Chapter:12 The veil of deception

**Epilogue**

As the night draped the Royal Palace in a cloak of darkness, Crown Prince Hades lay in fitful slumber, his dreams haunted by visions of flames consuming the grand halls and corridors. Sweat glistened upon his brow as he tossed and turned, tormented by the foreboding sense of impending doom.

Suddenly, a cacophony of sounds shattered the tranquility of his dreams, jolting him awake with a start. His heart raced within his chest as he struggled to discern reality from the remnants of his troubled sleep. Was the fire he had seen merely a figment of his imagination, or was it a portent of the chaos about to unfold?

As Hades' senses sharpened, he realized that the clamor emanated from beyond his chamber door—a persistent knocking that reverberated through the stillness of the night. With cautious steps, he approached the door, his hand trembling as he reached for the latch.

With a creak, the door swung open, revealing the figure of Helli, his expression grave and urgent. "Your Highness," he whispered, his voice tinged with urgency. "We must flee. The palace is under attack."

Hades' eyes widened in shock as the gravity of Helli's words washed over him. "Attack?" he echoed, his mind reeling with disbelief. "But how?"

Helli's gaze hardened, his features drawn with determination. "I do not know the details, Your Highness," he admitted, his voice low but resolute. "But we cannot stay here. We must escape before it's too late."

Before Hades could respond, the head maid appeared at Helli's side, her expression one of grim resolve. "He speaks the truth, Your Highness," she declared, her voice steady despite the tremor of fear that lingered beneath the surface. "We must make haste if we are to survive."

Though torn by uncertainty, Hades knew that he could not ignore the urgency in their voices. With a heavy heart, he nodded in silent acquiescence, steeling himself for the trials that lay ahead.

Together, the trio set forth on their perilous journey, their footsteps echoing through the deserted corridors as they navigated the labyrinthine passages of the palace. With each step, the weight of their decision bore down upon them, their hearts heavy with the knowledge that they were forsaking their home in pursuit of safety.

At last, they reached the hidden entrance to the secret passage—a doorway concealed behind a tapestry that had long served as a veil against prying eyes. With trembling hands, Hades pushed aside the heavy fabric, revealing the dimly lit tunnel beyond.

With one final glance back at the palace they left behind, Hades, Helli, and the head maid stepped into the darkness, their fate intertwined as they embarked on a journey into the unknown.

**"Veil of Deception"**

In the dimly lit chambers of the Royal Palace, the clandestine affair between the emperor and a lowly palace maid bore fruit in the form of a child—a girl named Veronica. Born into secrecy and shame, her existence threatened to unravel the carefully woven tapestry of lies that shrouded the emperor's indiscretions.

As Veronica grew, she remained hidden from the prying eyes of the court, raised in the shadows by her birth mother and the conniving Lady Catherine, who saw in the child an opportunity to secure her own position within the emperor's inner circle.

But despite Lady Catherine's schemes, Veronica remained an outcast—a reminder of the emperor's transgressions and the tenuous nature of power within the palace walls. And as the years passed, she watched in silence as Lady Catherine's ambitions turned to dust, her hopes of gaining favor with the emperor fading into obscurity.

Meanwhile, the empress, oblivious to the truth of Veronica's parentage, prepared to welcome a child of her own—a legitimate heir to the throne, conceived in love and devotion. And as news of her pregnancy spread throughout the palace, Veronica's presence became even more precarious, her very existence threatened by the impending arrival of the true heir.

But amidst the turmoil and deception that surrounded her, Veronica remained steadfast, her spirit unbroken by the weight of her circumstances. For though she may have been born into darkness, she refused to be defined by it, her heart filled with a quiet determination to carve out her own path in a world filled with lies and betrayal.

As the empress's pregnancy progressed, the palace buzzed with anticipation, each passing day bringing the promise of a new beginning. But for Veronica, the future remained uncertain—a shadowy figure lurking in the corners of the emperor's domain, forever bound by the secrets that threatened to consume her.

As Catherine's frustrations grew with each passing day, her wrath descended upon the innocent shoulders of Veronica, a mere child of six summers. The venom of her words poisoned the air, leaving Veronica cowering in fear, her young heart heavy with the weight of Catherine's cruelty.

"You worthless wretch!" Catherine spat, her voice dripping with contempt as she loomed over Veronica. "A filthy little mongrel like you deserves nothing but scorn and derision!"

With each cruel word, Catherine's rage consumed her, fueling the fire of her resentment towards the child who had become a constant reminder of her own failures and shortcomings.

But amidst the darkness that shrouded Veronica's existence, a glimmer of compassion flickered in the hearts of Catherine's maids, who bore witness to her suffering with heavy hearts. In hushed whispers, they exchanged words of pity and sympathy for the poor girl, their voices tinged with sorrow for her plight.

"It's not right, the way Lady Catherine treats that poor child," one maid murmured, her brow furrowed with concern as she glanced towards Veronica's chamber.

"I know," another maid agreed, her voice filled with sorrow. "But what can we do? We dare not go against our mistress."

And so, amidst the shadows of Catherine's cruelty, Veronica remained trapped in a world of torment and despair, her spirit battered but unbroken, her resilience a testament to the strength that lay within her fragile heart.