Episode 1

Alessa enters the garden with a great smile, eagerly waiting until she sees him arrive; the young man looks at her tenderly and approaches with enthusiasm.

"Lady Alessa, you look so beautiful today," he said, making a slight bow.

"Greetings to the crown prince, it is a pleasure to see you, Your Majesty" she performed a lovely curtsy while looking at him shyly.

"Miss Alessa, I am grateful that you accepted my invitation to meet. I want to express my feelings for you; I am determined to ask for your hand and have you as my princess. I love you with all my heart"he said, taking her delicate hand and giving it a soft kiss.

Alessa is 16 years old, beautiful, sweet, the personification of innocence. She is intelligent, the daughter of Duke Duncan, though she is the child of a concubine. Her mother was a lovely noblewoman forced to marry the Duke but passed away a few years after giving birth to Alessa. The legal wife, Duchess Duncan, despised her since the Duke only visited her occasionally after he took her as a concubine.

Alessa has an older sister, Magenta, who is the heiress of the duchy. The duke only had female heirs, even with his other two concubines, but those girls are terribly bullied by Magenta. Only Alessa is somewhat protected by the Duke, as she is the daughter of his favorite concubine and he does not allow her to be mistreated like the other girls.

The sweetness and beauty of Alessa had caught the attention of the crown prince. He was dazzled by her; he had seen her only a few times in the city because Alessa had not yet attended social events; she had not made her debut. She would turn 17 in a few months and would present herself to society, but Renan, the crown prince, wanted to name her his betrothed that day, before another noble sought to marry her, and no one could complain.

"Your Majesty, I am so happy for your proposal, but I am just the daughter of a concubine of the Duke. I think you might have problems"she said sadly, knowing her position was too low to marry the crown prince. Although she loved him, she was aware that their love would be difficult.

"They will not be able to separate us; you are my greatest love. Just accept my proposal when I make it publicly. Now let’s take a walk; I want to show you everything"said Renan as she nodded and took his arm to stroll.

The crown prince had always been very respectful toward Alessa; to him, she was a delicate flower, and he treated her as such.

Meanwhile, a pair of hazel eyes were watching them from afar, fists clenched in indignation. That was something he would not allow.

Hours later, Alessa arrived at the ducal residence. As soon as she entered, she received a tremendous slap that knocked her to the floor. The girl looked up and saw Flavia; the duchess gazed at her with indignation.

"Have I raised a strumpet? How dare you go out alone to meet a man? Dragging our family name through the mud, you are punished; you will not go anywhere without my permission, do you understand?"the woman said, burning with fury. Magenta had told her that she saw that little wretch with the crown prince, and that was the most detestable thing at that moment, that this bastard had caught the prince's attention while her daughter Magenta was being accepted by the emperors to be the princess. Though the prince did not know yet, her plans would change in an instant.

"Mother, I’m sorry; I didn’t think it through. I apologize and I will retire"said Alessa, tears in her eyes, as she left for her room. She felt an emptiness in her heart; if only her mother were alive, she would not be so alone in this mansion. Her sisters at least had their mothers; meanwhile, she had only the support of her father on rare occasions.

Later, in Duke Duncan’s study, Flavia and Magenta were talking with the duke, who was upset by what he was hearing.

"Husband, that girl wants to cause trouble with Magenta’s engagement. She doesn’t have the status to be the heir princess, but the prince is very interested in her. If he can’t make her his empress, he will ask for her as a concubine, and our daughter will be sidelined; she will become the emperor’s favorite. You must do something" the woman said indignantly.

The Duke nodded, knowing his wife was right. He needed to devise a plan to permanently distance Alessa. He couldn’t simply let her go; he must marry her off the moment she debuts. Otherwise, the prince might claim her as a concubine, and their daughter would be in a poor position, no matter how much of an empress she might be. The crown prince’s interest in Alessa was indeed quite apparent.

"I will speak with the emperor. I am sure he will understand the rivalries among wives and concubines. I think I have someone in mind; she would be truly far away" the man said with a grim look, determined not to let youthful infatuation ruin his plans.

Meanwhile, in her room, Alessa lay on her bed, rubbing her cheek. She would not be able to see Renan due to her punishment. As she contemplated, the door opened slightly, and a curious head peeked in. A girl of about her age entered, her maid’s attire marking her as the maid of the ducal house, though she was actually Alessa's maid.

"My lady, how are you?" she asked, quite distressed, pulling out a damp cloth from her apron to place it on her lady’s cheek, then scolded her.

"I told you not to go alone. That sister of yours is a wretched one; I’m sure she was following you" the young woman said while tending to her mistress.

"Celia, don't say that. Magenta is my sister; she only worries about me. But at my presentation, he told me he would ask for my hand as his heir princess. He loves me" Alessa said, letting out an excited sigh.

Celia lowered her gaze, knowing as a woman of low rank that her mistress had no chance, that things could turn very badly for her.

"My lady, just take care of yourself. I don’t want you to get hurt. Now come, you need to change, and I will put ointment on your face; it’s going to swell more" the young woman said, pulling Alessa towards the bathroom.

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