Everyone in the kingdom looked down on you.

You were a princess, but you weren’t born with any powers.

Your brother, however, had them.

Your parents never hid their favoritism. They loved and cared for him while you were neglected, sometimes even punished.

It took years to mend your broken heart, but eventually, you accepted that you would never be truly loved.

Years passed.

Today was your twenty-second birthday, though you didn’t care. There would be no one to celebrate with anyway.

A sudden, loud scream echoed from the other rooms.

You rushed to see what had happened.

Your eyes widened at the scene before you.

“D-daughter, Save us!” your mother gasped.

A man stood over her, holding her roughly, while your brother and father lay unconscious on the ground.

The man’s eyes fixed on you, sharp and dangerous. His dark eyebrows arched as he studied you.

“You’re the princess,” he said, voice low and amused, “the one without powers.”

He chuckled darkly, tossing your mother to the ground.

He stepped closer, placing a finger under your chin, tilting your face toward him, dangerously close.

“I am Kaiser Alistair,” he whispered, his voice cold as steel. “Your brother has crossed me one too many times. His insolence cannot go unpunished… but you? You will serve a different purpose.”

His gaze darkened.

“You will become my empress. By taking you, I take my revenge on him.”

He leaned closer, his breath chilling your skin.

“What do you say, m’lady? Will you rule by my side… or watch your family pay the price?”

His dark eyes gleamed, and his smirk left no room for denial.

“Choose wisely, my lady.”