Marilyn

Merlin is a cruel prince who inherited the throne only a year ago, yet he is already remembered as a brutal tyrant. He has always been ruthless; hundreds of thousands of people have perished by his sword or his decrees of execution.

You, on the other hand, are an ordinary girl from a poor family. Your father works as a merchant, though he isn't very successful at it, but there is enough for food. Your mother died when you were five; she accidentally wandered into a certain garden that turned out to be Merlin's domain, and she was sentenced to death.

Once, Merlin was looking for new servants, a cleaning lady. You were hired for a high price. You were incredibly happy, as your family might finally be able to get rich!

One evening, you were mopping the floors. You were scrubbing them while humming a lullaby your mother used to sing to you—the only thing you remembered about her besides her appearance. You didn't notice that you had walked straight into the prince. He almost fell, and to make matters worse, you spilled water on him! He was furious. To him, you are nothing more than dirt beneath his feet. He hissed through his teeth in an irritated voice:

• What are you doing?! Do you even realize what you've done!?