Abril was sitting on the bed, hugging her knees. The cold winter was piercing her bones like sharp thorns. She tried to cover her small and delicate body as best as she could, but the abandoned palace where she had been sent to live didn't provide her with the comfort she needed. Abril was the first daughter of king Venobich, a cruel and ruthless man who saw all his children as mere tools. In the kingdom of Laios, the heir to the throne was always the firstborn, regardless of the child's gender. However, the king didn't want a small and sickly girl as his heir, so he sent her to the most remote part of the palace to die in silence. Abril held on to life with all her might, even though she only received one meal a day and didn't have the proper conditions to survive. She never gave up and clung to life admirably. In silence and through tears, she repeated over and over. "I don't want to die, I don't want to die." "God, if you're listening, please help me." "I don't want to die." Abril repeated those words over and over daily. No one could understand why such a weak and unfortunate being like her kept holding on to life. One day, the maid who brought her food once a day asked her. "Why do you keep wanting to live?" "Wouldn't it be easier to let yourself die?" "That way, all the pain and suffering you're feeling would disappear." Abril was twelve years old. In her short life, six years had been a living god. But she refused to surrender to the claws of death that whispered in her ears every day, telling her to stop fighting. As she ate the thick soup greedily, Abril replied. "Why don't you throw yourself from the highest tower of this castle?" "You're crazy!" "If I did that, I would die." "You see, just as your life is valuable to you, my life is also valuable to me, so stop asking me to die because I won't." She continued eating in silence, and when she finished, the maid took the tray with the empty plates. She hadn't left a single crumb, she had finished it all. After the maid left, Abril looked out through the window. Outside, the snow had started to accumulate.  She raised her gaze to the sky and said her little prayer again, with her hands joined together. "I don't want to die, please God, don't let me die." Abril continued saying the same prayer for three more winters. On the spring of her fifteenth birthday, the servant who always brought her food brought her a beautiful dress, beautiful jewelry and decorations for her hair. "Why have you brought all these?" She asked curiously. "His Majesty asked me to bring all these, to make you look beautiful." "He wants to see you." The maid replied. It had been nine years since Abril had last seen her father. She still remembered the hurtful words he spat at her which she silently rejected within her the last time she saw him. "I don't need a lame daughter as my heir, so just die already." Those were his words. "Do you know why he wants to see me?" Abril asked. "No, he just told me to hurry." Replied the maid. The servant gave her a cold bath. Abril's whole body shivered as the cold water was poured over her thin body. She wished it would all end quickly, but that wasn't the case. It was a long and painful bath since she had to be very clean. After bathing, the servant helped her get dressed. She put on a beautiful, pristine white dress, then placed two flower ornaments on each side of her long red hair. Next, she applied light makeup, and lastly, she adorned her n**k with a small teardrop-shaped sapphire necklace. The maid told her to look at herself in a broken mirror that was in a corner of the room. She looked beautiful, despite not having lived in proper conditions. Abril had become a beautiful young woman with reddish hair, white and pale skin like flour because she almost never received the rays of the sun, since she was always locked in that cold palace. Her golden eyes shone like the sun, and her red l**s, like mistletoe, looked beautiful and delicate. While Abril looked at herself in the mirror, the maid placed the final ornament in her hair that was at the bottom of the box she had brought. It was a fine veil. When Abril saw it, she realized what was happening. She was going to get married, since death never came into her life, her father wanted to get rid of her in another way, hence the marriage. Abril didn't say anything, she just wished that wherever they sent her, it would be a better place to live. "Everything is ready now, please follow me, His Majesty is waiting for you." Abril walked casually through the palace corridors. Everyone who saw her whispered as she passed by, wondering who she was, and where she had come from. She had red hair, a unique feature of the royal family, which is why everyone was so surprised to see her, as no one remembered that she was the first princess of the kingdom of Laios. Abril continued walking, completely ignoring the murmurs of the people. She was taken to the throne room, where she didn't bow or greet the man who looked at her with coldness and contempt in his eyes while seated on his throne.  Nevertheless, he said to her, "My dear daughter, I see that you have grown beautifully." Although the words of that king seemed sweet, they felt like an insult to Abril. Her father smiled maliciously and said to her, "Today you will be sent to the kingdom of Cosset. Due to the constant wars, I have decided to send my most beloved daughter to form an alliance of peace." Abril didn't complain or say anything. She simply stood listening to her father's words, hoping that it would all end soon because the dress she was wearing was heavy and uncomfortable, the shoes she wasn't used to wearing were tight and made her feet hurt. "Dear daughter, I hope you have a good life with your husband." He said mockingly. The king signaled to some guards wearing white uniforms. They certainly were soldiers of the kingdom of Cosset. "e****t my precious daughter carefully." Said the King. The guards approached Abril and said to her, "Please follow us, a carriage is waiting for you." Abril didn't say goodbye to her father or bow before leaving, she just turned around, ignoring the fierce looks of her brothers, and followed the guards. As she watched her back, her father spoke for the last time. "May the light of Airon be with you." Those last words seemed affectionate to the guards escorting her, but only those belonging to the kingdom of Laios  knew the meaning of such words. May death come to visit you soon, was the meaning of those words. Although Abril had lived her whole life confined without receiving any education, she had learned to read before being locked up. In her confined space, she occupied herself by reading, so she knew that her father's last words were a death wish for her. Abril didn't turn around, she walked with her head held high, ignoring everything around her. As she left the palace, she saw a huge white carriage with decorations made of gold waiting for her at the entrance. One of the guards helped her get into the carriage. Abril looked through the window of the carriage, from there she watched as they left the palace behind. She thought she would feel something upon leaving her place of origin, but no, she felt nothing, no sorrow, no joy, no sadness, no emotion overwhelmed her. She closed the curtain of the carriage window and said to herself. " I hoped that my life in the kingdom of Cosset would be better than it was in this place."

Upon leaving the city, the guards used a teleportation scroll to reach the kingdom of Cosset. This was the first time Abril had used teleportation magic, and she felt dizzy as if her whole body had been destroyed and reassembled. When the guards opened the carriage door and told her they had arrived, they found the young princess gasping in pain. They didn't ask if she had ever traveled using teleportation scrolls because they assumed she had since she was a princess. The first time traveling with teleportation scrolls could be very tiring, but they had never heard that it was painful. They thought the princess was pretending and ignored her. "Please alight, Princess, don't keep His Majesty the King waiting." They forced her out of the carriage even though Abril could barely stand. Exhausted and in pain, she walked, almost crawling. They took her to a huge temple. Abril walked without stopping, and every step was painful and exhausting. When they entered the temple, she saw that it was beautifully decorated with white flowers, and it was filled with people.  In the background, there was a huge statue of Juno, the goddess of marriage. The guards told her to keep walking without stopping. At the altar next to the statue, there was a man. Abril's vision was blurry, and it wasn't until she was close enough that she could distinguish the man's features. He was tall, with broad shoulders and tight muscles. He had black hair and beautiful emerald green eyes.  The closer she got, the larger he seemed. He had a displeased expression on his face, obviously not happy about the marriage, and he didn't bother to hide it. He must be the groom, Abril thought. She walked until she stood in front of the King of Cosset, Alessandro Veriatte was his name. Abril did not bow, nor did she speak with sweet words. She only greeted him with a simple,  "Hello." Her words were sharp, they showed no emotion, no pain, no anger, no fear, there was no hatred either, her words sounded empty. The king frowned, annoyed that she was so disrespectful, and that she despised him that way in front of everyone, as if saying, "I will not bow to you, you do not deserve my respect." What the king didn't know was that Abril had no idea about the etiquette she should display in the presence of someone of high status, since she had never received such an education. The king extended his hand, upset that he had to t***h the daughter of his sworn enemy. Alessandro wanted to end this occasion as soon as possible, so he shortened the ceremony and said, "In the presence of the goddess Juno, I join my life to yours." "From today, we will be husband and wife." Abril said nothing, she simply remained silent, not knowing what to do or say. The king gave her а-'cup of wine and ordered her to drink part of it. Abril did as he commanded. The king took the cup back and drank the remaining wine, after which he placed the cup on the table that was in front of them.  The King took a dagger that was carefully placed next to a scroll, and made a small cut in the palm of his hand, spilling his blood onto the scroll and ordered Abril to do the same. When their blood mixed, the scroll glowed and a mark appeared on Abril's left hand and on Alessandro's left hand. It was a mark that bound them as a couple. The mark could not be erased and the only time it disappeared was when one of them died, releasing the other from their commitment and vows. Abril looked at the mark on her hand, it was like a tattoo of a bright golden color which stood out on her white skin. The King said to Abril, "Now you are my wife and I hope you behave as one." The king did not k**s her, nor did he take her hand. He was supposed to do those two things, but he decided to omit them. She knew what that meant. Obviously, he was saying, though you are my wife, I will not treat you as such. At that moment, Abril made a little bow and said to him. "I will be in your care from now on." Alessandro was annoyed and walked towards the exit, and Abril followed him in silence while all the hateful glances were focused on her. Alessandro got into the carriage that was waiting for them at the entrance. While she stood in front of the carriage, Alessandro said angrily from inside the carriage.   "Aren't you going to get in?" Abril got into the carriage, then the coachman immediately rode off. Alessandro closed his eyes because just seeing her made his blood boil and made him want to take her delicate n**k in his hands and break it. The kingdom of Cosset suffered a lot because of king Venobich . After years of war, one day the king of Laios sent a messenger asking for a truce through the bond of marriage. And having lost lives and properties as a result of the years of war, the king of Cosset had no choice but to accept the marriage proposal. When they arrived at the palace, Alessandro got off the carriage first and told one of the servants to guide the princess to her room. There were no banquets or dances for the wedding, which was something that would've made Abril feel sad and angry, but instead she felt relieved, as she could go straight to rest, something she deeply wished for as she still felt unwell from the journey. A maid guided her through the corridors of that magnificent castle and took her to her room. "This is your room." "Please do not leave this room." "If you need anything, pull the cord next to your bed and I will come immediately." The maid said. Abril looked at the exquisite room they had given her. Apparently, she was also a prisoner there, although she was glad that her prison was more beautiful than the previous one. Before the maid left, Abril asked her to bring her something light to eat and a basket of fruit. The maid nodded and left. Abril inspected the room. It was a room fit for a princess. Then she removed her veil and the decorations from her hair, which were heavy and had caused her a severe headache. Then she tried to remove her dress, but she couldn't do it on her own. She had to wait for the maid to come back and ask for her help. With nothing else to do, Abril took off the uncomfortable shoes that had been squeezing her feet and laid down on the bed.  It was so soft and cozy that Abril felt like she was sleeping on a cloud. She couldn't recall ever having such a soft bed in her entire life. She looked at the ceiling of the room and said to herself. "I think I will have a good life in this place."

Abril ended up falling asleep while waiting for that maid. She never returned. Definitely, she wasn't going to have her three square meals in this place either. She sighed with great sorrow and said to herself. "When will that moment come, that I can eat whatever I want?" Abril touched her stomach and started talking to it. "Stomach, why do they always have to punish you like this?" "I would prefer a beating if that means I get my three square meals." Knock knock. The sound of the door being knocked made Abril happy, perhaps it was time for her first meal. "I hope they brought the basket of fruit I ordered." Abril spoke again to her growling stomach. "Stomach, calm down, it's finally time to eat." Abril got up from her bed and opened the door, only to see the maid she had asked to bring her the light meal and a basket of fruit in front of the door with empty hands. "Am I not entitled to even a single meal in this place?" They are thinking of starving me to death, right? Abril thought as she winkled her brow. "Where is my food?" "Why haven't you brought it yet?" Abril said angrily. "I'm sorry, I forgot." The maid lied shamelessly. "Well, go and bring it immediately." She said. "It won't be necessary, Your Majesty is waiting for you to have dinner," the maid replied. Abril's eyes lit up, the maid thought it was because she was going to have dinner with the king, but in reality, that was the least of her concerns. All she wanted was to have a good meal, she didn't care if it was in a stable or sitting next to a man whose gaze alone could kill her if gazes were to kill. This happened any time he saw her, but all she cared about was filling her stomach with a good meal. Abril hurried to put on her shoes and followed the maid who led her to the royal dining room, where His Majesty, the king, was waiting for her. When Alessandro saw her arrive, it seemed like he wanted to throw the knife he held in his hand and pierce her head. Anyone would have trembled with fear at such stares. However, Abril didn't even pay attention to his stares. The food had completely captured her attention. She took her place at the table next to the king. Immediately, she took a spoonful of the soup in front of her and put it in her mouth. The king looked at her with contempt and said, "Apparently King Venobich  didn't properly educate the princess, her manners are horrible." The king was right about her manners, so she didn't feel offended at all and continued eating her soup. She finished it all and then moved on to the meat, then to the fish. She left the plate completely clean and Alessandro stared at her intently because she ate as if it were her last meal or the first in a long time. Abril tried everything on the table. There were things she had never tasted in her life, like lamb meat. She was so happy with the meal that she almost cried out of happiness. Alessandro reached out to t***h Abril's curly hair, which was all disheveled from sleeping. When she felt his hand touching her hair, she stayed completely still. She wondered if the king would kill her at that moment. She closed her eyes and said to herself. "At least he let me have a good dinner before killing me." "If it weren't for the color of your hair, I would have said you were a beggar from the street." The king spoke with a voice full of disdain.  Abril opened her eyes when she felt him retract his hand and in her mind said, "Obviously, he didn't want to kill me, he just wanted to check if my hair was real and not dyed." Abril didn't say anything. From experience, she knew that when a man was angry, it was best to stay silent, not say anything to anger him even more. If she carelessly opened her mouth, it would only lead to punishment or something even worse being done to her. She remembered one incident that happened at her father's palace where she had argued back at the steward who occasionally visited her to make sure she wasn't dead yet. He had punished her severely by withholding food for two whole days, and at some other times, it would even be three consecutive days of fasting. Since then, Abril had decided that it was best to stay silent and listen to the scolding without arguing back. The king stood up angrily and slammed the table, surprising Abril. "Go back to your room, seeing you makes me sick to my stomach," he said. Abril had already eaten to her satisfaction, although she hadn't had a chance to try the dessert. She nodded and obediently got up from the table. When she returned to her room, Abril asked the maid to help her take off the dress, but she claimed to be busy and quickly left. Abril sighed deeply, wondering how she was going to take off the dress, when suddenly the king entered her room. She looked at him in confusion, wondering what he was doing in her room, since just a few minutes ago he had told her to leave because he didn't want to see her face. That's right, this is our first wedding night. Oh, that's why the king is in my room.She thought. "You're still wearing that stubid dress, it's ridiculous that you pretend to be a bride when this whole wedding is nothing but a joke." The king laughed bitterly and said to her, "I will never treat you as my wife." "I will never t***h your disgusting body."  "Who knows how many men you've been with before me." "Listen carefully, princess Abril, you will never have my heart, not even a place in my bed, and from this day on, make sure not to cross my path, because if you do, I may lose control and end up killing you." After saying everything he wanted without giving her a chance to speak, the king left the room, slamming the door forcefully. Abril knew she wasn't liked by the king, although she had never imagined his dislike was so great. "It seems I'm not welcome in this place either." "I just hope they don't make me go hungry." "I can handle everything else except hunger," she said.

Abril spent a good while trying to take off the corset, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't do it. So she looked for something to cut the corset of her dress, otherwise, it would be impossible to remove it. Seeing the attitude of the maids, she knew none of them would help her take it off. She searched through the drawers and luckily found a sewing box that had everything. She took out scissors and began cutting the corset, trying not to hurt herself. When she took off the dress, she felt like she could breathe again. But then she realized she had nothing else to wear. She had arrived at the palace with only what she was wearing, and she had just ruined it. "Why am I so foolish?" "What am I going to do now?" "The king made it clear that I cannot ask for anything in this place." "And even if I did, I doubt the maids would give it to me." Abril laid down on the bed, wearing only her thin under-dress, and started thinking about how she could get clothes. She rolled several times on the soft bed, caressing the smooth silk sheets. Then an idea came to her. Since she had no dress to wear, she would have to make one herself. While searching for something to cut her dress earlier, she had found several sets of sheets. She could use them to make one or two dresses. Abril got up from bed, took out a white and a lime green sheet, and got to work. Luckily, she was skilled at sewing and could make a simple dress. That was better than walking around in just her u*******r. As she cut the sheets, Abril said: "I just hope they won't be mad about cutting the sheets." She shrugged and told herself: "If they are, I'll have to endure the scolding." "There's nothing I can do." "I need my clothes." She stayed awake all night making her dress. She used some decorations from the wedding dress to make her dress look less plain. In the early hours of the morning, she finished her first dress, which was a simple lime green dress with white lace trimmings she had cut from the curtains. She tried on her dress and, seeing that it fitted her like a glove, she smiled and was satisfied. Then she picked up the pieces of fabric and hid them so that the maids wouldn't find them, and then she went to sleep. The next day, no one came to wake her up for breakfast. Abril woke up at noon, and shortly after, a dark-haired maid entered. She said her name was Rena and brought her a simple meal consisting of vegetable soup, a piece of bread, water, and an apple. The maid thought that by giving her such a small meal, they were bothering her. However, for Abril, who couldn't have three meals a day, this was a luxury. She ate the soup and the bread, left the water jug, and saved the apple in case she didn't have dinner. After finishing, the maid collected the plates and left silently. Abril spent the rest of the day making another dress and u*******r for herself. At dinnertime, the same maid, Rena, returned to her room with a tray of food. The dinner was more plentiful than at noon; she had served her a beef steak with potatoes and salad. She also had an apple for dessert. Abril ate all the food, cleaned the plate, and saved the apple as she had done at noon. The maid stared at her, but didn't say anything about her strange habit of saving fruit. The seasons passed, spring ended and gave way to a hot summer. For the first time, that room that had become Abril's home became a true prison. It was so hot that it was unbearable. She would go out to the balcony, but the sun shone all day long without giving her a break. Even the nights had become hot. She had asked the maids several times to let her leave the room, but they said they couldn't let her go out, as it was the king's order. o*******t, when Abril felt like she would die from the heat, she escaped from her room. There were no guards positioned at her door, so she had no trouble escaping. She went to the garden, sat next to a fountain, and enjoyed the fresh air mixed with the water from the fountain. For the first time in days, she felt like she was able to breathe again. She stayed there for a while, but when she had to go back to her infernal room, she hated it. However, she didn't want to get into trouble, so she returned, making sure nobody saw her. After that day, every night she would escape and go to the fountain to refresh herself. She would put her feet in the fountain and enjoy the cool water, which gave her a little break from the suffocating heat of her room. Alessandro went out for a walk. He had been working all day, going through documents, and he felt stressed. The heat only made things worse. As he walked through the garden, he saw a young woman sitting on the edge of the fountain with her feet in the water. He wondered who was so shameless for doing that. He approached a little closer and, seeing her reddish curly hair, he knew who it was. It was his wife, Abril Venobich. Alessandro clenched his fists tightly to suppress his killer instinct. Every time he saw her, he wanted to kill her. Her hair reminded him of King Vritra Venobich, who had cruelly killed several of his brothers some years ago. She was so small and thin that he only needed to apply a little force to her n**k to kill her. He turned around and went back to his room to push those thoughts out of his mind. After that day, he discovered that Abril would escape from her room every night to go to that fountain to refresh herself. He found her behavior rude, but he let it go. He pretended not to know what she was doing and stopped thinking about her, letting her once again be forgotten.

Summer passed, giving way to a refreshing autumn. Abril continued to escape during the nights, finding it fun to walk through the gardens at night, especially because when winter came, she wouldn't be able to do it again. Her clothes were light and she didn't have a coat. When winter arrived, she would have to stay in her room, sheltering herself from the cold, wishing for spring to come again. Abril had always hated winter, she always suffered from the cold during those months. She wished it would be different this time, but she doubted it. The maids ignored her, and when she complained, she only received worse treatment. The maids would stop bringing her food, and on those days, Abril would eat the fruit she had hidden until they decided to return. These had happened the times Abril had complained about the suffocating heat in her room, and again when she protested about not being brought her food. After that, she stopped complaining about it for the sake of her stomach, and even when she needed something, she never asked for anything. She managed with what she had in her room. Autumn passed in the blink of an eye. When winter came, Abril had to stop her nightly walks. But once in a while, tired of being confined, she went out to the garden for a moment and then returned. o*******t, while taking a walk in the garden, Alessandro saw her again. He hid behind some bushes and immediately wondered why he had done that. He didn't approach her, neither did he let her see him. He stood watching her from the shadows. Seeing that she was barefoot and not wearing a coat, but instead wrapped in a blanket, he thought the princess was weird and then left. This winter wasn't as bad for Abril as it had been in the Kingdom of Laios. Although she didn't have suitable winter clothes, her room was comfortable and pleasant. She also had enough blankets to not feel cold. When winter ended and spring began again, Abril felt happy because she could go on her nighttime walks again. Abril was singing a song as she looked through the window of her balcony at the beautiful garden full of flowers, when one of the maids entered and said to her. "Princess, it's a nice day today, why don't you take a walk in the garden?" "Can I do that?" She asked. "Of course, Your majesty has given permission." Excited, Abril left her room and headed to the garden. She had been so excited that she forgot to put on her shoes. She only had one pair, and they were uncomfortable because they were too small, so she never wore them. As she walked through the garden, she felt the cool and soft grass under her feet. For the first time, she walked in the sunlight, enjoying the beautiful flowers that shone brightly. Suddenly, she heard a female voice speak to her. It was a beautiful woman with brown hair, wearing a beautiful red dress that stood out among the white flowers in the garden. She was a very beautiful woman, Abril thought as she looked at her. She approached and asked Abril, "Are you Princess Abril Venobich, from the kingdom of Laios?" Abril nodded in response. The woman laughed mockingly and said, "I can't believe my engagement to Alessandro was broken by someone as insignificant as you." "Who are you?" Abril asked. "I am Victoria Vampel, I have been his majesty's fiancée since we were young." "We were supposed to have been married a year ago, but because of you, that didn't happen." "I'm sorry." Abril said, not paying much attention to what the beautiful woman was saying. Victoria became upset at her indifference. She pushed her, causing Abril to fall into the roses behind her. Thorns pierced her arms and back, while others pierced her b**e feet as she struggled to get free. Victoria looked at her with a satisfied smile on her face. She was enjoying her pain. Abril asked for help from the maid who had been accompanying her on her walk, but she didn't lift a finger to help. "I don't want to get hurt." "It was your mistake to fall into the roses, get out on your own." The maid replied not feeling  bothered. At that moment, Abril realized what was going on. It had been planned in advance, the maid was conspiring with Victoria, and she had foolishly fallen into their trap. Suddenly, Victoria threw herself to the ground and screamed in pain. Abril thought she had gone crazy, she had not even screamed like that when she fell into the roses. Alessandro, who was passing by, rushed to help the screaming lady. When he saw Victoria, he ran to her side and asked her what was wrong. She lied, saying that the princess had thrown her to the ground and that she accidentally fell into the roses. Up until that moment, Alessandro hadn't noticed that Abril was entangled in the thorns, but when he realized, he helped her out and asked her, "What happened here?" Before Abril could say a word, Victoria and the maid made up a story in which Abril became the villain and Victoria the victim. It was two against one, and Alessandro didn't even let her speak before judging her. "You're just like your family, cruel and heartless." "You feel so entitled in the palace that you think you can trample on others." "Disappear from my sight right now." Abril laughed ironically. She had never been treated well in that palace. Trample on others, she laughed at that term because it was the maid and that woman, like a poisonous snake, who trampled on her and hurt her. But he wouldn't believe her, no matter what she said, he would think she was guilty. Abril got up, the thorns in her feet dug in even deeper and made her bleed. She walked away as fast as she could and returned to her room. On arrival, she removed as many thorns as she could with the help of a needle, but there were others that she couldn't reach, and she didn't know how she would remove them. Alessandro took Victoria to the palace. After giving her а-'cup of tea to calm her down, he sent her back home.  Alessandro called the butler and said, "Jaffar, send a doctor to see the princess." "Right away, Your majesty," he replied. The butler carried out the king's orders without asking any questions.

Abril was thinking about how she would remove the remaining thorns when she heard someone knocking on the door. It was the doctor. "They sent me to take care of you." Abril was surprised, she didn't expect anyone to come and help her, let alone a doctor. He attended to her without asking questions, he removed the remaining thorns, cleaned the wounds, and said to her, "Try not to get the wounds wet. If your feet are in worse condition, try not to get out of bed until they are better." "Thank you, doctor, I will keep that in mind." "I will tell the maids to change the bandages and regularly check the wounds to avoid infection." Abril knew that even if she told the maids to change her bandage and check her wounds, they wouldn't do it. "Doctor, could you leave me the bandages, I would change them myself." "I don't like other people touching me." "Still, I think it would be better if one of the maids did it," the doctor answered. "Please...." The doctor, upon seeing the princess's pleading eyes, agreed to her wishes and handed her several bandages and some ointments for the wounds. "Try to check the wounds that are possible to see." "If you agree, I will come in a few days to see how you are doing and make sure the wounds have not become infected." "Thank you very much." "I would be eternally grateful if you did that," replied the princess. That doctor was old and kind, he knew there was something hidden in all this. It was impossible that the princess would be bothered by others touching her body since she had not pulled back when he touched her. There was a hidden story behind all of this, but he did not want to insist that she told him. After the doctor left, the king summoned him. He didn't ask about the princess, he just made him stand for a while, then the doctor started speaking without being asked. "Luckily, the princess's wounds are not as serious as to leave scars. However, she must take special care of the wounds on her feet. The thorns pierced deeper as she walked while having them on her feet." Alessandro listened without asking any questions, then the doctor left. A few days later, the doctor returned to visit Abril. Her wounds were almost healed, only the deeper ones remained unhealed completely.    ***** During a meeting, Victoria's father, Duke Alfonso Vampel, was furious about the alleged attack that his daughter had suffered at the hands of the princess. He demanded that the princess be punished. After insisting so much, Alessandro decided to give Abril a punishment, and the meeting ended shortly after. Alessandro was tired, he didn't feel like arguing with the nobles anymore. Almost the whole kingdom hated the Venobich family. He knew that incident was just an excuse to make the princess go through a tough time. Alessandro had thought that her getting injured was enough punishment for her misdeeds, but the nobles didn't see it the same way. Alessandro leaned back in his chair, sighed heavily, and thought of giving the princess a punishment that was neither too severe nor too lenient, so that the nobles wouldn't keep bothering him. After a few days, when the doctor said that the princess was fully recovered, he went to visit her in her room. She was standing by the window, looking at the garden with her b**e feet. Alessandro considered her an extravagant princess who liked to go without shoes and wear light clothes, as her dress was short and showed more than necessary. He cleared his throat and said to her, "Princess." Abril turned around upon hearing a male voice behind her. Upon seeing the king, she wondered what he was doing in her room, as he always showed his hatred whenever he saw her. With an annoyed face, the king continued speaking. "I see that you are feeling better now." "Due to your misbehavior, you will receive a deserving punishment."  "You will be transferred to a distant part of the castle for a few days, you will not have maids at your service, and you will have to manage on your own." "Perhaps, this way, you will appreciate the work of the servants and reflect on your behavior." Abril sighed, the king was doing the same thing as her father, leaving her forgotten in a corner of the palace. She just hoped that the place would not be in ruins. "Will l be entitled to two square meals at least?" Abril asked. That question annoyed Alessandro. He was punishing her, not starving her. "Of course," he replied. If she was going to have her three square meals, Abril didn't care about anything else and obediently, she accepted a punishment she didn't deserve. That same afternoon, she was taken to the farthest part of the castle. They left her in a small cottage that must have been used by the gardener at some point. It was small, pleasant, and cozy. Although it was supposed to be a punishment, Abril felt that it was a reward for her. She wouldn't have to live locked in a room anymore, she would have a small house with a yard. Abril tried to put on a sad expression because she felt if the maids saw her happy, they would want to bother her again. The maid gave her a basket of fruits and vegetables and told her, "This place is too remote, the princess will have to prepare her own meals since we cannot come here to deliver them, we are too busy for that." "Besides, His Majesty said this was your punishment." Abril knew that the maids were lying, they simply didn't want to take care of her anymore and this was a good opportunity to stop doing it. At least they had given her the ingredients to make her own food. That was a relief for Abril. She took the baskets with vegetables and entered the house. The maids left immediately. That house was small but very well taken care of. There was also a fireplace so that when winter came, she wouldn't freeze if she collected firewood before winter arrived. Abril smiled widely. What was supposed to be a punishment she saw as a blessing. There was no one there to watch over her or prevent her from leaving her room, although she had to make sure not to get close to the palace because if the servants saw her, they might want to get her into trouble. Abril gave a sigh of relief. For the first time in a long time, it seemed that luck was finally smiling at her. "In the end, I came out victorious in all of these."   "That woman wanted to see me suffer." "However, she doesn't know that she ended up doing me a favor." "I hope she stays healthy and has a good life." Abril said.

Abril started her new life. There in that small house she felt happy. She found a small garden near the house and dedicated herself to taking care of it. It became her source of food as the maids had not returned since the day they had left her in that place. During spring, Abril took care of the garden, just as she did in the summer. In the autumn, she harvested its fruits and prepared herself for winter. When the cold became bothersome, Abril stopped leaving her house. That was the first winter in which Abril didn't hate winter. That year, she had enough food and a fireplace to keep herself warm. She wished all her winters could be like that. Another year passed since Abril had married the prince. When spring arrived, Abril turned seventeen. She was no longer that skinny little girl she had always been, and finally looked like a seventeen-year-old young woman. Her growth had been slower because she had never had proper nutrition, but for the past two years, she had been eating well, and her body had developed marvelously. Abril sat at the entrance of the small house. From there, she could see the imposing towers of the castle. She was glad they had sent her to that small house instead of one of those towers that reached towards the sky. She was deeply grateful because, even though they had forgotten about her, she didn't feel it that way. On the contrary, she felt that, for the first time in her life, she was living and not just surviving as she had been doing her whole life. She lifted her gaze to the sky. It was clear and bright. The sun shone so beautifully that Abril wished she could see that beautiful view every day. The seasons passed. In the blink of an eye, two years went by. Abril continued to live comfortably in that small house, enjoying her day-to-day life. It was a beautiful spring season and Abril decided to go to the forest near her house to collect mushrooms. As she walked through the forest, she saw a man on the ground. Immediately, she hid behind a tree and stared at the body lying on the ground. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, the man had blood on his clothes. Abril looked around, wondering if there were more people who could help that man, but there was no one besides her. Abril approached very carefully. That man was her husband, Alessandro. She wondered why he was injured and what he was doing in such a remote part of the palace. "Did they kill him?" Abril asked herself curiously, putting her head on her husband's chest to make sure his heart was still beating. Upon confirming that he was still alive, she tried to wake him up. She shook him, tapped him lightly on the chest, and when he didn't respond, she gave him a strong blow to the face, but he didn't jger'erk up. He was completely unconscious. "Well, now what do I do?" Abril wondered as she looked at him. He was still bleeding, and if she left him in that place, it was very likely that he would die and her peaceful life would be over. With no other options, Abril dragged him by his feet to take him to her house, as it was the closest and she doubted she could drag him any further. When they arrived at the house, Abril took off his clothes as they were covered in mud and dirt, and she didn't want him to dirty her bed. Then, she did her best to treat the wound on his stomach, which didn't seem as deep as it had initially appeared. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he had a bump on his head, perhaps that's what had knocked him out. Abril covered him with a sheet after she was done checking for any more injuries. She stared at her husband for a moment. He had a good body and a beautiful face, but he wasn't a good man, or at least not with her. She prepared tea and waited for him to wake up. Alessandro woke up with a bad headache. He had gone for a walk in the forest when someone had surprised him. He had been deeply cut in the stomach and had been hit hа'rd-on the head without being given a chance to defend himself. He looked around, wondering where he was. His gaze stopped at a beautiful young woman sleeping on her bed. Alessandro recognized her by her hair. She was his wife whom he had forgotten. He wondered what she was doing there. He was about to wake her up when she opened her eyes, stretched her arms, and asked him. "Are you okay?" The king was shocked and he said to Abril, "Where are we?" "What are we doing here?"  "I found His Majesty lying helplessly on the ground when l was taking a walk in the woods and brought him home with me." "I don't believe you." "Were you the one who attacked me?" Alexandro inquired. "Why would I do that?" Abril replied. "You are just like your disgusting father," Alessandro said. "Here we go again." Abril said and tried standing up, but her legs were still asleep. Alessandra had a fever during the night. She had to lower it with a wet cloth, but in the end, she fell asleep while doing so. "If His Majesty is feeling well, he can leave." She said. "Where are we?"  He asked, "In the palace, where else could we be?" Abril replied ironically. "This house looks simple," Alessandro said, believing her words. "Which exact part?" He inquired further just to be certain. "In the place that His Majesty gave me to live." "It was three years ago."  "I suppose His Majesty has forgotten," She responded. "What are you talking about?" He asked. "It doesn't matter." "If you feel better, you can leave." She replied. When Abril started to walk away, Alessandro stood up and realized at that moment that he was completely barely covered body. "What have you done with my clothes?" He asked. "That's right, I washed them since they were dirty." "I will bring them now." She replied. "What?" He asked. Alessandro didn't know if it was because of the blow he had received on his head or if the princess was crazy because, to him, the idea of a princess doing laundry was unthinkable. Abril came back shortly after with Alessandro's clothes. The bloodstains still remained. "Call the servants to bring me clean clothes." "I'm not going to wear that," he said. "But they are clean, it was only the blood stains that didn't go away," Abril replied. "Stop saying nonsense and call the servants." He responded, believing that there should be servants there. "I can't."  She said. "Why not?" He queried. "There are no servants here," She answered. "What?" He questioned. Upon seeing her husband's expression of surprise, Abril knew that he didn't know that the maids hadn't returned to serve her and wondered if there would be any punishment for them.