Opening her windows wide, Princess Laetitia Clovis was greeted by her kingdom, Laurel. The brown roofs of the town dotted the landscape below her. She could almost hear the merchants selling their baubles and smell the fresh bread from the bakeries. The sun would set soon, and the sky was turning extravagant shades of gold and pink.

The sound of her door opening turned her head from the beauty outside her window to the beauty inside. Her palace was even more extravagant than the colors of the setting sun, with white walls adorned with filigree painted with real gold, marble floors, luscious gem-dyed fabrics draped across the windows, and painted ceilings.

It is one of her ladies' maids come to get her ready for dinner. She couldn't remember who they were having for dinner tonight, perhaps some dignitary or famous general of some old war everyone had forgotten. Anyway, she should look her part as the princess of Laurel and appear as "beauty personified," or at least that's what everyone called her.

She sat down at her vanity as the maid brushed her long golden locks. Princess Laetitia checked herself in the gilded mirror before her. Small face, blossomed lips, bright blue eyes, and fair of skin and face with waves of golden hair. She smiled. Truly, she was blessed with this beauty and this life. And soon, she would turn eighteen and have her debut ball, where she would meet her prospective suitors and dance with every handsome bachelor in the land. She giggled to herself in excitement.

"Thinking of your birthday, are you now, miss?"

"Yes!" She could hardly hold it in. She turned around quickly to the maid brushing her hair but couldn't remember her name. She was new and a bit older than her usual maids. This did not concern her though as there were hundreds of servants in the palace and remembering each and every one of their names was impossible.

"It's going to be grand. I've waited my entire life for this. I can't wait to meet my suitors and dance the night away."

The maid smiled tightly at her and stopped her brushing. "And I see you got many new gifts," she said, looking over at the princess's open wardrobe full of colorful silken dresses.

But Princess Laetitia just shrugged at this. She was used to having her wardrobe stuffed with new dresses, as she never wore the same dress twice. "I will wear the blue one tonight," she ordered her maid and turned back around so she could finish with her hair.

The maid started brushing her hair again, but it was a bit rougher than she had done it before. "Is there a knot?" Laetitia asked, giving a side glance to the maid. "There shouldn't be." She turned back around and looked at her shiny golden hair in the mirror. "My hair is too fine and clean for knots."

"Of course not, miss. Please forgive me." The brushing became softer.

"I hope Sir Adray is there," Laetitia said. A blush stole across her face. He was a knight she met last year, given lands in the south by her father for some feat. She forgot which one. But Sir Adray was indeed handsome and had all that land in the south. Perfect for a summer palace by the shimmering aqua sea.

She began daydreaming of a life with Sir Adray in their palace by the sea with its white marble walls and open windows to let the balmy night air in. They would dine outdoors underneath the stars with the sounds of the waves crashing on the shore in the distance and drink chilled rose wines. She giggled to herself again.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"All finished, miss. Please stand so I can fit your dress on you."

Princess Laetitia cleared her throat. She had gotten lost in her daydream. She stood up as the maid dressed her and checked her appearance. The blue dress was the right choice for tonight. This shade of blue was the same as the blue in her eyes, a bright, shining blue like a cloudless mid-summer day, or the sapphires draped around her neck and dangling from her ears.

"I wonder if Sir Adray will be there for dinner tonight," she said as she preened herself further in the mirror. Perhaps he thought to arrive earlier than the other guests to ask for her hand in marriage, hoping to beat the competition. If so, then she was happy she picked this blue dress to wear for him.

The maid did not answer but held the door open for her. As Princess Laetitia left, she heard a faint voice come from the maid. "Have your fun while it lasts."

"What?" She turned to the maid. "What was that?

The maid, who she saw had dull black hair and a long, thin face bowed quickly to her. "I hope the miss enjoys herself at dinner."

"Thank you, I intend to." Princess Laetitia left her room with the intricate folds of her dress rustling behind her.

“That was a strange encounter,” she thought as she walked down the long hallway. Usually, the palace servants showed her due reverence. Never too friendly or personal, they treated her with ultra-polite distance. As she thought about it more, she realized the maid had been rude to her. She would tell the head maid to remove her from her personal duty. Maybe she could become a scullery maid instead, especially with that attitude.

The palace was extensive and walking around it to get anywhere was exercise enough. It took her nearly twenty minutes to get to the dining hall from her bedroom.

Two butlers opened the doors for her, and she stepped into the dining hall. It was a large room used for entertaining guests. When they dined without guests, they would use the smaller dining room.

Expecting to see a room full of people, she was met with only three, her mother, her father, and a strange-looking man she couldn’t see that well as he was looking down at his wineglass when she entered. That wasn’t Sir Adray.

“Laetitia," her mother’s sparkling voice rang out, “Please sit. I want to introduce you to someone special.”

Laetitia sighed. So, this was it. Some other hopeful prospect made it to her parents before Sir Adray could. No matter. She wouldn’t give him the time of day. She sat down with a plop and stared at the stranger now that she could see him as he was sitting across from her at the table. He still hadn’t looked up from his wineglass.

Her mother sat next to this stranger, and she was beaming at him. “Laetitia, please meet Lord Corvus.”

The strange man looked up from his wineglass after he was announced and looked Laetitia dead in the eyes. She shuddered under his gaze. Black eyes without an ounce of kindness in them. His look was cold and piercing. She shivered involuntarily.

She took notice of other things about him. He was older than her, perhaps in his late twenties. And he was dreadfully handsome. He had shoulder-length jet-black hair that held a tint of blue in the light. His clothes were black but rich and lavish, and he wore many dark-colored gems on his fingers.

But his handsome face and regal appearance did not sway her. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her tremble with fear. She felt small and naked underneath his gaze. She couldn’t quite place the feeling he gave her, but it felt wrong.

“Lord Corvus is from…” her mother started to say but her voice trailed off. She hesitated and looked at Lord Corvus with her mouth still open. Laetitia felt her unease grow. Her mother would never do something like this. As the biggest socialite in the kingdom, a social blunder was out of the question for her.

The strange man just smirked wickedly, still staring at Laetitia, which continued to make her feel extremely uncomfortable. He answered instead of her mother, “Acheron.”

Acheron? Where had she heard that name before?

She looked over at her mother again, but her mother looked down at her empty plate, not meeting her eyes. What was going on here?

Laetitia looked over at her father for an answer but saw him staring at Lord Corvus, silent.

The strange man seemed to take delight in the awkward encounter and continued to bore his eyes into her. “If I may be excused,” she said and stood up. “I’m feeling rather ill.”

“Sit back down!” Lord Corvus yelled.

She shook from the intensity of his command. Quickly, she looked to her parents for a rebuke on her behalf, but they offered none. Tears formed in her eyes as she slowly sat back down.

“Dinner is served,” her mother said softly as the first course arrived.