After the queen leaves I head down for my breakfast.
I can't afford to miss it after she has just warned me that I'm going to need it.
One thing that I've learned about the queen is that any joke she directs at me has high possibilities of being true.
I find everyone seated but no one is eating yet.
" Now that the main character has finally arrived, am I allowed to eat now? "
It was Spike, the youngest Prince.
He was always in an awful mood whenever I was around.
But this was odd. They have never had to wait for me to have their breakfast before.
I guess this was one of the many deeds extracted from the middle pages of the Queen's cunning ideas on how to turn everyone against me.
" Sucks to be the side character at your own house doesn't it?" Blade chipped in.
Blade was a battle maniac. He would give up anything in the world just to get into a fist fight with anyone.
He lived for the chaos. I remember a time when he was younger crying because the queen had prevented a fight between Erlik and Spike.
The queen had nine children ( probably thinking that's pretty many children right now. Don't worry I thought so too. ) Four sons and five daughters.
Cainne was the crown Prince and the oldest.
He was always calm and collected but he was always exuding a malicious aura.
He existed for power. He prioritized his interests over blood, foes or allies.
Whenever he was not fighting for power he always appeared sweet and kind.
The next in the line was Parisa. The Crown Princess. In a few weeks she will be engaged to the crown prince of Prearene kingdom.
She was arrogant, prideful and a cutthroat.
She never really liked me but she has never bullied me either.
For her it was like I didn't even exist.
More like a stone that was in the corner; not eating her space but too heavy for her to throw it away so she just plainly ignored it.
Then comes Blade. I think I've told you enough about him though so let's move on to the next.
The third is Erlik. The third prince. Also secretly nicknamed Cainne's dog.
And a dog he was. I've always wondered if he doesn't have plans of his own, a life outside the orders of the crown prince.
He followed all orders issued by Cainne.
Do this Erlik. Do that, Erlik. Sit down Erlik. Fart in your girlfriend's mouth Erlik.
Even though he was not a battle maniac like Blade he was dangerous.
Every pack has a mad dog and Erlik was that.
The unpredictable one.
The one whose brain can snap at any moment.
Even blade feared him.
Even his parents proceeded with caution whenever he snapped.
At some point he had to spend a month in chains for the safety of everyone.
Next is Dina, the second princess.
Commander in chief of the bullying squad dedicated to making Elvira's life miserable.
She was the dirty freak. The nasty soul.
Always busy in the sheets with her special knights.
The next in order is Laila followed by Drusilla.
They are inseparable.
Always sticking to each other like candy.
Their favorite pastime activity is Elvira of course.
Spike. Cute little spike we're finally at you.
He looks all innocent and lovely.
The demon in the angel's clothing.
Always screwing the maids or their daughters or both.
A little fun fact about him. He doesn't enjoy consensual acts that much.
He likes the thrill of pain, screams and tears.
It gives him the dopamine rush whenever his victims are not enjoying it.
The king and queen know about his activities but they do nothing serious to stop it.
Only occasionally whenever a young girl or two end up dead on Spike's bed will they flog him in the hall and offer a fake apology and of course a handsome compensation along with a few sweet threats.
Now with Spike his hate is not one sided.
I hate him with the same vigour.
On multiple occasions I've been the one to irritate him intentionally.
He's not that dangerous actually.
He can't kill me in the open.
His bloody thirsty beast only comes out under the sheets.
But out in the open his inner beast is a kitten. A little pussy that has been exposed to the rain.
After Spike is Aniella. The youngest among the Queen's children.
She's the only one who is almost the same age as me.
I guess she turned twenty last week.
Her attitude towards me usually depends on her mood.
At times she's friendly and sweet. She wants to spend time with me and even play games.
At other times she's opening up about who she has a crush on or who her first kiss was or how she almost lost her virginity at the ball.
Then there are days when I'm on the receiving end of her frustration.
Where she reminds me that I am but an illegitimate mongrel and that I shouldn't have any hope of fitting in with the rest of the family.
Despite all that she's the only one in the family that I can't find it in my heart to hate.
Yes. I do adore her.
Well, I guess it's because she's usually in a good mood more than she is in a bad one and so she ends up treating me kindly rather than mistreating me.
Now you may be wondering if all the children I mentioned are the Queen's then what the hell am I doing here.
Doesn't the queen have other wives and children?
Doesn't any other mistress ever get pregnant?
About other wives the great king who happens to have two faces where one is constantly staring into the past and the other one looking into the future trying to make a prediction decided that the only way to ensure that his children don't end up killing each other after his death was by marrying only one wife.
That way there will only be one line of legitimate children.
As for the mistresses, some do get pregnant and give birth.
But the king is a man of culture.
Only the babies that have inherited the best possible traits ever make it.
For the girls who are the most beautiful and who look expensive and classy usually survive.
The tall, strong and good-looking boys who can make good army commanders and lords of villages also make it.
Eiiiy slow down Elvira. How do they decide all that by just looking at a baby?
Now after birth all the babies are taken in by the king and are nurtured.
After five years the chosen ones go to the palace academy while the others mysteriously die of flu or other children diseases.
The girls will eventually get married off to smaller kingdoms that are not fit enough to marry the royal blood but are slightly significant that the great king doesn't want to risk a rebellion.
That's how the great king keeps expanding his territory every morning and night.
As for me I didn't have to go through all that because the great kind was certain that my mother's elegant genes would be passed on to me.
According to his logic there were no flaws that he had to fear of me inheriting.
Thank heavens his prediction turned out to be right.