Decree has come

Months had passed since Ames's solitary contemplation in her chamber, and she had hardly ventured outside her room. She spends her time laying and lazing on the bed as she thinks that is what she should have done before but not because of her foolishness in claiming so-called family love.

While she was dozing off the world, a loud bang came to her door.

"So the Princess is taking her time in bed. I guess she is so carefree but now the king has summoned you, Princess". Said the male servant who didn't even hide his lust towards her.

Well it's not weird as she is not the "real princess". The servant tends to be rude and ignore her. We can tell by seeing her room. There should be a personal maid who is in charge of every royal but not her. She's independent and that's how she grew up.

She nods her head as a reply that she will be there, but the lusty manservant continues "the King's order should be answered as soon as possible."

"Go out" Ames ordered him as she wants to change her clothes.

 "Oh my, do I need to? What if you need my help" while smiling with his ugly moustache. Ames stands still and gives a really cold glare towards him. He feels weird and shivering to his spine. As our Ames has always been docile and polites he thought maybe he will have his way with her as he always been lusting over her. But no she changed for the better. Manservant out and she takes her sweet times changing her clothes.

The summons to the throne room was unexpected, and a sense of foreboding settled in her heart as she made her way there.

Upon entering the opulent throne room, she found herself in the company of the royal couple of Astoria Kingdom, King Alistair Lars Dradevows and Queen Elara Uina Dradevows, and her own siblings, members of the prestigious House of Dradevows. Her brothers, Adrian Vona Dradevows and Sebastian Lans Dradevows, stood stoically by the throne, while her sister, Seraphina Rosa Dradevows, observed with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

The eyes of the gathered nobility were locked onto Ames's every move as she gave her respectful greetings to the royal family. A hushed anticipation filled the air, and whispers of speculation rustled through the court like a gentle breeze.

Without preamble, King Alistair delivered the royal decree, his voice echoing through the grand chamber. It was a decree that sent shockwaves through Ames's soul. She listened emotionlessly as her father announced that she was to be offered as a tribute of war, sold to a man she had never known, in exchange for political alliance and peace.

Ames's expression remained impassive, but a pair of emerald green eyes, belonging to her older sister Seraphina, observed her closely. Seraphina gasped audibly as the king's words hung in the air, as if this revelation had come as a surprise to her. In truth, it had not.

Deep down in Ames's mind, she knew the truth. The unknown man had initially requested Seraphina as a bride, and her sister had refused vehemently. Her father, in his blind indulgence of his favorite child, had spoiled Seraphina rotten, and now, it was Ames who would pay the price for her sister's obstinacy.

Seraphina, ever the skilled actress, pretended to refute her father's decree. She played the part of the loving sister, protesting vehemently on Ames's behalf. However, the queen, Elara, remained unswayed by Seraphina's protests. She insisted that her favored daughter was still too young for such a responsibility, despite the mere three-year age difference between the sisters.

Ames, seeing the charade for what it was, wasted no time in refusing the decree. She stood before the throne with unwavering resolve, ready to accept whatever punishment her defiance might bring.

"I rejected this decree as I have my busy life to live on".

However, her voice was drowned out by the resolute decisions of her family.

King Alistair and Queen Elara, unmoved by their daughter's objections, seemed to have an ulterior motive that Ames couldn't discern. They threatened her with a dire consequence, one that only she understood, leaving her with a chilling sense of dread.

"You dare to oppose me, your father, the King of Veridian? Can't you be a little bit cooperative for your family? Or you want me to remind you of it?" said the tras_-- the King.

In this world, where everyone possessed unique powers, Ames was the anomaly. She was the only royal who had yet to awaken her power, a fact that had been a source of embarrassment and shame within her family. It was for this very reason that she was being sold as a tribute of war, a last-ditch effort to salvage the family's reputation and secure an alliance.

As the royal court continued to deliberate, Ames couldn't help but feel like a pawn in a game of political chess, sacrificed for the ambitions and whims of her family. The green eyes of her sister, Seraphina, continued to watch her closely, hiding secrets that could unravel the fragile threads of their shared fate.

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