Chapter 3

What?!" I exclaimed. "This has to be some kind of sick joke. No way! I don't want to die."

"They won't harm you; you are being sent as a peace offering. For the truce. To unite our kingdoms. We received a letter, offering a truce in exchange for royalty which we have accepted. You must have noticed that soldiers haven't returned home in months; they are being held hostage. Your father's likely among them," King explained.

My hope surged as he mentioned my father and brother. "They're still alive?" I asked with a glimmer of hope.

"Yes, they are. Once the truce is signed, they will be released, and they can return home safely," Princess Olivia reassured me.

"Why should I believe you? I won't be fooled by your lies," I protested.

"Oh, I never said you had a choice, nor do I require your opinion on this matter," the king interjected as guards brought in a frail woman behind him.

"Mother," I cried out, yearning to reach out to her, but I was blocked off by the guards.

"Take her away," the king ordered; he was only using my mother's presence to manipulate me and had achieved his purpose.

"As long as you resist my order, your mother will suffer slowly. She will be starved to death, denied medication, and exposed to the cold; she will endure a slow, painful death. However, you can spare her this agony by accepting your role as the princess and allowing your family to return safely," King Edmund threatened further.

"Is that why Abigail took her own life?" I questioned, realizing that she must have felt entirely alone and chose to end her life. My situation was different; my family's life depended on my decision.

"If it's a marriage union, it should be the duty of the princess!"

"It's a trade; they seek to take what is most valuable from me, the princess. She's valuable to this kingdom. She's royalty; you're nobody. Hundreds of you isn't worth one of her; I cannot send her off to those people. You will go in her place. Your performance must be impeccable and convincing, fitting for the princess for this to work. You had better not be exposed," the king warned.

I dropped weakly to the floor, my mind consumed with images of my father suffering in a cold, damp cell, slowly starving and fading away.

"Why do they really want the princess?" I inquired softly.

"They need a bride. For the prince, getting married to royalty there would be a sign that we're one. A marriage uniting both kingdoms," I said softly.

"You're sending me to get married in place of your daughter; what if someone finds out? What would happen then?" I asked.

"It's your job to make sure they don't find out. They do not take deceit lightly and won't hesitate to kill you."

He stood once more. "You don't have a choice. If you remain here, I'll have you killed. But if you take up the identity of the princess, you have a chance to live your life blissfully as long as they don't find out. Make your choice, die here and now, or grab a chance to save both yourself and your family."

I nodded in understanding. "I understand," I replied calmly.

"Good," the king bellowed, satisfied with my response. "Send a message to the Nightfall Kingdom. We will accept their terms; the princess will be handed over to be married to commence our union and the truce."

I was sent back to the beautifully adorned room. The place I had admired previously now felt like a prison, suffocating. I lay on the bed, burying my face into a pillow as tears streamed down my face. This life wasn't what I had hoped for, and I felt frightened. I reminded myself that crying wouldn't solve anything. I needed to find a way forward and immediately start learning how to behave like a royal. My family's life and mine depended on my success. Fooling those ruthless people could not be taken lightly; I couldn't afford to be exposed as a fake. If I was discovered as a fake and the truce failed, my family would suffer for it. People would not deal lightly with a person who tries to fool them.

I moved to the bell, dragging the rope to summon maids. Bella walked in. "What do you need, your majesty? It's quite late; most servants have gone to bed," she said with a slight bow. Bella was so good; a few weeks ago, I was a scrawny maid she bossed around, but she had switched and adjusted to addressing me as the princess. "We have our work set out. I may look the part, but my manner, speech, and behavior are quite far from that of a royal. Let's get to work." "It's nice you've accepted things," she said. "I don't have a choice; my family's life and this kingdom depend on this. I can't fail." I replied softly.

The following days were filled with rigorous training, including classes in etiquette, dinner and tea manners, painting, reading, and writing. During bath time, I was groomed and pampered until my skin turned red and baby soft.

Days went by, and I was kept away from my mother and Nate. As the eve of my departure approached, I was summoned by the king once more. In an underground room with several other men present, tensions were high, I stood outside the door for long; deliberations and arguments went on inside the room. The meeting was brought to an end, the men sent out through a secret exit, and after a while, I was sent in.

The king revealed his plan to me. "The truce agreement is practically slavery. I would lose my kingdom. We need to find a way to defeat those people once and for all. Find out all you can about them, their weak points, their secrets. Gain their trust, become one of them. They have a secret, the reason why they have been undefeatable all these years; we need to know. If you succeed, you'll have a great part in their defeat and you would be greatly rewarded. By not just Ashford but all the other kingdoms. In a couple of months time, we would be able to defeat them." The king said confidently

"What is the plan?" I asked moving closer

"Nothing that concern's you for now. Do your part, when the time comes I'll bring your back here." He replied.

So I was going to be a fake bride and a spy. In the midst of fear and uncertainty, a glimmer of hope emerged, and I felt a surge of relief knowing that the King had a plan. I wasn't simply being thrown into a den of lion.