Chapter 1

Princess Isabella de Novia is the third child and the youngest daughter of King George, the current king of Wales. King George has two older daughters and a son, Crown Prince Williams, the sole heir to the throne of Wales.

Isabella's mom served as a maid in the palace. She was the most beautiful woman the king had ever laid his eyes on. He instantly fell in love with her. She had platinum blonde hair and silver eyes; the king fondly called her Snow White. All her beautiful features Isabella inherited at birth.

When the queen realized that the maid was having an affair with her husband, the king, she immediately arranged for her to be kicked out of the palace. She knew her position as queen was threatened because she was in no way close to her in beauty. Filled with jealousy and hatred, she banished the maid from the palace. She was never going to share her husband with a common maid. Unknown to everyone, the maid was a few weeks pregnant with the King of Wales.

Having been thrown out of the palace, the maid nurtured her pregnancy, gave birth, and brought Isabella up all by herself. Life outside the palace was simple and basic, but they were happy and contented. They found joy in each other's company until one day, everything changed, her mother got very sick.

Isabella was twelve years old then, still a growing child but wise and industrious. She took care of her sick mother to the best of her ability. However, the sickness got worse, her mother was bedridden, and her life was slowly draining away. That was when he arrived, the King of Wales.

Isabella never knew she was of royal blood, especially since her mother never discussed the circumstances surrounding her birth, and she refrained from asking as she didn't want to hurt her mother. Her mother begged her father to take her in and assume responsibility for her, as she knew she was going to die of this illness. Her words still lingered in Isabella's heart:

"Your Majesty, Isabella is also your daughter. I don't have much time left in this world. Please take care of her, I beg you."

Her mother said with tears in her eyes. She was breathing heavily as if oxygen was barely going through her lungs. This broke Isabella so much. Her little perfect life was about to come to an end.

"Mother no...Please don't leave me," Isabella cried so much at her bedside.

Her mother said to her; "My daughter, my world. A lot will happen from now on, but I want you to be strong. I have prepared you well for this future. When the time comes, you will remember and understand. I love you dearly."

Because this was her mother's last wish, my father obliged. She saw my mother draw her last breath, and her life shattered into pieces. That day the king took her into the palace as his 'adoptive' daughter.

Arriving in the palace, Isabella learned that she had two older sisters. Helena, who is two years older, and Camilla, who is a year older than Isabella. She also came to know her younger brother Williams, the Crown Prince of Wales, who was two years younger than her.

Life in the palace was very difficult. Her two elder sisters looked for every opportunity to bully Isabella. Her stepmother, the queen, did everything to make her life miserable. Unfortunately, the king was indifferent towards her.

The only ones good to her were her younger brother Williams and General Marcus, the father of her stepmother the queen. He was more like his father Isabella never had. He always stood up for her.

Six years had passed by, and living in the palace as a third princess was not easy. The people of the kingdom barely knew her because she was not allowed to attend balls and parties like a real princess. Unlike her step-siblings who were always in the limelight, she was the illegitimate princess.

However, that changed when she turned eighteen. It was custom that a daughter from the royal family needs to be unveiled to the public, hence a grand ball is held in the palace. Invitations were sent to faraway kingdoms, and all the high-class families of Wales were invited for a reason, to search for suitable suitors for the royal daughter. This was an occasion every young lady of royal blood looked forward to.

General Marcus fought with the king and his wife to give Isabella the royal privileges she was entitled to, as it was her birthright. Even though Isabella wasn't his flesh and blood, he loved her as his granddaughter. He tried his best, to the frustration of his daughter, the queen, to ensure that Isabella was allowed to enjoy the customs given to the daughters of the royal family.

After so much argument, the king and his wife agreed reluctantly. And the day of the grand ball arrived. Isabella was dressed in a beautiful royal blue gown that matched her platinum blonde hair and silver eyes. This was the first time she had worn such a beautiful dress.

Looking at the mirror, she was so amazed and excited. She couldn't believe she was this classy, especially as her major source of clothing came from hand-me-downs from her stepsisters. They gave her dresses that were out of fashion. She wasn't allowed to wear makeup or style her hair. Her hair was always tied in a bun or a ponytail. These were just pathetic attempts to douse her beauty. The stepmother ensured that she never outshined her daughters and always looked like a slave compared to them.

But today was her day, and she looked ravishingly beautiful. Her hair was styled with beautiful pieces of jewelry. She was wearing lovely makeup; it was as if she was a stranger to herself. The royal make-up artist had done her best as she had a special love for Isabella.

"Knock knock." There was a quiet knock on her door.

The door opened, and the maid entered and bowed in front of her.

"Your Highness, all the guests have arrived, and your father the king has called for you," the maid said.

"I understand. I will be there shortly," Isabella replied.

She looked at herself one more time in the mirror and took a deep breath and promised herself that she was going to be happy tonight for her mother's sake.

She lifted her skirt and exited the door.