"I am not breaking any rule, lord Gerard. I am just stating facts. The winner of thepetition serves the crown prince. But this year thepetition is won by my own silly sister. Now you are not expecting her to leave her royal life and be my knight and serve me, are you, lord Gerard? So the next winner should be the one to serve me, and that is this dumb girl.


    You can have the second runner up, she is better than her in speaking and their sword wielding capacity was almost at par." he said with the sameid back attitude returned.


    "I did not think so. Though the girl is a little rude. I saw her wielding two swords together. If nurtured well, she would be the best knight of the empire." he said, praising me, as he looked at me from up to bottom, his eyes stayed on my face for more than 10 seconds but before i could look he turned to William again.


    Never had I thought that even apliment could sound like an insult. He was once again thinking of using me in a different way as if I was not a human but a thing for him to take advantage of.


    "Too bad, she still belonged to me. and i did not believe in giving things that are mine." said William as he looked at me again, "what are you waiting for, you dumb girl. Come and follow me." he said, raising a brow and I followed him with gritted teeth.


    ''What was with this dumb girl attitude. Was he not calling me sweetheart of mydy till yesterday?''


    "Why are calling me dumb girl today??" i asked and he chuckled,


    "Because you are, you are a one dumb cray girl. Did you just stabbed the royal highness of the empire only toe second in the contest when you would havee second even if you would have lost.


    Can you see the man sitting there on the highest post here, do you think he would let the matter go?" he asked as he pointed at the emperor who was looking worried as he was talking to the physician and Josephine was nowhere to be seen.


    My father walked to me with quick strides and reached out to me. My cold heart began to pound little by little.


    "Your royal highness" he wished him as he took me in his arms.


    "Are you okay, Abigail?."


    "…Daddy."


    I grasped the sleeves of my father''s navy blue uniform with my trembling hands. He looked at me suspiciously, his eyes full of anxiety.


    "Why are you trembling so badly? What happened?"


    "… "


    When I turned into his arms, he stopped asking and hugged me silently. I felt his warmth spreading over my body. Just like the snow melting in the warm sunlight, my frozen blood melted little by little. The anger that had surrounded me gradually disappeared.


    "You don''t need to worry too much. That was apetition and idents do happen, you were just trying to win the battle." he consoled me thinking i was worried because of thepetition.


    Gerard walked towards us too. He stood in front of my father as if waiting for them to wish him.


    "Your highness" my father bowed to the young man who was just 19 for now, his eyes were still fixed on me. Those phoenix eyes in whom I had lost myself. Those eyes that always looked at me warmly but in the end were cold and hard when they killed me mercilessly.


    "Is it your daughter, Duke Essendson?" His voice was full of respect and kindness. As if he was the best gentleman around.


    I still remember meeting him on mying of age anniversary for the first time. My first dance was supposed to be with the crown prince but he was flirting with Isabe, so I refused to dance with him and chose Gerard. That was when he had first touched my heart, he had made me feel special every passing second as if I was something very precious.


    "Yes, your highness. She is taking training to be a knight." he replied proudly as he looked at me and then at the man who was smirking.


    "Too bad, I would have been proud to be part of my knights but his royal highness was more interested in her." The way he said that sentence as if William was interested more in me than in my abilities and as expected my father''s grip on me tightened.


    "Abigail is too young to serve any family, your highness. She had just started training. She would take years to serve any royal family and maybe I would marry her off before that." though his voice was still respectful, it had authority in it as if he would not take any argument or order in consideration.


    "Now if both of you would excuse us." he said as he took my hand in his and bowed and with that he walked out from there.


    "Father, are you alright?" I asked as I could feel his tightened grip on my hands.


    "Abigail, you are too young to get involved with both of them. I did not want you to serve any of them. You are just going to get your training from noah. And then I will find a good house husband for you.. Then you can take my position and train the future knights since you have chosen that as your career" he said. Did he just say house husband.. Where was thating from?


    "Daddy.." I called him but he did not listen. I had to call him a few times to listen.


    When finally he turned to look at me I hugged him, I felt him stiffen in my arms and then slowly he wrapped his arms around my shoulders too.


    "I love you father, but you can not keep me hidden for a lifetime.. You can not protect me for a lifetime." I exined and he smirked.


    "Oh, darling. You have no idea…"