Hazel’s POV

No one made me miss my birth mother more than Reina. She was truly a cruel woman who seemed to have some kind of grudge against me. Well, nothing less is expected from her anyway, but there was always something about her that made me feel like her hatred for me was more than anything.

I pathetically missed the days when my mother used to braid my hair and tuck me in bed before whispering lullabies in my ear, making sure no monsters under my bed could hurt me. I had lived with my mother for the majority of my childhood, only because my father was a busy man, but he still was true. And like my childhood, he barely spends any time with me. He was my father but only in name.

But after her death, I was left alone in this cruel world filled with double-faced personalities. When my father married Reina, I thought she would treat me like her own but life’s never about you, she treated me worse and worse, with each passing day and my annoyance and hatred for her had only grown with time. It was not like my father didn’t love me but he never had time to ask me if I was alright.

And I never questioned his silence. He was a good man who took care of me after my mother passed. Despite how much I loved my father, I drew the line of tolerating his so-called wife, and her many, many daughters. Isabella, Irene and Tiana were Reina’s daughters from her first marriage and after her first husband died, she married my father and Ruby and Some were from my father’s.

And call it a blood bond, but Ruby and Soni were the only ones who showed me some love and kindness. Reina was unaccepting of my and Ruby’s relationship but guess what! No one cared! My father was the ruler of Hora, with hundreds of acres of land and villages all over the world, each in a different country, filled with expensive nothings. The money and fame he had could be easily seen. This luxurious castle was an example itself which was elegantly filled with expensive types of furniture and decorations.

Isabella and Tiana weren’t my father’s blood-related daughters but he was closer to them. Their beauty and elegance were considered to be the most beautiful in my father’s world. They had their mother’s light green eyes and pale skin, with tall and lean physiques, unlike mine. I was always a left-out one. My father preferred them over me. And as time flew I accepted the fact that love couldn’t be snatched. And I found ways to keep myself happy in the little garden outside the mansion.

“She’s such a disgrace to our family.” Isabella scoffed. My nostrils flared as I prepared myself to give her a reply to her comment but then my subconsciousness stopped me.

“Margaret!” Gaia said snapping her fingers. “Help her wear something better than what she’s wearing now. She’ll disgrace her father if she dresses like this in the evening.”

“Why is she even invited? She’s not the one who’s going to marry any of them.” Tiana said, puckering her lips in the mirror before applying rose tint to her lips.

I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t like I was going to marry any of them. “Mind your tongue, Tiana. Don’t create any nuisance till the event is over.”

Reina sighed in disappointment as she helped Isabella fix her dress. I eyed the red fabric Isabelle wore, the sequins glimmered with light and the tight, body-hugging dress looked amazing at her, which suddenly made me conscious of myself.

I averted my eyes in frustration as Margaret grabbed my hand and led me a few feet away from them. I was not the eldest child but I was still elder than Tiana and Ruby, but no man ever asked for my hand in marriage. It was not like I was ever introduced to one. I was always kept hidden behind four walls of my room, only Isabella, Ruby and Tiana were considered true daughters of my father. And even though Liana was my real sister, she was also welcomed on occasions such as balls, proposals, and events. But I was never.

Irene and Soni were still underaged. I stared at myself in the mirror as Margaret tugged down my soil-covered dress.

“Pathetic.”

I heard Tiana loud and clear as others snickered after her but I turned them off. I was not like any of them but still, I loved myself. I was not tall but I was happy with whatever I had. But my mother dearest was against that. She would always make sure to make me feel low and unhappy.

“Get her ready, Margaret. Make sure she looks decent enough to not ruin her father’s reputation.”

By the time Margaret fetch the dress for me, Isabelle was already ready, Tiana was fixing her tiara and Irene and Some were standing beside each other fixing their faces.

“How about this one?” Margaret asked me as she held up one of the pink-colored dresses. It was indeed beautiful with long sheer sleeves and a deep low neck.

“Come on, girls, I need to prepare you before the evening ball,” Irene said as Isabella rolled her eyes and followed Tiana and Irene. Ruby stopped as she walked toward me and I smiled softly.

“I am sorry—”

“Stop it, Ruby! For how long will you keep apologizing for her actions? It is not your fault.” I said.

Ruby frowned. “I just wish… she would stop doing this.”

I rolled my eyes. Ruby chuckled as she hugged me and whispered sweet nothings into my ear before following after her sisters. Just as Irene left with her daughters, Liana peeked inside the room and believe me I was never this happy.

“Lia!” I exclaimed as I hugged her.

“Come on, sweet pea. Get ready before Mother—”

“How many times do I have to remind you, that she’s not our mother.”

I rolled my eyes at her. Liana was such a girl who saw good in everyone and, I saw real in everyone. Despite the bad Irene does, Liana always seems to forgive her but I, I can never forgive her. She had done nothing to earn my forgiveness. I was not forgiving like my sister.

“As I said earlier, I wish not to quarrel with you over something irrelevant. What’re you going to wear?”

She asked as I rummage through the whole damn closet. This was not just a closet, it was something that only royals had to assess. It contains ball gowns, sparkling dresses, beautiful pieces of jewelry, everything a girl needed. My eyes sparkled as I found what I was looking for.

“Something unexpected.”

I said as Liana frowned.

“What do you mean—oh! Well, you’ll look beautiful in this.”

I smiled as a nostalgic feeling engulfed me. Of course, I would.