Chapter 1 - The First Rebellion

Before reading this, please be advised :

♡ This is a sweet romance (kinda), meaning there will be no smut.

♡ This will be my first book, I am not a professional writer. I write purely for fun and enjoyment.

♡ All characters, plot, etc... are all from my imagination and are under copyright.

...CHARACTERS!...

...Zevana Artois...

...A Royal Princess...

...5'3...

...Rowan Ash Varon...

..."Arthur"...

...A Royal Knight...

...5'8...

...LET'S START!...

The rain poured heavily against the windows of the Varon estate the night Rowan Ash Varon was born. Thunder growled across the dark sky, as if the heavens themselves mourned the fate awaiting the child.

Inside the chamber, a newborn's cry echoed softly.

"A healthy baby girl," the midwife whispered with a trembling smile.

Silence followed.

Then came the sharp sound of a chair scraping against the floor.

"A girl?" Rowan's father spat, disgust twisting his face.

"Are you mocking me?"

His wife, pale and weak from childbirth,

"Please... she is our daughter."

"She is not my child," he growled.

"I asked for a son. An heir, not some weak little girl."

The baby cried louder.

"No woman will ever stand above a man," he said coldly before turning away.

Tears streamed down Rowan's mother's face as she gently touched her daughter's tiny hand.

"You are precious," she whispered.

"No matter what he says."

But fate was cruel.

Only a few months later, Rowan's mother collapsed from a heart attack, leaving the infant alone in the cold halls of the estate.

From that day onward, Rowan grew up without warmth, without kindness, and only under the shadow of her father's hatred. Every mistake earned punishment, and every scar reminded her of her place.

Yet Rowan endured.

At twelve years old, bruised hands trembling behind her back, she stood before her father in the training yard. Knights sparred in the distance, their swords flashing beneath the sun. Rowan watched them with shining eyes.

"Father," she said carefully, forcing a smile despite the fear in her chest,

"I want to become a knight."

Her father looked at her as though she had uttered something laughable.

"A knight?" He burst into cruel laughter.

"You?"

Rowan swallowed hard but continued.

"I'll prove that women can be strong too."

His expression darkened instantly.

"Strength belongs to men," he snapped.

"Your purpose is to serve and bear children, and nothing more."

The words struck harder than any blade. But Rowan lowered her head and hid the fire burning behind her eyes.

Years passed.

The frightened little girl slowly disappeared, replaced by someone sharper, stronger, and filled with quiet determination. She trained in secret whenever she could, watching knights from afar, mimicking their movements with sticks when no one was watching.

And every night, she repeated the same vow to herself.

I will prove him wrong.

Then, one moonless night, Rowan finally made her choice.

She stood before a cracked mirror, scissors trembling in her hand. Long strands of chestnut hair fell to the floor one by one until only short. The reflection staring back no longer looked like the daughter her father despised.

It looked like someone new.

Silently, she stole her father's sword from the hall and saddled one of his horses. The cold wind whipped against her face as she rode toward the estate gates, never once looking back.

Freedom.

Rowan tightened her grip on the reins.

"I am no longer Rowan Ash Varon," she whispered into the night.

A determined smile crossed her face.

"I am Arthur now."

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***