Once upon a time, there lived a benevolent King and his immortal wife.

Since birth he has been bred to rule – the kingdom at his feet, the people at his beck and call. His parents governed with kind hands and in turn, he grew up untainted by the spoils of royalty. His people loved him and in return, he loved them.

Since birth she has been destined to rule the skies, the daughter of a Goddess. Her mother was a beauty even among the already stunning Olympians, and it was no surprise that she inherited these physical traits.

The young King heard of this Goddess, sought her out, wooed her, and eventually married her. She left Mount Olympus behind for a life with her mortal husband.

They loved each other very much and ruled the kingdom with the same mindset – loyalty and kindness above all else.

Their love continued to grow stronger everyday, and eventually they welcomed into the world a magnificent baby girl. Created from the blood of man and the power of the Gods, the child was a combination of all traits wonderful in the world.

Her name was Isabella, but to those who knew her well – just 'Bella.'

Beautiful, inherited from her mother. All those who saw the young princess immediately fell to their knees, in awe of her beauty. They could not look away as her very looks called to them, casting a spell on all around her. She could have told them to do anything and they would not even stop to hesitate.

Approachable, vulnerable – these were traits she inherited from her human father. Although Gods were beautiful, their powers made them intimidating. Many feared what they could do and took a revered yet distant approach to them.

But for the young princess, although she inherited the war-stopping beauty of her mother, she invoked a sense of protectiveness from those around her. Everyone wanted to be close to her, to touch her, to hold her and shield her away from all pain. They would rather die than have her even shed one tear.

This was the power of the Princess, a blessing and a curse.

Other human royalty feared her – she was too liked, her influence was too strong. With just one look she can turn the tides of war, drawing supporters to her side.

The Gods feared her – she wasn't like other demigods, who often faded into oblivion. No, she was too protected, too valuable to be left alone. She could turn the humans against them.

But both sides did nothing. They stayed weary of this anomaly, waiting and lurking to see what she would grow into. Would her powers manifest? Or would they simply subdue and slowly disappear like the flames of a flickering candle?

And so the Princess stayed safe, protected by the uncertainty of those wishing for her demise.

That is, until her the evening of her third year.

Dresaelda was not a popular Goddess. In fact, there were many Olympians who wanted her gone, sent to Hades to work the fields among the dead and condemned.

Although her attitude left much to be desired, her powers were of another concern. There was a reason why she still lived in Olympus despite her less than spectacular track record.

Dresaelda has the power to take away beauty, a trait most valued by the Gods. With their chiseled bodies and their sculpted proportions, to lose their features was like death to these Olympians. In one wave, Dresaelda could inflict them with a fate that was – in their eyes – worse than death itself.

And that was saying a lot, considering their immortality.

Only she could reverse the curse, and because of this everyone avoided her.

Now Dresaelda was furious. Not only had her sister married the benevolent, handsome King – yes you guessed right, her sister was the beautiful Queen loved by all – but now she had popped out this disgusting brat? It was another slap in the face, another reminder of how her sister had gotten everything while she received nothing.

When her sister was adored by all for her blonde, stunning beauty while Dresaelda – although equally as beautiful, in a horrific, terrifying way – was shunned aside?

She learned to live with that.

When her sister grew into her powers and learned that she was able to manipulate people based on her mere looks?

Yes, she learned to live with that.

And when the young King's eyes fell upon her sister's golden image and he instantly fell in love with her, despite the fact that Dresaelda met him first?

It was hard, but she learned to live with that.

But this? This beautiful, stunning, mortal brat?

She could handle a lot of things, but she couldn't handle this.

And so she devised a plan.

You see, because Dresaelda and the Queen are twins (what did you expect? Of course they're twins) her powers had no effect on the Queen, and vice versa. Perhaps this is why she hated the Queen so much, for only she could see through her fake exterior (her words, not mine).

But the infant princess was another deal entirely. She may be half God, but she was also half human.

Which made her vulnerable to Dresaelda's power.

Dresaelda knew this, and of course her sister knew this. The Queen knew that it was only a matter of time before her twin would snap, it just took the right amount of pressure.

And so she hid the princess away. Protected and hidden behind the castle walls, Isabella was safe from her aunt's evil powers.

That is, until the evening of her third year.

Yes? No? Maybe so? I posted the next chapter already so that you can get a better idea of where this story's heading...

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