The palace
AGATHA'S POV
"Look, the palace!" one of my stepsisters' maids exclaims in awe as the carriage picks up speed.
I cannot look because I am on my hands and knees on the floor of the carriage, with my stepmother and her two refined daughters resting their feet on my back.
We must be finally close to emperor Caspian's Palace. I will be allowed to sit up when they leave the carriage.
Penelope removes her feet from my back as she stands to have a look at the imperial palace which I am sure is incredibly majestic.
"Look at the golden roof! Isn't it stunning!" Penelope exclaims and the weight of her mother's and sister's feet leave my back as well as they stand to look.
I feel a little relief but I cannot sit before one of them tells me to. So I remain on my hands and knees and keep hoping that they will not sit again and need my back to rest their feet on.
"My shoes are flat, I can't see clearly!" Aileen complains.
"Step on it," my stepmother says while pointing at me. Her daughter climbs on my back with her two feet like I am a lifeless furniture.
"It's more beautiful than I thought!" she says in delight even as her weight presses down on my tired back.
"King Atticus must already be there. What do you think he looks like?" her sister asks.
"What does it matter what he looks like? He is rich and powerful beyond reason. Thats all a girl needs."
I listen to them talk about their soon to be husband, the mighty mermaid King, Atticus.
The two were selected by the Emperor Caspian to be the human brides for his mighty brother, Atticus, the king of the sea and all it's inhabitants, his fellow mermen included.
Long ago, a single emperor, Thaddeus, ruled over all humans, werewolves and mermaids through the powers of The King's Eye, a mystical object that allowed him to belong to all the three races at the same time. But later a rumour spread that The King's Eye had gotten lost and his great empire started to fall apart.
Seeking to keep the races united, Emperor Thaddeus married a wife from each race; a beautiful human, a ferocious shewolf and a wise mermaid. Each of his three wives bore him a son. The human child was named Caspian, merman was named Atticus, and the werewolf was named Luther.
Now Caspian rules over humans, Luther reigns over werewolf packs in their forest lands while Atticus rules seas. But without the kings eye, peace between the races has always been at the blink of collapse. To solve the problem, the brothers agreed to marry from each other's races, hoping that their arranged marriages would help preserve the peace.
Atticus, the renowned king of mermaids, seeks a strong, royal human bride. Being the daughters of Emperor Caspian's assistant, my two stepsisters were selected as the ideal candidates.
I am our father's biological daughter as well, but everyone thinks that I'm not as good as my stepsisters. I can't deny that I am quite flawed.
I was born with eyes and hair unlike of any werewolf or human. My eyes are golden and glow as bright as the stars, while my hair has a mixture of colours, black, red, platinum white and even brown.
People think I am cursed. This has made me a disgrace to my father's good name.
He said that no man would ever want to marry someone like me, and marriage is the most important thing in a woman's life.
I look a lot like my mother, that's why I sometimes I wonder if it's the reason why my father is always cold and hateful towards me. Do I remind him of her or is it that he loves my stepsisters so much that he cannot treat me even a little bit nicely.
Things weren't so bad between us until my mother got sick and passed away. Then he married Catherine, who bore him two beautiful twin daughters, Amelia and Penelope. They are perfect in every way I am not and they make my father proud.
My father adores Catherine and her daughters, in fact he worships them. If they dislike something, he will dislike it too. And since they hate me, he hates me now more than ever.
I really hope that when the two leave after they get married to the mermaid King, my father will become the loving father I have always desired.
The carriage finally slows to a stop and the three settle back on their seats. Luckily they don't remember to rest their feet on my back again. Our coachman engages in a conversation with the guards stationed at the gates.
"I have Lady Catherine and her daughters here, they expect an audience with the emperor," he says.
I don't hear the guards answer but I feel the carriage lurch forward once more, passing through the gates and into the heart of the palace grounds.
It comes to a halt in front of the grand entrance of the palace, Aileen immediately begins to worry.
"What if our beauty fails to appease the mermaid king? Or he only decides to take just one of us?" she asks her mother, her eyes wide with sudden desperation.
"You're both the prettiest of all human women. I am sure the mermaid king will be awed by your bewitching faces, no need to worry." their mother assures as she pats each of them affectionately before they step out onto the gleaming marble steps of the palace entrance.
I wait until Catherine's signals that I can sit up before getting off my knees and out of the carriage.
The nobles and courtiers strolling through the lush gardens of the palace stop to stare at the two sisters
A woman in an elegant dress steps out of the palace and walk forward briskly to meet us. She is escorted by two young servants in uniform.
"Welcome, Lady Catherine." The woman greets. "These two are your daughters?King Atticus will surely be impressed," The lady remarks as she smiles sweetly at my step sisters. They smile back exhilarated by the praise.
"Yes, they are my little angels," Catherine replies, beaming with pride. The woman shake hands with my step sisters as she introduces herself to them as lady Hellen.
"And who might the other young lady be? Another daughter of yours?" Hellen asks, directing a warm smile in my direction.
"Stepsister," Penelope corrects frowning.
"Oh, the cursed daughter that William mentioned," Lady Hellen says and my whole family nods.
So my father already told them about me.
"Come with me," Lady Hellen finally says and gestures at us to follow as she turns around to lead the way into the palace. Catherine turns to me.
"Don't just stand here you lazy fool! Grab my daughters' luggage!" She snaps and I quickly gather the heavy bags and follow after them down the path leading to the open doors of the palace entrance.
I walk behind everyone struggling with the weight of the bags as we are led through various hallways.
"Has the mermaid king arrived already? When will we meet him?" Penelope asks.
"First, I will show you to your guest room so you can freshen up after your journey. You will be meeting King Atticus later this evening," Lady Hellen replies politely.
I had thought that the famous mermaid king is eager to meet the women he will be marrying, but it sounds like he is only interested in getting modest royal women to hold up his side of agreement to his brothers. I know that my stepsisters don't mind a loveless marriage, they will have the wealth and the special status of queens afterall.
My stepsisters ask Lady Hellen more questions about the enigmatic king. She seems happy to answer them all though she doesn't seem to know much either. She knows what everyone knows, or what is rumoured of the mermaid king.
People talk of him as the true object of royal perfection, extremely beautiful and masculine, charming, daring and kind.
I would be excited to get to see him as well if I were not certain that my stepmother will not allow me anywhere near the room her beautiful daughters will be meeting with him.
"This is where you will rest for now," Lady Hellen announces after halting in front of a wooden door. One of the servants takes out a key and ushers us into the opulent room with two king-size beds, a massive closet and a beautiful sitting area with a guilded table and two chairs near the window.
"You will have dinner with King Atticus and our Emperor this evening." Lady Hellen says to my stepsisters before gesturing at her servants to leave us.
"Arrange our attires for the evening," Catherine commands me as soon as the door closes behind Lady Hellen.
