DOMINIC

EPISODE 1 : The Prince Cast Into the Sea (1)

Aiden's father was the king of this land, a greedy and lazy man who inherited the throne solely due to his royal bloodline. He had a queen and dozens of concubines. Among the many women he had, it was said that Aiden’s mother was his favorite. No wonder she succeeded in giving birth to the king's first son, especially after the frustration he felt with the queen, who had twice given him daughters and, in his eyes, failed.

By law, Aiden was supposed to be adopted by the queen and become the heir to the throne, but his mother stubbornly refused to give up her newborn son. As a result, she was sentenced to death for treason, or so the palace servants and gardeners told Aiden. Aiden tried to "obey" and believe every word of the fairy tale, without understanding a single bit of it.

"There’s no answer to your naive question..." Amid the noise of the party, Aiden seemed to hear a faint ringing silence in his ears. His eyes widened as he looked at the girl. Her dark silhouette moved. "Aren’t you old enough to understand now?" She stood and blended back into the crowd. Aiden remained frozen in place. It was his sixth birthday party—was he supposed to understand that now?

***

His father was never disappointed in him. More accurately, his father never cared. Aiden did not live up to the king’s expectations, or perhaps being the eldest son meant too many hopes were pinned on him. Aiden began to grow anxious, knowing that he could be discarded at any moment. He was useless.

Things only worsened when his little secret was revealed: Aiden could not speak. People had been patient with him, assuming he would heal by the time he turned seven, but it was in vain—no sound ever came out of his mouth.

"We remember that he was quite chatty when he spoke with his mother, around the age of five," said one servant, a statement that could have been true but wasn't enough to save him. His father had already grown restless; he had two other sons, and sacrificing one wouldn’t harm him. Aiden had become a parasite, a burden his father was eager to get rid of.

***

At that time, it was an era where men were highly esteemed, and women were glorified. There was no place for the useless—scruffy children who held no value, traded and bargained by the adults. Aiden, however, was still a prince, a fact that spared him from being bound and sold on the market. Quietly, his father called upon families with whom he could form alliances, families who wouldn't comment too much on the disgrace that was Aiden. Initially, his father thought that the royal blood running through Aiden's veins would at least make him appear valuable to them. But no, status meant nothing if he couldn’t speak, and he might not even be capable of thought. Aiden was like a pig adorned with gold—no matter how luxurious the jewel, a pig remained a pig. If Aiden were dead, he would be worth far more, as his heart and organs would fetch a higher price.

"I’ll take care of him." An old woman with a stern face gazed at him. For a moment, Aiden felt nervous. She seemed kind enough, considering she used the word "care for" instead of "buy," which was the more common term.

Everything moved quickly, like a cannonball slicing through the air with thousands of soldiers. Aiden stood still, not reacting or speaking—this was his only right, and he knew it. For the first time, Aiden saw his father’s face light up in joy, not for his younger siblings but for him, only for him. Aiden felt like crying, as at least his father could finally feel proud. His father let him go, bringing him to the edge of the harbor. The night breeze and the salty scent of the ocean touched his skin, as if calling him away. That night, Aiden was truly happy to see his father’s smile and laughter, even though it was because he had successfully sold his own son. "Father is happy because of me." A sharp pain rose from his chest, choking any sobs. Aiden was genuinely happy.

It was painful, after all.

This story would never be known, and even if someone did know, they wouldn’t care to discuss it. It was just the tale of a weak prince cast into the sea.

***

"Meet Madam’s Daughter."

Aiden felt even more pathetic after realizing that, throughout his life, bearing the title of a prince, this was the first time someone willingly shook his hand. A girl with a face similar to her mother’s, her body smaller than Aiden’s—her height barely reaching his shoulder. Her face looked up, her gaze sharp and piercing.

"I’m Rebecca Graham."

Without a title or a middle name. For a moment, the girl made him realize that their statuses weren’t all that different. Aiden wasn’t a discarded prince; he was just a human being, like her. He almost cried again—how weak he thought he was.

"I am Aideous." Aiden felt there was no need to use his family name anymore. Somehow, it felt refreshing.

Madam Graham, the woman who had "taken care" of him, took the two of them into the dining room aboard the ship. Aiden thought that this luxurious yacht might be the simplest they owned, considering they had just "bought" him as cargo. Yet Madam Graham was incredibly kind, treating Aiden well despite his worth being no more than a slave. She allowed him to sit with her daughter, asking what food Aiden would like and about his hobbies. "We’ll have it all ready when we get home. Tomorrow, you can do all your favorite activities." Madam rarely smiled, but the tone and warmth of her voice were genuinely soothing.

"If you want, you can ride horses or learn swordsmanship with Rebecca." Rebecca glanced at Aiden after hearing her name mentioned. Her face seemed to say that he could follow along without bothering her.

"Rebecca, try not to be too hard on him. Teach him slowly."

"Yes, as long as he learns quickly. You know your duties, right?"

Aiden shook his head. He realized what role he would take in this family’s care. It was unlikely they would let Aiden live without doing anything. He struggled to speak, his throat hurting from the effort of forcing out words.

"You don’t need to force it. Just nod or shake your head, okay?" Aiden nodded repeatedly, like a puppy obedient to its master. For a moment, Aiden saw life returning to Rebecca’s cheeks.

Aiden gazed at the cabin ceiling, turning his head toward the window. The vast waters shimmered under the moonlight.

The Graham estate bordered the sea, just across from the capital. More accurately, it was an island, larger than the capital itself. That was where the Grahams ruled. Aiden often heard the palace servants refer to the island as the land of justice—The Divine Law. The laws there were said to be more perfectly upheld than even at the royal palace. Now, Aiden understood why Rebecca could speak the way she did back then. She had been born and raised in the embrace of strict law and justice, breathing in the same air as truth and occasionally dirtying her hands to take away evil. Madam and Rebecca’s eyes seemed different from those in the capital. It was as if anyone who fell under their gaze felt their sins exposed, laid bare for all to see. Aiden recalled how Madam had looked at his father: disgusting. Aiden had been a little startled by the meaning behind her expression at that moment.

***