The Kingdom of Amburse has fallen. Its remaining citizens scatter like ants whose nest has been trampled, including the nobles who often frequented the palace. When their king lay in a pool of blood, the throne became nothing more than a mere wooden chair.
Alresca Souvense, the eighth princess of Amburse, fled with all her might. Empty-handed. The servants paid no attention to the pitiful princess because, fundamentally, Alresca was an unwanted daughter. There was no future for her after her only supporter, her father, fell.
With great difficulty, the girl left behind her status and home, running aimlessly into the wilderness in the south, the only way out of the small palace once belonging to her late mother. Night to morning, morning to night again, until the sounds of explosions and people's screams faded from her ears and mind. Alresca's breath chased the rhythm of her heart, which kept pumping blood, pulsating, moving her tired legs and mind tirelessly.
She ran for who knows how long and where she could stop.
---
"Look at this gooseberry, there are so many, haha!"
Young soldiers under Cadius's guidance were exploring the forest. A white horse carrying the royal crown, followed by dozens of heads equal to the horse's back, guided them along the northern border of the Valvhanra Empire.
The royal crown was undisturbed by the joyous sounds of his new subordinates. Their laughter and camaraderie echoed like crickets in broad daylight, a melody blending with nature. Cadius just had to close his eyes and focus on the cool forest breeze brushing his face. No need to exert his emotions today. He wanted to rest while being away from the busyness of his duties as the crown prince.
That was before he felt a sudden pain in his chest.
His eyes squinted, and his breath slowed. This feeling was like hundreds of flower buds piercing his vital organs gently.
Cadius swallowed saliva, clutching his left chest. His eyes glanced to each side, right and left, trying to calm himself by looking at the lush green scenery while figuring out who or what was trying to attack him.
Could it be... Was there a holy power owner around here?
His mind speculated, anticipating the arrival of the faction he most avoided.
"Spread out. Someone has entered the border area."
Cadius gave the command. His voice was deep and authoritative, yet loud. In line with his status as a member of the royal family.
The young soldiers promptly formed a formation, facing the horse Cadius was riding in an upright position. Hands saluted.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The salute was given, then they scattered into groups heading in all eight directions.
Cadius still held his aching chest, urging his horse to follow the gradually increasing pain. His temples were damp, sweating from restraining the pain.
As the horse brought him into the forest, the sound of rustling bushes and footsteps became audible. Light but hurried footsteps. And, more strangely, the sound of uneven steps.
A pair of feet.
Not the sound of shoes?
Cadius narrowed his eyes, his ears focused on the footsteps that became clearer as he followed the footsteps in pain.
When Cadius looked ahead, a figure with tattered clothes ran out of the mist. Among tree trunks and bushes, the silhouette piled up with white mist. Cadius's gaze focused on the tiny figure while his hand squeezed his chest, wrinkling his royal garments a bit.
Ah. A fear.
Cadius sensed the fear of that figure. His heart felt it.
When their eyes met, before her small mouth opened, the figure fell to the ground. Fainted.
---
Alresca opened her eyes, as if just waking up from a very bad dream. However, the nightmare was diverted by her gaze, capturing the view of the gold and charcoal-painted ceiling. Flower ornaments and naked deity statues gave the room an elegant and luxurious impression. The sight was not at all unfamiliar to her.
When moving her body, she was aware of a blanket that had warmly wrapped three-quarters of her body from her chest to her toes. The torn ragged dress she wore before had changed into a plain dress in a light greenish-purple color. Its design was very plain, like casual clothes worn by a 12-year-old girl. Her curly hair was also neatly braided back.
Where am I?
Confused, she looked to the right and left. Her eyes observed several young and old women huddling together, tidying up things in various corners of the room. They wore similar clothes, like servants but unlike the servants in her residence.
"You're awake."
An unfamiliar voice interrupted Alresca's thoughts.
A man stood in the corner of the room, leaning casually against the wall with both hands crossed as if watching the servants take care of her. The man wore his royal attire; elegant, and his blonde hair was neatly styled back as if using expensive gel. His aura was very authoritative, calm, and graceful. Yet his gaze felt so cold and unfamiliar.
Alresca's skin crawled with discomfort.
Should she respond as a noblewoman? Or as an ordinary girl who had lost her way?
Her eyes observed the man's movements. It seemed he knew nothing about her, hence the plain clothes he provided for her, more suited for a child. It was more fitting for a servant. Alresca thought to herself.
The man spoke again, not receiving the response he expected from her but rather met with wary gazes. However, before uttering a word, he sealed his lips, offering instead a gentle smile.
"I am not a wicked person," he said.
The man walked from the corner of the room to the bed where Alresca lay. He reached into the pocket of his grand attire and pulled out a caramel-coated hawthorn candy.
Alresca furrowed her brows. From the attire he provided her to his behavior, it seemed he perceived her as a minor. Not as a lady.
"I am not a child," Alresca stated firmly, choosing to behave like a village girl ignorant of manners.
His eyes shifted from the candy in his hand to her hazel eyes. They resembled the hawthorn candy he held. A pair of cold, mysterious eyes met another pair that was innocent and pure, causing her brows to knit in silence.
The man nodded casually, then unwrapped the hawthorn candy before popping it into his mouth.
"Of course, and this is mine."
Cadius chuckled softly at Alresca's unexpectedly candid response. He hadn't anticipated such impoliteness from the diminutive girl. She didn't even kneel to express gratitude for being helped.
"I am not a child"?
Cadius mused, his lips lifting slightly at the unexpected and bold response, restraining himself from laughing. He then sat at the edge of the bed to get closer to the petite girl.
It was their first conversation, as if two friends had just met. No one would have guessed that their names would be written side by side in the future.
---
Alresca Souvense, the eighth princess of the late great King Amburse in the east, now lived as the free captive of the Valvhanra Empire's crown prince. Alresca was the only captive of Crown Prince Cadius permitted to reside in the king's harem, and no one could ever touch her without Cadius's permission.
No one would have believed that the glory of Amburse would end before the kingdom reached 200 years, a very short time in the annals of history.
Amburse Kingdom was the second largest state in the East. A prosperous yet weak country. For the king of Amburse, prosperity was everything, which is why many immigrants wanted to live there. Many small villages also wanted to join and eventually made the Amburse territory even larger. However, being loved by many, those left behind by their people started to be filled with anger and resentment.
Several small countries surrounding Amburse began to lose territory in just 50 years, especially the small villages that began to develop, choosing to become part of the Amburse Kingdom. The decision of some village leaders caused the leaders of these small countries to agree to form a coalition. If Amburse fought against any of these small countries alternately, Amburse would win. However, if these small countries formed a coalition, Amburse would lose.
The symbol of prosperity in the East fell easily in less than 10 months of war between Amburse and the combined nations to the east. The citizens who wanted to live had to return to their former countries.
Amburse was finally destroyed, leaving nothing behind.
Alresca sighed. It didn't mean she wasn't sad about the defeat of her kingdom, but sadness had been the staple of her life since childhood. Starting from her mother, her father's favorite concubine who committed suicide due to the pressure from other concubines. Furthermore, Alresca was not well taken care of by the palace servants and had to pretend to be nice in front of her father to avoid being trampled by her other siblings behind her back. She had no one by her side except her very kind father. Very... Very kind that even flies swarmed around him and enjoyed his fragrance.
Indeed, Alresca's mother was just a village woman brought to the palace as a concubine, but Alresca was still a princess, the daughter of King Amburse. Now, her home was destroyed. It was not a big deal to her.
But maybe this was for the best. To be an ordinary person, she thought.
Moreover, Alresca rather enjoyed living in Valvhanra. The royal concubines welcomed her warmly, especially those close to her age. They became close friends.
Some royal concubines often invited her to tea parties, walks in the royal flower garden, played chess, pampered the royal pets, and much more. Of course, Alresca did not reveal her identity as a former princess of Amburse. She hid her past and tried to act like an ordinary village girl who knew nothing.
On the other hand, Cadius always watched Alresca's movements whenever he passed through the harem. From afar, his eyes caught sight of Alresca, often chatting happily with the royal concubines. His mind wondered who this girl really was for almost a month. His mind, which had never been occupied by a woman before, was suddenly filled with thoughts of her all day for a whole month, yet Cadius was reluctant to find out.
Perhaps, the girl was just a spoiled noble who ran away.
If time provided answers, perhaps he could use her presence for his future as a king. At the very least, as his servant.