As soon as I arrived and placed one foot on the courtyard, a dozen of my lady attendants were already there. Must have been there far longer than I thought because sweat lined the makeup on their forehead.

"Your Highness," they all chorused, bowing their heads in unison.

"Great to be back, ladies."

"Princess Vishta," the Head of the attendants spoke out, standing at the front line with a determined expression. "His Excellency has required your presence. Please cooperate with us for we need to prepare you in your most appropriate attire."

I raised a brow. "So I've heard. Is it another prospect for my hand?" I walked past them and they followed behind in an organized fashion. The Head stood close to my right but made sure she did not overstep me. "Like I've been saying, I won't be dressing up for a suitor unless it came from Migza."

Using the powerful Migza Kingdom in the north as an excuse had always been effective in driving my parents and Geviv into a fit. Also, all my suitors gave up as fast as they could fall into a pit whenever I inferred that Migza was first in line for my hand.

It was the truth. However, people in the palace, aware of the arrangement, were losing their faith in the Migzan husband-to-be. My father was the first to give up waiting and opened his arms to proposals from lords who would see that I got married at the prime time of my youth. 'It is to preserve your honor!' he had shouted at me once when I pushed my luck for refusing a hundred lists of single men.

"Exactly why Your Highness needs to change attire now," she said.

I halted, and the smile vanished from my lips.

"An ambassador from Migza?" I asked sternly, earning surprised looks from my lady escorts. "How unpredictable. Why don't we go see our honored guests at this very moment?"

I straightened the crease from my clothes. The head lady stammered, trying to convince me to change clothes, but I had difficulty registering her words. None of those were reaching me. Pent-up, tumultuous emotions were worming their way out from years of imprisonment inside me.

My feet delivered me pass the Imperial Courtyard, through the Hall of Heroes, to the Forbidden Walkway, and finally reaching the humongous double-door painted in gold. Before I even reached the entryway, I beckoned the guards on each side to push the door open. Perhaps having seen my antagonistic expression, they were both compelled to do so.

It had been ten years. Ten long years. The prolonged waiting made the events in the past vague as though it had been a dream. Never knowing whether or not it did occur. These people from Migza, however, had reminded me none of my memories were a figment of my imagination.

The double-door generated a bothersome creaking sound. I walked into the hall before it could stretch open completely. Upon entering, I felt eyes on me as if hungry beasts were breathing down my shoulder.

Startled from my sudden arrival, the large assembly of the king's subjects and nobility just stared at me. I jerked my hand over the Herald without breaking eye contact from the group of foreigners that turned to look my way. They stood at the foot of the terraced dais, clothed in leather pants and knee-high boots and cloaks with gold threads sewn on the edges, unfamiliar and seemingly tight clothes.

"The Fourth Princess, Her Royal Highness Vishta of Amganad!" the Herald's powerful voice washed over the nobility, important officers of the King and through the dark recesses of the room.

There was a moment of silence before people seemed to awaken and realize the Herald had acknowledged their princess. I must have astounded them because I was one of the Royal Princesses and not a palace servant. A continuous wave of people bowed their heads in recognition. So did the foreign messengers from Migza.

I walked down the aisle towards the guests, but that would be an insult to my father if I greeted them first. So I passed by them, and knelt on the first terrace where my twin sisters, the youngest princesses, were sitting down on their respective position and giving me their kindest 'You're in so much trouble' face. Such sweet little princesses. Not so with the eldest, Geviv, who was digging holes on me with her forbidding eyes, looking down on me from the second tallest tier of the dais.

"Your Imperial Majesty, forgive me for my uncouth entrance and appearance. I have rushed to your presence as soon as I have learned that you have dearly wished for my attendance. Unfortunately, I was not aware that we had guests for the day. I hope Your Majesty could be lenient with my behavior."

Sparing a glance towards my father, I flashed him the card of a remorseful princess. He sighed and beckoned me to stand. "Forgiven," he replied, his solemn voice heard over the massive hall.

I smiled in triumph for tickling his soft spot for me. Not exactly so, but as long as he could see that I was regretting my actions, it was enough for him. I walked up the terrace to my designated position as the second-in-line daughter, as two of my elder sisters were already out of the picture, having bound their lives with some other kingdom out there, somewhere.

I sat with all the grace and serenity I could muster despite being dressed like a commoner. "You and I need to talk after this, dear sister."

Adjusting on my plump seat filled with pillows, I looked over the congregation and did not fail to notice the subtle gossiping of the nobility.

"Do not ignore me, Vishta," Geviv said beneath her breath, barely audible.

"I heard you, Geviv," I replied, still not looking her way. "Let's focus on our guests, shall we?"

"I have heard that Migza is still at war even after the past ten years since our last line of communication was severed." My father stated. "I have been good friends with your King, Gerun, but it had been years since Migza had contacted us, which consequently led to my loss of confidence in our old alliances. Tell me, Ambassador Matius, what news do you bring us? I hope it is within good tidings."

"Good and bad, joyful and sorrowful. These two will always be together with news from other kingdoms, Father," Geviv said, enthralling the men below us with her authoritative voice.

"And Your Highness is not wrong," the man named Matius replied, acknowledging Geviv with a courteous nod. A courteous nod! The man had strong barriers between him. Every foreign ambassador or whoever met and saw the First Princess always had a dumbstruck face before they got their wits back and pretended like an all-knowing buffoon.

This ambassador, apparently, was made of steel and in all honesty, he stood out. He did not fully have the features of a Migzan person. He seemed to be half-blood of Migza with his dark hair and pale skin, and a half Westerner with his emerald eyes. A magnet to young ladies like the ones checking their hair and fluttering their eyes in his direction. Not to mention, the middle-aged politician checking him out from head to toe. Was that lust I see in his eyes?

"The King of Migza gives his sincerest apology for the lost communication as our nation had been fully occupied with the ongoing war. It broke the King's heart when he had to prohibit travelling in and out of Migza for the sake of protecting his people from our enemies. However, this war which spanned for three generations is about to end as King Suza plans to crush them once and for all."

I felt as though my breath was knocked out of my body while a torrent of murmuring broke out from the mentioned name. Every one of us, excluding the guests, were all in shock.

"Pardon?" Geviv asked, raising her hand over the congregation and everyone went silent. The power of a goddess. "Did you say King Suza? The second prince of King Gerun? It seems like we require more details before you could entail the main message, Ambassador Matius."

"Ah, of course." Matius nodded in understanding. "It so happened that ten years ago, King Gerun perished in battle. The First Prince Hanzu became the new king while Prince Suza took over as the Commander-in-Chief in the battlefield.

Two years after that, Prince Hanzu died of chronic disease. Prince Suza took the reins by then and he had been the king for eight consecutive years, strengthening Migza further than any of his preceding ancestors. In all honesty, it was His Majesty, King Suza, who have sent me here for an old promise. I believe the people privy to the arrangement are aware of this." Matius said the last sentence in my direction. I met his glance straight on with little to no surprise betraying my expressions.

Ten years. Ten long years have I been waiting. Hearing it coming to fruit felt as though the dark clouds had parted and sun rays broke through. A deep, long sigh came out from my mouth as though a heavyweight in my chest finally lifted off.

"Promise? You mean my daughter's hand in marriage to the King of Migza? Pardon me, Ambassador, but..."

My mind couldn't register the words coming out from my father, but I could see him in my blurry peripheral saying words I could not absorb. Especially Geviv, she looked vexed, almost anxious. Is she and father opposed?

I did not know.

I had been distracted by a boy's voice that kept on whispering my name repeatedly in my mind, like a siren luring me in the bottom of his unearthly world. 'Vishta? Listen, Vishta. I'll make it so you can't live without me. Believe it or not. Wait and you shall see.'

How those words became the center of my world and the curse in my life.