CHAPTER ONE

"Lips as red as blood, hair as soft as wool, skin as pale as snow, hair darker than ebony, that was the woman, Sasha Lovelle was." My teacher taught as I stared at my half sister, Hildegard who seniored me with three years.

Hildegard, pretty little thing she was, with a mixture of my father and her mother, Cecile. Blonde hair that was always braided like she was a lonely maid, style so simple and face breathtaking with green eyes that shimmered and showed an unhealthy innocense for the rich and corrupted life she was born.

I felt pity for her that she had been born a Greyjoy as a peaceful peasant life was better than her fate in a corrupt monarch that will take pleasure ripping that predictable and easy smile on her face.

"What do you think was Sasha Lovelle's greatest weakness girls?" Mrs Marquis, a French woman who had crossed borders with her family to live a better life asked.

"Sasha trusted the wrong people and that was why she died a tragic death with her lover." Hildagard said as Mrs Marquis clapped once.

"Impressive child. A great listener you are? What do you think Callisto?" Mrs Marquis asked.

"Sasha was an impressive woman and though the book points out that she trusted the wrong woman, the book didn't identify it as her weakness. Last paragraph of chapter ten said, Sasha chose to love. Sasha's greatest weakness wasn't trust it was the day she sacrificed everything she had worked for to love a man who was focused from removing her from the picture. This is why forbidden love never ends well for the one whose's hands are stained with blood especially a woman." I explained my personal opinion as the two women who stayed with me in the room seemed shocked.

I couldn't blame them. Who would expect an eighteen years old to speak like this when my mates are thinking of men, adventures, rebellion with elders and making love? I took no pleasure in that and love is just an image carved into society by the church to manipulate foolish souls.

"Class ends here girls. It's so sad our sweet lady will be leaving us soon to prepare for her marriage with the crowned prince." Mrs Marquis said as she smiled and touched my fair skinned sister whose cheeks darkened with a smile on her face.

"It's also sad as well especially since I do not want to leave." Hildegard said and I watched as her eyes saddened.

I smirked with a finger on my lips as Mrs Marquis hugged her while they had an emotional moment that I simply had to escape from.

I was about leaving when the door opened and my little brother, Archie ran in with a smile on his face as he hid behind me while my elder halfbrother, Jon stepped in with a scowl on his face.

"Where is he?!" Jon demanded as I stood before him proudly so he would not touch the child.

"It's disgraceful to have the young master of the house getting work up over an eight years old child." I said as Jon scowled more but he couldn't lay a finger on me or father would have it cut off to appease me. Gregory, the one after him was a perfect example.

"That midget soiled my good and clean clothes with his dirt and drink!" He exposed as my little brother stared in admiration.

Archie was just a child, playful and desperate for attention from the elder ones except me after all I had raised him that he called me mother since my mother hated she had another child for my father.

Archie was like me. Red hair, dark skinned and green eyes except he was more like my mother. Beautiful than handsome, small and adventurous without a care in the world and with little friends who cared not of his color and status. The only Greyjoy who was given a choice because I fought for it.

"I apologise for this child's foolish, I will see he tries to bother you less." I said, infuriating him further but he could do nothing because of the love father had for me. After all, Gregory the one after him was whipped because he had talked horribly about me before father.

"You better do so or else, there won't be a next time sister." He said before he looked at his younger sister who said nothing but watched in silence.

"Greet your dear wife for me." I said with a chuckle as he banged the door after him.

If he continues to grow more impulse as he ages, I wouldn't fret if Robert is chosen as the next head of the Greyjoy and a bold wife would be chosen to bring him out of his timid shell. It marvels me today he is the only one except Archie who I relate closely with.

"You are in a lot of trouble Archie." I said as he pouted cutely at me as his bright, bold green eyes stared at me with love and praise.

"It was an accident. I wanted Jon to teach me how to ride the horse but he didn't so I mistakenly poured juice on the clothes and I thought I could clean it but I ended up staining it more. I'm sorry mama." He apologised as I took his little hand and walked away from the room with the other ladies.

"Be sure to write your apologies to Jon and request for him to teach you to ride. If he refuses, I'll have an instructor hired for you as I have no time to properly teach you anything outside the basics.

Archie sadly seemed disappointed but life was full of it and I taught him so he would always be ready. He was the only pure jewel in my life and I will not let him be stained.

"But since the amount of trouble you have caused this week is lesser than usual..." I smiled with sincerity. "Would you like to go on a ride with me into town?"

Dinner was the only meal the whole family used to realize that one wasn't dead. It was always a banquet, a feast with my father at the head of the table, his first wife Cecile at the other end. My mother sat at his left while my younger brother sat by his right being the youngest and the most persistent of father's seeds.

Cecile had five children, four boys and a girl who was the youngest. Jon was of course the eldest, Gregory second, Jeffrey third and Robert the last son. The timid of them all and my personal favorite who saw my color as an equal and not something desperate in the market.

"The king has given us his blessings to be in the capital in three days time so that my beautiful daughter, Hildegard will wed his royal highness, prince August." Father said as Cecile and Hildegard dropped their spoons.

"That's earlier than what I was informed Tyrion. Don't think that the fact that I let you engage her with a prince she hasn't met means that I want no part in her affairs. I deserve that respect as your first and legal wife and her mother." Cecile said calmly as her son's paused eating while my family continued to eat without a care.

Tonight was surely going to change into a drama that I really wished not to se.

"May we be excused while you and your wife, discuss private affairs." I requested as the hostility in my voice dropped while I stayed at the unpleasant blonde woman.

"Take your brother with you." Father instructed as I nodded walking to Archie who seemed unhappy he had to leave.

"But I want to stay with father." He insisted as I placed a finger on his lips.

"If you come with me, I will give you another ride tomorrow." I said as he quickly got down without refusal.

I will never understand what excites a child on the thought of riding a horse.

The second the door shut behind us, noises broke but not loud enough to pique my interest as I left with an ignorant child who had no worry on his shoulders.

Ignorance is bliss sometimes.

Archie was finally asleep when I decided I needed to visit the study to make a little note. Today was much faster than one would love but all the same, it increased my chances of seeing another day.

I walked pass Hildegard's room but the sound of crying stopped my journey to my chambers.

I knocked on the door twice and entered as Hildegard sat up straight, cleaning her eyes before she turned to her right to see me leaning on her door.

Her eyes were swollen badly so it meant she had been crying since she retired to her chambers. She was mess, disorganized and wrecked from the sweet, naive and proper lady she was known to be. If this day had come any later, I would be laughing.

"Is there I can do for you?" Hildagard asked as I scoffed.

"Don't fake concern sister mine? For someone who is marrying the prince, you don't seem to happy. Speak." I commanded as I locked the door, walking slowly before the sister who sat pathetically on the soft bed.

"It is something that does not concern you so please leave me alone Callisto." Hildegard said with a bit of anger as I gave a fickle smile.

"Do you know why I enjoy wine? Especially sweet wine." I asked as I walked to her desk that was neatly arranged with blank papers on the table.

She was silent, observing my calculated steps as I walked away from her desk while her shoulders slowly relaxed.

"Why is that?" She asked.

"Because a woman with child cannot have have it especially a young twenty one summers, blond and stupidly in love with a common man, a farmer who dreams of giving her the country life she desires." I said as I walked to her blonde hair, running my hand through her hair.

Hildegard was petrified. Her face dreaded my revelation as I moved away from her but she fell on her knees and caught my wrist.

"Please don't tell father, he'll kill Peter." Hidegard begged as she cried in fear.

"It matters not to me if he dies. I lose nothing if one man dies." I said as Hildegard shook her head in protest.

"I beg you sister, don't tell father. I'll do anything you want." Hildegard said as I chuckled in amusement.

"It amazes me that you know how how to beg. Aren't you curious as to how I know?"

"No but if you hide this from father, I will be your slave. I will do everything and anything you want." 

"You will do anything I want without question?" I asked as I lowered my head to her teary face without bending my knees backward.

"Yes." She replied as I smiled.

"So you are willing to sell your soul to me?" I asked once more as her eyes widened in fear.

"Yes my soul is yours." She answered in response as I marveled on what fear could do to the human mind.

It was nice she feared father but it's depressing she fears father's love for me.

"Goodnight sister." I said as I removed her hands from my wrist and walked to the door. I opened the door as I turned back slowly with the straight face I usually wore. 

"Don't fret Hildegard, father will not know and Cecile's suspicion will die today." I informed as she choked on a sob with relief.

I stepped out closing the door behind me as I walked to my chambers with an excited smile on my face.

The clock of fates starts to tick.