THE DISCARDED PRINCESS: MARRIED TO THE RUTHLESS PRINCE

Chapter 1: THE BRIDE WITHOUT A GROOM

At eighteen, I was called back to Mattaban palace. Not because my father missed me. Because Valerius the most ruthless kingdom needed a bride for their Prince Nolan, and Mattaban wanted to throw away their discarded princess.

My wedding day. My groom did not come. Only his empty chair and his sword were there to represent him.

The maid dressing me laughed. "A discarded princess marrying an empty chair. You are useless like your mother."

I had not slapped anyone in ten years. But she mentioned my mother.

I grabbed her neck, pushed her against the wall. "Say my mother again, and I will break your neck with this hairpin," I whispered.

She cried and ran out.

Elisa entered, in a beautiful pink dress, smiling like an angel. "Oh sister, don't be angry. At least you are getting married — to a chair. Don't worry, I won't forget to drop flowers on your grave every memorial, like we did for your mother."

I smiled. "Thank you, sister. I will remember your kindness."

That day, I married an empty chair. The whole kingdom laughed. But I held my head high, because I knew Valerius is ruthless, and a ruthless place is perfect for a ruthless princess like me.

The road to Valerius was three days by royal carriage. On the second day, bandits attacked.

They thought I was a weak princess in a wedding dress.

One bandit pulled my carriage door. I smiled and pulled out my hairpin the one Master Yara taught me to use.

Whispering Wind style. Fast. Sharp.

He fell before he could shout.

Three more came. Three more fell, necks broken with a hairpin.

The carriage driver stared at me. "Princess... you..."

"Drive," I said, wiping blood from my hairpin. "We are late for Valerius."

When we arrived at Valerius, the palace was black. Black stones, black flags with a silver wolf. Cold. Ruthless.

Lady Cora, the head maid of East Wing, met me. She looked me up and down. "You are the Mattaban princess? You are... smaller than I expected. His Highness is not here. He is at war. Do not enter the West Wing. That is his place. No one enters."

I nodded. "And where is my place?"

"Wherever you want, as long as it is not West Wing," she said, and left.

I slept alone on my wedding night, in a cold palace, in a cold bed. But I was not sad. I was home. Ruthless places suit ruthless girls.

He returned after seven days. At midnight.

I heard the bells. "Prince Nolan has returned!"

I ran to the great hall, still in my sleeping dress. I wanted to see the man I married.

He was tall. Very tall. Black armor, covered in snow and blood from battle. His face was cold, like ice. Grey eyes that looked at everyone like they were already dead.

His eyes landed on me.

"You are the discarded princess," he said. His voice was deep, cold.

"And you are the groom who married an empty chair," I replied. My heart was beating fast, but I did not show it.

He walked closer. He looked down at me. "You are not afraid of me? Everyone is afraid of me."

"Should I be?" I asked.

He almost smiled. Almost. "No. You killed four bandits with a hairpin on your way here. My guards told me. Useless princesses don't do that."

He turned to Lady Cora. "From today, no one in this palace insults the Princess of Valerius. Anyone who does, cut their tongue."

Lady Cora's face turned white. "Yes, Your Highness."

He looked at me one last time. "You are still a transaction to me, Princess. But Valerius does not let others insult its own."

Then he walked to the West Wing, where no one is allowed to enter.

But I smiled. Transaction? Transactions can be useful.

Midnight. I could not sleep. In Mattaban cottage, I trained every midnight. So I went to the training yard of Valerius, wearing my old training clothes from the suburbs, not a princess dress.

I started Whispering Wind ,kicks, spins, hairpin strikes.

A voice behind me: "Your foot is wrong."

I turned, hairpin ready to kill. It was Nolan. No armor now, just black shirt, leaning against a pillar, watching me.

"You... you are watching me?" I asked, blushing because my training clothes were old and torn.

"Your kick is too high. You will lose balance. Like this," he said. He walked to me, and without asking, he touched my ankle and adjusted it lower. His hand was warm, firm.

My face turned red. No man had ever touched my foot.

"Better," he said. "Hidden blade is more useful than open sword. Remember that."

"How do you know Whispering Wind?" I asked, shocked.

"Master Yara was my master too, ten years ago," he said quietly. "She told me she found a little girl in a cottage who clenched her fists even while crying. I did not know it was you."

We stared at each other. Master and master sister. Discarded princess and ruthless prince. Same master.

For the first time, I felt less alone.

A letter came from Mattaban. From an old servant who still loved my mother.

"Princess Davina, they gave your mother's jewelry box the one with her portrait carved to Princess Elisa as engagement gift for her marriage to Crown Prince Julian of Estia."

My hands shook. That box was all I had left. My mother left it for me.

I went to Nolan's West Wing door — the forbidden place. I knocked.

He opened. "You entered West Wing," he said.

"They gave my mother's box to Elisa," I said, tears in my eyes but not falling. "I need to go to Mattaban."

He looked at my hands shaking, holding the letter.

He did not ask why. He just said, "We go tomorrow. Valerius does not let others steal from its princesses."

"Nolan..."

"Get ready. And wear something black. Mattaban will see what Valerius princess looks like."

Mattaban palace was decorated for Elisa's engagement to Crown Prince Julian of Estia. Gold everywhere.

The doors opened for us. "Princess Davina of Valerius and Prince Nolan of Valerius!"

Silence. Elisa's smile froze.

Elisa ran to me with fake tears. "Oh sister! You came!"

"I came for my mother's jewelry box," I said loudly.

Elisa's face changed. "What box? I don't know..."

Lady Varra stepped forward. "Davina, honey, you are confused again. Just like when you were little..."

Nolan stepped forward. "My wife said her mother's box was given to Elisa. Bring it."

Crown Prince Julian frowned. "What is this? Elisa told me her sister is unstable..."

Elisa saw her chance and burst into loud crying, pointing at me like when we were six. "Father! She is doing it again! Just like when we were eight! She came to ruin my engagement! Someone help me!"

My father looked angry. "Davina! Have you come to cause trouble again?"

But this time, I was not eight.

Nolan walked to Elisa's dressing table where my mother's box was sitting and picked it up. "Is this the box you don't know about?"

He opened it. Inside was a small, folded letter. He read it out loud.

"Liana, if you are reading this, Varra is trying to poison me. If I die, protect Davina. Tell the King the dagger in Elisa's hand is not mine. Liana"

It was my mother's handwriting.

My step-mother collapsed to the floor. Elisa screamed, "NO! THAT IS FAKE!"

But my father stared at the letter, hands shaking.