"LADY XOIE VALENTINE COMES forward about the truth," My father reads the headline of the local newspaper. I roll my eyes, every day in the last week the news has been talking about my ex-lady-in-waiting. "Lady Xoie had recently called off her engagement with Illèan Sir Miller John, after finding him and the middle princess, Princess Caitlyn Schreave of Illèa, performing unholy acts out of wed."

My younger twin sister, Cordelia glances at me, 'I'm so sorry, Cait,' she whispers to me so our father doesn't overhear. I roll my eyes. It's not her fault, as much as she blames herself for my misfortune, it was my choice to sleep with Miller, it had nothing to do with Xioe or Cora's past with her.

"That's so dramatic," I say with a crooked laugh. My older siblings stay quiet as I look at them. Clarkson was eating his lunch, taking small bites out of his chicken before washing it down with some wine. Hyacinth, kept her head down, knowing that she had no say on family matters, as she is not my father's daughter.

My father sighs, he takes off his glasses and rubs the bridge of his nose, "Caitlyn, please tell me this isn't true. If you aren't a virgin, that means that you can't be married. As a princess, your one job is to be wed!"

"Hyacinth is a princess! She's twenty, why haven't you married her off yet?"

"Cait... It's not her fault!" Cora places a hand on my shoulder, trying to tame my temper. I shrug it off and continue with my plea.

Hyacinth flinches at the mention of her name, I roll my eyes. "You know why Hyacinth can't marry!"

"Caity, please," Hyacinth whispers, "Don't bring me into this..."

"Yeah, I do. It's because you don't have a legitimate claim to the throne without an Illèa heir alive!"

"Cait! Stop!" Cora snaps as she jumps out of her seat, shaking the dinner table. I look at my twin sister, her face red and her eyes shaky. I hadn't realised how upset she was from us speaking about Xioe. Cora had secretly dated Xioe when they were fourteen, but on our fifteenth birthday Xioe had broken up with Cora and announced that she was dating Miller.

Our father tears his eyes off me to lecture Cora for her outburst, but she was already striding angrily towards the door. "Excuse me for the moment!" She excused herself as she rushed out of the dining hall.

Almost as swiftly as Cora's outburst started and ended, my father's attention was once again focused on me. I raise my eye, giving him a 'well?' expression, because I know I'm right. Technically as long as Hyacinth is alive, my father has no claim to the throne, the only reason why she isn't Queen is because it's against the law. If Hyacinth was a boy, he would be next in line for the throne, not my father. Same with Hyacinth's children, if she had a son, he would have more of a claim to the throne than my father, that's why he's too afraid to marry her off. Because he's a fraud.

"Caitlyn, don't bring our sister into this. You broke the law and now everyone in Illèa knows about it," my brother, Clarkson, chimed in.

I throw my arms in the air, groaning in frustration. It's okay when Clarkson and my father sleep around but when I do it, it's against the law?! I turn to Hyacinth, hoping that she would stand up for me, to take my side but like always she is too busy trying to make herself invisible. I turn to my father, the seat beside him is empty, as it usually is. My mother is nowhere to be found, most likely drunk or hungover from the night before. A part of me is grateful that my mother isn't here, because I know without a doubt that her approach for punishing me would be much more red and less speaking.

"I have been in contact with a King who would be willing to marry you, despite your... situation."

"What?!"

"Emperor Mikhail Koroylov of Russia, he is young but eager to marry and produce heirs. Your situation proves to him that despite your age, you are also ready for such things. I have already organized your and Emperor Mikhail's wedding for two weeks from now."

My heart drops to my stomach, my grip on the glass cup that I was holding tightens. I look over to Clarkson and Hyacinth to see that they have already left the room, as well as the rest of the staff. "I can't marry, I'm only seventeen. That's not legal!"

"Are you forgetting who you are talking to? I am the king, anything I say or wish is legal."

"No!" I cry, I throw the glass cup which was in my hand across the room, the cup shattering and smashing all over the room. "You can't do this to me. I'm not ready to have kids, to marry. I was supposed to have four more months!"

"That was until you decided to be a slut." My father's voice was calm, he wasn't cruel or disgusted, honestly if he was either of those things it would have hurt less when he called me that because then I could make myself believe that wasn't how he really saw me.

"I'm not a slut," I told him, my voice was weak and fragile, I hated how pathetic I sounded.

"Would whore be your preferred label?"

Hot tears began to prickle my vision, "May I be excused."

My father sighs before nodding.

— • —

I can't stand my father for another minute. My breath was heavy as I made my way to the ladies room, I just needed a minute where the eyes of everyone in this palace weren't on me. I watch as the maids look at me and whisper to themselves, snickering and judging as I struggle to keep myself together.

When I finally reach the ladies room I see my mother, Cora and Hyacinth sitting on opposite sides of the room, my heart stops, seeing my mother and Hyacinth together is never good. My mother hates Hyacinth and she lets Hyacinth know that every chance she gets. She leans forward on the chair, her eyebrows knitted together in irritation. "My, Hyacinth. There's something about that dress that isn't quite right. I suggest you go and change before joining us again." Mother said cruelty before turning to me, her face shows nothing but resentment and bitterness. "Oh hello, Caitlyn. It's nice of you to finally join us."

"Did you know that father had moved forward with my engagement?" I ask my mother as her expression remains the same. Her face expresses nothing, no shame, no pity.

"Of course I did. Your suitor is a suitable young man. It's time for you to get married, Caitlyn. You know that's your duty." Mother rolled her eyes. Her tongue clicked against her teeth. "Caitlyn don't slouch, and be happy."

"Mother!" Cora gasps.

She sighed as she turned to Cora, "Cordelia, I guess your father hasn't told you yet, you and Caitlyn will be sharing your wedding, a twin wedding," she says antagonizing.

"What?" Cora was stunned at the news, her mouth agape. "What do you mean by my engagement?"

"Close your mouth, you'll catch flies!"

Hyacinth's eyes soften as she looks at me, at least someone in this fucked up family is on my side. I sit down next to my mother, my dress creasing as I forget to fold it correctly, "I know it's my duty! But I'm not eighteen yet! You can't let father do this!"

"But Mother! I don't understand?" Cora burst, our complaints clashing.

My mother groans, rubbing her temples with her thumbs, no doubt too hungover to be dealing with us. "Your father is the king and he has decided!" Her voice rang with authority, she wouldn't bulge. Not on this anyways. "If only you were behaving as a princess, Caitlyn instead of sleeping around."

She sneered at Cora as she spoke, her face was covered in disgust, I've only seen my mother give Cora that face once before— When she found Cora kissing a maid and called her... A horrible word I'm afraid too repeat. "And don't get me started on you, Cordelia, what had gotten into your head to think you can marry a woman? God forbid if word of this got out. What would happen? None of this would have gone out in order for your father to clear your names and the mistakes you have brought upon this family.
You're going to marry the king of Russia and the prince of Swendway, do you understand girls?"

"But father sleeps around!" I yell, "Don't act you don't know, why else would he have his own castle-" She cuts me off in a stiff manner.

"SILENCE!" Mother yells, her voice rising with anger. "Do not question your father, young lady!"

I feel my anger begin to bubble up to the surface, I can't control it, "No! This is my life! I'm not going to marry the king of Russia. He sounds like a creep! He wants me because of my 'situation'? Don't you understand what that means? He's going to make me have children, I'm not ready. Mother, please, I'm not really for this."

"Please, Mother, don't allow Father to send us away?" Cora begged, which just fuelled my anger more.

It didn't take a second for Mother to reach forward with her palm. As her hand went over my face, her face hardened. "I don't care if you do not like him or not! You're going to marry him!" Mother replies coldly. "Go to your rooms, girls. You need a minute to cool off and think about what you just did. You're starting to sound like an ungrateful little brats!"

I held my hand over where she hit me. This wasn't the first time I have felt the wrath of Abigail Schreave but it had been the first time in a while that she had touched me. "I will not marry him, mother. I promise you that I will spend every moment of this engagement fighting him, making him dislike me as much as possible. I will not be miserable like you!"

I turned my back to my mother and although I couldn't see her, I could feel her cold eyes glaring holes into my back. "So be it, Caitlyn. You don't get to make that decision, you're only the princess!" Mother mutters something else that I couldn't hear.

Hyacinth, who had been sitting in the corner this entire time, bows her head as she hears our mother once again ignores her existence.

I run out of the ladies room and make my way to my room, even though it is only midday, I want nothing more than to sleep until tomorrow. Hopefully when I wake up this was all just a nightmare.

— • —

"Caitlyn?" My sister's soft voice asks from the other side of my door. I rolled my eyes, of course Hyacinth came to check up on me. Hyacinth is the embodiment of goodness and grace, at least, that's what the reporter Barton Allory always says.

I sit up in my bed, I look in my mirror, my hair is a mess and my mascara has stained my face showing my tears, "Go away Cindy."

When Hyacinth didn't open the door, I thought I was safe. I laid back down in my bed and looked up at my glow-in-the-dark stars. When I was twelve I annoyed the staff until a servant painted them on my roof. Knock. Another small knock interrupted my thoughts. "Caitlyn, please let me in."

"Why?! So can you tell me how sorry you are? How you wish this wasn't happening? Save your breath, I'm not going to marry him, I'll run away if I have to!"

"Caitlyn..."

I groan, "Fine! But I don't want to hear your pity!"

I keep my gaze on the stars as I hear Hyacinth rattle with my door. I pay attention to the sound that the key makes as it clicks into place, taking away my shield which was protecting me from the outside world. "So that's why you wanted me to allow you in, you have the emergency key." Hyacinth nods before putting the emergency key back on her necklace. When Hyacinth and I were children we decided to give each other 'emergency keys' after we had heard of a story about our father's sister, Aelena. Aelena was locked in her room for days without any food or drink as punishment for her breaking her father's rules and although we doubted our father would ever do that, we wanted to be prepared.

"Sorry." Hyacinth walked up to the edge of my bed, the room was dark so I was lucky that she couldn't see the state that I was in. Hyacinth looks at me and even though I can't see her face, I know she is pitying me. "Caity-"

"Stop it," I snap, I already know what she is going to say and I don't want to listen to it. "I'm not going to marry him, Cindy. I'll skip every meeting if I have to or I'll run away, I don't care, but I will not be forced to marry before I'm ready."

"How? Where will you hide? Mother and Porter will surely find you if you run away."

I shake my head, "I'll run away to Swendway with just enough money to buy a little farm, I'll change my name, dye my hair."

"But I'll never see you again!" Hyacinth raised her voice, shooking both me and her in the process, "Caity, you're my little sister. I don't know how I would deal with her without you."

I grab Hyacinth's hands, "You're twenty years old, you have no claim to the throne, you are the King's second cousin and the Queen's unfavoured daughter. You could leave, study, get married, move to Paris. You can do whatever you want, Cindy. You're the only person in your way."