The Betrayal

The Kingdom of Kalika was a very prosperous land. The adopted princess, Kaya, was the most beloved member of the royal family. Everyone around her adored her deeply.

"Grandma, you forgot to take your medicine on time again, didn't you?" Kaya said.

Grandma replied, "Oh, my child, what would I do without you? You’re the granddaughter who loves me the most," and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Do I not love you too, Grandma? Or do you only love your younger granddaughter?" Kajal said with a scowl.

Grandma laughed and said, "Oh, goodness! You both are equally precious to me, my naughty granddaughters," and playfully pinched their noses.

"Ouch! That hurts, Grandma!" they both said, laughing.

Kaya looked at Kajal and said, "Did you get a new hairpin? It looks really beautiful." She smirked mischievously.

Kajal replied, "Don't even look at me with those eyes!" forcing an awkward smile. Then she started running. "You’re not getting it!"

Kaya chased after her. "You’re my best sister, right? You won’t deny me anything, will you? Don’t you love me?" she said, trying to emotionally guilt her.

As they laughed and played, Kaya's most trusted soldier suddenly approached, his eyes cold and expressionless.

Kaya, still smiling, greeted him. "How are you, Captain?"

He didn’t reply. Instead, he drew his sword. Just as he was about to strike Kaya, Kajal pulled her back in time.

"Run, Kaya! Go to Father and Grandma!" Kajal shouted.

Kaya ran as fast as she could. Meanwhile, Kajal overheard a soldier whispering to another, "The king ordered Kaya’s execution? I thought she was the kingdom’s most beloved princess."

As soon as she heard that, Kajal ran after Kaya.

In Grandma’s room, the King and Grandfather were speaking in hushed, serious tones. Kaya burst in, shouting, "Father! Grandma! Help!"

They both turned to her, glaring intensely.

Kaya ran to her father. "Father, the Captain tried to kill me!"

The King said nothing. Instead, he reached for her neck and began to strangle her.

Struggling, she finally bit his hand and broke free. She ran to the door and tried to open it—but it wouldn’t budge.

"Why won’t it open? Am I going to die here? Do the people I love the most want to kill me?"

These questions kept racing through her mind.

The door suddenly swung open.

Who opened it?

It was Kajal.

She rushed in, grabbed Kaya’s hand, and pulled her toward the main doors. But the guards blocked their path.

Kaya shouted,

“Open the door if you value your lives!”

The guards hesitated.

Kajal yelled,

“I said, open the door!”

Startled, the guards quickly obeyed. Just then, their father's voice thundered from behind:

“Kajal, stop! We need her!”

Kajal snapped back,

“You can’t do anything to her without her consent!”

She ran, tightly holding Kaya’s hand. Kaya, overwhelmed and confused, simply followed.

At the palace gates, Kajal pulled a horse forward and turned to Kaya.

“Get on.”

Kaya, hesitant and unsure, asked,

“What’s going on? Why do I have to run? If there’s been a misunderstanding, I’ll talk to Father. He’ll understand me.”

Kajal looked at her sharply.

“Only humans listen and understand—not demons. They won’t let you live.”

She helped Kaya onto the horse.

“Go as far from this kingdom as you can—and never come back. Never.”

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***