—Katerina Erdevel Lumière! As of this moment, I break my engagement to you!–
An utterly luxurious palace, where opulence becomes a way of life. A hall of grand proportions, filled with majestic vitality. Elite guests of the Empire, gathered in this place to celebrate a union. An engagement party, a union between two people who would decide the future of this nation. And, a good, understanding, kind girl, who looked forward with hope to finally joining in marriage with her beloved, the man she had loved since childhood.
However, right now, in this luxurious ceremonial hall, in front of hundreds of people, the illusions of that poor young lady had shattered, turned into small crystals that flew back toward her to bury themselves in her soft heart in a way so painful it could even bleed.
She, Katerina, with horror in her eyes, watches how the man she had loved since childhood, who promised her eternal love, and who would rule this Empire alongside her, was right now embracing another woman who looked at her with disdain, while he pointed a finger at her, with contempt and disgust on his face.
—Your, Your Majesty? –The woman pointed at, a lovely and beautiful young woman of 20 years, of an almost hypnotizing beauty, an inheritance from her deceased mother, looks toward the man with her scarlet eyes, while her five-foot-five-inch body shakes slightly from nerves– Wha, what are you talking about? –She asks, her wavy black hair with a slight purple gradient, which reaches her stomach, swaying gently in the air from the nearby window, just like her princess-cut dress–
—Just as you heard! I, Calix Auriel, Crown Prince of the Auriel Empire, as of this moment break my engagement to you! –Exclaims the man standing in front of her, with blond hair, fair skin, five-foot-seven-inches tall but slender and dressed in a white suit, while he embraces the girl he holds even tighter. His eyes, blue, look at her with even more contempt–
—Why, why? –The young black-haired woman asks with a broken voice, her heart slowly tearing apart, while she tries to keep the tears from appearing– What have I done? Why are you doing this?–
—What have you done? Isn't it obvious? –Calix looks at her with disdain, with a mocking smile, as if the simple question were nonsense– Your repeated attempts to harm Miriam are more than enough to understand your character! Someone who dares to repeatedly try to harm the Saint of our country does not deserve the position of Empress!–
—I haven't done anything! –Katerina screams, her voice broken, while now her tears begin to fall– I have never touched her! I haven't even spoken to her! If you don't believe me, you can look at the magic security cameras! The Imperial Palace has hundreds of them!–
—Enough! –Exclaims Calix, sending a wave of Aura energy, one of the 5 Primordial Energies, which silences the murmurs that were beginning to arise, and making Katerina herself cover up to protect herself from it– Just because your parents are the Dukes of the country I will not take you to trial, but do not pressure me by trying to defame Miriam!–
The Prince looks coldly at two people near Katerina, who had arrived as quickly as possible after receiving the notice of what happened. These people, the Duke and Duchess of Erdevel, are Katerina's parents, or rather, the Father and the Stepmother, as the latter had ascended when the original Duchess had passed away.
—You –The Prince's cold tone makes the two adults tremble–
Despite the fear, upon seeing the gaze of their future leader, they bow before him, repressing the nerves and anger they feel toward the person who had caused this situation.
—As of this moment, Katerina Erdevel Lumière will be demoted to Commoner –He announces with a voice colder than ice, without any sentimental trace– Furthermore, the titles she carries will be withdrawn, as well as the position of Heiress to the Duchy, and she will not be able to obtain any Noble Title in the future, nor will her descendants –He orders, his voice cold and sharp. His gaze once more turns toward Katerina– This will be the punishment for the harm you did to Miriam–
Instantly, the entire audience present, from Nobles to servants and guards, cannot help but exclaim due to the surprise. After all, everyone, even the ignorant and illiterate, could understand the implications.
For a woman who has been a Noble for twenty years, and legitimized as Heiress by the deceased Reigning Duchess, having such a title revoked, as well as being forbidden from returning to the circles of power, including her future children, was something worse than condemning her to exile or death itself.
—We will follow your orders, Your Highness –The Dukes respond in unison, while making another bow. Their voices without any panic, fear, anger, or pity for the ruling against their close relative–
Katerina takes a step back, not only because of the shock of the princely decree, but also because of how her so-called Parents follow the orders without hesitation and without emotion. Despite knowing that these people never loved her, that she was an unplanned birth that cost the life of her biological Mother, and that they preferred her older sister, daughter of the current Duchess and the woman who was promoted from Consort to Principal Wife, the simple fact that her Father did not care even a little or even try to challenge the order, made her feel a deep pain.
—Guards! –Exclaims the Prince after finishing his decree–
In an instant, four guards heavily dressed in shiny golden armor, and armed with large swords with Imperial engravings on their backs, approach running upon hearing the call of the country's leader. Their metallic sounds echo in the hall that now remains in silence.
—Expel this commoner from this Palace! –He orders, while at the same time the woman the subject had in his arms flashes a smirk of satisfaction at Katerina, as if saying "I've won"– From now on, she is forbidden from returning to the Imperial Palace!–
—By your command! –The Guards exclaim, their voice typical of someone merely obeying orders–
Two of the Guards each take the young woman by the arm and begin to pull her away from the place, without giving her time to reply or try to make them stop. Helpless, the only thing Katerina can do is let herself be dragged like a rag doll, who had now fallen from grace, seeing how the person she loved so much had destroyed her love and her devotion to him, and how all those who used to flatter her before, now appeared indifferent, disdainful, or mocking.
And as they move away, a flash of darkness surrounds Katerina's body for an instant, causing slight chills to the soldiers holding her, who cannot see the darkness, but can feel it.
Thus, after about 15 minutes passing through the long corridors of the Imperial Palace, the guards and the girl finally arrive at the exit of the Imperial Palace, the same exit that separates Royalty from commoners. They then release her from both arms and push her gently out of the threshold.
—Do not come back. Otherwise, we will not be as gentle as on this occasion –A Guard warns, before closing the heavy doors, the same ones that open only to those who have been chosen or have the necessary Title–
And once the door closes with a clack, Katerina looks ahead, with a lost gaze, trying to understand how she had lost everything in one day, because of something she had never done and would never dare to do, even if she were paid.
And above all, trying to understand why that woman who appeared out of nowhere three years ago and who was only a manipulative commoner, had been chosen as the Saint. Katerina also tried to understand how Miriam began to slander her, to accuse her of acts she had never committed, to try to destroy her at every moment, when she hadn't even done anything to her.
—Ha –Then, a broken smile forms on her lips, while the tears that had previously been repressed begin to fall more and more now that they no longer had a blockage– Ha, ha! –She laughs while slowly descending the stairs, going down from the highest point to her new life as a common person, whom the other Nobles used to despise– Ha, ha, ha!–
At the same time, the darkness, that which had accompanied her for as long as she could remember, which had been her companion and confidant, begins to surround Katerina's body once more, like a snake trying to find which part of her white skin would be the right one to sink its fangs into.
—Miss–
However, just when the darkness itself had already found the perfect place—Katerina's neck—and had its fangs made of shadows ready, a masculine voice makes it stop. Slowly she turns to look at where the voice comes from, and catching a glimpse of a strange halo on the masculine figure a few meters away, it shakes with horror and quickly descends toward the black metal necklace kept in a small pocket of the girl's dress, escaping, fleeing as if it had seen something terrible that it could not handle.
And Katerina, upon hearing the voice, stops her steps and the next burst of laughter she was about to emit vanishes like air. Slowly, she directs her gaze toward where the stairs begin, toward the owner of that very voice.
There, the girl who had lost everything looks at a tall man, taller than her and the average male in the Empire, with fair skin and a slender but toned body. This man, whose short black hair in a rebellious style sways in the night wind, is dressed in a black suit, with a jacket of the same color, which contrasts with the white princess-cut dress with black touches that she is wearing.
However, what catches her attention the most is that he is standing with his back and arms leaning on the metal railing, with absolute tranquility, as if he were simply enjoying the night wind.
—Could you tell me that joke that's so funny? –The man asks, slowly raising his head, showing his striking amber eyes that shine under the moonlight– I would probably find it funny too and laugh along with you–