Chapter 1

Alicia's POV

I was in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, when suddenly the door flung open, and my stepmother stormed in, furious.

"Alicia, you fool," she scoffed, startling me as I stood and bowed to her.

"What do you think you are doing?" she asked, her eyes glaring with anger.

"Why haven't you cleaned your stepbrother's room?" she growled, raising her hand to strike me.

I moved in fright. "Your Highness, I wanted to do that after I finished preparing my breakfast..."

"Shut your mouth, you pretentious fox," she snapped, gritting her teeth as she clenched her fist. "Don't you know you are supposed to finish your house chores before thinking of eating any food?"

"You are so lazy and clumsy, just like your late mother?" She was at it again, insulting my late mum after all she did for her. I was fuming inside but couldn't do anything. I was powerless before her. She looked over at the pot of food I was cooking. "You were busy trying to satisfy your cravings before cleaning my son's room. How dare you?" she snapped as she upturned the pot, making the food pour on the floor. My eyes glistened with unshed tears. All the efforts I had put into preparing that meal had gone to waste. I didn't eat the previous night; I had slept hungry.

I woke up this morning and did my chores. I cleaned everywhere, hoping to clean my stepbrother's room immediately after I finished having breakfast as I was very hungry. Everything changed, everything changed after my father died. My stepmother has become more vile and wicked than she was before. I wasn't allowed to eat meals prepared by the royal chef. She told me I would start cooking my food myself.

"You didn't have to pour the food away, Your Highness," I said through sobs.

"Shut up, you bastard!" she scoffed. If anyone was to be called a bastard, it is her son Enzo. Has she forgotten how they came to this palace? How my mum had taken them in when she said my father, the Alpha and King of the pack, was the father of her son?

"What have I ever done to you? Why do you hate me so much?" I queried.

"I wish you would just die as your mother did and leave the face of this earth, you dirty fool," she scowled as she spat on my face. I felt so disgusted. Why was this happening to me? For how long will I be able to suffer at the hands of my stepmother and stepbrother?

"What are you doing there, just standing?" Her eyes shot daggers at me. "Who will clean up this mess on the floor?" she asked, interrupting my thoughts.

I bent down and started packing the food amidst sobs. "And once you finish packing the food, go straight to your brother's room and scrub it clean. Did you hear me?" She asked, waiting for a response. When she didn't get any response, she charged me. I was infuriated. I knew at some point I needed to stand up to her. If I continued acting dumb, she would always treat me like I didn't belong. This is my father's house. Things didn't have to change for me just because he had died.

"Don't hit me, Your Highness," I snapped, my eyes glowing with a mix of fear and anger. Fear for what my outburst might cause and anger for everything I have been put through since my father's demise.

"What have I ever done to you to deserve this?" I continued. The look on her face showed how shocked she was that I had stood up to her for the first time.

"Are you talking to me like that?" she looked around, surprised. "Wait, did you just raise your voice at me?" she scowled. I couldn't bring myself to speak. My words got caught in my throat. I swallowed hard, dreading what would happen next.

"You despicable brat!" she said as she came at me. As soon as she raised her hand to strike me, we were interrupted by a palace guard.

"I am sorry to interrupt, Your Highness, but your attention is needed in the throne room." She turned to him with curiosity, raising her brows at the urgency in his tone. "What's this about?"

"The Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Defense seek your audience."

"Alright, you're dismissed. Tell them I'll be with them in a minute." She said to the guard who left the kitchen to deliver her message to the ministers.

She looked back at me and smiled wickedly. "Don't think you've escaped. I have some very important guests to attend to..." She moved closer and said in a low tone, "When I return, I'll think of the appropriate punishment for you." She shoved me against the wall and stormed out of the kitchen.

I sat on the floor, sobbing. "Why did you have to die and leave me, Dad? I don't deserve any of this. This was not the life you promised me." I wiped my tears and bent down to clean up the mess my stepmother had just made with the food. Then, all of a sudden, what the palace guard said crossed my mind. "The Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Defense seek your audience."

If they are all here at once, then they must have something very important to discuss.

I stood to my feet and darted down the stairs toward the throne room. I stood behind the door and eavesdropped in a bid to hear what they were saying.

"The forty-day mourning period is over," the Prime Minister said.

The Minister of Defense grunted, "We need someone smart and passionate about the citizens to continue the legacy of the late King Albert."

"The throne has been empty, and it is unsafe for the people. It is time for the rise of a new reign," the Minister of Justice added.

He looked around and gave a low grunt. "By the way, where is Princess Alicia? I haven't seen her around." He shifted his gaze to the queen, who was sitting on the throne with her legs crossed.

The queen put on a pale and worried face. "Alicia is down with a fever, so I told her to rest." Wait, what? I thought. What did she mean by Alicia is down with a fever? How can she lie so blatantly about me?

"Alicia is smart and selfless. At the age of ten, she mastered all the books of the kingdom, and she has a big heart for the people," the Minister of Justice said proudly as he smiled.

The queen sat on the throne, staring at him with grave anger, but she remained mute.

The Prime Minister became furious. "What are you trying to insinuate?"

"She's the king's only legitimate child, and she passed all the requirements to lead this nation," the Minister of Justice elaborated.

"Watch your tongue!" The Prime Minister snapped at him. "The princess is only a lady; she can't do much."

"Prince Enzo is our only option for the throne," the Minister of Defense said.

"He cannot become the king; he lacks in so many areas," the Minister of Justice rebelled.

The ministers started arguing among themselves. I wasn't surprised at how hard the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense fought to defend the queen and justify Prince Enzo as the heir to the throne. They had been frequenting the palace since my father died, plotting with my stepmother and going home with gifts. They have been bribed by her. The Minister of Justice, on the other hand, was one of my late father's true allies and loved me dearly.

The queen banged the table and smiled. "You have nothing to worry about. Alicia will be given the position to oversee the affairs of the place as the Minister of Affairs. That way, she'd be able to support her stepbrother, the prince." I stared at her, and anger brewed within me.

I knew she was lying through her teeth. She would never let me have any position in the palace. She was only saying that to appease the ministers. I have to seize this moment, I thought. This was my chance to let the Minister of Justice know that I wasn't sick as my stepmother had insinuated, and I was perfectly fine.

As soon as I took a step forward and was about to enter the throne room, a hand caught me from behind and spun me around.

"Now, where the hell do you think you are going?"