chapter 2- First Step Towards You.

"Koo....kooo...kooo." a small chele bird chirped in the dark. With intense pain, Vera writhed in darkness.

Vera regained consciousness with a jolt. Her eyelids fluttered as if emerging from a nightmarish slumber. She found herself on the ground, struggling to breathe, her mouth agape. Scanning the dim surroundings, she noticed a faint glimmer at one end. Confusion overwhelmed her as she pondered her situation.

"Am I still alive? What is this place? Where's the vessel? Wasn't I at sea? How is my body unscathed?" A barrage of questions flooded her mind.

 "Margaret... Luther..." she called out weakly, searching for familiar faces.

"Margaret, where are you?" She stumbled, losing her footing, and resorted to crawling on all fours through the pitch-black space, desperately seeking them. A faint light approached, revealing a prison guard who positioned himself before the cell bars. He observed her silently before speaking.

"Quit the racket, damn it. You're in the dungeon now. Everyone's disrupting my rest," he snapped, his irritation fueled by lack of sleep.

"Am... am I in Hwagwande?" Vera inquired; her voice raspy.

"Where else would you be, Hwagwande Queen?" he sneered, his face contorted with disdain. "Queen Anastasia," he muttered, turning away.

The darkness intensified around her. She gazed vacantly into the blackness. "How did this come to pass?" Vera whispered, feeling utterly helpless.

Abruptly, Vera detected the sound of a bell. A melody continued to resonate. She concentrated on the sound. It's the bell chime traditionally played during the annual deity festival. However, this is the day she escaped, precisely twenty-three days ago. She wondered how she could be hearing it now. Vera retreated and collided with a wall. She remained motionless momentarily, then, as if deranged, pressed her head against the wall and began striking it repeatedly. "Why am I still breathing? I must perish. I desire death," she wailed.

Hwagwande is a formidable realm with a rich heritage spanning centuries. Its monarch is Demetrius Benjamin II, a godlike figure in combat and the sole ruler who stands as a fierce warrior at thirty-four, striking fear into enemy forces. King Demetrius has been married thrice. 

Indosenia, Hwagwande's rival kingdom, proposed a marriage between its princess and Hwagwande's prince to establish peace. Princess Trisha was merely three at the time. Upon turning ten, she was wed and dispatched. At fourteen, Trisha bore a son but tragically died during childbirth.

Following Princess Trisha's demise, Demetrius swiftly remarried. His second wife was his uncle's daughter. She resided in the palace for five years before dying while pregnant. Subsequently, the king wed Anastasia, a princess from Jahandil. She served as queen for three years, albeit without authority.

At the tender age of fourteen, Anastasia entered into marriage. The King remained distant for three years, confining her to the queen's palace like a mere ornament. She endured ridicule from the king's mistresses and staff. Determined to flee, Anastasia plotted her escape with her maid Margaret and guard Luthor. Their scheme involved fleeing to a foreign land without leaving a trace. The queen opted for sea travel under an alias. However, their plan went awry.

On the sixth day of her imprisonment, Anastasia stirred at the sound of footsteps. Exhausted, she leaned against the wall, her eyes half-shut, as she observed the man before her. Braian Rudolph, the army's sub-commander, stood there with a senior soldier.

Braian spoke harshly, "Don't think starvation will end your life. We'll revive you if necessary." His gaze lingered on Anastasia's dishevelled appearance, her tattered dress revealing parts of her chest. Noticing his expression change, she covered herself.

"Open," Brian commanded his subordinate. He took a key from his pocket and unlocked the jail. He reached inside and grabbed Anastasia by the arm and pulled her out.

 An array of food, including soup, was placed before Anastasia. She remained motionless, gazing out the front window at the sky. It had been three days since her arrival at the palace, yet she had not consumed any nourishment.

"Your Majesty, please eat something," implored the newly appointed maid standing nearby. The familiar faces of Margaret and the palace's longtime staff were nowhere to be seen. Instead, unfamiliar individuals had taken their place.

Anastasia issued a command to the maid: " Please arrange a meeting for me with the king."

The servant reluctantly departed from the dining area. She relayed the queen's request to the sub-commander Rudolf through the guards.

Upon hearing this, Braian scoffed at the queen's audacity. Even high-ranking officials found it challenging to secure an audience with the king, so how could the queen, a person of little consequence, expect to meet him? Nevertheless, he decided to forward this appeal to the main palace, as he desired another encounter with the queen, preferably in private, to inform the palace's decision to reject the request.

As darkness fell, a missive from the main palace arrived at the queen's chambers. Anastasia, with trepidation, unsealed the letter, only to find a favorable reply from the king. Feeling relieved, the queen instructed her attendants to prepare her appearance.

They let down her long black hair, allowing it to flow freely. She donned a navy blue gown with a plunging neckline, revealing her ample pale bosom. Despite her weight loss in confinement, she still exuded grace and allure. She selected understated yet refined accessories to complete her ensemble. Anastasia was determined to present herself as a true queen today, not as a mere figurehead.