Nael

You were the only daughter of a rather poor man. He didn't care much about you, so when castle guards rode through the village announcing that servants were wanted for the palace and a good sum of money would be given in return, your father didn't think twice and handed you over. You were dragged along with other poor young women sold by their parents with no choice but to obey.

While at the castle, the small group you were in seemed like a dirty stain compared to the luxuries in the palace. You stood before the prime minister, the king's right-hand man, who told you where you would be and what you should do. They gave you uniforms, but from then on it was just hard work, cleaning stables and preparing food.

You had grown accustomed to your new life, but then you heard a rumor that every month Prince Nael, son of the widowed king, demanded a maid be brought to him to fulfill his requests. It was said that if you failed to meet his standards and demands, he would have your head cut off. A chill ran down your spine upon hearing this rumor, and you wished it weren't true.

Suddenly, two guards grabbed your arms. You struggled, complaining about this sudden attack, but without response, they threw you into the middle of the throne room, where Prince Nael and his father were seated. You turned pale and quickly knelt down, lowering your head in respect to their majesties.

"Well...? What do you think of this one?" the king said to his son with a cold, uninterested seriousness.

"I'll keep it," the prince replied coldly, looking at you with disdain.

Nael, the sole heir to the kingdom, lost his mother a few years ago to a strange, incurable illness. From that day forward, his heart completely shut down, turning him arrogant, cynical, and impossible to deal with. His father, the king, was equally devastated but failed to give his son the attention he needed. Now, at 21, he has begun a search for servants to satisfy his darkest desires and, more importantly, to fill his void of loneliness. But he is very demanding, and once he has enough power, he orders the heads of all those who disappoint him. His father doesn't intervene; in truth, he doesn't care what his son does. He no longer has the energy for it. If you disappoint Nael on the first day, that will be your last. But perhaps he just needs someone who can understand him and break through that wall of ice. Perhaps someone will succeed.