"Carsillion…! Big brother, where are you?" Monica shouted at the palace where only a few servants are stationed.

Monica saw her brother near the garden where he always frequently visited with a book in his hand.

​​

Carsillion favorite place to read his books were the quiet place of the garden where he can smell the fresh scent of nature while he focusses his mind to what he is reading. He heard Monica's voice from a distance and turned his head with a smile.

"Princess Monica, I'm here." he said.

His butter hair color fluttered in the wind and his gold eyes smiled like a crescent as he saw Monica walking her way to his side.

"Brother, I told you, you don't need to call me Princess... "

He chuckled at the sight of his beloved half-sister pouting. But he still needed to tell her his place in the palace.

He's an illegitimate child of King Augustus, but Princess Monica has been popular by the citizens because she was a prodigy in magic unlike him who made a choice to quietly live in the palace and someday, he will escape.

"I can't call you without your title Princess. If people heard me then they will reprimand us saying that we can't follow the rules of the palace…"

"I don't care… What's wrong with calling my brother, brother? She asked, her black hair fluttered in the wind as she looked at his brother and smiled.

Carsillion always envied that smile, she can smile with all her heart to him even though he knew people in the palace always made rumors and bullied her as she isn't acknowledged by the king as his child because of her background, even though they have the same hair color as the king. The black hair.

While him, he has the butter hair color that he got from her dead mother. He was thankful that he had a small place far away from the royal palace and a garden where he can read his books.

He cupped her face while she smiled at him, it was a gesture that you can say was sweet to look at. A brother who loves and cherishes his sister, that's the feeling you get from seeing the scene but Carsillion has different feelings than those, there was something inside him that he can't explain whenever she comes near him.

But whatever… he didn't need to know what that is as long as he can stay by her side. That's what he thought.

"By the way brother… The King has made a royal decree," she announced and paused.

Carsillion looked at him with bewilderment.

'What does the King planned for her, to give a decree for when he won't even admit that she is his daughter.' he thought.

When Monica didn't see his reaction, she continued.

"The King will acknowledge me to be his daughter and will send me to the neighboring kingdom as a bride for their Crown Prince."

"What?!"

Carsillion stood up with shock and anger residing in his heart as well as his face that was wretched with unknown expression.

'That can't be, then… I won���t see her anymore? No!'

His heart is beating fast every second that he thinks about the possible things that the Crown Prince will do if they wed.

'No, I won't let him touch her!'

Monica is still looking at him, she knew that it would be a shock for his half-brother who was the only one to be there when she was lonely.

"Brother…?"

She called him and she saw him glance at her. There was something in his eyes that he can't figure while she is trying to figure that out Carsillion's mind have a lot of self struggles as he tried to persuade himself that he needs to do something about Monica's situation.

"Monica…" he called her name with seriousness.

"What is it, brother?"

A slight pang has hit his heart. He still doesn't know why but he pushed it aside as he needed to tackle something grave.

"Should we… escape? I know you don't want to be engaged. We should leave this place tonight!"

Monica shakes his head in response.

She can't leave the palace and let her attendants and those who close to her be persecuted because of her selfish desire for freedom.

"I can't brother… but you should escape. The king announced that he will select his successor. And we knew who that would be. You need to leave the palace, this place will become a hell in the next few months." she warned him.

"I won't!"

"Brother! I told you, your safety is the most important right now. The Crown Prince that I will be engaged to is the Crown Prince Cesar. The rumors said that he's a pretty decent guy and talented in magic. This is better for me, than to be here in this Kingdom that looks down on me." she said.

She looked at him with her sunset eyes that pierced him like daggers. His sister who was the most beautiful that he had ever seen between their nth siblings will be married to the Crown Prince of Levingstone.

That crown Prince was said to be a genius in magic and was said to be kind to his citizen. He thought that if that kind of guy would be Monica's husband then he wouldn't mind. No, actually even if he persuades himself that it was alright as long as his sister is happy then he can give her his blessings.

But what's this? His heart was telling him otherwise, he wanted her to own his sister. Monica didn't know that her brother had realized something.

Carsillion then masked his emotions.

"Okay… I understand, Princess Monica. I'll heed your words."

Suddenly, he was being too formal to Monica that she found it odd.

"Brother…"

"It's alright, I'll leave the palace tonight. I'll see you in the Kingdom of Levingstone."

He said then he walked away.

Monica looked at his back. She doesn't know why but her brother has different looks on his eyes. Those eyes were what she always saw in the nobles. It was greed.

He looks at her with greed. But why? She thought that she must have seen wrong so, she pushed the thought and left his residence with a confused mind.

***

The Levingstone Kingdom has been in an uproar. Crown Prince Cesar died in assassination. No one foreseen this as their Crown Prince was said to be the greatest mage ever seen after the Great Wizard that established the St. Prisch Academy.

Soon the rumors were focused on one person. The hostage princess from the Kingdom of Perspiru.

"What will happen to that princess?"

"She will be brought back to her Kingdom, I'm sure."

"Poor Princess, she was here caged as a hostage. Now, she will be thrown out like she is a ragged."

"But this is better… If she was wed to the Crown prince before he died, she would be a widow at such a young age."

"What a tragedy…"

The nobles started to have a conclusion to the poor Princess Monica who had been engaged to the Crown Prince and died without even claiming her freedom.