Chapter One

"Prince Reuben was spotted this afternoon at a French restaurant with Hollywood girlfriend Ava Stones," the news reports.

My sister Salie bites into an apple. "Wasn't he with Janelle Mendoza last week?"

"He changes them like he changes his clothes," Father comments casually, flipping through the newspaper in his lap.

Salie shakes her head disapprovingly. "I would pay anything to take him off the TV screen permanently."

"Let's be real; you know that's not possible," I say, breaking the silence.

As much as I hate to admit it, the royal family pretty much rules the world right now, and Reuben Knight isn't just any royal; he's the destined heir.

"What?" She shrugs. "We're members of the royal family too, but you don't see us making a mess everywhere we go."

"Ex-royals," Mom corrects as she enters the living room with a tray of apples in her arms. "We have long since lost our footing in the royal family, and it is time to move on."

Ouch.

It hurts to admit it out loud, but it's true.

Mom is a true princess born with royalty flowing through her veins, while the father is just a man who runs a bakery. You can already guess where I'm headed.

Once upon a time, there was a princess who fell in love with a commoner and married him despite all the warnings and threats from the royal family, ultimately tarnishing her image. As punishment, she was stripped of all her royal titles, removed from the family tree, and banished from the royal palace for eternity.

Yes, royals are quite strict when it comes to protecting their image. It used to be a crime to mix royal blood with that of a commoner and was punishable by death, but now you lose all your rights, which is fair in my opinion. I mean, it doesn't matter; Mom is satisfied with being a baker's wife, Dad is madly in love with his wife, and the bakery is enough to shoulder our life needs. The only person who seems unhappy with this development is Salie. She continues to refer to us as royalty and sometimes shows off her semi-royalty in public. I feel so embarrassed when she does that.

"Of course," she dismisses Mom's words as if they don't matter.

"The future queen is sitting here; what is there to fear?"

When she says this, Dad's eyes leave his newspaper, and I see anger rise in them. Salie's in for a good scolding, I fear.

"I have warned you severally to stop mentioning that."

"Delusions don't change anything, Dad. What if you freed yourself and accepted reality?"

"Watch your language, young lady," Mom warns, but Salie is not afraid.

"Let's be honest; there's nothing you can do about it either. Just because he's fooling around doesn't mean it won't happen, because we all know that no one can violate a royal decree."

The house becomes quiet like a cemetery. Everything Salie just said is true, but you know the truth can sometimes be bitter.

Father throws the newspaper away, gets up, and goes upstairs without saying a word. Mother runs after him, but not before shooting lasers at Salie.

And just like that, everybody's night is ruined, except for Salie's, who happily eats an apple, grinning from ear to ear. I want to smack her from behind but resist the urge and go to my room instead. I feel depressed, thinking that one day my freedom will be sealed away forever.

Long before I was born, my grandfather went to battle and returned victorious. When the king asked him what he would like as a reward, he demanded to have an offspring-made queen. The crown prince at the time was already betrothed, so a decree was made that should his daughter Valerie bear a female child, she would be betrothed to the destined heir.

Who would have thought, many years later, that Valerie would get married to a commoner named Jack? I'm sure Grandpa thought he was doing us a favor, but that decree has left us living in fear the whole time, not knowing when the royal family would come and whisk me away to the dungeon they call a palace.

Not even the royal family wants this wedding. I mean, it's been twenty-seven years, and they haven't knocked on the door once. I get they must be feeling reluctant because I'm half royal and common. Let's be real, there are many women out there who are more than qualified enough to be the queen fully royal and all, while I do not even pass the vibe check. This leaves me with a glimmer of hope that I might be able to escape this.

To ensure I never sit on that throne, Mom spent her time teaching me unladylike manners the royals abhor. Should I ever be summoned to that palace one day, all I'll have to do is put on a show and watch them throw me out.

A sharp knock on my door brings me back to reality.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see my mother enter with a sad face.

"Naomi," she calls softly and sits down next to me.

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this."

"It's not your fault, Mom," I say. I can feel this engagement slowly eating her away inside.

Her palms come over my own as her stunning blue eyes meet mine. "You are a good child, but you are not fit to be queen. The throne needs a strong woman with an evil heart, one who goes into battle without a sword, one who does not hesitate to trample her enemies."

"While you, my daughter, have a heart full of love and kindness, even if you are bitten, you dare not bite back."

"There is no shame in being a good person, but within the four walls of the palace, good people do not live long."

Her words are scary, but they are the absolute truth.

Suddenly, she grabs my hands, making me flinch in response.

"Even though I'm not looking forward to it, the day will come. One day you will be called to the palace, and I'm afraid I won't be there to guide you. But I need one thing, that you promise me one thing. Promise me that you will do everything to break this engagement.

"Suppress your pride and becom

e a fool if necessary, but one thing you must never do is sit on that throne."