I lay down crying myself to sleep, and the sun rose in the east.
I awoke with a loud bang, and my stepmother Valene came in with guards and said, "I see he treated you like waste after he had the devil's tango with you, Annika."
She said, "Guards, take this useless woman to her father. He needs to talk with her, as the Demon King wants her."
I tried to stand, my legs shaking, but the guards grabbed me roughly.
I glared at Valene, my heart racing with fear and anger.
She smiled coldly, savoring my helplessness. "Don't think this is over," she whispered as I was dragged out of the room.
As we reached my father's study chambers with his consort Miraa, he said, "Haha, thank you, guards, for receiving Princess Annika. You may go now, everyone; I need to talk to my daughter for a few minutes."
As everyone left the room and the chamber doors closed, he added, "Well, I see that you and the Demon King became close last night... Was it fun for you being taken by him, Annika?"
I hated my father very much; he treated me like an object, as though my worth was tied to his own twisted desires.
His words stung deeper than any physical blow could.
How could he speak of me this way, as if I were nothing more than a prize to be claimed?
The venom in his voice made my stomach churn, and I fought to keep my composure. But inside, I burned with rage.
"You know nothing about what happened," I replied coldly, my fists clenched at my sides. "You're not fit to speak of such things."
He chuckled darkly, taking a step closer, as though to further belittle me. "Ah, but I know exactly what I saw. And now I wonder... How far will you go to please him, my daughter? Don't you want to save this kingdom from him, so everyone here can survive? Think of all the lives at stake, the innocent people who will perish if you do nothing. You could end this madness, restore peace, and have the power to shape the future. Or you could stand by and watch everything crumble around you. What will you choose?"
He walked around me twice and then said, "It's sad that your mother isn't here, or she would be so disappointed in you for sleeping with the enemy."
I clenched my fist and replied, "He didn't sleep with me, and I didn't know he was the enemy, especially since you won't let me in the meetings.
If I had attended them, I would have known who he was in the first place, Father. And what was the deal you made with him?"
He paused, as if considering my words, before finally sneering, "You think you're ready for the truth? You have no idea what you've gotten yourself involved in."
"Yes, I want the truth," I answered him in a stern voice. He stepped back, saying, "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you. It all started when we fought each other in the Shadowlands, back when you were just a baby, and the war showed no signs of relenting. The land was torn apart, and neither side was willing to yield. One day, King Kai, the Demon King at the time, came to the camp seeking peace. I didn't want to trust him, but my men were hungry and weak by then, so I agreed to a peaceful arrangement. We also made a pact: if we ever found ourselves at war again, our children would marry to ensure peace. But I want you to harm him, destroy everything his kingdom has, and make sure there are soldiers accompanying you."
My father had no remorse for anyone, so I didn't want to believe his foolish side of the story. I started to laugh and said, "Father, please, you want me to believe that this story of yours is true and honest? I will not harm someone who hasn't done anything to me or to our people."
I thought to myself, The betrayal cuts deep, and I won't let his treachery go unpunished—not after everything we've sacrificed.
He looked at me with cold, calculating eyes, as if measuring my resolve. "You think you're better than me?"
he sneered. "You think you can choose your own path, free of the consequences of your actions? You're wrong." His words stung, but I held my ground.
In that moment, I realized how far apart we had drifted. The father I once looked up to was now a shadow of the man I had hoped he would be.
"I will make my own choices," I said firmly. "And I will not follow you down a path of destruction."
Then I started to move toward the door when Father said, "You know that the kingdom is at fault for your mother's death, right?"
I clenched my fists and replied, "They might have had a hand in it, Father, but not as much as you did by bringing in another consort, which broke her heart!"
My voice trembled with anger, but I forced myself to stand tall. "You never saw her pain, did you? You were too blinded by your own desires to care about what you were doing to her."
I could feel the weight of his gaze on my back, but I refused to turn around. "If anyone is to blame, it's you."
He screamed and said, "How dare you say that to me!"
As I stood by the door, I turned to my father and asked, "Why was I chosen as the crown princess when Jenifer is the firstborn and I am the third?"
Father forced a smile and replied, "Because you were the civilian's popular choice. When so many votes were cast, the crown couldn't ignore that, which is why you became the crown princess. And not only that, you are destined to be a sacrifice to the Demon King as one of his wives."
My heart sank at his words, and I felt a cold wave of dread wash over me. "A sacrifice?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
"But... why me? Why not someone else?" Father looked away, his eyes hardening as if he could no longer bear to meet my gaze.
"Because sometimes, the kingdom must make sacrifices for the greater good," he said, his voice colder than I had ever heard it before.
"You may not understand now, but one day, you will."
I walked out of the study chambers and was about to head to the training field when I was stopped by my brother Jaz and his friends.
Jaz smirked and said, "So, you've decided to sleep with the enemy of the kingdom?"
I tried to walk around them, but they blocked my path and said, "Look, brother Jaz, does it look like I was taken by him? I wouldn't let him take me just because he wants to."
Jaz's smirk faltered for a moment, but then he scoffed.
"You think you have control over this? You're just a pawn in a game you don't even understand."
His friends laughed behind him, but I refused to let them see how much his words stung.
"You don't know anything about me," I shot back, meeting his gaze. "I'm not some helpless princess who can be used and discarded."
My hands balled into fists at my sides, and for a moment, I felt a surge of defiance I hadn't known I was capable of.
Jaz's expression hardened, and he stepped closer, his voice lowering to a dangerous whisper. "You're already caught in a web, whether you like it or not. There's no escaping your fate."
I stood my ground, my heart racing. "We'll see about that."