Rowena's heart skipped a beat when she heard her father's words. She looked at her phoenix with gleaming eyes. Thinking how Lucent would be drowned in the sea to die if Rowena made mistakes gave her literal pain in her chest.

Immediately, her mind played the scene vividly when King Draco swung his sword and killed Leia in one slash. Rowena still had nightmares about it even five years after the tragedy.

"No..." 

"What did you say?" King Draco raised a brow. "Are you talking back to me now?"

Rowena immediately rose from her chair and stood between King Draco and Lucent. She opened her arms and acted as if she was creating a wall between her father and her pet. "No, I will not slack and I will never fail."

The young girl pursed her lips and clenched her jaws. She looked full of determination. She was caught off guard the last time and she failed Leia. Now, she wouldn't let anything bad happen to Lucent.

King Draco looked at his daughter intently. Somehow, today he started to see something different in this girl. Today, Rowena actually reminded him of... himself.

In terms of looks, she took after her mother almost entirely, even though her beauty was much more prominent than the late elven princess. However, in terms of personality, Draco thought Rowena slowly took after him. 

She didn't really have a personality before, except for what her governess molded her into. She looked perfect, she spoke well, and her manners were impeccable. However, Draco couldn't really see the real her.

Sometimes, the king wondered what kind of person Rowena would be if he never saw her in his birthday celebration six years ago. Rowena would still be raised by those two peasants for her nannies.

She would not be this perfect girl Draco wanted her to be. She would not know how to read classics, paint well, dance beautifully, speak with so much knowledge, and wear her expensive dresses.

She would be illiterate like Leia and Emma. She wouldn't know math and had no real skills. Her painting sucked, and she would always look dumb when people engaged her in a conversation.

However, she might smile more and she would show her real personality.

"Good," Draco smiled faintly and patted Rowena's should. He glanced at the phoenix and then turned around and walked out of the study room.

He didn't give her such an expensive gift as a birthday present because he loved her. Draco realized he needed to give her something she could cherish and then used it as collateral. That way, he could control her to follow what he wanted.

After Leia died, Emma had gone into hiding and nobody could find her. Rowena didn't have anyone. She had no friends and no one was dear to her heart. If someday she decided to rebel, King Draco would find it hard to force Rowena to be obedient.

However, if she had something she loved, like a pet, King Draco just needed to threaten Rowena with taking away or hurting her pet. And she would have no choice but to obey.

After King Draco left the study room, Rowena pulled Lucent into a hug and curled up on the sofa with her beloved phoenix on her lap. Her back was cold and her breath was panting. She was so scared her father would really hurt Lucent.

"I'm so, sorry you have to hear that..." Rowena whispered to her phoenix. "I will never let anything happen to you. I promise."

The phoenix snuggled its head on Rowena's arm as if understanding her words. Then, it opened its wings and wrapped them around her. It almost seemed like they were both hugging.

"Oh.. Lucent... you are my only friend." Rowena said with tears slowly streaming down her face. "I will not fail you."

***

<Two years later>

"Your Highness, today is a special day," Lady Mary informed Rowena when she met the princess for breakfast. Rowena was now fifteen years old and she looked like a young woman now. Her hair was like a beautiful golden waterfall running down to her back. Her beautiful eyes shone with intelligence.

Her pretty face was flawless with full red lips, a high nose, and beautiful dimples on both cheeks. When she spoke, those dimples always appeared and made her look so adorable. With a strict diet and regular dance lessons, she had maintained a perfect figure with killer curves.

Many princes from other kingdoms and wealthy and powerful noblemen had been eyeing the princess of Ashland to be their future wife ever since she was introduced to the public last year. They all were willing to wait, they said. 

However, King Draco Roseland was very picky. He said he only had one daughter and he lived for Rowena. That's why he wouldn't marry her off to just anyone. The king said he would announce a competition when Rowena was eighteen.

The man who could win the competition would be entitled to the Ashland throne, as well as Rowena. He had not revealed what the competition would be. So, many people were curious to know what it would take to marry Rowena Ashland and who would win the competition.

Now that she was fifteen, many people were counting down to her eighteenth birthday. 

"Special day?" Rowena turned to look at her governess. 

"Yes," Lady Mary smiled broadly. "You are allowed to leave the castle and explore the surrounding villages."

"What?" Rowena pressed her lips in shock. She didn't expect to hear this good news all of a sudden. She had been living in this castle since the day she was born and never let to see the world outside.

Well, in the first seven years, she was locked up in that dark and cold tower behind the main castle. And in the past eight years, she had been living in this beautiful part of the castle.

She got everything provided for her. So, there was never a need for Rowena to go out and look for something. Even though she often asked, she was never allowed to step out of the castle ground.

She couldn't believe that the day had finally come when she was allowed to see the world outside of the gate over there.

"W-when do we go?" she asked excitedly. 

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