Chapter 3

My whole life, I grew up with my mother, singing songs about the devil; Francis Sinclair into my ears. Everyone else described him as something completely different from peace and joy, but to my mother, he was our only hope. Francis was not rumoured to be the devil. It was something confirmed by the most powerful seeronn on the continent. They said that at the time when the devil escaped from hell, he willed all his powers to Francis when he was just in his mother's womb. I had never seen Francis in my whole life. I only caught a glimpse of what he looked like in portraits of him hanging in the throne room. He was the only king that my father and every other king would bow to. My father and the other kings were like pawns placed in each kingdom. They wore the crown, but Francis controlled everyone and everything that happened in each village, including the one he ruled personally. Every time my mother talked about him, I always waved it off. I believed we were going to get our freedom one day and find our voice. I was sure that Father would come out of Queen Venessa's cage and shine grace upon my mother and me one more time. But the moment my mother died, I knew it was the end for him, and my end was closed as well. Even though my mother dreamed of my wedding with him being our source of power, I had always known I didn't stand a chance with Francis. He would want a perfect woman with a slim waist and a perfect body. One whose corset would be the tightest. I was sure he would want a woman with long hair like silk and a face like that of a goddess. But there I was. My black hair and emerald eyes were the only things that I could be proud of. I only had an average-looking face and a body that's quite manageable. I never felt the need to get married to Francis, not until my mother died and my life was on the line. I knew Queen Venessa was coming for me, and my father would never believe that I didn't murder my mother. My strong hope to find favour in my father's eyes disappeared and was replaced with a burning desire to make Queen Venessa and her sons suffer for everything that they had done. I just had to escape and find Crescent village, the one ruled by Francis himself, even though it sounded almost impossible to make it to the palace. I was down on my knees with my hands tied backwards. I was stripped of everything that identified me to be a member of the royal family; my tiara, my dress, my jewelry, and even my place as my father's daughter wasn't so sure at that point. I wore a gown that was mostly worn by the palace servants. When did I become this? I had tears streaming down my eyes as I was only a few steps from my father, who sat on his throne. Queen Venessa and her sons were all seated next to him while the soldiers watched me. "Father....father, believe me. It wasn't me. I didn't do it. I found her that way," I cried with my head lowered. I just wanted him to believe me, but instead, he cursed at me. "I regret ever having you as my daughter, Aurora! Venessa has always warned me about how cruel you are, but I didn't believe her till today when you took the life of your mother!" "I swear, believe me, Father. I loved my mother. I would never do such a thing," I pleaded. My throat was beginning to hurt as I had screamed and cried so much. "I curse the day your mother gave birth to you!" He sneered. I shook my head, my heart filled with pain. "It was when I thought she was about to die, that I went to...." But before I could finish, Queen Venessa's voice shone above mine. "You liar!" she sneered. "You witch!" She added. "Your father should have just killed you the moment you were born! He should have just married you off the moment you clocked eighteen, maybe then.....Raya would still be alive," at first she yelled, and the next minute, she was crying. She had tears streaming down her eyes, and she leaned over my father's shoulder, acting like she ever cared about my mother. Like she wasn't the one who killed my mother. "What made you kill your mother?" Father asked. I raised my head. It still felt like a dream that my father believed I would kill my mother. "I didn't do it. I would never," I answered. My voice already sounded so weak. "Make the judgment, your highness. Sentence her to whatever punishment you think that she deserves! This abomination cannot live amongst us! Send her exile, or better still .....end her for good," Queen Venessa snarled. For a second, it felt like I couldn't breathe. So I wasn't just accused....father was going to sentence me to a punishment like a commoner and a criminal. That was what she had wanted all along...for my father to get rid of me with his own hands. "I shouldn't have named you Aurora," Father said. This time, his voice wasn't just cold. It held a depth of emotions, one that I couldn't explain. "You're not worthy of it. I should have named you Mala; evil!" Father sneered, a nd my heart broke into fragments. Mala? It meant evil...wrong! I didn't deserve it, I didn't! "You'll serve as a servant far away from the palace, Mala! You will clear the farmlands of the villagers and clean the village! You'll serve the village till you take your last breath, Mala!" Father commanded. He kept calling me that name, Mala. "That is not my name, your highness...my name is Aurora. I'm your daughter....I swear I didn't do it!" I cried as loud as I could. "Mala!" Father yelled again. "And who has such a beautiful name?" A masculine voice asked as the door was pushed open. The wooden palace doors aggressively hit the wall, and I immediately felt a strong presence, one that I had never felt before. "His highness is here!" A man's voice declared from the entrance, and the next minute, my father took off his crown and bowed. I felt shivers all over my body he moment I understood what was happening. My father would only bow to one person.... Francis. I immediately fell to the ground, completely lowering my head. With my heart racing, I gently tilted my head sideways, trying to catch a glimpse of him, and the first thing that I noticed was his dark eyes. It was the darkest thing that I had ever seen. I had never seen someone so emotionless. Not even the slightest spark of joy was found in it. Francis had a body that looked like that of a God. If I hadn't seen him, I would have thought he was made up if anyone described him. He had the perfect build as his body swayed perfectly in his black royal attire. His hair was brushed backwards, and his jawline was the sharpest one I had ever seen. He had the hands that would make a woman want to be pinned to the wall by them, and lips every woman would want to taste. But above all, he was the devil, and rather than admiring him, I was sure they would fear and run from him...just like I did. "Which of you is Mala?" He asked again, and my heart skipped a beat. His voice was the deepest. I could hear it deep inside my ears.