1 The walls of the castle

Year 1795

A young prince stood on the balcony, his hands behind his back as he took in the scene of the guards punishing offenders.

His ear twitched in the direction of a continuous hurried marching sound. Someone was running towards him.

"What do you want?" He said without turning to look at the other person.

The guard went on one knee with his head bent. He wasn't surprised at his master's quick reflexes, "A prisoner is asking for your presence. That's her last wish."

It is a law that the last wish of a prisoner be fulfilled as long as they weren't asking for anything impossible. Anything like asking to be set free.

"Did she specifically ask for me?" The young prince asked.

"Not really, my Lord. She wished to see any member of the royal family," The guard said while mentally cursing his fate.

"The others?"

"Prince Edward is in a meeting with your father and the councilmen, Prince Ethan is...well, busy with a woman. Prince Elliott chased me away. I came to you next."

The young prince nodded his head, "let's go," He turned swiftly and walked in long strides to the execution grounds while the guard followed behind him.

***

Her eyes darted left and right as she watched the heads of different people roll on the floor. She fought the urge to puke. She has never seen these many deaths in one moment. But alas, none of them shook her the way her mother's death did.

She had waited for this day and had carefully planned this for two years now.

But there has been one problem that has been bothering her since the start of her mission. She had asked to see a member of the royal family, but what if the infamous cursed prince showed up?

All her plans will go down the drain and her head would be the next one rolling on the floor.

"Here she is," The guard who had left to go fulfill her wish, gripped her chin tightly and raised her head to look at the most handsome face her eyes have ever laid on. She snapped out of it quickly. She would never acknowledge that this bastard was handsome. Not even in her dreams.

She had done her research. There were six children in the Maximilian household. Five brothers, one sister. The girl doesn't get involved in matters regarding criminals so her fate was in the hands of the five brothers. Who was the one standing before her?

Was it Edward? or was it, Ethan? Possibly can't Eliott– that one wouldn't care if she lived or died. Maybe... the cursed prince?

She shuddered at the possibility of the last option.

"Kill her," The young prince said lazily when he stood for nearly two minutes and the girl did nothing but ogle at him. It's not everyday a pesky human laid eyes on handsome lord such as himself.

He turned to leave when he felt a firm hold on the hem of his trousers. His brows shot up at the audacity of this human. He silently raised his head and narrowed his eyes at the guards.

The guards got his silent command and immediately began pulling away the girl from their master's body but for some reason, her grip was just too strong.

"Save me please!" She shouted forcing tears out of her eyes. She raised her head to look him directly in the eye. 

"I'll do anything you want, please don't kill me!" She let go of his trousers and furiously rubbed her palms together to garner his sympathy.

His eyes drifted from her to the guards, "What was her offense?"

"She tried to steal from the princess and was caught in the process," The guard bowed his head as he spoke.

"Forgive me, I'll do whatever you want, spare me please," She begged continuously as she sobbed.

"Take this one to the dungeon," said the young Lord. His eyes lingered on her for a moment before he turned and left.

The moment his back faced her, the pitiful face she put on disappeared and a more sinister one replaced it.

Step one, completed.

***

The smelly dungeon reeked of blood and iron rust. They were chains and all sorts of torture weapons hanging around the three walls of the dungeon. At the side of the wall was a rolled worn out woven mat. At least they were 'considerate' enough to leave a mat for sleeping. Not like she would use it anyway but still...

She sat in the middle of the dungeon. Her legs bent with her hands wrapped around them as she rocked herself back and front.

"He should be here by now..." She clicked her tongue.

"Lily!" A well-built young man ran towards her cell and held the bars of the iron that separated them both.

"Speak of the devil," She sighed loudly, "Any news?"

"I'm yet to find the identity of the prince that saved you earlier,"

"It's okay, we'll sort that later. Have you managed to secure a job at the castle?"

"I applied for the post of a bodyguard. I have someone processing that for me..." He looked around warily to see if anyone was coming. "Take this my lady, it's food," He threw the leather of bread and milk as near as he could to her.

"I'm not hungry, thank you for the offer though."

"My lady you need to eat, you've been here for eight hours and those guys haven't even brought you water," The young man seethed.

She stood up and walked towards him in anger, holding the bars of the iron, she spoke with venom-filled voice. 

"Do you expect me to have an appetite when those monsters are roaming peacefully inside this castle and I'm locked behind these useless bars?"

Pushing her hand through the hole of the bar she grabbed his shirt, "look at me, Simon! I'm never going to be at peace until I bring this family to their downfall!"

"My lady..."

"Leave Simon!" She said with urgency when she heard faint sounds of footsteps.

"Li..." Simon wanted to say but when the footsteps got louder he swallowed his words, "Please eat Lily, " He held onto his sword tightly and ran out of her sight.

In the next second, two guards arrived and began unlocking her cell, "What's happening?" She asked even though she knew they wouldn't reply.

They forcefully dragged her out of the cell. "Where are you taking me to?!" She yelled and glared at them fiercely before they could do any other thing to her.

"Shut up you wench! The royal family demands your presence. Who knows, you might be executed there and then!"

She didn't pay any attention to the taunts of the guards–she was finally meeting the royal family.