinize every move she made. As he contemplated that, dozens of black ravens littered the sky.
He smirked. The princess has made her next move.
3 – Regent
EMILIA
Emilia woke to Ambrose’s urging calls. She sat up in bed and stared at her hands while Ambrose fussed over the princess’ attire for the day.
After being old enough to realize she had reincarnated in a new body and had a new family, Emilia taught herself the new language and made sure to hide her intellect and her old soul. It did not take long for her to find out that father did not want her and that her brothers were senseless bullies.
Now, at the age of seventeen, almost eighteen, Emilia could finally stop pretending to be a pushover. In the past, she had been used for her brothers’ amusement, hated by the servants, and neglected by the king. The day had finally arrived when she could tear off her mask of misery and hold her head up high.
Mentally, she ticked off the things that had to be done as she climbed out of bed. Dealing with the lords would be the hardest part. There was no doubt in her mind that the lords who had supported her father’s reign would not go down without a fight. In the meantime, she had to make it seem as though she was giving them the opportunity to side with her before removing their privileges. Otherwise, the unnecessary bloodshed would make her allies question her motives later on.
“Your Highness, shall I prepare a bath for you?” Ambrose asked.
“No need. Let us get started with today’s schedule.”
Ambrose inclined her head and wordlessly helped Emilia into a mourning dress they had ordered weeks in advance from a tailor. Then, she combed the princess’ hair and skilfully organised the unruly ebony locks into an up-do with a few silver silk bands woven in.
Meeting Emilia’s eyes briefly in the reflection of the mirror, Ambrose asked, “How would you like your makeup?”
“Regal but not celebratory.”
Ambrose smiled and applied the cosmetics with utmost care.
“Are you that happy to be done with this tower?” Emilia inquired despite knowing the answer.
Her maid would no longer need to sneak in or hide out of sight when the Head Maid came around to check if the princess was still among the living.
Emilia was never supposed to leave her tower. The first time she escaped, she nearly broke her neck climbing down a makeshift rope in the middle of the night. Good thing she weighed next to nothing back then.
Once Emilia made some money, she bribed her drunkard guards with enough gold to live out the rest of their miserable lives comfortably. Not like her father paid them enough to care if she ran away in the middle of the night or died from starvation. The king’s neglect was a great boon to her in that regard.
“I am refraining from shouting from the rooftops. Your Highness will no longer be forced to wear dresses that even the moths would not touch or hide your beautiful face.”
Emilia grimaced. She knew full well how she looked to the point it hurt. During one of her trips, she caught a glimpse of her deceased mother’s portrait. They were almost identical. After the queen died during childbirth, the king’s hatred skyrocketed towards Emilia. Not only was she a useless princess, but she also killed the Queen of the nation. The ugly prophecy from the Church of the Holy Light added more fuel to the fire.
“It could not be helped. Appearances had to be kept, and my brothers had to see me as non-threatening or their torment would not stop at petty tricks.”
“I wish I was with you from the start and protected you…”
“It would have made things harder.”
Ambrose solemnly nodded.
Protecting someone requires power.
They both knew the harsh reality all too well.
The morning preparations took nearly an hour. By the time Emilia was ready to step into the palace for the first time in years, the winter sun was already warming the frostbitten ground.
Lastly, Ambrose donned a navy cloak embroidered with silver string onto Emilia’s shoulders and put on a simple brown one on herself. “The air this morning is quite chilly, Your Highness.”
“Thank you.” Emilia smiled, and they left the tower through the door that led to the bridge that connected to the palace.
Outside, an unfamiliar female knight saluted Emilia. “Good morning, Princess Emilia. I am Dame Cali Louberte. I am here to escort you and be your guard on the orders of His Highness, Prince Thessian.”
Emilia had anticipated a spy to be planted next to her by the prince. After all, there was no way he would trust her right away. She grabbed the knight’s reddened hands and felt the chill through her gloved hands. This dame must have waited for quite some time for them in the cold. Cali was, indeed, dedicated to her duties.
Managing a bright smile, Emilia said, “I am looking forward to having such a beautiful knight protect me from harm.” She glanced over her shoulder at Ambrose. “When we reach my father’s office, please brew some hot tea for Dame Cali.”
“I couldn’t possibly. T-that would be extremely rude for me to do while on duty!” Cali turned beetroot red.
Emilia withdrew her hands and raised a dark brow. “Are you looking down on me, Dame Cali?”
Cali straightened her posture, taking on her military stance subconsciously as she folded her arms behind her back. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Emilia grinned. “I am glad. Please enjoy a hot drink without a guilty conscience. I could not possibly allow one of His Highness’ people to suffer while they graciously care for me.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Cali replied along with a salute.
Emilia held back a chuckle. She hoped not all of Prince Thessian’s people were so high-strung when dealing with her. Delete Created with Sketch.
Passing through the halls of the royal palace, Emilia began to fully grasp how corrupt her father was.
The late king spent more money on appearances rather than helping restore his kingdom. Although she lived her past life in another world, selfish men like him existed there, too. They sold off their nation’s territory or resources for profit while in office or betrayed the citizens who elected them into power by ignoring their promises.
In her previous life, her eidetic memory was a curse. She excelled at every subject she undertook, but the people around her hated her for it. One of her professors even claimed her thesis as his and published it as his research for peer review. Her parents, instead of siding with her, chose to blame her for the disgrace that brought them. They even asked her, ‘Why would a highly-esteemed lecturer at the top university steal an undergraduate’s thesis? You should think of a better lie if you didn’t want to do the work.’
Her tears and frustration went unheard. Her parents were no better than the ignorant fool of a king she called ‘Father’ in this new life.
At the entrance to the throne room, Emilia spotted a knight who had accompanied Prince Thessian last night to her tower, talking to the guards stationed at the door. It was hard to see his face from above at that time. Now that she had the opportunity, she guessed he was Thessian’s second-in-command, Sir Laurence Oswald.
According to the novel, Sir Laurence was Thessian’s childhood friend and the third son of Marquess Oswald who protected the northern border of the Hellion Empire. Not only were the Oswalds loyal to the emperor, their family had accumulated quite a lot of influence in the military over the years. It was often mentioned in the story how Laurence’s easy-going nature saved Thessian more than once during political events that the prince hated attending.
She produced a smile and greeted him, “Good morning. You must be Sir Laurence.”
He finally took notice of her when the guards stiffened and stopped talking. With a single look at the princess, his eyes briefly widened, and he bowed in greeting.
The guards followed his example.
“Sir Laurence Oswald greets Her Royal Highness, The Flower of Dante, Princess Emilia.” His chestnut-coloured hair, tied back with a red ribbon, oddly suited his handsome face. Without the bulky armour in the way, he seemed more approachable, too.
“Is this where the captured servants are being kept?”
“Yes. Do you wish to see them?”
Emilia nodded.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Thank you for reading the sample of Queen of Deception. I hope you liked it!
Author May Freighter 