EPISODE 1.1

PRINCESS Marionette Reinhilde Ivorioness was lying on her soft mattress. Alone with her dull wide room. The offscouring princess of Narvana, the only princess without a name.

Darkness trickles into the room.

It was raining outside, the branch of the trees are knocking into her windows. She could hear how the god of thunder shouts with all his rage. The sounds of rain echoed into her ears, repeating the pitter-patter like a broken vinyl.

Rain used to be her solace, its coldness used to be her quilt. However, the clear water from heaven becomes blood dripping on the roof of every residence. It gives her now a lot of negative emotions.

Discomfort.

Resentment.

Grief.

Princess Marionette watched how the lightning strikes flashes and gives shadows to this cold and lone room. Laying in the soft bed while listening to the rumble in the sky gives her agitation. Somehow, she just wanted to be buried deep in her bed.

A sonorous scream from outside accompanied the whistling of the wind. That made her stiff and nervous in so much fear. She doesn't know what's going on outside but she has a hint. However, it doesn't give her the slightest idea of getting out of this room.

She's afraid of what's happening outside. And for sure, even if she tried getting out, there would be a lot of knights standing by. She was locked into this room for almost a week. She was forbidden to go out. No one visited her aside from the maids and the...

A knock from the door filled the silence of her room.

"Your Highness, are you still awake?" it was one of the maids in this palace.

Nirvana Palace, the most sophisticated and glamorous manor in Narvana. The palace where the king of the kingdom and its queen consort reside.

"What is it, Agha?" she asked in her inaudible and weak voice.

"His Majesty wants to see you, Your Highness."

At what the woman said, her eyes widened in extreme hesitation. Her heart began to beat so hard that it felt like her chest was being crushed. She doesn't know if it's because of fear or excitement. Her mind is hazy that it didn't give her the chance to think.

"Agha, t-tell His Majesty that I'm already resting." Even though she is afraid, she still pushes herself to say those words.

Not minding the consequences of denying His Majesty.

"B-But Your Highness, His Majesty, the Emperor, w-wishes to see you-" she cut off her words and shout, feeling all the fears in her heart.

"Please, I don't wish to see him! Tell His Majesty that I'm already sleeping!"

She feels agitated as she clutched on the white quilt hugging her whole body. A lightning strike into the balcony, fidgeting her on her bed. She could even hear how the winds rampaged on the window of her room.

Agha did not speak for a moment. She thought her lone attendant had left.

But that's what she only thought because, in a spun of the moment, she heard a clicking sound from her room's door.

She quickly sat up in bed.

Her eyes widened as well, and immediately looked at the door, ready to see Agha, but to her surprise, she saw His Majesty, standing up in front of her, near the edge of her bed.

"Your Majesty!"

"So my queen didn't want to see her king, huh."

Marionette tightened her grip on the blanket when she heard that familiar cold voice.

His voice is denying every emotion that the world has. It was even colder than the ice. Stiff like a wind.

Her eyes met His Majesty's eyes. Those certain eyes always stirred something inside her whenever their gazes met. She immediately averted her gaze, lowering it, and just stared at her hands.

"How are you feeling?" And again something stirred on her when she heard His Majesty's voice.

Unlike its tone before, its voice is soft as if it were the voice of a mother singing to a sleeping child.

However, she did not dare to speak and just continued to stare at her hands. She knows how the attitude of His Majesty changed whenever he talks to her, albeit, it still didn't assure her of being comfortable with him. It still gives her something she can't explain emotionally, but eventually, she thinks it's fear for him

Whenever he's near her, he talks with her, and had skin to skin contact with her, she will always feel so nervous. There's nothing to feel but nervous and something she doesn't know.

She heard His Majesty's sigh in her silence. Marionette still couldn't believe how patient the emperor was to her, unlike whenever he is with his servants. The softness and gentleness of his voice are so strange for her. On how his majesty approached her with nothing but benignity.

"I know you are still lachrymose with what happened to the previous sovereigns of this kingdom, my empress." The king said in a monotone voice. It was void of concerns, not even the slightest mourn could feel from it.

Princess Marionette felt the lump in her throat which was why she bit her lower lip. Just the thought of the late king and queen consort seemed to choke her chest in extreme pain.

His Majesty went near her and sat beside her. She didn't make a move to pull away from him, she felt stuck on where she is sitting.

He was like a machine without any passion.

"Although you are in distress, we can't delay the wedding ceremony any longer..." that made her look at the emperor.

She doesn't want it. She didn't like that. She could not marry the emperor.

She doesn't want to.

No, she can't.

The emperor smiled and caressed her cheek. She wanted to shake her head but she felt like a stump of a tree, unable to move. She heard the emperor sigh again before burying his face on her neck. A gasp from her lips escapes with what the emperor did.

Marionette could feel how the emperor smelled her feminine scent on her skin.

"You'll be finally my empress soon-"

"No!" she couldn't stop screaming. Her tears began to form in her eyes as she felt the emperor fall silent at her sudden rejection of its will.

She swallowed the lump on her throat. A warmth on her shoulders replenished the coldness of the whole room. His majesty caressed her, making her feel comfortable on his hold, but no matter how much she tried, Marionette knows that she couldn't.

Not with the touch of the obdurate emperor.

"It's okay, my queen. I know you're still shocked by what happened to your mother."

And when His Majesty mentioned her mother, the last thread of her patience was finally cut.

"No! I don't wish to marry you, I can't marry someone like you!"

How dare he mentioned her mother.

Marionette pushed the emperor away from her. And when she saw how motionlessly His Majesty was, she couldn't help but stare at his face.

And her eyes widened when she saw how drained His Majesty's face was. Lips are parted, eyes are full of confusion and ... and ... sadness.

But it was only a moment, the emperor immediately returned to himself.

He pushed her onto the bed and pin her down. His hold on her shoulders tightened its grip. Marionette could feel the stinging pain rising on her skin.

"You will marry me, Marionette. I don't care if you don't want to, you will be chained with me until your last breath!"

Marionette shook her head again, not wanting to be hurt by the emperor. However, His Majesty moved on top of her, pressing her more on the sluggish mattress.

Fear began to creep into her system.

"No! Please, your majesty! L-Let me go!"

"There's no way in Sheol that I will let go of you. I will never, my queen. Not in this lifetime." Her tears flowed. And no matter how hard she tried to push him away she couldn't do it. "And if I have to kill you, then I will." And then she felt the emperor's hand on her neck.

Already strangling her with so much rage.

She could feel her chest tightening in so much pain. Tears are overflowing in her eyes like a river streaming endlessly. She is slowly losing her air as the emperor's grip on her neck becomes more strained.

Until her vision becomes blurry.

PRINCESS Marionette gasped and immediately sat from her bed to catch her breath. Her chest was violently rising up and down. She could feel herself trembling in dread.

Those nightmares. Nightmares that keep on bothering her whenever she's in slumber. Ever since her coming of age, those nightmares started to visit her. At first, it was just her, locked up in a cold room.

However, it worsened this time.

Her nightmares felt like a premonition. She doesn't know if it's really like that. But no matter what it takes, she's going to avoid all circumstances that will lead her to her nightmares.

She looked at her bedside table to see a certain necklace that she had always treasured ever since.

She immediately took it and placed it on her chest. Gradually she calmed down.

After she already calmed down, her hands reached the bell to ring it. She didn't wait any longer for someone to knock on her door.

"Your Highness, it's me Leisce ..."

"Come in," she said with a little smile on her lips.

A straight-faced girl entered while looking at her. Only then did she smile as the one who came closed the door completely.

"Did you have a good sleep, Your Highness?" Leisce asked that made her nod.

"Yes, how about you Leisce?"

Releisce Aislinn, daughter of Baron Eldeburg, her lady-in-waiting and friend.

"I did have a good sleep, Your Highness."

She smiled a little again before slowly getting out on her bed.

"That's good to hear, Leisce. I remembered you saying before that you have a problem sleeping."

She nodded at her. "Yes, Your Highness. It was hard for me adjusting here in your new manor, but you don't have to worry about it, Your Highness."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

She also could not blame her, especially since they had just moved to this area of ​​the palace. Even she also had a hard time adjusting to it.

The manor is really beautiful and suits her taste. It felt more home than her former manor.

"Uhm...Your Highness?"

She immediately looked at Leisce.

"Oh yes?"

"Do you want to eat first or ..." She shook her head.

"No, ready my bath first please." Leisce nodded at her.

"What do you want to wear for this day, Your Highness?" She thought for a moment before answering.

"Just the usual, Leisce. I will just change my attire when it's already dinner."

It was mandatory. Every dinner, every royal family needed to dine together. It was an order from the King that she couldn't break.

She sighed before walking on her balcony.

That balcony was spacious compared to his previous balcony. And from there she had a view of the whole garden where she lived.

Her lips parted when she saw how beautiful the pictures of her garden were full of flowers. From her vantage point, she also had a view of the place where the king and queen were.

The Royal Palace. She smiled at the thought of her mother smiling at her.

But the smile disappeared from her lips when she noticed the women gathering to one side.

It was the maids chosen by the king. They came from the Royal Palace.

They are looking at her while their mouths are moving. And even though she didn't hear it, she knew she was the one they were talking about. That was not new before her.

She glared at them.

The eyes of each of them widened and moved quickly.

She will let them pass this time. But the next time she saw or hear them talking behind her back, she will not let it pass. She isn't that kind enough to just forgive them like that.

Because no matter what they say, she is still part of the royal family.

Soon the night also came. Leisce helped her prepare herself for dinner with the king and queen.

She groans when she felt Leisce tightening her corset more.

"W-Wait, Leisce! I need to breathe first ..."

"Oh sorry, Your Highness!" it immediately apologized.

Years passed, and she was still not used to wearing a corset. She even needs to wear a crinoline just to make her gown puffy.

"Are you ready, Your Highness?" Leisce asked.

She nodded at her before she blew a breath. "Damn this corset," she mumbled. And after a while, her dressing was finished as well.

She wears a high-quality fabric dress. A black velvet dress that made her complexion glows.

While facing the mirror Leisce placed a necklace that wrapped around her entire neck.

It was a choker necklace with a pendant of black onyx.

She can clearly see her reflection. Her unusual white hair with a highlight of black, that sheens as the light from the chandelier passed through it. She has raven black eyes along with her natural little plump lips. Although her freckles almost invaded her cheeks, they still enhanced the beauty she retain.

"Perfect, Your Highness! Black is indeed your color!"

She smiled at Leisce's reflection in the mirror. And even though she always dine in with all of the royal family, she still can't stop feeling so nervous. Her heart thumped in so much anxiety.

After readying herself, Leisce guides her out of the manor. The royal carriage is already waiting for her and she couldn't help but heave a sigh to at least calm herself down. Dinner with the royal family members along with the current sovereign of this nation. Oh, that's freaking makes her knees wobble, but she has to be modest and confident.

Since she is Marionette Reinhilde Ivorioness, the second princess of Narvana.

To be continued...