Chapter 1
"On your knees!" The cold command slammed against Addisyn Simpson's eardrums, leaving no room for objection.
She, the sole eldest princess of the Aetherwind Kingdom, golden-blooded and the King's cherished daughter, now knelt on the icy stone floor in the coarsest hemp garments.
A basin of icy water splashed over her head, instantly soaking her thin clothes.
The piercing cold sank into her bones, making her shiver uncontrollably.
*****
Addisyn Simpson's mother-in-law, Sandra Kennedy, sat tall and stern on the high seat, rolling a rosary bead between her fingers.
Her voice cut through the air. "Your Highness, do you realize your mistake?"
Addisyn bit down hard, the taste of blood spreading in her mouth.
'Mistake?' she thought. 'What did I do wrong?'
She'd been part of the Kennedy family for three months now, but Valentino Kennedy had never bothered to visit her room, not even once.
She was supposed to be the legitimate wife, married with all the proper rituals, yet her life was worse than any servant's.
Every morning, before the sun was up, she had to get up to take care of Sandra, do laundry, and cook for the entire household—over a hundred mouths to feed.
If she slipped up even a little, she'd be hit with nonstop scolding and punishment.
"I don't know where I've gone wrong. Please enlighten me," Addisyn said, her chin held high. It was the last shred of dignity she clung to as a princess.
Sandra let out a mocking laugh and slammed her rosary beads onto the table.
"You really don't know? You're so consumed by jealousy that you actually dared to poison Noelle, and you still claim you don't know what you did wrong?"
Addisyn's head jerked up, her eyes filled with stunned disbelief.
Noelle Lester was Valentino's cousin, the one who always played the fragile, gentle act, always addressing her in a soft, helpless voice.
'She poisoned herself and then turned around to blame me?' Addisyn thought.
"I didn't!" Addisyn's voice trembled with fury. "I've never tried to harm her!"
"How dare you argue!" Sandra barked. "Someone, slap her!"
Two burly servant women rushed forward, each grabbing one of Addisyn's arms and pinning her in place, leaving her completely helpless.
The crisp sound of slaps rang out in the vast hall, one after another, mercilessly.
Addisyn's cheeks quickly turned red and swollen, blood oozing from the corner of her mouth as her mind grew hazy.
She just couldn't wrap her head around how everything had gone so wrong.
On her wedding day, her father, the king, had held her hand and promised her that the Kennedy family were loyal and honorable, and that Valentino was a young hero who would never betray her trust.
But reality hit her like a slap in the face, shattering all her hopes.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.
It was Valentino.
He wore a black brocade robe, stood tall and proud, his face strikingly handsome, but his eyes were always cold, like winter frost that never thawed.
A glimmer of hope sparked in Addisyn's eyes.
'He's my husband. He'll believe me, right?' she thought.
"Valentino..." she managed to whisper, her voice as soft as a kitten's cry.
Valentino glanced at her battered face with icy indifference, like she was nothing more than a stranger passing by.
He headed straight to Sandra's side and asked gently, "Mother, how's Noelle doing?"
"The doctor came by. He said it's a good thing we caught it early. Otherwise, not even the gods could have saved her," Sandra sighed.
Then she shifted her tone and pointed at Addisyn. "Valentino, how do you plan to deal with this poisonous wife?"
Valentino's gaze landed on Addisyn once more, the disgust and chill in his eyes cutting right through her heart like a knife.
"Mother, there's no need to waste your anger on this kind of woman," he said.
Each word was a venomous shard of ice—cold, sharp, and merciless.
"She's a royal princess. We can't even touch her, and we sure as hell can't kill her," Valentino said.
"Just send her out to the other courtyard. Let her fend for herself and keep her out of my sight for good," he added.
Addisyn's heart sank, bit by bit, until it felt like she was drowning in despair.
The side courtyard was the most isolated, rundown corner of the Kennedy family estate—the place where they sent servants who messed up.
And now, he was going to throw her, the princess, into a dump like that.
"Valentino!" Addisyn shouted with every ounce of strength she had, her voice hoarse and broken. "You can't treat me like this! I'm your wife!"
Valentino finally met her gaze, a cruel smirk twisting his lips.
"Wife? You? As if you could ever be my wife," he sneered.
"If it weren't for the royal decree, you wouldn't even be allowed through the Kennedy family's gates," he scoffed.
"My wife will only ever be Noelle. No one else," he said.
With that, he didn't spare her another glance, turning to escort Sandra out of the hall.
"Drag her to the remote courtyard. She's not to take a single step outside unless I give the order," Valentino said.
His icy words echoed from a distance, crushing the last of Addisyn's hopes.