CHAPTER ONE

Life would have been nice if it was a horror movie with all the durn! Durn! Durn chords. Why? Simple! The moment you hear those chords in a movie you instantly know that something is about to happen? And right now Hope wished her life was a horror movie, she would be able to avoid the most tremendous events that awaits for her just around the corner.

This is not what she needed. Not right now. She already hates her life. She really does but right this moment she realized she doesn’t hate it as much as she says and thinks she does. Earlier in the afternoon she was reprimanded for coming late to work by the head mistress even though it wasn’t her fault she was, later on she managed to forget to prepare sweets for tonight’s royal event and she received an earful from the head mistress again and now she had committed a sin.

Punishable by death. Staining a cloak of a royal one in Khumalo Kingdom is considered to be a sin and a form of rebellion. If found guilty the royalty has all the right to put the life of the offender to an end.

Uh-huh that was never in her plans. Never. She just wanted a simple and no drama kind of life but ever since she was born her life has been filled with scandals.

She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe nor blink. She was terrified to an extent of literally shaking. The bowel in her hands was threatening to fall over if she didn’t stop.

Her eyes were fixed on the white substance on the purple cloak of a the royal Prince. Not just any Prince. He was known by many disturbing names.

Beast.

Monster.

God of War.

Ice Prince.

The list goes on and on. She grew just knowing his names which were enough to send a shiver of fear across kingdoms. You heard that right she only knew his name but never got to see how he looks like. This was the first time she set her eyes on him and truth be told. She expected an ugly person with scars and stitches on his face. One eyed and one ear. No arms and no fingers.

But the person standing in front of her was neither a one ear nor no eye, scarred or ugly person. He was young and attractive. Very attractive. Tall, broad shoulders, clean cut hair, toned muscles and a smooth facial features that even put all the beauties of the kingdom to shame.

He was the most beautiful man in the entire kingdom in her perception. His scent was filled with musk, mint and sweat. Speaking of sweat he looked like he had been out battling with pigs.

Even in the mist of the dirt and sweat the fourth Prince still shone out like a glitter of Gold.

The fourth prince. The one who is known to be as a ruthless and a merciless prince. The one who doesn’t blink an eye when killing an enemy or someone who has offended him. It was the same prince whom she just tainted a royal cloak!

She was in deep trouble and no one was coming forth to nab her out of it. The maidens she was with making their way to the kitchen had suddenly disappeared leaving her to face the beast alone. Not one single person in the room moved or spoke a word as they watched the scene unfold.

Hope doubted they were breathing as she nervously glanced around. They were all waiting for her deadly fate. She realized then that this was her end, she dropped her head in defeat.

The same won’t be said about the Prince. He was actually very angry when he got to the palace. He needed to see his father; the king to discuss something important with him and the last thing he needed was a stupid and a clumsy pathetic excuse of a servant to dump into him and ruin his favorite cloak. He wanted to kill someone but that thought was thrown outside the window the moment he raised his head and met the terrified eyes of the offender.

His breath stuck on his throat and his heart beat hundred miles per second. He felt a knot in his stomach. He didn’t know what he was feeling but he was feeling weird. The emotion was new and strange to him.

She was flawless. Beautiful. She reminded him of a picture of an angel he once saw when he was a little boy. From her brown natural hair, to her big doe eyes with long eyelashes and her natural face rid of make up. She was outstandingly elegant. He has been to many royal events and to many places and have seen women of splendor and great beauty but none were appealing to him. None caught his eye and he has seen none like her. That he was certain.

However what caught his eyes the most was her clear and sparkly big brown orbs. He almost cried out when she dropped her head down in submission. He wanted to tell her not to bow to him, she doesn’t need to because first of all he wasn’t angry and secondly he hadn’t had enough of those eyes. He wanted to get himself drowned into them. He wanted to see more of those doe eyes of hers.

“My apologies royal one. I know what I have done is considered rebuttal. I don’t have much to defend myself, all I can say is it was an act of foolish and I humbly seek for your forgiveness. Please your highness have mer….”

“Raise your head,” his voice came out in a dauntingly tone. It sent shivers down her spine as she reluctantly raised her head and came face to face with him.

She wanted to cry. She wasn’t ready to die yet. Not now. On a normal day she would never let a single tear drop even when it hurts but he was a monster. Ruthless and merciless.

“Tell me who are you?”

Who she was? Oh no….her entire family was going to go to the grave along with her. They have never treated her right however she would never wish them something worse like death. How can she avoid this calamity?

“Err…it’s…”

“Is it a hard one?” his brows knits together as he ogles tentatively at her.

“Hope. Just Hope,” she quickly replies not wanting to get him even more angrier.

A ghost smile spread across his face as he watches her. “Just Hope, you talk too much and think too much,” he states and strides away leaving her frozen in her position.

When she was certain that he was gone she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. He spared her life!

With outmost joy she danced her way to the massive royal kitchen.

“How are you still alive?” a menace voice asked from behind and she had to turn to see who it was. With her arms akimbo and snake eyes, Saida the Queen’s personal helper and the head mistress was glaring at her. Hope groaned silently as the woman approached her. Saida has never liked her for some reason and she never bothered to ask her why and what she has done to her to deserve the hate. In all honesty she just doesn’t care who loves her and who hates her. She just wants a life with no drama and Saida was a stubborn mole in her life.

And coming to Saida’s question even she didn’t know how she was still alive. She was just grateful to the great One for saving her life.

“It hasn’t happened in like… forever for the Beast to spare anyone who offend him,” she continues marching her way around Hope who secretly mimicked her. “What is it about you that you are always lucky all the time?”

Hope smiles at her sheepishly. “Even I have no idea or perhaps I am so beautiful that even the coldest hearts can’t help but melt at the sight of me,” she replies meekly.

Saida’s face turned even more sour as she took the looks of the latter in. She wasn’t confident for nothing. She was indeed a beautiful woman blessed with amazingly created body figures. Even on the traditional dress the outline of her body was unhidden for eyes to see. Her innocent face also contemplated her extravagant beauty.

“Now if you will excuse me head mistress ,” she mockingly bowed her head at her. “I was really busy before you came in and I would like to carry on with my task. It needs to be ready for the engagement ceremony of the fourth prince tonight.”

She waited for Saida to excuse her but she just glared with a flared nose. Hope imagined a stream of smoke coming out of her ears and audibly giggled and attitudely whipped her long glossy brown hair behind her making her way out of the kitchen.