There once a rumored ugly daughter of Duke Lukas. It is said that the daughter was born from one of his concubines. According to the rumors this daughter of his is a punishment(karma) from heaven because he is a womanizer. But it is also said that this ugly daughter of him is his only favorite child among his children.
The king asked Duke Lukas to let one his daughter to be married to the third prince.
" Father I will marry him. I met him before when we are children and he is kind. And besides , he is the rebel prince. From the moment he was born , everybody knew that the king didn't show any favored for him. No one wants to marry him from one of my sisters. " Vanilla confidently said.
" My kind and beautiful child. May God have mercy on you, the life inside the palace is diffirent from outside and I cannot protect you like what I am doing here. " Duke Lucas is full of worry. " Father, the king is your friend and you are loyal to him. I know he will protect me..." Vanilla smiled forcefully.
It is their first night of the wedding and the veil is covering Vanilla's face. She is nervous and excited to see her friend. If she rembered correctly it was the third prince who promised to be her friend when they are children.
Her smile drop when the third prince Choco entered the room and smelled of alcohol. He is drunk. He open the veil but Vanilla avoided his touch. " What? You are scared now? Presumptious woman! " Choco shouted. " You are free to insult me but don't dare to touch me with your filthy hands and I will break it!" Vanilla is angry.
Vanilla hate weaving and dancing. She asked her father to let her learn martial arts and accounting where it is bizarre for a woman to learn this kind of things. Her birthmother have big scar on her face because she saved Duke Lukas out of his life. Then he had fallen in love with her and have a beautiful little girl, Vanilla. It was actually her mother's scar on the face that makes the gossiper called her ugly. When her mother died , her big sister almost killed her and slash her on the face with a knife. Duke Lukas paid all the the healer to treat her face.
Until her face is treated Vanilla was not allowed to go out because it may cause infection as she was under medication. From then there once a rumored that Duke Lukas had a one ugly daughter.
Choco control himself at this moment. His body is hot and it reacts to Vanilla. She understand what is happening to Choco. Someone must have drugged him and she voluntarily help him. It is unforgettable moment when the flower starts to bloom. He kissed her lips down to her collarbone. He removed the veil covering her beautiful face and the night is not enough for the newly wed couple.
After two years Vanilla and Choco have a son. But the fight to the throne between the other prince didn't stop. Someone poisoned the crown prince and everybody is a suspect.
Somewhere in a dark corner " We will use of the empress agony and let her kill the third prince!...hahahaha" he said. " Together with Duke Lukas... we shall kill all who are a threat to the crown. The third prince won the heart of the people and it is his fault for being an eyesore! " he said.
The news have arrived to the third prince manor that Duke Lukas has been arrested for poisoning the crown prince. Vanilla is worried about her family that she didn't eat aything everyday. " I have to see my father. I know him he cannot do that! " she cried the moment she saw her husband. " I investigated secretly and I believe someone is behind this. Whoever that is , they are the one behind the crown prince death. The empress is not listening to anyone and whoever will side with Duke Luke at this moment will be surely become suspicious in her eyes. " Choco hugs his wife.
The empress called the third prince that night secretly and only her servants are there with them. The empress pours a tea for the third prince. She is staring the third prince. " I remember when you and the crown prince are just kids. Both of you are closed enough and became inseparable. You became best of friends. He is good at literature and politics while you are good in martial arts and tactics on war. I am happy and treated you as my son, I lowered my guard against you but .... what have you done ? ... You killed him, your brother, the crown prince and my beloved son... Do you know how much I loathed you right now when they told me that it was you who are behind all this ??? If I would kill you today I will be in peace, let us die together Prince Choco. Cheers for the betrayal and success to killing your brother !! Hahahaha" she laugh crazily as she drinks the tea that is poisonous. The servants around them began to collapsed as a blood came out of their mouth. They all drank the tea that the empress have offered them a while ago.
Prince Choco closed his eyes and is about to drink the tea but his trusted right hand body guard kick the door from outside. He bowed after him " The princess has been taken by the palace soldiers---" he didn't finish his words because the third prince run towards the direction of his manor.
When he arrives at his manor, it was a full disaster. His manor has been burned and all of his servants are dead. He cried and shouted as if pleading to the heaven then he heard a cry. A cry of a baby. It was beside the house in the grass. He ran towards the direction of the crying baby and removes the dry leaves that covered it. It is his son! " Thank you! " he cried out loud while embracing his son as if thanking God for letting his son alive.
" Prepare all our soldier who are willing to fight with me. Give the signal to our brothers in all corners of the kingdom, let us prepare for war! " Prince Choco ordered his trusted right hand in command and he follows.
Infront of the emperor are the family of Duke Lukas including her daughter Vanilla who is tortured the most. She is full of blood and is pale when the soldier bring her from the third prince manor. They are forcing her to admit in poisoning the crown prince. But admitting it means the death of her husband and family. The soldiers remove the rope that are tied up in each person for them to freely move. One maid give each for the family of Duke Lukas a poisonous tea to drink as a punishment for poisoning the crown prince and being a traitor. " The third prince, your leader is now in a hiding and you as his ally will be punished! " the emperor declared. " You! My friend became a servant to the throne and power! I swear to heaven that me and my family are loyal to the kingdom and didn't do anything to destroy it! " Duke Lukas shouted and the heaven replied with thunder and lighting then the rain fell down.
The clouds coverd the moon and everything went dark. Duke Lukas drinks the tea with tears and his wife and daughters followed him. He sing a song that he likes to sing to his daughters when they are babies. Then his daughters sing with him. Five minutes later when they fell down and died.
Vanilla who is beside the emperor is crying out loud as her family died one by one.
" Why do you think I leave you behind? For the third prince to show himself... ahahaha!" the emperor. " Why? Why are you doing this ?! " Vanilla exhaustedly shouted.
" Do you know how I get the throne ?.... This story is so old and long that maybe you don't want to hear but the night is long enough to wait for your husband to come.... In my time when my father had too much concubine , he almost have a hundred children. My mother is a slave and became a concubine but is not favored. She is one of the concubine who is forgotten and abandoned. The servant in the palace gives us food that cannot be eaten even by the dogs. We live in abandon house that has a holes in it. It is so cold in the winter that the snow will fall down through the holes of the house. My mother remain kind and gentle, she became my sanity. As long as we are together then it is fine I thought. But here comes the fifth concubine of the emperor who cannot conceived a child. She came without a knocking and let her servant open the door for her. When she have entered our house I remember how she covered her nose because she hates the smell of the smoke coming from the woods. My mother and I bow down before her. She talked to my mother alone then when she came back from our little kitchen,her two servant came to me and hold me. I remembered smelling something wrong when they put something in my nose. My vision became blurry and I saw my mom crying then closing the door. "
" The fifth concubine supposedly treat me well , right??! because she needs a son and that is me but she didn't treat me right. She slap me when she's angry, she makes me hungry as a punishment if I fail and she is threatening me with my mom if I couldn't do what she wants. Infront of the people and emperor she is kind to me. But behind the doors she is an evil herself. Until one time I manage to went to my mother but I am terrified of what I saw. It is winter and she is covered with snow freezing with no sign of life. She is dead. The woman who I love the most is dead, I buried her without a name . That is the start of me being insane. I went back to the fifth concubine and get her trust until I manage to kill her without a trace. Then my beloved brothers who are next to the throne together with their mother who loves them the most, I manage to kill them all without a trace!! ahahaha Can you beleive that?!. Until my father , the emperor saw me the first time , he hug me. Because my brother's were all dead , I became the crown prince. I didn't plan to kill him, the emperor, but he managed to know the truth behind all the killing. I have to kill him! The Throne is mine !! People will bow down to me!! I don't need to bow down to anyone!!! I don't need a crown prince who will soon kill me!!!! I know what they are planning against me!!! The empress wanted me to be dead for she cannot wait for me to die!! Like what I did before !!! Someone will replace me and I will kill them all before they will kill me!!! ahahaha.... The third prince didn't do anything. I thank the heaven for giving me a perfect son! But too perfect that the people loves him more than me. I can hear the people saying he is the prince of war. That he will be a better candidate for the throne better than me ! Better than the crown prince!! He is guilty of being a traitor for getting the trust of the people. I should have killed him while he was a baby together with her mother!! Such a disappointment! Then he married you whom I thought a disfigured one!!! But what a shame you father lied that you are the ugliest among her daughters. The third prince became popular as the people said he is blessed by the heaven!.You father wants to use the third prince . Your father colluded with the third prince to go against me! You are all traitors!! You wants the throne!!" the emperor shouted crazily and get his sword.
