Exploitative Marriage

Before the wedding, Rita wrote a suicide note. As Words slowly filled the crisp piece of parchment paper, her heart sang a melancholic tune.

Rita was convinced that her marriage would be fatal, and she welcomed the shame and dishonor that would come with taking her own life, rather than submitting to her doomed fate.

Is it what she deserved? A miserable end for a royal princess, who devoted her life to the country and royal family? Her accomplishments and efforts turn into ashes the day her family sold her like a common good-in exchange for wealth. No matter how hard she tried, at the end of the day, she was only a mere tool for others convenience.

Oh, but death would be a sweet escape from the death she was to face.

Julius Blackwood, Rita's betrothed, was old enough to be her father, yet despite her objections, she was given no say in the matter. His immense power and influence had rendered her parents powerless, leaving them with no choice but to acquiesce to the arrangement - or perhaps, more disturbingly, they had willingly sacrificed their daughter's happiness for the sake of political expediency.

When the royal family accepts Julius's Proposal, Rita vows to retaliate. To blemish the highest quality goods prepared by the royal family. It was the only revenge Rita, in her powerless state, could possibly do.

The horses were ready, saddled and waiting to convey Rita to the residence of Julius, where her impending wedding ceremony was to take place.

The arrangements have been made without her permission. For the coming days, Rita pictured out what was going to happen in her head. After a three-week-long carriage journey, She would arrive at the causeway. There she would exchange vows with an old Julius, share the kiss of oath and...spend the night with him.

Rita's mind was haunted by the image of Julius Blackwood's leering face, his eyes gleaming with excitement at the prospect of claiming her young body as his own.

Unpleasant shivers ran up her spine, disgusted to think that he, who looked like a toad, would ride her body.

But Rita already did the irreversible. After their first night, Julius will find that his new bride is impure.

In the realm of Heartgate, a bride's chastity was paramount, and Julius, having paid a handsome sum for Rita's hand in marriage, would be outraged and humiliated to discover that she was not a virgin, perceiving it as a grave insult to his honor and wealth.

He was not a man to trifle with. His power extended even to the barbarians in the periphery. Moreover his fury was enough to strangle the fury of the capital. Therefore, the royal family, which had already lost all their power and remained only a luxurious shell, would suffer a terrible fate under Julius' rage. They would have to vomit out more than what they had received from him, just to quell his anger.

Rita would be forcibly stripped of her royal title and forever branded as a disgraced outcast, her reputation tarnished by the scandal of having sullied her own honor.

It was a perfect ending. The only unfortunate thing was that Rita would not be able to witness the ruin of the royal family with her own eyes. Because by then she would already be a cold corpse.

"Princess, these are the wedding papers."

Just before leaving Heartgate the court-martial brought in papers Rita had to sign. Without resistance, she wrote her name, smearing a fine ink on the paper.

The lavish signature was the same as the one she left on the paper she made. The black letters on white paper were as clear as night.

When she put down her pen, Countess Melissa, the maid of honor watching from the side, burst into tears. As soon as she wept, the other women who were holding back tears began to sob in unison. Even the court-martial who brought the wedding hall also has a disastrous look on his face.

Everyone was grieving for her, but Rita was calm. She elegantly put down the paper and straightened her back.

"Stop. I must go. There's no time to waste."

"Princess..."

"Rita!" An urgent voice resounded. Rita halted in her steps, and slowly looked back to see a man of a foreboding stand, panting as he reached her.

The Crown Prince of Heartgate, Robin.

Looking at her half-brother with dazzling silver hair, Rita smiled serenely. One of the few advantages of this terrible marriage was that it was no longer necessary for her to see Robin.

Robin beckoned the servants and guards around Rita to stop loading Rita's luggages to the carriage at once. At his arrogant display of authority. Rita only looked straight at him. The sight of her not avoiding his gaze, like she used to, made Robin laugh hoarsely.

"Well, well, well. Isn't it the whore who baited a large fish? She seemed to be full of herself now."

It was a remark devoid of any dignity, resembling that of a street vendor. But since she wouldn't have to deal with him anymore, now that she was to leave the palace, Rita responded without a trace of agitation.

"Please step aside. If I delay any longer, I won't be able to leave the capital by today's end of today."

This was not the reaction he expected. Her indifference unnerved the prince and raised his hand with a grimace. Instead of flinching, Rita gave a cold retort to the man who was about to slap her hard on the cheek.

"I am now a property of Julius Blackwood. Do you dare mar his property, brother?"