The pitter-patter of the rain hitting the pavement was the only sound Zinnia's ears could process. Cold embraced her shoulder and spread it all over her frail body. Hugging her knees didn't help at all. If anything, it was but a listless act of her subconscious trying to keep her alive, something she already gave up on.

Hollow hazel eyes set on a barely visible crack on the street side cement. The downpour did nothing to make her feel alive… or anything at all.

Not even the hunger, the pain of her stomach churning as if someone had decided to squeeze everything inside her to drain all the good she ever had. When was the last time she ate?

No one knows the answer, not even her.

Hunched low at an abandoned lot, the thin figure of a thirteen-year-old child, almost naked under the torrent rain, was so still one could think she's already dead. She at least hoped that was the case. Dead was way better than whatever she was.

After what seemed to be forever in a daze, pair of shiny black shoes came into view. Still, her eyes never left the crack they were obsessed with. The shadow of the figure looming over her stayed for quite some time, enough for the curiosity from the corner of her mind to prompt her to lift her gaze, meeting the stranger.

When she saw the person's appearance, the first thought that popped out of her long-empty mind was 'Finally, someone's here to end this misery'.

Darkness came next.

Zinnia found herself jolted awake in a dim bedroom. Her cotton blanket settled messily on her thighs as she tried to make sense of what happened. Hand on her chest, she tried her best to steady the hammering beats of her heart. She wiped the trickling beads of sweat on her forehead with the sleeve of her sleepwear. Such an unladylike gesture would earn a scornful comment from the headmistress. But Zinnia was never one to try to please that old woman who was only obsessed with making them into living dolls.

Mistress Real was nowhere near, yet Zinnia could still feel the power of the mistress' disdainful glare from the back of her mind, recalling the countless scenes of her life in that shelter.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She steered her mind to focus on easing her nerves from the aftereffects of the nightmare. Letting her upper body fall to the headboard, her bare back felt the soft cushion embedded in the exquisite wood. Exhaustion, then, washed over her.

The frequency of the haunting visits frustrated her. Ghost of her past plagued in a form of nightly dreams, an added burden to the pressure her former house had put on her inconsiderately.

With loneliness reflecting deep within them, her eyes idly gazed outside the arched window. The still moon's glow entertained her as her thoughts got inevitably pulled to recall her childhood and how she came to her stifling situation.

Ten years ago, the tiny hope within a child was crushed after she has seen the harsh realities of the world in the days when she lingered and loitered around the most poverty-stricken place in the nation. No roof over her head, no food for her stomach, not even footwear to spare her soles from the pieces of glass scattered in the dumpsters where she frequents for some semblance of solace. Never mind that she has no one. She only wished for the meager excess from other people's basic necessities in order to survive.

But even kindness is scarce in the land where the king's grace doesn't reach. It was a jungle of the rule "eat or be eaten".

The people that live in *Ptoxia don't even give a damn what the king was about. For all they care, he was just another figure to fill the throne the previous king had left when he died.

The throne was empty for two decades until a man named Arius arrived to claim it. A hundred years ago had passed since then. One would think that generations of kings had taken over or inherited the throne. That wasn't the case. King Arius is still well and alive.

And that was what House Ruby aimed to change, the very reason why Zinnia is now in the palace.

The night eluded to give way for the morning sun to rise. Zinnia's sleep never came again after the abrupt rise she had. She came to terms that she'll have to face this important day without sleep.

Today, she'll be wed to the most powerful figure in the nation.

Any damsel would be over the moon to celebrate a special day such as her wedding, let alone having it with a king.

But Zinnia wanted nothing else but to get it over with. After all, this was just the first step to achieving her goal—House Ruby's goal.

She carried on with her supposed tasks, preparing in a lackadaisical manner—not too rushed yet not overly laggard. As soon as Zinnia stood in front of the vanity table in the bathroom, a digital screen appeared in the mirror with details of the weather and time. In the left panel, there are some recommended video tutorials for various makeups and hairstyles. The digital age did add a touch of wonder even in the most ordinary furniture.

However, none of the minute details caught Zinnia's attention. The expression in the vanity mirror that reflected lack of enthusiasm looked back at her. Her eyes looked elegant with mascara and a tint of powder gold, but her hazel irises lack any shine of life. Wine red locks neatly fell over her forehead with the rest of her hair tied into a clean, sophisticated bun, a direct contrast to the chaos of her thoughts. Her thin lips were colored a vibrant red, yet they formed a dull straight line, tightly shut and never to reveal the emotions banging inside the cage she built within.

Her gaze lingered on the figure in the mirror for a moment, taking in the appearance of the woman the king was going to marry. There was no hint of Zinnia Shepard, the woman who would rather be in a small house in the countryside with a life that involved no one else.

For the last step of her preparation, she inhaled and held her breath longer as if to gather all the thoughts and emotions that needed discarding. Then, decisively, she exhaled to let them all go. Perhaps, it was to bury them instead. They never go away after all.

Before she twisted the silver knob of the bathroom door, she made sure no traces of her disinclination remained. She would wear that fancy white ornate dress and let its gold intricate lines define her as the bride that the king needed. It will be her costume, a perfect match to her mask of play pretend.

She was ready to take on the role of the obedient bride when she stepped out, but the knocking on the glass pane of her balcony door shattered her carefully built role setup. Her eyes grew wide upon seeing waving man from the other side.

Appalled, she stood for a moment before hurrying to open the sliding door.

"Y-your Majesty?" She tried so hard to hide her surprise but thought it would be justified to be shocked when her supposed groom, in a t-shirt and casual jeans, appeared in the room without so much a warning.

"Arius. I told you to call me Arius, didn't I?" His wide and mischievous grin was briefly replaced with a pretense of a frown before reverting to the same delighted expression he wore.

"I—What are you doing here?"

"Can we get inside first?" He said as he peeked over the rails with caution, "Someone might catch me," he gave her the same playful grin as his grey eyes sparkled like a kid on an adventure he shouldn't be on. He didn't look like he's a tiny bit guilty with his act.

Zinnia stepped aside to let him in. She slid the door to close, still with confusion buzzing in her mind.

What does this mean? Was this supposed to happen? No one told her the king would see her before she could even march the aisle.

She took a few seconds to compose herself before turning to face him again. There, he stood in front of the wedding dress draped to the torso of a mannequin. Observing the gown intently, a glint of being enchanted appeared in his eyes. Zinnia almost thought he got lost in a daydream.

"Your Majesty, may I know the purpose of your visit? If I have—"

"'Arius'." As if the fake frown wasn't enough, there was a sternness in his voice that didn't sound serious.

"King Arius—,"

"'Arius'," the frown turned into an incredulous stare. "Just 'Arius'. You don't have to be so formal with me when it's just the two of us." His lips curved into an easy grin, and his eyes gleamed with a gentleness she couldn't understand.

"A-Arius…" His sudden beaming interrupted her train of thoughts for a second before she remembered the issue at hand, "Could you tell me why you're here?"

Despite the baffling surprise visit, she held her clasped hands together in front of her with an air of demureness. The need to show the proper manners of a lady, drilled to her ever since she was thirteen, never faded. It might be an unexpected circumstance, but she was taught to treat even the unprecedented as an opportunity. This mindset was useful even on the darker sides of her job.

The man in question felt the sudden need to scratch the back of his head, his messy hair not even fixed when the ceremony was about to start in an hour. His translucent grey eyes evaded her gaze, and a bashful blush appeared in his cheeks. Again, his reaction caught her off-guard.

"I was thinking…" He slowly returned his gaze to meet hers, turning serious, "maybe we should run away."

Her mouth couldn't help but gape open with bewilderment. Zinnia tried to process if what she just heard was correct or if her mind is playing tricks on her, like manifesting her hidden desires with some sort of delusion. Because, there's no way King Arius—her groom and husband-to-be—would offer to run away on the day of their wedding… right?

But she was proven wrong when he took another step forward to her without a trace of mischief in his features, speaking in a more serious tone, "Zinnia, let's run away… together."