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Chapter 3
Princess Azarel's POV.
I looked at my cousins. They were trying to scare me. I made my way to my room and they followed closely. I hated it when people saw my father as a traitor. It was a battle between emperor Sargon and my family. We won and he lost. Why will they keep praising his name after death?
"She is sorry, my Lady" Williams apologized. He was supposed to join his father in the fields, where the soldiers were training. He gazed at his sister who did not care about my feelings at the moment. She did not utter a word of apology. "Please, Azrael. Forgive her, I beg of you."
I stopped walking and Hazel almost stepped into my heels. Poor girl, she had no idea that I was going to stop all of a sudden.
"It's okay" I smiled as she turned around. "Let's go to the courtyard. The king's Ball is tomorrow… We will get to see the visitors from afar."
Williams was glad that everything was fine between us. He bowed and excused himself. We watched the view of the city for hours. It was a boring scene for me because my father would not let me out of the palace.
"I'm leaving" I informed the rest. They joined me as well.
Passing through the dark walls that led to my room, Hazel continued to talk about the ball. I was scared of attending it but my father insisted that I do. It was meant for me in the first place. He was going to choose a groom for me.
"What will you be wearing tomorrow?" She glanced at me, there was no hint of reaction or alarm on my face. It was just a party and anything I come up with will be my outfit. My sisters were surprised that I had nothing to wear.
"It is such a big day for you, Azrael" Ember told me. She was wearing a pink gown with an embodiment of stones. The pearls father gave to her on her last birthday were attached to her dress. She was a lovely lady…if only she could smile more.
"It is not" I stopped in front of a giant door. I yanked open the wooden door, the heat and light almost blinded me as I slipped inside. "I thought I turned the fire off."
"Well, you didn't" Ember crossed her hands in front of her chest while leaning at the door. The room was hot instead of warm. I turned the fire off with cold water from the bucket in my bathroom. I was in a rush when I left the room earlier. Father called me to handle the prisoners while he attended a meeting.
He was doing this to prepare me for the future. When I become the queen of Akkad, I will be able to handle everything that comes my way. It was not easy standing in front of the people and asking the soldiers to kill prisoners. I wanted to impress my father…I had to do it.
"Open the windows, Azrael" Ember asked with her covered nose. Hazel was surprised by her behaviour. Even though they were older than me, our statuses ranked different in the empire. I was the Emperor's daughter and the future Empress. She had no right to send me. But I shrugged it off. I never took whatever she did personally. She was my sister and I would do anything thing to make them happy.
"Are you being serious?" Hazel pinched her and she let out a scream. "Go and open the window if you want to stay in the room with us."
"Do not worry, I will do" I smiled walking towards the windows. I drew the beautiful curtains that my stepmother made for me two weeks ago. There were brought from Asia. Every week, she asked the maids to change my curtains.
"These are new curtains, Azrael" Hazel touched them gently. She kissed and rubbed it on her cheeks. "They are smoother than my bedsheets."
Ember laughed and I joined her too. I had no idea why she did but I did not want to talk about the curtains so it helped me change the conversation.
Hazel went to my giant wardrobe and opened it. She was surprised to see that my clothes got changed again. The ones from last month were sent to the nunnery to distribute to the poor. I went to my king-sized bed that was well dressed by the maids and sat down. The books I read last night were still on top of my drawer.
The first book was about Genasi, our biggest enemy. They were the deadliest creatures we have ever seen. They were immortals and mortals like us did not possess magic- did not possess any superior strength speed of the Genasi. The rare and dangerous one was the wildfire Genasi. None of us had ever seen one before. It was said in this book, that the last kind was killed years ago by ashes.
"I don't believe this, Azrael" Hazel's loud voice interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to see what she was up to…my dresses…not again. It made me feel uncomfortable. I smile revealing all my frontal teeth. She knew it was a fake smile. "I love them. I love the fabrics, they are unique."
"Thank you," I said returning to my book.
"That's why she is the princess" Ember's soft gasp scraped past my eyes and I ignored her. There was nothing special about being a princess. All my life, I lived by the rules given by my father. When they were outside playing, I was indoors learning with a tutor. They learnt to ride a horse because they loved it but I learnt it because my father said I needed to be on horseback while going to war.
"Let's talk about the ball. Which prince are you going to choose" Hazel was excited about tomorrow. The question was general but I let Ember speak first. I waited patiently for my turn.
"Hmmm…" She sat on the bed beside me and said "The most handsome prince to graced this palace with its presence will be my husband. You know, I'm always good with taste…he should be strong and tall. A warrior in disguise of a prince…I mean…he should be stronger than all princes" She chuckled.
I noticed that her eyes did not blink as she spoke. Poor girl, such a man did not exist. It was either she goes for a handsome prince who will brag about his riches or a brave warrior who was committed to a king or prince. He would not have time for his family.
"If you are done dreaming, can you wake up from slumber?" Hazel told her. She turned to me and asked "What type of man would you like to marry? Or what prince…"
"I understand, dear" I interrupted her but my tone was polite so she flashed me a smile. I never thought of a man I would like to marry. As a Princess, my marriage was going to be arranged by my father. It would be for the betterment of the empire. But if I was asked to choose my husband, he would be "I want a kind man. One who respects all women. He should be caring, loving and understanding. He should love me because of who I am not what I am."
"That was long and impressive" Hazel took a deep breath and asked "What about his physical looks? What do you want him to look like?"
I sighed. This was going to be hard. We were taught not to admire men so I had no time to picture the man I wanted. With my eyes closed, I described the image in my head to them "A tall fine man. He has long dark lashes and impressive cheekbones. His shining emerald eyes…"
Ember did not allow me to finish. She interrupted me as usual "They said that Emperor Sargon had a thing for green eyes. His wife had green eyes…his son who was born years later had green eyes too."
A shudder skittered down my spine at the thought and I shoved it away. It was just a story.
Emperor Sargon was the devil who ruled this empire for years. They said he ascended the throne at the age of ten killing his father. It was said he was a no-mercy king. But when he fell in love with a green-eyed slave, everything changed.
"That man is dead. His family is dead. Your father ordered his son to be killed before it was born" Hazel assured me. Was this true? My father would never kill a child.