IT ALL STARTED IN THE IMPERIAL FAMILY'S ROYAL BANQUET CELEBRATING THE EMPIRE'S 201ST FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY

"The Grand Duke's only daugther is to be wed with the crown Prince"

the emperor's voice resounded in the spacious ballrooom leaving the Grand Duke stiff with his majesty's words, he wanted to retort to his majesty that he opposed this marraige but it would be disrespectful for the whole empire if he did so he lay low, he didn't respond and remained his head low not standing from his standpoint.

However the emperor was so stubborn and his persistence to wed his God- Daugther to his son didn't stop there,

"will you disobey this order?"

the emperor once again questioned with his cold voice as if threatening the grand duke that if he won't wed his daughter to the crown prince he'll expose his deep secret to the whole empire even if there's none

The grand duke once again looked up to the emperor with his murderous white eyes relaying the message that he would bite if he preys with his daughter again.

he saw the Emperor's expression; his eyes twinkled with expectations as if he already knew the answer.

The Emperor wore a smile of friendly mockery with his eyebrows slightly raised,

He muttered the word 'as*h*l*' and the emperor was stunned, the grand duke knew that the emperor has known lip reading and was stunned by his words

his majesty wanted to reveal his true colors however, he has no evidence to prove it and no one else in the empire except him, the Emperor knew how to read lips.

"YES! I! ACCEPT!"

The Grand Duke declared with his cold voice that made everyone silent with their faces pale, his answer made the Emperor smile ear to ear hearing his answer and rose up from his throne and slowly walked to the grand Duke's direction

"YOU MAY RISE MY IN LAW HAHAHAHAHA" the Emperor's proud voice made the whole ballroom burst with laugther while the Grand Duke was still in denial.

the Emperor pulled the Grand Duke's shoulder to specify to stand up and put his arms around the Grand Duke's shoulder, smiling at the Grand Duke's funny face

But the Grand Duke was so stiff and his cold body was like an ice in the north

When meeting with the Grand Duke's eyes the Emperor who was proudly smiling change with an astonished look

he felt blades piercing his whole body, the Grand Duke glared at the Emperor with murderous intent

the Emperor knew that he crossed the line but still smiled at him as if mocking him.

the Grand Duke's eyes never left the Emperor's presence as if he was ready to kill everyone who touches his daughter even if it's the Emperor but soon changed his expression to a smiling one

the Grand Duke removed the Emperor's arm around his shoulders and started twisting it lightly to avoid suspicion with anyone.

The Emperor lightly let a groan because it hurts but the Grand Duke didn't stop there and instead smiled at him ear to ear, after a few minutes the Grand Duke finally let go of his hands.

He hates problems and being the center of attention even if he was a knight who contributed to the Empire that's why he lives on top of the mountain because it was Peaceful but he only has beasts and wild animals as his friends and only the Emperor, the only human friend who stayed by his side for many years.

***

It was already 1 in the morning when the banquet ended and After the ball and everyone had already left

the Grand Duke bid his goodbyes to the Emperor and the Emperor gladly sends him out waving his hand at him while smiling

the grand duke headed off to his carriage but before he got in, he stop midway and eyed the Emperor

"Think you can have my daughter?" The Grand Duke smirked at his remarks to the Emperor

The Emperor who was proudly smiling made an awkward expression, he knew that the Duke can be childish when it comes to his daughter so he pissed him even more brimming with smile ear to ear once again retorting back

"I shall wait and see my God - Daugther become my daugther" the Emperor's words made the Grand Duke fume even more making his eyebrows meet at the center.

The Grand Duke's carriage set off and the Emperor shouted "I'LL MAKE SURE YOU CAN'T STOP THIS MARRAIGE YOU CACKROACH! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

the Grand Duke who was far away heard his shout loud and clear making him clicked his tounge in displeasure

the grand duke came back to his castle in the mountains angry.

He got off the carriage and head in front of the castle when the big door started to open and servants started lining up one by one

the others was still half asleep but they still need to wake up and greet the Duke whenever he sets off and comes back even though he wants to be alone but their family butler keep on insisting that it was part of their tradition.

Inside the big door was a glamorous big chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling with imprinted gems on the floor with the 10 inches thick pillar by the sides and portraits hanging of their ancestors in the wall and red carpet placed in the center of the hall.

The duke just lets them be and started to take off his fur coat and started removing his cold thick gloves and hand it to the butler

"Would you want to take a bath?" The butler asked in his formal tone

"No, I'll prepare it on my own just let everyone go back to sleep their faces say that they still need to sleep"

while he's back turned to the butler he walked in the spacious hallway and prepared to climb the stairs and suddenly stops

"Is seenah fast asleep?" Then turned his head to the butler again

"Yes, the little miss was quiet exhausted" the butler retorted and added "the little miss was waiting for you the whole evening until she fell asleep"

he hesitated for a minute because the duke might be angry with his majesty again, this time he might really behead his majesty.

Cold sweat runs down his forehead even though it's breezy he could feel his whole body chilling

"All right, you may resign now brielle thank you for your assistance" the duke then turned his back

'Brielle' was the name of the 'Anluan' familys butler, he was also like a nanny to the father and his two children

***

after he finish taking a bath he headed to his room where his daughter was residing and slowly closed the door and sat in the chair opposite his bed

He started sighing and thinking hard how to bring the news to his daughter

He leaned back his head on the chair and looked at his daugther's sleeping face and then stood up and gently sat down the bed, he slowly lifted the blanket and slowly crawled inside.

His left hand was bend and his head was placed on it while his right hand was lightly patting her back and suddenly carresing her hair and her cheeks.

His daugther had a fair skin with her golden hair she inherited from her mother, lips as pink as peach, her eyes all round black you cant see any white in her eyes, she was beautiful but that doesn't mean she had no flaws.

She was blind since she was born prematurely and her mother was exposed to kidnapping when she was still carrying her unborn child in her womb, the kidnapper was violent to her that she almost misscaraige.

When the duke arrive at the scene he was half late both mother and child was already exposed to danger.

He came back at the scene and killed the kidnapper's leaving no body's attach to their bones,

His knight who was his right hand man felix came to him and whispered something that made the duke stumbled and laugh like a madman and then hurriedly stood up and rode his horse fast as possible to the hospital where the Duchess was.

The last thing he saw was his wife's golden hair shining by the evening sun while lying in the hospital bed when he arrived in the door of her room.

He's heart was being shattered when he saw his wife deathly pale, he hurried and came close to her bed and kneel one knee and started to hold her hands

His wife muttered "take care of our duagther, make her happy. If you make her cry I'll hunt you" she chuckled at her remarks but to the duke those words was heavily painful, while his head down, his trembling hands was interwined with hers.

"Spencer lift up your head" she patted his black hair

When he looked up to her, he saw her tears fall down her cheeks, his heart was in turmoil,

"Won't you hold our daughter?" She exclaimed to him while her hands raising, indicating for the nurse to hand the baby to her embrace.

The nurse quickly and gently pass her the baby, the duke stared at the baby who was sleeping soundly with her golden hair

"She inherited your hair" he smile but his tears can't be stop

"Goshh GRAND DUKE SPENCER don't make that face your getting even more handsome" she was lightly chuckling while looking at her baby.

The Grand Duke cried even more at her remarks of compliment

"Promise me you won't cry, don't even think about marrying other ladies or else!" this time she wasn't smiling but slowly sobbing

They were both crying, "here, hold our daughter" she said

The duke who was kneeling in one knee stood up and leaned closer to his wife and took the baby in her embrace.

"Spencer, PROTECT OUR CHILDREN WELL, TELL DANE IM SORRY I COULDN'T HOLD HIM FOR THE LAST TIME, I LOVE YOU" the last words she gave out brought the duke in dispair.

He gave the baby to the nurse and came close to his wife's bed, "No synth! You can't leave me!"

He shouted again and again making the whole hospital echoed with his voice

*

He kept his promise to his late wife, their children grew up healthy

Thier first born son was now 17 year old exceeding in academic, good at swordman, tall and fair but his personality and hair was really wierd

"was i so wierd that he became this wierd?" He put his hand to his forehead

"NO! im a good father, im also good at teaching, im not that strict and im a warm father, so nah he must've just ate something bad that turned him wierd"

The duke was nodding at his own conclusion proudly

He was beside their second born child, he was a mother figure to his daughter after her mother died.

He assumed the role of 'Mother' and the castle were lacking females, the castle hardly has any female servants, but with the help of the knights who already had a children, they didn't let the duke on his own and lectured him everyday.

She grew up loved by everyone in the castle, she wasn't sad because of her strict father, she was instead happy conversing with the beast her father gave her as her gift everytime he goes out, be it a wolf or a snake, even birds.

She didn't hate them all and instead learned how to converse with them despite her lack of eyesight she was still energetic, she didn't gave her dad one worry all his life babysitting her

She grew up very healthy and loved by everyone.

"My daugther is so sweet and kind, how can i just hand you over to any b*sta*d man! I hardly even know that prince!"

his soft voice was replaced with cold one and his expression that looked happy was replaced with bitterness

He remembered what the Emperor wanted to do to his daughter

"That old a**h*l* if were not friends i would've already slit his throat long ago!" He exclaimed to himself with unpleasant look

He was about to curse him again but his daughter suddenly woke up

"Daddy? Is that you?" Seenah was awake because of his hands patting her back

The Duke's unpleasant expression was replace with his usual fatherly smile when talking to her and his tone became gentle

Seenah sit-up in the bed while rubbing her eyes

"Hi dad good morning, welcome back" she greated him despite wanting to go to sleep

She then stood up and hug him tightly

"I miss you dad" she muttered then fall asleep in his arms

"Daddy also miss you seenah" he stroke her hair with his right hand and carried her to the side of the bed and placed the blanket on top of her, he then gently kiss her forehead and sleep next to her hugging each other.

CHAPTER 4 - NIGHTMARE

'Where is this? Didn't i sleep next to seenah? why the hell am i in the palace garden?!'

The Grand Duke opened his eyes inside the garden of the Palace, he looked around and circled the whole garden but found no one, he kept thinking why all of a sudden he was in the garden

'i clearly remember i was on my bed sleeping with my baby'

he kept pondering and search thoroughly his memories to remember everything happened but had no recollection of the events

When he looked in the fountain straightly where the entrance door was, he saw a familiar figure that looked exactly his daugther.

Then suddenly an arm was holding her hands, he couldn't see who it was

The man had blue iris eyes and pale green hair, he was sure that he saw that hair somewhere

'That hair...where could i have seen it? Only the old a**h*l* has gre ---' before he could continue his thoughts he had a bad premonition

"Dont tell me..! he! that b*st*rd!" Only his son had inherited his green hair, Even his facial!" the Grand Duke was angry and wanted to grab the Prince's neck when he suddenly can't move no matter how much strength he put into it

As if magic was cast onto him to unable him to move one step further

He looked at their direction again but what he saw next was his daugther being swallowed by darkkness while the prince face lifted a smile and vanished in darkness.

The Grand Duke's heart beating so fast that made him feel suffocated, as he watch her daugther taken away, his eyes slowly closed and lost his conciousness.

He shouted so loud that made his daughter wake up so early in the morning,

His heart beating continuesly with his upper body soaked with sweat and his head aches so bad and with his whole body trembling.

He who was holding his daugther's hand suddenly tightened his grip making his daugther groan

"Ouch..D-ddaddy it hurts....my hands...it hurts" his daugther shakes his arms continuesly in pain

He notice his daugther complaining, he was suddenly brought back to reality and look at her hands shaking his arm to let go of her hands suddenly lossened his grip

Dumbfounded of what he did he immediately apologize

"I-i- Daddy was sorry seenah, im sorry i didn't notice i was gripping your hand so tightly"

He then reach his big hands to hers and kissed it to ease the pain however, he look at her hand it was swollen

It was swollen red by his grip, he then hug her tightly but gently, he was unable to control his strength

"Daddy? Did you have a bad dream again?" His daugther was worried for him than her own hands

"Yes, daddy had a very bad nightmare" he patted her back lightly then suddenly his daughter stood up and place her other hand to his forehead

"Mister bad dream go away, pain pain away from daddy, let daddy heal and healthy again" her trembling voice resounded in the whole room, judging from her voice, she was really worried about her father

Her voice was a sanctuary to his ears, it made him more calm as if it was his medicine.

He then burried his head onto her body, hug her for a minute and then let go, his daughter hug him back and remove her hand from his forehead then hung her hand in his neck and warmly greats him

"GOOODDDD MMMOOORRRNNNNIIINNNGGG DADDDYYY!" She greated him in her usual tone with her voice full of excitement then kissed him on the lips

For them, father and daughter it wasn't an issue because it was already their habit whenever they greated each other in the morning

"Dad, dad, dad, what color is the sky?" It's as expected that she was excited to know the color of the sky

The Grand Duke felt stiff for a moment but soon replied

"The sky Today was illuminating with dark blue clouds" he exclaimed and kissed her cheeks

"It's really beautiful right? Dad?" She was brimming with smile and then lay down again to his side and hug him and suprisingly before he could reply his daughter was back to her usual sleep again

"Again.. you just greated me and go back to sleep immediately before i can even reply to your questions" his eyes was a little moist as if he wants to cry

He then look at the sky, he muttered

"Synth are you seeing this? The child you protected and left to me was now growing healthy" his hand patted her head lightly

"I wish you can see this" he once again look at the blue sky and mumbled "we miss you".

And lay down to seenah's side.